The shrill of Julius’ scream echoed across the land and pierced Selena’s heart. She turned toward the North and watched her cousins’ bodies tumble to the ground as the army swarmed in. She covered her mouth with her thin hands. A crushing weight slammed inside her chest as the horror before her unfolded.
“No!” Selena yelled and jumped to her feet.
“Selena! Come now!” her aunt ordered from afar as she led the others away.
Selena looked back down at Marcus… to find him gone. I could no longer feel his anger or darkness. Selena scanned all around, but there was no sight of him. She stared back at the ground where just moments before she had held his hand. She knew if she had just a little more time, she could have casted the evil from within him. She thought what they felt for each other had to be strong enough to overcome Erebus’ hold. She would have sacrificed her soul to save his, but instead he sacrificed his for her.
“Selena!” her aunt hollered angrily.
She wiped her eyes with her sleeve and rushed over to help her aunt. It felt like an eternity as she crossed the property, leaving behind her father, brother, and Marcus. She followed the others toward the mountain and into the opening of the cave. Her aunt led the group down the tunnels while Selena remained at its opening. The granite entrance was rigged with a lever to seal the opening shut. It would buy just enough time to travel through the intricate tunnels burrowed in the earth that emerge on the other side of the mountain, several miles away. Without access to the tunnels, it would take Erebus’ men a full day’s journey to reach the other side.
Serena cupped her mouth as she called out into the wind. “Father! Draco! We’re all here! Hurry now!” She let out a sharp whistle that pierced through the air.
Ciro caught its tune and tugged at Draco’s arm to retreat. Draco stowed his sword back in the scabbard and hurried behind his father, running the quarter mile toward the opening. The army of wild-eyed men was close now, charging forward like rabid hyenas. The dark-cloaked villain remained lingering amongst the trees. Twenty yards left and the two would reach Selena.
“Come on… come on…” Selena chanted as she watched them anxiously.
My stomach twisted with apprehension.
Suddenly, a figure glided from the forest with lightening speed and paused directly in front of Draco. She had heard countless descriptions of this savage, but nothing prepared Selena for the terror that seized her throat when he glanced over his shoulder and locked onto her stare. His dilated pupils were as black as an endless abyss that sucked her in and filled her with panic. His thin irises were the color of ice; a faded blue that melted into the bright white of his eyes. Dark brown hair stuck against the drab skin of his narrow face. Thin lips snarled against his small dingy teeth. Although he appeared to float effortlessly as he moved, the hanging skin and lack of muscle tone made his physique looked unusually haggard for being the same age as me.
Draco stood frozen with his eyes fixated on Erebus’. I felt the bravery swimming inside his chest suddenly replaced with a feral craving for blood. His eyes glazed over and his innocent face had hardened. His arms fell limp by his sides. A different kind of adrenaline rushed through his veins, the same as I felt in Marcus, except he didn’t fight it. He remained still, eagerly waiting for the command to his first kill. Power and freedom flooded his mind, even though with every breath he took his soul was being woven further into Erebus’ hold.
Watching the transformation, Ciro lunged at Erebus. “Leave my son alone!” he roared.
Without a touch, Ciro was hurled fifteen feet into the air and crashed onto the icy ground. His body remained still.
“Father! No!” Selena cried.
Draco held a blank expression as he observed his father’s crumpled body. His unfocused stare met his sister’s heartbroken eyes. He tilted his head, as if to study her. The indifferent, passive gaze on his face made Selena’s stomach twisted in a knot. She couldn’t understand how Draco could stand idly by as his family was destroyed. She glanced from person to person to discover that she was the only one who was not affected by Erebus’ corrupt presence.
Draco turned away and took his place beside his new master. Erebus mouth twisted in a wry grin at his latest victory. Selena’s eyes filled with tears of sorrow as her heart began to fill with rage; but not Erebus’ rage… her own. Her tears suddenly subsided as the anger inside her intensified. She clenched her teeth; her body burned with an uncontrollable fury. Her nails dug harder into her hands causing droplets of blood to drip from her tightly clenched fists. She was determined to defend her family. Nothing would stop her.
