by Aline Riva
The facts he had taken in were shakily settling even though they made no sense. Drake knew for sure he was alive – yet he had a large chunk of time he could not account for and he felt very strange too,as if he had been away, far away – not from this place, but from his own flesh and bones. It felt as if he had just landed back and sharply, jarring every bone in his body...
“This is too much...” he put a hand to his aching head and staggered back. He swayed on his feet and once again Cherry was there to steady him. He glanced at her, feeling warmth in his heart as he recalled the day they had met.
“You look great in that skimpy outfit.”
Their eyes locked and despite his weakness, he smiled as she smiled back at him.
“Oh for heavens sake!” Raine exclaimed, “Can we leave the flirting alone, please? Demons, soul trading, much danger ahead?”
“I dismissed the demon. Just don't tell anyone. We'll figure something out. We don't need your help,” said Cherry.
Raine gave a heavy sigh.
“But you do, Cherry,” he said with regret, “Telling a demon to simply go away doesn't dismiss it. That creature is still here, lurking unseen, waiting for payment. I don't want to get involved in this – I have a party to get back to, I have stunning women who want to flirt with me and much more besides and I'd rather enjoy my success and spend time scoring with hot chicks than use it wisely, fighting a demon - because I might get killed! But...you can't do this on your own.”
He drew a card from his pocket and handed it to Drake, who took it and then looked at him doubtfully.
“Demons? What is this crap about? You're just a fake wizard who gets female fans online by impressing them with your videos...”
“I'm a male witch, a real one,” Raine replied.
Drake was still dizzy and the feeling that he was about to pass out wouldn't let up. He wondered if this was all a dream or perhaps a terrible hangover, even though he had no memory of drinking at all...
“Blokes are wizards and warlocks. Women are witches.”
Annoyance registered in his dark gaze as Raine watched the recently revived Drake swaying weakly and leaning against Cherry.
“Wizard brings to mind an ancient being centuries old. Warlock sounds threatening. Male witch is more acceptable these days...”
“What do those women see in you?” Drake asked, now feeling sure he was hung over and probably still drunk.
Raine smirked.
“I'm good looking.”
“So am I!”Drake protested as Cherry smiled and looked away, feeling sure this was the kind of conversation that would have gone down better at a party after too many drinks – Drake still didn't get it, he thought he felt strange because there was a rational explanation, like booze, perhaps...
“I don't know why you envy me,” Raine told him, “You should just be glad to be back! Half an hour ago you were sat in that display case, a preserved corpse!”
Drake looked at Cherry as he leaned on her heavier still, weakness over taking him as if the hangover was about to floor him. Then he remembered he wasn't much of a drinker, so it couldn't be a hangover...
“What really happened?” he asked.
She looked into his eyes and spoke softly, spelling out a truth he would have to accept when he recovered.
“You died,” she told him, “You collapsed in the office and you died. Your body was preserved and displayed like you wanted, but I used black magic to bring you back.”
A flicker of doubt reflected in his gaze, but he saw none in hers.
“I really did save you. I brought you back from the dead,” said Cherry.
Her words hit home. Drake's legs buckled beneath him as he slid to the floor, falling hard, passed out cold.
“I'll help you get him upstairs,” Raine told her, “Then we need to talk. You've created a hell of a mess, Cherry!”
She said nothing in reply as between them, she and Raine lifted Drake, who was still out cold, and together they took him away from the dark room and the glass case and through to the main entrance hall, then they went up the corridor and headed for the stairway that led to the upstairs flat. In the time it took them to get him upstairs, Raine did not say a word as she silently thought on the consequences of her actions:
It was a miracle to have Drake back – but it seemed that miracle would come with a heavy price. They had four days to find his killer, or the demon would return and drag him off to hell...
Moments later Drake was on her bed, on top of the covers, he was breathing easily, sleeping deeply. She had taken off his shoes and jacket and opened up his shirt and taken off his tie to make him more comfortable. His shirt was damp with sweat from his panicked moments in the glass case. He was certainly alive, his heart was beating, she knew that for sure because she had placed her hand on his warm chest and felt it, seeing him like this, it was as if his death had never happened. She sat beside him and reached out and ran her hand over his damp hair.
“I know what you're thinking,” said Raine, who stood by the bedroom door looking on, “He's alive again, it's amazing – so that demon can't be all bad. But you're wrong. It will come back and wait for payment. If he doesn't remember who killed him and find them in the time he has left, Ezaroth will rip out his soul and leave you with a corpse to put back in the display case.”
Fear tightened her throat as she looked down at the man she loved, his precious life restored as he lay there recovering.
“I won't let it take him!”
“Then make sure he finds out who killed him. Send them to the demon instead. That's what Ezaroth is hoping for – better the soul of a murderer than an innocent,” then he paused for thought and looked back at her with a questioning gaze, “They say only the purest love can call on Ezaroth to restore the dead to life... Before his death, had you and him got together, I mean, properly? Had you slept together?”
