The feel of Jason’s cold hand on my shoulder caused me to jump. I had almost completely forgotten that he was there.
“Pardon my intrusion, but how can she leave? Her body is almost entirely corrupted by her growing power.” Jason spoke to the woman who stood before us. His voice was filled with a level of reverence that I could not understand. I still didn’t know who this woman actually was but she must have been powerful for Jason to speak to her in such a manner.
“Take her to the portal, it knows where she must go now. I have bought her some time with her body. If Jon comes to her then she will survive the arrival of her power.” The cloaked figure spoke directly to Jason as though I was no longer in the room. I jumped as she turned back to me. “Jon must get to you before the hour of your birthday comes upon you. If he is not with you in the exact moment that you accept your powers, then your body will not survive. You will become a wraith and no amount of power or love will bring you back.”
I swallowed hard as I absorbed her words. If Jon let me down, I was so screwed.
“Thank you for your help.”
The hooded figure nodded and began to fade into the room itself. I blinked and she was gone. Once again, it was Jason and me in the room.
“Are you ready to go back?” Jason’s voice was threaded with nervousness.
“Yes. At this point I just want all of this to be over, one way or another.” I took Jason’s hand as he extended it towards me. Together, we walked back through the veil. It was easier this time. The veil simply glided over my skin allowing me to pass through without any incident. Once we were back in the room with all the bright light, I gave my eyes a few moments to adjust.
I stared at the window, my stomach churning in anticipation. Soon I would either be reunited with Jon or dead. Jason smiled at me sadly as though he could read my thoughts. Perhaps he could.
“What do I have to do?” I asked whilst continuing to study the window. Was it my imagination or was the window actually beginning to change shape? It seemed to be growing in length down towards the floor.
“You just walk through. Everything has already been arranged. Caroline would have already seen to that.”
“Was that her name?” I asked, my curiosity once more piqued. “Who is she?”
“Yes, Caroline was her name. As for who she is, only she can tell you that. I am bound to keep the silence.”
I sighed in frustration. Why was there so much secrecy about who she was? What did it matter? It certainly couldn’t have any impact on what was happening.
“Fine. So if I go through the window... door...” What had been a window was now a door I noted. “Where will I come out?”
“Exactly where you need to be.” Jason’s face grew serious as he listened to voices that only he could hear. “You need to go. They are coming and they know about your power.” Hurriedly he ushered me towards the light. “Tell Natasha that I...”
I knew what he was trying to say even though he could not say the words. My heart broke for him as I watched tears gather in his blue eyes. “I’ll tell her.”
Without another word, I stepped through the door and the light swallowed me up.
Chapter Fourteen
Jon opened his eyes. He knew where Aisling would be waiting for him. Something strange had happened of that he was certain. It had felt to him like Aisling and he were one, that their very essences had become tangled together. The more he thought about Aisling the stronger his urge was to go to her.
“You put up quite the fight but in the end you could not resist us. You cannot fight what is a part of you Jon.” Robert’s voice cut through Jon’s thoughts.
“What have you done to me?” Jon eased his body upright using his hands and sat back on his knees.
“We’ve given you the marks. You are now a full Hunter. The only thing that is left to do is have you blooded. We have a special guest that I saved just for you. A member of the Croí no less.” Jon could see how excited Robert was. What frightened Jon more was the feeling of excitement that tingled in the pit of his stomach. How could he feel excited about what Robert was telling him?
“I know how to find Aisling. Why not let me go after her wouldn’t that be more poetic?” Although Jon hated to think of hurting Aisling, if he could just make the Hunters believe that it was his plan he might be able to escape.
“Whilst that might be true. I need to know for certain that you are one of us. I cannot risk you escaping. Once you are blooded, you shall be free to go after Aisling.”
Jon sighed and hung his head. He was trapped. How could he get out of killing someone innocent?
“Come with me.” Robert turned from Jon and strode from the room. Jon noticed then that there were no guards in the room. Robert expected Jon to follow him of his own free will. Jon stood and stretched his body. He rolled his shoulders back and cracked his neck from side to side. The excitement continued to grow in his stomach. It spread upwards into his chest until his heartbeat thrummed.
Jon followed Robert from the room and down the hall. Once more he found himself back in the main hall area. It was packed with other Hunters who seemed to be eagerly awaiting some type of event.
Jon flinched as Max slapped him on the back. “You ready to prove yourself?” Max sneered at Jon. It was obvious that even though Jon was supposed to be one of the Hunters Max still did not like him.
“I’ll do what I have to.” Jon shrugged and flinched as Max smirked at him.
“Bring it out.” Max roared the words out over the din of the crowd that had gathered. A hush fell over the group as someone was dragged struggling to the front of the room. The person wore a hood over their head but Jon could tell that it was a man.
“This piece of scum is here tonight to find himself judged at the hands of the Hunters.” Robert addressed the crowd as two men held the struggling man between them. “Not only shall he find himself judged but it shall be at the hands of our newest recruit.”
Jon watched as Max stepped up beside Robert and indicated for the guards to release the man. “Remove the hood and let him go.”
