Betrayal: The Awakening

by Kira Hillins

  Tristan touched his lips to her forehead. “I can see right through you.”

  When he growled, she backed away. “You’ll burn in sunlight if you try to stop me. But then maybe that’s what you want.” He turned to leave, but she caught him by the sleeve of his coat. “You were starving yourself when I found you. You must have a reason for wanting to end your life. What is it?”

  He jerked from her grasp. Then, without a word or glance, he left the kitchen. The instant the door shut, the sun rose over the mountain. The rays stretched across the floor at her feet as if calling her attention—Run.

  She bounded up the stairs to the room. She looked inside the monstrous Victorian dresser, but there were no clothes to change into, only more gowns. At least her shoes were under the bed. Pebbles and dirt skittered across the floor as she emptied them. She put them on, wrapped her body in the blanket from the bed, and then rushed out the door. Within a few minutes, she was running down the broken stone steps toward the arms of freedom.

  Outside, the wind howled against her ears. Her hair lashed at her cheeks. Shivering, she covered her head with the blanket, and then went to the edge of the mountain. It was like looking into a white abyss from the edge of the world.

  She glanced around the outer wall. A small dirt road was at the end of a ruined bridge. The wind pushed at her as she made her way across. The road was overgrown with trees and crumbling rock, but she descended down the steep slope. She skidded through brush and rocks. Dirt filled her shoes as she slid all the way to the bottom where the ground was more level.

  Her breath fogged before her and hung thick in the frigid air as she ran. Mist clung to the tall trees and hid the sunlight from the forest floor. The fresh earth became hard and covered in fresh white snow.

  Hands numb, tired, cold, and hungry, she leaned against a tree to catch her erratic breath. Tears formed in her eyes as she emptied her dirty wet shoes, and then slipped them back on her frozen feet.

  How much longer before she came out of the clouds? How long until she found a house or a town? There had to be something close by, but the forest seemed never ending. Although it was still day, it felt like night. Footfalls in the brush made the small bumps on her icy skin rise a little more. It hurt.

  She wrapped the blanket tight around her then ran again. She hopped over logs, stumbled over branches and stumps. The trees hovering over her swayed back and forth, as if their rustling leaves cheered her on. Every once in a while they would whistle a laugh as she snagged her gown on a thorny bush.

  By the time she reached the bottom of the mountain, the sun had skated across the sky. Her entire body ached and bled from various scrapes and cuts in her skin. Mud caked her shoes, and her hands were sticky from sap and sweat.

  It didn’t matter how much she hurt. Nothing would stop her from getting away from him. She wouldn’t be back at her hotel by nightfall, but she’d find somewhere to stay. She didn’t know if she’d make it out of wherever here was, but at least she’d gotten away from the castle, and that felt somewhat like progress.

  She trekked on until she reached a clearing. The clouds dissipated into patches of thin fog, and the sun found her skin. Grass and dirt gave her the sense that she was safe.

  Out of breath and exhausted, she rested hands on knees. She closed her eyes. Weakness took over her muscles, and her feet hurt as if she’d walked miles on fire and glass.

  “Come on, Anna. Just a little further.”

  She drew in a few deep breaths then started running again. In the hazy evening, just above the tips of the field, lights of civilization glowed. Radiance in the coming dark gave her the will to run faster.

  There was a farmhouse up ahead. Her muscles bit her hard and she slowed to a limping jog. “Don’t give up now.”

  Tall golden grass lashed at her as she raced the sunset. Tears welled in her eyes as the last rays disappeared from the horizon. If only the sun would’ve stayed out just a little longer, enough to guide her to the farmhouse. Enough to see the faces of the people she interrupted. Hopefully they would see her desperation and let her inside to use their phone.

  She passed the chicken coop near the barn and broke out in a sprint. The fear of being left in the dark turned to excitement. Praising herself for taking on such a long trek, she smiled, catching her breath as she made her way toward the porch.