She shook her head.
“I only met him once, we arranged to go for dinner but the next time I saw him was after his death. We never had enough time to get together. We had no time at all.”
“That would be why it worked, then,” Raine replied, “Your love was pure.”
Drake gave a sigh and turned his head, then he shifted about restlessly but slept on.
“Id better go,”Raine told her, “I'm supposed to be at a party but I'm in no mood for that now. I'll fetch my phone from the function room and be off. Where are the keys, by the way?”
“I was lying,” she said apologetically, “I never locked the door, I was trying to get rid of you.”
“I'm afraid it's too late for that – I have the horrible feeling you will need my help with this in the end,” Raine replied.
“And I appreciate that. So will Drake when I've explained again, when he's awake.”
“Don't forget to call me,” Raine reminded her, then he left the bedroom and went out to the hallway and she listened as she heard him walk down the stairs, then the sound of his footfalls faded out and as she sat there looking down at Drake as he slept, she started to smile.
“It's going to work out,”she said softly, “As soon as you're awake and feeling better, we'll figure out what to do about the demon. You just have to remember who killed you – four days is a long time... at least, I hope it's enough time for you to remember... I do know I won't let that demon take you away. I lost you once, I won't lose you again.”
Drake slept until morning, after sitting there watching over him until late into the night, eventually Cherry had climbed on to the bed and lay beside him, putting her arm around him and resting her head on his shoulder. His damp clothing carried a vague smell of sweat but that was just as reassuring as the rise and fall of his chest – he was alive, he was warm and breathing again, his heart was beating... those thoughts had led her into a deeply restful slumber and she had not woken until morning sun rays spilled through the net curtains and she heard him speaking softly.
“I thought it was a dream. But I know it's not
. I've never felt like that in my life. It was as if my life had been shoved back into me, like my body had been rebooted. If I think about it too much it scares me. But I'm glad to be alive. I just wish I knew why I died, I can't imagine anyone wanting to harm me...I think that frightens me as much as knowing what I've come back from...”
She opened her eyes and looked up. Drake was at her side and leaning over her, warmth sparkling in his eyes as sure as it had on the day they had met. But his gaze was touched by sorrow now, that and a haunted look that said he knew, he understood what had happened, as crazy as it seemed, he just knew – he felt it. His soul had been separated from his body and then put back again...
“Thanks for bringing me back,” he added as emotion choked his voice and tears filled his eyes, “Now I guess its up to me to stay alive..I still can't remember what happened!”
He gave a sob and she wrapped her arms around him, pulling him down into a tight embrace as she felt every flicker of his own fears as he wept for an uncertain future.
“We can handle this,” she said softly as his sobs began to fade out and he pulled back on his emotions and wiped his eyes. He was laying on his side, looking into her eyes, his heart filled with love and gratitude but at the same time it was mixed with fear at the thought of the demon's price.
“You still can't remember who killed you?” she asked.
Confusion reflected in his gaze as he shook his head.
“The last thing I remember was having tea in the office...before I...Did you find my surprise?”
She smiled, that warmth sparking in her heart once more. Even at a time like this, he was worried about ruining the secret of the stocked up freezer in the flat.
“I found the food when I started work. Thanks, it was kind of you...That's your last memory? You were in the office before you went shopping? What time was that?”
“It was the afternoon, I don't recall the time... It wasn't dark... “
“I met a woman called Melody. She said she was your ex.”
On hearing her name he gave a groan as he rested heavily against the pillow, briefly closing his eyes wishing he could wipe her from his mind once and for all.
“She's not exactly my ex – she broke me and my ex up because we started seeing each other and it was a disaster. This was a while back, did she tell you everything?”
“Yes,” Cherry replied, feeling slightly bad for dragging up recollections of a sad time when he already had more than enough to deal with.
“I don't recall speaking with her,” Drake said honestly.
“What about Owen? He said you were in the office with him when you collapsed.”
His eyes widened in alarm.
“No, no way! He wouldn't have killed me. He wasn't very good with investments and there had been times when I could have strangled him – but don't take that the wrong way, he's my best friend. I've forgiven him for much worse than losing just a few grand.”
“Like what?” she wondered, but then he sat up stiffly, stretched and then stripped off his shirt.
“I feel so much better for that long sleep! I'm going to grab a shower, I feel like I need one. Then I think we should have breakfast, I'm starving!”
He got off the bed, turned back to kiss her cheek and then smiled.
“Could you put the kettle on please? I'm so thirsty, all I want is hot tea!”
She smiled back at him and got up.
“I guess the rest can wait for later.”
She reached up and placed her hand gently on his cheek and he took hold of it and brought it to his lips, kissing the back of it.
“I just need to feel human again,” he replied, “Then we can make up for lost time.”