Anticipation curled in Jon’s stomach as he drank in the sight of his opponent. It was a young man. He had obviously struggled quite a bit because his face was swollen with bruising and blood covered his bottom lip. The man’s blonde hair flopped over his forehead and Jon watched intrigued as he brushed it back nervously. Jon wondered how the young man had ever found himself caught up in the situation. It was not a question he was ever likely to get answered.
“If Jon wins, he becomes a full blooded member of our group. If that piece of shit wins, well then I shall have to honour my end of the deal and set him free. Just in case there is any confusion here. This is a fight to the death. Begin!”
Jon had only a second to ponder on what he would do before the young man launched himself straight for him. The young man fought Jon with the desperation of a condemned man. It was too easy to dodge each punch and kick and Jon found himself beginning to enjoy the fight. Jon drew back and punched the man square in the jaw. It cracked and blood trickled from the man’s mouth. Jon watched as he stumbled onto his knees and felt no remorse for the injuries he inflicted upon him.
Jon grabbed the man by the head and was about to draw his knee up and force it into the man’s face when an image of Aisling popped into his mind. She would not condone the violence. She certainly wouldn’t like the fact that Jon was enjoying it. The image made Jon stop his assault. The young man moaned in pain and Jon felt the first stab of pity for him. He did not ask for this. It wasn’t his fault that he was caught in a war that was not of his making.
Jon made a snap decision. He cradled the man’s face more gently in his hands and called forth the power that lay within him. It curled up through his body and poured into the man’s mind. It didn’t take much to wipe the memories of his life. Jon pushed a little harder and until he was sure that there was nothing left within the young man. Jon sealed the power inside the young man so that h
e might never use it again before pulling away. The young man flopped forward onto his front the moment Jon released him. He didn’t move and Jon worried for a moment that he might have pushed too far and robbed the man of his life.
“Is he dead?” Robert’s voice startled Jon and he jumped away from the body on the ground.
“I don’t know.” Jon answered truthfully. Guilt gnawed at his insides. Why had he not felt it earlier when he was fighting? Robert nodded and smiled, it appeared that Jon’s display of aggression had pleased him.
“Whether he is or not is irrelevant. We have all witnessed the blood lust you feel. You truly have become one of us. There can be no denying it. If as you say you know where Aisling is, then you shall indeed have to get her.” Robert turned his attention away from Jon and addressed the room. “We have almost achieved our goals. Tonight Jon has joined us. He is one of the family and he alone shall destroy the one he loves. Whether he wants to or not.”
Jon swallowed hard as Robert turned his attention back to him. “What does that mean?”
“I have given you a gift, Jon. A very rare and precious gift. I was concerned that you might not be able to kill Aisling when the time came. However, along with the mark of the Hunter that was bestowed upon you, I have also given you the mark of the Killer. With it, the one you love the most you will be forced to destroy.”
“Don’t you trust me?” Panic filled Jon. He had to get to Aisling but if what Robert was saying was true then he would kill her. Surely he could find a way to resist the mark. He had no choice, with each passing moment Aisling needed him more and more. He could feel her slipping further away from him.
“Yes I trust you, Jon. This is merely to make it easier for you. I will give you full rein to find her. It is up to you now, Jon, to lead our men. Max of course will help you.”
Jon turned wide eyes on Max. Jon could feel his eyes boring holes through his body and it chilled him to the bone. Jon squared his shoulders. He would go to Aisling and he would fight the mark. Their love was stronger than any power the Hunter’s might hold over him. It had to be. They had already destroyed one set of marks the Hunters had given him. With her by his side, anything was possible. He would not give up before he had even tried.
“Fine, I know where she is and we need to get to her before she comes into her full power. If I am to destroy her, then it will need to be done when she is at her most vulnerable.”
“Robert, you don’t truly think he will kill her do you?” Max interjected. Robert raised his hand as though to wave away any concerns any of the others present may have had.
“He is my grandson. The blood of the Hunter’s runs in his veins. My blood runs in his veins. We have witnessed what he has achieved here tonight. There can be no denying his blood lust. All this coupled with the mark of the killer ca only add up to one conclusion. Aisling will perish at his hand and we will finally strike a death blow to all of the Croí.”
The crowd erupted in cheers and applause and Jon found himself lifted onto the shoulders of several of the men that surrounded him. He tried to smile and enjoy the merriment but his heart was heavy. What lay before him was an almost impossible task. Jon closed his eyes and thought of Aisling. Soon he would be with her. And soon the ordeal would be over, for better or worse.
Chapter Fifteen
A grey mist enveloped my body making it impossible for me to see any of my surroundings. Panic threatened to flood over me as I thought for a fleeting moment that perhaps I was blind. I jerked my hands upwards into where I assumed my line of sight was. The relief I felt at actually being able to make them out in the fog was intense. I closed my eyes and attempted to gather my wits. The last thing I remembered was walking into the light. From there I had somehow managed to end up in this foggy hell. I wasn’t sure how much time had passed but to me it only felt like moments.