  A shadow flew over her head then landed on the roof of the house. She was hesitant to look up, desperate to see nothing. Her eyes had deceived her. That was the only explanation. After all she’d been through, it was impossible to get caught an arm’s length from the steps of salvation. All day nature had fought against her, and now the unnatural had come to stop her dead in her tracks.

  Her lips trembled as she looked up. There he was, crouched on the edge of the roof. His eyes glittered red as he gazed at her, but then cooled into the darkness.

  She ran up the steps then pounded hard on the door. “Help me!” Nobody answered. She looked around. No cars in the driveway meant nobody was home. She wiggled the doorknob. Damn it. It was locked.

  As she took off down the driveway, she glanced back at the roof. Tristan was still there, seemingly uninterested in catching her, but she knew better.

  She sprinted toward the nearby town. The trek was vigorous and her muscles ached. The only thing guiding her way was the distant light. Breath rampant, she ran for her life, knowing her stalker lurked somewhere in the night. He waited for her to make a mistake. She’d need to be careful not to trip and fall. He’d overcome her and find a way to drag her back to the castle.

  Under the dim streetlights, she slowed to a limp. Tears blurred her vision. Her worn legs gave out. Giving her overexerted lungs a rest, she glanced around. The place looked empty.

  It was nine by the time on the clock tower in the center of town. The lights in all the surrounding buildings were off. That glimmer of hope spiraled into solemn defeat.

  Had Tristan killed them, leaving this place nothing but a ghost town? She could barely keep her body off the ground as she walked to the lamppost. She looked back. There he was, following at a distance, hands in his pockets, gaze on the ground. He’d always looked that way when he walked with her, as if nothing mattered, as if hiding sorrow in the veil of his midnight hair.

  Unable to push her body anymore, she sat on the curb and bowed her head. “I give up.”

  His footsteps tapped on the sidewalk as he neared. He gave a loud exhale as he walked by. “Follow me.”

  She studied him. Where might he take her now? Her feet were sore, but she rose and followed close behind. It was like someone else drove her body. Numb from running all day to get away from him, she only now realized the absurdity for doing so. She probably stunk from sweat. She was sure dirt covered her from all the times she’d wiped her face with her hands. Under the dim lights, she could see dark stains on her palms.

  She watched his back. The way his hair strung down his shoulders brought visions of her childhood and how she used to feel with him. The memories engraved her heart with sorrow. She used to love him. She’d looked up to him, respected him in so many ways. A smile or a laugh, and he’d sometimes do the same. Where he went, she would always follow, just as she did now.

  She bowed her head. Her body hurt, but her heart was broken. He’d ripped it out of her chest too many times for it to mend. How could it heal if he would always think of her as a ridiculous child?

  She bumped into his back. So deep in thought, she’d failed to see Tristan had stopped. Warmth flooded her cheeks as emotions she’d buried deep inside rushed through her. A smile crept over her frown.

  His sorrowful grin plunged a dagger straight through her heart. She couldn’t resist being close to him. She wished he’d reach out and touch her, to hold her in his arms and caress her as a man would his lover. If he would just press his lips against hers, she would give in to him.

  “Your phone.” He opened the door on a bright red booth.

  Maybe it was exhaustion, but
she wondered what to do now. Should she call Jack to tell him she was safe? Should she have him fly here to get her in this ghost town?

  Maybe she’d wanted that the entire day. But now, after these past few eye-opening, heart-wrenching moments, she didn’t want to go home. She wanted to stay here with Tristan and find out what his story was all about.

  She entered the booth and picked up the receiver. As she dialed Jack’s number, she kept her gaze on Tristan to make sure he didn’t leave her alone.

  “Do you want me to leave?”

  “Do as you please.” He strolled back the way they’d come.

  “That’s not an answer.” She was about to hang up and go after him, but Jack answered.

  “Dr. Monroe.”

  “Jack.” She breathed as if she’d been to hell and back. “Oh god, it’s good to hear your voice.”

  “Anna! Are you OK, honey? Where are you?”

  “I’m fine. I’m sorry I haven’t been in touch, but I’ve had quite the adventure.”