The thought of time worried her far more than she cared to show – Drake had four days to find his killer and hand them over to the demon, yet all he wanted right now was to be normal, to lay it all aside, even for a short while... It was understandable, he had woken to an insane situation that defied logic – he had died, she had brought him back and now he wouldn't live very long at all if he didn't trace his own killer. Of course he needed some normality, it was probably the one thing he was clinging to in order to keep his head together, the whole situation was too much to think about deeply just hours after taking his first breath of restored life...
Drake stayed in the shower for more than half an hour, while Cherry got changed out of the transparent gown that looked romantic but stunk of burnt dandelions and a trace of sulphur. When she needed to use the bathroom he was in the shower, the curtain pulled closed as the hot water made a mist that rose outward as the water came down.
“Are you okay?” she called out.
“Fine, much better!” he had called back.
She had washed at the sink, even washing her hair to lose the smell of the ritual, skipping the convenience of the shower, just because he had said later they would make up for lost time, she didn't want to assume anything, not after all he had been through, so she quickly dismissed the thought of joining him in the shower as soon as the idea had come to mind.
After getting cleaned up she went back to the bedroom, put on a dressing gown, then went through to the kitchen and started to cook breakfast. She put the kettle on and made some tea and set it on the table. Just as the food was ready, he joined her.
“I don't think I've ever been so starving!” he exclaimed as he sat down.
He was wrapped in a white bathrobe and his hair was still damp. He picked up the mug of tea and drank from it, then set it down again as she placed the plate in front of him. By the time she had served up her own food and joined him, his plate was almost empty.
“I feel like I've been away... from me,” he said as he set down his knife and fork and drank some more tea, “It's hard to explain,” he paused, her gaze met his as he looked at her across the table and once again she thought how miraculous it seemed that he had been stone cold dead yesterday and now here he was, alive and well...
“I feel like I've been far away, but I can't recall it. I just know I've not been here, not me as solid flesh and blood. It feels so good to be back,” she caught a spark of fear in his eyes, “I've no plans to die a second time! I'll do whatever it takes to keep my life now I have it back again.”
Then he drank some more tea and the normality of the moment banished all fear from his thoughts as he grasped at the moment, forgetting the insanity of the situation, “It's so good to be alive!”
She smiled as she looked at him, yet again thinking of the miracle of his return – it was almost enough to wipe thoughts of the demon far from her mind... almost. They were both aware of Raine's warning, but now was not a time to talk about it, not yet - now was a time to celebrate simply being alive.
After breakfast Cherry got up from the table first, clearing away the plates and cups and placing them in the sink. Then she felt his arms slide around her waist and she turned around.
“Washing up won't get done on its own.”
“I'd do it for you but I might be on limited time,” he replied, there was a heavy reminder in his words of the risk he ran if he did not find his killer in time, but the warmth in his eyes and the fondness in his voice as he spoke and held her closer was all she needed to understand today would be about living, with no talk of death to come between them.
“After we first met, you stayed on mind all day, at least, as far as I can recall,” Drake told her as they stood there by the sink, his arms around her tightly, “You stole my heart.”
“And you stole mine,” she replied softly.
He leaned close, their lips touched and as she wrapped her arms around him, their kiss deepened and she closed her eyes, lost in the moment as they shared the first taste of love filled with a passion that needed to be fulfilled.
He broke off from their shared kiss and took her by the hand. One look in his eyes, now darkened by desire, was all she needed to see to know what was on his mind. He wanted to make love to her and it couldn't wait any longer, they
needed to be together.
Drake led her into the bedroom, paused to kiss her again, then opened up her dressing gown and slipped it from her shoulders. As she lay back on the bed his eyes never left the sight of her naked body as he stripped off his bathrobe and tossed it aside He was already erect and his eyes were like dark pools, his breathing was quick and impatient as he ached for her, his gaze wandering down her body as he got on to the bed, then joined her, sliding into her embrace where they stayed for a moment, warm together, skin against skin as they looked into each others eyes.
“I love you, Cherry,” he whispered, “You brought me back – your love brought me back to life. How can I ever thank you for that? All I can do is give you the love I have in my heart...it was always yours anyway, I knew it when you first showed up at the museum...I couldn't take my eyes off you.”
He covered her mouth with a kiss as he thrust against her, their bodies joining in a heated moment as he caught his breath and she gave a gasp as they made love for the first time. He kissed her softly then whispered to her that he had never felt so alive.
His movements were gentle at first, then more urgent as she thrust against him as need for him took over and he buried himself deep inside her, it was as if the two of them joining as one had been something intended from the very start, like the fulfilling of a cosmic plan. All they shared was more than lust and deeper than passion, it ran through both of their souls, like their love was a river that joined in a circle never to break now they had found one another.
As he breathed heavily and she gave a moan of pleasure and he lost control and throbbed hard inside her, he held her tighter, going deep and firm one last time, panting as he gave a short cry of release. Then he separated from her, turned on his back and breathed hard as sweat ran down his body.