Just as Erebus placed his hand on Draco’s shoulder, the ground began to quiver. Erebus looked up at the mountain, mystified by the sudden quake. The shaking intensified, causing the men to fall to their knees. Selena and Erebus were all that remained standing. He peered at the source of his attacker, the young girl.
Erebus raised a hand and forced it out toward Selena… but nothing happened. His powers were useless against her. She threw her arms into the air and Erebus’ body arched back. His arms flailed, stretched out behind him. A soft crimson glow of energy tore through his chest and flew into Selena’s hands. Erebus fell to his knees as Selena’s body hovered above.
The shaking increased and a sliver formed in the Earth. The ground ripped open; a cloud of dust filled the air. Visibility was obsolete, but Selena could hear Erebus’ screams fading farther away as he fell through the Earth.
The ground quickly closed and the quakes ceased.
The air was unusually quiet.
“Draco?” Selena called as she ran toward the scene.
The unsettled dust still restricted her visibility to a few feet ahead. The men stumbled to their feet, appearing disoriented and unsure how they arrived in the deserted forest.
“Draco!” she cried.
“Selena?” Ciro stumbled to his daughter and wrapped his arms around her. “What happened?”
“Where’s Draco?” She pulled away and frantically searched the nearby area.
Minutes ticked past with no sight of Draco. The air slowly cleared as the breeze blew the remaining haze away from the mountain. The men looked up at the sky in awe as the sun broke through the clouds and cast a rainbow against the lavender painted sky.
Selena continued her search for her brother until night fell and the bright moon replaced the sun. The forest, that had been silent for so long, began to softly sing its natural symphony.
“Draco,” she sobbed as she looked up at the moon.
I blinked my eyes and the moon was farther away, partially covered by the windowpane in my living room. I sat up on the couch. Darkness encompassed the room. I quickly ran into the bedroom and crawled in bed next to Mitchell. He sighed in his sleep and turned over. I took a sip of water from a glass on the nightstand. Trying to ignore my stinging neck, I lay back down. The details of my recent dream quickly began to fade, like most dreams did. Orion’s storytelling triggered the first real dream I had in a long time. A touch of panic crept up as I wondered if having a real dream meant I no longer would dream of Orion… I closed my eyes, trying for force myself to fall asleep. Of course that didn’t work and I lay there two hours before my mind finally gave up and I drifted off.
I stood in the familiar forest outside of Orion’s house. The warm sun and crisp air welcomed me back. I was ecstatic to be here. I felt surprisingly refreshed and content, given the recent attack in my life. I pushed them out of my mind and focused on the present… seeing Orion. I spotted him through the window in his house and jogged across the field. His door opened in a flash and I was instantly reminded of how gorgeous he was.
“Hi,” he greeted with his ravishing smile.
He moved from the entrance and motioned me to come inside. I followed, beaming a grin in return. He reached down and scooped me up in an unexpected hug, lifting me from my feet. I felt both nervous and exhilarated with his arms around me. I swung my arms around his neck and pressed my sh
oulders into him. I closed my eyes a moment, lost in his scent, when he set me back on my feet and ended the hug just as quickly as it began. He moved to the couch and I stood there for a moment in a daze before snapping back and joining him.
“I was worried about you,” he said.
“You were? Why?”
Could he know what happened with Jeremy?
“I don’t know… maybe I just missed you,” he smirked.
Was that a joke or did he really miss me?
I couldn’t leave this mystery hanging. “You missed me?” I asked with a slight grin.
“I guess I’m getting used to having you around,” he winked.
Was that sarcasm?
“So, everything’s okay?” he asked again.
I hesitated and shifted on the couch, “Yes, everything’s fine.”
He straightened his posture, “What is it, Alexis? You can tell me.”