  “I’ve been at your hotel for three days.” His voice wavered. “I thought something terrible had happened to you.”

  She rolled her eyes. “You’re in England?”

  “Yes, I came to surprise you.” He sniffled. “When you didn’t answer your cell phone, I thought you’d been kidnapped.”

  “Jack, I’m…backpacking. I just needed time to think.” That sounded good. At least it wasn’t a complete lie. “Just go home. I promise. I’ll see you soon.”

  “Anna, please. Let me come with you. We’ll deal with whatever you’re going through together.”

  She shuddered. “I came here to be by myself for a while. I’ll explain everything when I get home. OK?”

  “Is this because of what I asked you last week?” He paused then swallowed hard. “I realize you need time to think, but I didn’t mean to send you on some sort of journey of self-discovery.”

  When Tristan disappeared at the dark edge of town, she panicked. “Oh! I have to go. Everything’s fine. I’m fine. Tell Betty I’m okay. I’ll talk to you soon.”

  “Anna! I love—”

  She hung up the receiver. Adrenaline rushed through her as she hurried down the sidewalk, hoping to catch up before he left her. Then, there he was, in the shadows at the brink of the last streetlight.

  When she came to stand before him, she grinned. “Thanks for letting me use the phone.”

  “You are free to do what you want.” He scanned the blanket and torn gown. “You are a strong woman to defeat such a mountain.”

  “Nah. It was easy.” She laughed as she glanced at all the gashes in her arms and hands. She’d only survived out of sheer terror, but she wasn’t about to tell him that.

  “I will not stop you if you wish to leave.” He studied her eyes. Her lips. Her hair. It was much different than the usual detached gaze he’d always used. This was a look a man might give someone he loved. Or maybe he carried some sort of magical power and was using it on her now. “I will take you to your hotel if you desire it.”

  “You’re letting me go?”

  “You are not my prisoner.”

  She swallowed apprehension. “I want to go with you.”

  Spending more time with him excited and alarmed her in the same breath. He was a man who craved blood—her blood. These emotions for him were real. It was vital to put away the long crush she’d had on him and see how he lived. To know his wicked ways would rest her weary thoughts and give Mac his dying wish. It would give her closure.

  Confusion set into his dark guise. “Are you sure?”

  “Yes.” Though her voice trembled, she shrugged, trying to look nonchalant instead of scared to death. “I suppose we should start moving if we’re going to make it to the castle before sunrise.”

  Tristan’s face relaxed as she limped by him. She looked back to see if he followed. Hands in pockets, he, of course, walked with his gaze on the ground.

  As they passed the farmhouse, she thought about the residents. With her luck, they were on vacation. Maybe they wandered around Seattle enjoying the many shops and coffee joints the city offered. Or worse, maybe they were all dead, drained of blood, and their corpses were buried in the backyard.

  She shivered at the thought. Tristan would never do that, would he?

  “They are in a barn on the other end of town.” His voice went straight into her ear, and all those chills spread over the goosebumps she already had.

  He draped his coat over her shoulders. She trembled as he slid his hands down her arms, and then turned her around to face him.

  She drew a step back. It was reflex, a lingering hesitance to let him touch her. “I’m sorry.” She bit her bottom lip. “I didn’t mean to…”

  “I understand.” He curled his finger under her chin then lifted. When she caught his gaze, he grinned. “I hear their music.”

  It was strange to see him smile and close his eyes as if he listened to a symphony. She tried to listen too, but heard nothing but the trees bending and creaking in the gentle wind.

  “I can’t hear anything.”

  “They are playing a classical piece. Their voices are loud, and laughter plenty as they waltz. They speak words of love with a lifetime of happiness…” His voice trailed as he listened. “It is a celebration of unity. Marriage.”

  She laughed quietly. “It would be lovely to hear them as you do.”

  He gave a short bow. “We should get back to the castle.”

  “Yeah. You wouldn’t happen to have a car, would you?”

