Ebony Slumbers

by Nova Blake

  The men followed me through to the kitchen - all of the ones in the house anyway. It was a serious little procession, and not even Felix was cracking jokes right now.

  I really wished he would.

  Mostly I wished that Zephyr wasn't there so I could take comfort from the others. The thought made me feel like a bitch, but maybe I was. With the way he was acting I didn't want to hug him, but I knew that if I hugged the others I'd feel like I had to, to keep it even.

  Oh well.

  "Start with this," Colton said. "These are some sleeping pills, we got the fast acting ones, so by the time you've done your nightly routine they should be kicking in."

  "Take this just before you lie down," Zephyr said, pointing at a vial of blue liquid. It was literally a vial, like some kind of potion rather than medicine.

  "And then slip a couple of these under your tongue. It's some homeopathic thing. We don't know if it works, but there's no harm in trying." Colton crossed his arms over his chest and scowled at the line-up.

  "Thank you," I said to him, expanding my look to encompass the others. "This looks comprehensive. If I don't sleep through the night then whatever is going on in my head is an unstoppable force and it's not your fault. Okay?"

  "We're going to keep watch anyway," Brax said. "Take shifts just in case."

  I nodded and got myself a drink, scooping up the first pills and chasing them with water. "Right. I'll take these and hopefully I'll see you in the morning and not before."

  "Good night, Princess. I hope your dreams are sweet." Felix smiled, but there was no joy in it. They watched me as I took the vial and the small bottle of pills and headed upstairs.

  Gone was that feeling of relaxation. I could feel their eyes on my back, feel the trickle of dread up my spine with each step I took. By the time I entered my room and locked the door behind me I had to wonder whether despite all the things I'd taken, I'd be able to sleep at all.

  I went through my nightly routines and changed into my PJs, then sat on the bed. I un-stoppered the vial, held it up to the light and watched as the blue shimmered with a golden glitter effect, and then I set it to my lips and let the liquid slip down, sickly sweet. Discarding the empty bottle on my bedside table I shook out half a dozen little white pills and put them under my tongue. By contrast, they tasted of nothing, but I hoped that they would do something. Aid the process a little.

  I lay back, pulling the blankets over my body, crossing my arms over my chest, and I waited for sleep to take me.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  I walked through the forest, birds chirping merrily overhead despite the hour. I could hear crickets singing their evening prayers to the dead sun, their sound an attempt to lure it back to life. The wolf walked besides me, my fingers skimming its thick fur, and for the first time in a long time I felt peace.

  This was where I belonged, not in that house, not confined to any particular space, but free to roam, to walk with bare feet through dew dipped blades of grass, free to drag my fingers across the rough bark of the trees and smell all the wondrous scents of nature. I stooped to pick a flower, just a daisy, its petals shut tight in the darkness, but its smell lovely all the same.

  I walked through the trees and came out in a clearing with a huge tree stump in the middle. The moon was all the way full, and it cast a bright light directly onto the wood which looked pale, like parchment. Pale like my skin.

  I circled the stump, the contours of it familiar in some way. A flash of memory ran through me like a shock. I'd come here. I'd run here, breathless with a fear that choked me.

  Hunter... I half expected him to come thundering out of the woods. I spun, looking at the edge of the clearing, the ghost of him moving into the open space, scanning left and right before he approached me.

  I can't believe you made it. We have to go. Now. The others are waiting.

  Waiting? I looked around me but there was no one there. Hunter dissipated on the breeze, turning into smoke.

  She wants your heart...

  I could feel the pulse of the drum through my feet before anything else. It shook the ground and sent the birds from their roosts, a cacophony of screeches and feathers rained down on me. I covered my ears with my hands but it didn't block out the sound, couldn't stop the vibration of fear in my heart.

  And then the song really began, swelling through my chest, tingling along my veins.

  I uncovered my ears and looked up. Two figures had entered the clearing a few meters apart, hoods drawn over their heads, hands at their sides. The skin that was visible shone like the moon, like the lady from my dreams.

  "What do you want?" I asked, the fear gone, replaced by something else. Irritation. How dare they come and ruin my peace? I was happy. I was enjoying my time and now they were here and they'd shattered my tranquility.

  "Your heart." It was a male who spoke, though I couldn't tell that from looking at him.