I opened my eyes and to my relief I realised the fog was beginning to recede. Soon I would know where I was. From the corner of my eye I noticed an odd shaped lump on the ground that was slowly emerging from the cover of mist. I could make out the outline of a foot and then a leg. It wasn’t long before I recognised who the body belonged to. I swallowed back a wave of nausea and stepped closer to my physical form.
On one hand it made sense to me that I would be able to see myself in this way. I had after all become completely disconnected from my own body and ended up in the in-between. What confused me was how I was supposed to reconnect with my physical form. Outer body experiences didn’t exactly come with a user manual. Crouching down I reached out and tried to touch the body, my body. Little flecks of blue light danced along the edges of my hand preventing me from touching my actual body. It seemed I could look but I couldn’t touch.
With a sigh of frustration, I sat back on the ground. Obviously I was missing something important. It occurred to me then that whilst it wasn’t a physical touch that would reconnect me perhaps it was a mental touch. I closed my eyes and imagined sinking into my body. Thin fibres of light stretched outwards from behind my closed eyelids. I opened my eyes and they were still there flowing toward the body on the ground. I concentrated harder on the idea of re-entering my body. I imagined the feel of my skin. The way my body felt when I was in pain or experiencing pleasure. It was like pushing a cork back into a bottle or at least that was what it felt like to me. Only my consciousness was the cork and my body was the body.
Something finally popped and I opened my eyes. My body’s eyes sprang open at the exact same moment. What I saw there frightened me more than anything else ever had. The body on the ground was already inhabited. And if I was out here looking in, then what the hell was in there. I screamed out as the moment was lost and I was dragged back inside my own skin.
Burning pain clawed up through my body as I reconnected. Waves of agony rode my body keeping me pinned to the ground. Each time I thought the pain was beginning to subside it flared up again knocking the breath from my lungs. I squeezed my eyes closed and gritted my teeth. Digging my fingers into the dirt I tried to bring the pain under control. If I couldn’t fight the pain and clear my mind, I had a feeling that I wouldn’t be staying inside my body for very long.
The worst of the pain ebbed away slower than I would have liked. It drained from my body and into the ground beneath me. Cautiously I opened my eyes and looked around. With each breath I took in, I felt a stab of pain lance through my ribcage. My best guess was I had either bruised my ribs, badly, or they were broken. I pulled my body upright and winced as the pain worsened. My head swam and for a few seconds my vision was blurred with bright streamers of light.
When my head cleared I drank in my surroundings with surprise. I was sitting in what looked to be the forest behind mine and Jon’s houses.
“It couldn’t be...” The sound of my own voice surprised me. How had I gotten here? I didn’t remember any journey, surely if Jackson or Natasha had brought me here they would still be with me. Caroline’s words came back to me. It was the portal, it knew where I needed to be and it brought me to that exact spot. Now the only thing left was for Jon to get here. If he did that, then there was hope for us after all.
I stood up and began to walk deeper into the woods. I couldn’t feel Jon but that didn’t mean he wasn’t coming. He had gotten my message and I knew his answer. He would do everything he could to get to me of that I was certain.
The deeper I wandered into the forest the denser the trees became. The light was finding it harder to penetrate the foliage. I had never been this deep in the woods before. It had always given me the creeps. Jon was the one who liked the woods.
The sound of a twig snapping halted me dead in my tracks. If it was Jon, surely I would have sensed him. The pain in my ribs chose that exact moment to increase and I doubled over gasping for breath. An arrow whistled past my ear and I dropped to my knees. It wasn’t Jon. Whoever it was didn’t want to waste any time. I cringed as another arrow thudded into the ground just inches from where I crouched. If I was going t
o survive, then I had to move.
With all my strength, I pushed myself up from the ground and ran. It occurred to me then that if the bad guys were here then maybe Jon was too. Hope filled my heart as I dodged through the woods. My lungs screamed as my ribcage ached and I struggled to get enough air into my body.
I could feel the change coming and it frightened me. A figure dressed entirely in black stepped out from behind a grouping of trees ahead of me. Although he was still quite a distance away from me, I recognised him. My heart raced and happiness flooded my veins. It was Jon. Everything would be alright.
“Jon!” I couldn’t stop the words from leaving my mouth. My pace picked up as he began to move towards me. Jogging at first and then he broke into a run. I reached out towards him. I just needed him to hold me and then everything would fall into place.
The force of the arrow piercing my back and pushing into my chest made me lose my footing. I stumbled as surprise filled my brain. The ground rushed up to meet me and I was too slow to protect my face from the fall. I lay in the dirt for a second, too stunned to do anything else. There was a burning sensation spreading from my chest through the rest of my body. Sweat beaded on my forehead as I lifted my head to look at Jon. The pain of my broken, magic corrupted body reached a critical point. The only thing I could do was open my mouth and scream and so I did.
* * *
Jon watched as the marksman took aim at Aisling and fired the arrow. He watched as surprise crossed her face before she crumpled to the ground. Even though he knew she was hurt, he just couldn’t find it within himself to feel sorrow. There was an itchy burning sensation just between his shoulder blades that hadn’t been there before he had seen Aisling.
The Need Page 10