  He took hold of her hand. She had no idea why he needed to touch her, unless it was a gesture to get her to start walking again. With a nod that she understood, she headed toward the tall grass.

  “If you wish to make the journey by foot, I will not stop you. But with your sore body, I do not believe you will make it.”

  She turned on her heel. Her foot twisted and she stumbled back. Tristan caught her arms and pulled her back up.

  “You can barely stand on your own, let alone scale this treacherous path.”

  “And what do you suppose I do?” She frowned as she looked back at the dark, jagged rocks. “I don’t see any other way to get up there.”

  The castle was so far away that she couldn’t see it. Even in the bright moonlight, the dark mountain looked endless and eerie. Anyone afraid of heights wouldn’t even attempt to go up there.

  “Put your arms around me.” He wrapped her arms around his torso before she could decline. “Lock your fingers together.”

  The night she’d found him, he’d risen above gravity to get them out of the hole in the ground. She’d thought it was a trick then, but now... Was he going to do the same thing for this situation? Would he climb to the peak of this infinite mountain and put her away in its castle tower?

  “Fear is something I know too well. Anna, you have not relaxed since we met. Please...” He stroked the back of her head. “Trust in me. I will not let you fall.”

  Overwhelmed by his words, she locked her hands behind his back. She pressed her cheek against his chest and waited heart in throat, without argument.

  “Just close your eyes,” he whispered in her ear. “And do not open them until I say so.”

  The thought of being thousands of feet in midair sent a rush of fear through her body. It shouldn’t be possible, but here she was, about to lift off like some kind of bird. Or bat. He was a vampire after all. Were the tales true? Then again, there was nobody else like Tristan. He claimed he was diseased. Maybe he was a zombie—a flying one. Zombie Superman.

  Tristan skyrocketed upward. Her inward laugh came out in a scream. She pursed her lips, shut her eyes, and then squeezed him tightly.

  The air grew colder and whipped around her. His jacket fluttered in the wind—his flag of darkness held tight around her shoulders. Tears came to her eyes as she feared he’d let go, afraid it was what he’d meant to do.

  This wasn’t happening. In no way was she flying up into the heavens. It was just a d
ream. A very vivid one.

  She opened her eyes. It was still dark. Tristan’s face was tilted up, navigating his way back to the castle. The voice inside her told her not to look down, but she didn’t listen.

  They were so high above the earth. It was disorienting, it felt like she was falling instead. Her hands came unclasped. In a panic, she clawed at the back of his shirt. She shrieked as she slipped from her hold on him.

  Tristan lifted her back up until they were face to face. “Keep your gaze on mine!”

  She clung to his neck. As she looked into his eyes, fear melted away, and in place of that fear came trust. He wouldn’t let her fall to her death. No matter what, he would save her from all things bad.

  When they landed on solid stone, she fell to the floor. As if she’d floated on rough seas, nausea swept through her. Her ears popped as she lay before the dying fire, hoping the dizziness would soon go away.

  Tristan scooped her up in his arms. He carried her to the bed and laid her down. As he covered her with the blankets, she moaned.

  “Stay and rest through the remaining night. I will watch over you.”

  “Oh god.” She tried to get up but fell on her stomach. She clung to the side of the bed, desperate to calm her pounding heart, and the ache in her stomach. “How did you do that?”

  “It is difficult to explain.” He paced in front of the fire. “I have never carried anyone before.”

  She wondered if maybe he’d never cared about anyone long enough to hold in his arms. Maybe, someone had never cared for him. Except her. She’d loved him since she could remember, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t afraid of what he was. Whether that was a zombie, a vampire, or some diseased creature nobody had ever heard of, he was still a man at heart.

  Feeling like she’d just finished riding the wildest rollercoaster at the amusement park, she sat up. Pain shot through her legs as she limped to the Victorian dresser. She wiped a dusty space clean then looked at her pitiful self.

  Her face was covered in dirt. There were scratches all over her skin, and blood dried on her temple. With her hair ratted and standing on end, she looked as if she’d fallen down the majority of the mountain rather than ran.