“Well, something happened tonight, or today, whichever. It was my brother, Jeremy. He… I don’t know how to explain it. He just snapped.”
“What happened?”
“I’m not sure. He… went after me.”
Orion’s body stiffened and his face flashed with anger, “He went after you? Like, he hurt you?”
“Not badly, but he tried. Mitchell stopped him… I don’t want to talk about it. Can we just let it go?” I urged.
His jaw tightened when I spoke Mitchell’s name. “Let it go? Does this happen often?” He was noticeably baffled by my dismissal.
“No, of course not. I just don’t want to talk about it.” I asserted.
“Where’s your brother now?”
“He’s in jail, locked up. I don’t know how long they’ll hold him but he was on parole so I’m sure it’ll be for a while. I’ll probably have to go to court…”
“Why did he go after you? Did you two get into an argument?” he interrogated.
Obviously Orion was not going to let this go.
“No, that’s the strange thing. I don’t know why he did it. I came home and he was waiting in my house and just… attacked me. He never said why. That’s all I know.”
“That doesn’t make sense,” he muttered and shook his head.
He stood up from the couch and paced across the living room. I followed and took his hand. This seemed to calm him and he turned to face me.
“Listen, can we please just let it go? I stopped trying to figure Jeremy out years ago. There was always something not right about him. He’s back in jail where he belongs so let’s not let it ruin tonight,” I begged.
“I don’t like the idea of you being so vulnerable in your world. It doesn’t seem safe,” he stated. A frown creased his forehead.
I chuckled loudly, from a combination of his words and his adorable expression. Orion did not appear amused.
“I’m not vulnerable in my world. You’re just used to how things work in your world. It’s not the same where I come from,” I explained.
“That’s exactly what I’m talking about! You’d be safer here.”
“What about being attacked by Draco?” I reminded him.
“That was an isolated incident,” he stammered.
I could tell I made my point.
“It usually isn’t like that here… Besides, I would never let anything happen to you here. But when you’re away, which is most of the time, I have no way of knowing what’s happening to you or if I will ever see you again,” he stated.
His frown hardened and my heart sank at the idea of not seeing him again.
“Nothing’s going to happen to me,” I promised.
I didn’t respond to the second statement, but each day I too wondered if it was our last time together. I tried to fight it, but the more time I spent with Orion, the stronger connection I felt to him and his world. I think he felt it too. I was torn between my heart and my head. My heart was falling in love, but my head was telling me that I was already in love with Mitchell. My heart was telling me that this place was home, but my head was telling me that this was not even real.
Orion took a few steps closer and put his arms around me again. I laid my head against his chest and closed my eyes. I pulled my arms around his waist, running my fingers down the sculpted muscles of his back. His body was dense and he smelled amazing. He brushed his chin against my hair and kissed the top of my head. I felt his strong heart beating, even through the racing of my own. We held each other for a quick moment, and then he released me, pushing me back at arm’s distance.
There was an awkward pause.
“Let’s go to the beach,” he suggested and hurried out the door.
I sighed, and then naturally followed. We spent the next several hours on the beach talking and playing in the sand. I awoke to the sound of Mitchell snuggling up against me.
“Good morning beautiful,” he smiled and kissed my cheek. His scent was… different.
“Morning,” I muttered with a yawn.
“You look like you still need more sleep,” he said with a mock cringe.
“Gee, thanks… I’m fine.”
I sat up and wiggling away from his hold. Actually, I felt pretty awful even though exhaustion was becoming the norm for me. I swallowed and felt a lump in the middle of my aching throat. A burning sensation ached from my neck and I reached my hands up to a raw pain.
“Ouch!” I winced and pulled my hands back swiftly.
“Yikes, that’s going to take a while to heal,” Mitchell cringed with a wrinkled nose.
I shuffled into the bathroom to examine the source of the pain. A horizontal line was etched across the middle of my neck, a harsh reminder of Jeremy’s mysterious attack. The skin was infuriated with a deep red hue from ear to ear.
Great, that’ll spark up some interesting dialogue at work.
I hadn’t felt any pain when I was with Orion, nor did he mention the mark. More evidence that world was just a dream in my head?
Since I was already in the bathroom, I hopped in the shower to get ready for work before class. The pounding water made the wound angrier so I skipped the hair washing today. While in the shower, I heard the phone ring and Mitchell answer.
“Hello?... She’s in the shower, Mom… Yes, I’ll be sure she calls you back… Okay, bye.”
I was certain Jeremy called Mom last night after he was arrested.
Ugh!
I knew I would have to call her back soon.
Chapter 7
It was a busy morning at work and, thankfully, no one had a clue about last night’s events. Fortunately, I found a beige blouse in my closet that covered enough of my neck to hide the wound. I needed to shop during lunch for a few more shirts to make it through the week though. I didn’t have many summer clothes that would do the trick.
After several endlessly boring classes, I checked my phone and had three messages from Mom. I took a walk around campus and called her back.
“Hello?” she answered.
“Hi, Mom.”
“Alexis Marie, why didn’t you call me?!” she snapped.
“I’m sorry, Mom. I was stuck at work then had classes all morning,” I muttered and rolled my eyes at the phone.
“That is not what I meant and you know it! Why didn’t you call me last night?” Her tone was sharp and irritating.
“I didn’t want to worry you, Mom,” I answered snidely.
It was partially true. Mostly, I didn’t want to hear her spit out broken excuses for Jeremy’s atrocious behavior. That would inevitably send my blood boiling and cause another fight for sure.
“I have the right to know when something like this happens to you; to both of my children! How do you think I felt getting a call from the jailhouse operator and Jeremy coming on the line to tell me that something happened with you two?” she lectured.
“Sorry Mom, I didn’t think about that. I was going to call you today,” I apologized through my teeth.
“What did you do, Alexis? You know he’s on parole! Are you going to drop the charges
?” she attacked.
“What?! What did I do? I didn’t do anything! And no, I’m not going to drop the charges! He tried to KILL me Mom!”
“Oh Alexis, stop being dramatic. You know your brother would never hurt you. He told me it was a misunderstanding.”
“A misunderstanding?! Why don’t you tell that to the wound around my throat where he strangled me? Ugh! This is exactly why I didn’t call you last night! I’m the victim here, not Jeremy!” I shouted.
I was enraged and pacing furiously around the parking lot. I gripped the phone so hard my hand started to ache.
“Okay, calm down... I thought you two just got into an argument. Tell me what happened?” her voice changed from accusatory to slightly consoling.
“What’s the point? You’re just going to take his side anyway,” I shot back.
“Alexis Marie, stop with the attitude and tell me what happened,” she demanded.
I loosened my grip and took several deep breaths to calm down. Once again, I relived the events of last night, well, most of the events. I skipped the ones that took place after I fell asleep.
Mom was quiet for the remainder of the call. I ended the call as quickly as I could and promised to call her later. I felt vaguely sorry for her. Jeremy was her son too, but I wished she would see him the way that I had - unstable and disturbed.
I took a brisk walk to calm down before heading to the library. I spent the remainder of the afternoon doing schoolwork. After an hour at tennis practice, I went home to begin preparations for dinner. While in the kitchen, Mitchell came home and crept up behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist. I gasped and jumped at his touch.
“Sorry honey,” he regretted, not realizing he had startled me.
He leaned his face around and kissed my cheek, giving me a welcoming squeeze. Normally I would have pounced at the opportunity to reciprocate his affection, but I felt different this time. My mind was consumed with Orion, and kissing Mitchell felt somehow… wrong.
I tried to block Orion’s face from my thoughts and forced myself to turn around and look at Mitchell. I leaned in for a quick peck, and then quickly turned back to finish chopping vegetables. Mitchell didn’t notice my strange behavior. He pulled out several spices from the pantry and began to help with dinner.
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