  The word heart flashed me back. Hunter had wanted my heart too. Except he didn't want it on a silver platter for that evil woman, he wanted it beating in my chest, beating for him.

  But these men wanted to kill me. The time had finally come.

  Unfortunately for them, I was pissed off now. About being kept in the dark for so long, about being kept inside for so long, about the fact that some woman wanted me dead and she didn't seem to want to stop despite the fact that I was completely out of the picture right now and not doing her any harm at all.

  How dare she? My blood thrummed in my head and pressure started to build. I didn’t know what it was, but I wasn’t afraid.

  They moved closer, drawing weapons now. The one who'd spoken had a sword, and the other, twin daggers. They glinted in the moonlight and from the way that person moved I thought they were the more lethal of the two. The wolf at my side growled, baring its teeth, and that chant played on, making the ground feel like it was moving with its pulsing beat.

  "Stop," I commanded, bringing some of that heat and fire I'd directed at my men over the past days.

  My men... Where were they now? They should be here, by my side. I whirled my head, could almost see them there, wisps of shadow in the moonlight that danced away when I looked directly at them.

  No matter. They were inside me, their will, their ferocity, their passion, their loyalty.

  The wolf growled again, pulling my attention back to reality.

  But it wasn't, was it. It didn't have that crispness of the real, but the ethereal qualities of a dream. I shook my head, trying to dispel that feeling, trying to straighten my thoughts.

  "Don't make this hard on yourself." It was a woman speaking this time - with the two daggers. She was the one I had to watch out for. "We failed before but we won't fail again."

  I was meant to keep an eye out for a man and woman. I should tell Rafe. He should know.

  "Rafe?" I frowned.

  The chant twisted and turned, its sound moving from the medium range to become deep and sonorous. The dream beat through the earth and I felt like any minute tree roots would burst through the ground and lock around my legs.

  "No!" I cried out, the fear back for a second.

  "It's time for you to die, Princess."

  I frowned at the name. Only Felix called me that.

  She noticed my distraction and lunged at me. The wolf surged, bashing into my side and knocking me out of the way, just a little too slow to prevent the woman's blade from slicing my arm. Blood seeped from the wound, running down my hand to drip from my fingers to the forest floor. I watched it, entranced as the wolf fended off the woman.

  There was something there, in the blood on the ground, something more important than the fight these people were bringing to me. Something more pressing than imminent death.

  It pooled and I could see myself in it. See a reflection of past Ebony, a fierce set to her face, a spark in her eyes that I didn’t know if I possessed.

  The blood...

  I dragged the fingers of my other hand through the drips on my ar
m and lifted them, gazing at the deep red, red like my lips. I drew a line on my forehead with my blood and something awoke.

  "Blood spilled to break the spell," I mumbled, turning. It didn’t make sense, where had those words come from?

  I looked up, my attention once more on my two enemies. I knelt on the ground, but it wasn't a position of weakness, no, this was one of strength. I could feel something familiar, I knew this was how to do whatever it is I was about to do.

  I raised my face to the moon and screamed, unleashing the confusing mess of emotions that were gathering inside me, hands planted in the nourishing dirt.

  The shriek of a hundred birds came back at me, the thunder of wings in the air drowning out the drum beat of my dream. The wolf pressed against my side and I leaned into him for added strength, flinging my arms forward, fingers like claws as a barrage of leaves and tree litter flew towards my enemies.

  They flinched back, arms over their heads as they leaned into the wind I created. The man stepped forward and seemed to carve a hole in the wind with his sword, stepping through it, his movements purposeful. The woman followed him and I dropped my hands.

  I needed a new weapon.

  The birds swooped, skimming the top of the enemies head’s. One huge owl landed on the woman, taking her to the ground and the wolf pounced, tearing at her leg while she stabbed at the owl.

  The man didn't let that distract him, he stalked towards me, sword held at the ready. I rose, ready to move, remembering everything that Arien had taught me. Though what good that was against an armed man I couldn't be sure. I just knew I had to stay focused, stay centered.

  A tendril of the song called me forward. I fought against the movement, tried to plant my feet, to be strong, rooted like a tree, but no matter what I did I couldn't stop myself. One step. Another. Soon he was bearing down on me, raising his sword.

  "No!" I screamed the word at him and his grip wavered, whatever magic propelling me forward causing him to lose his grip. But we were close now and I threw myself at him, knocking him off his feet, his sword falling from his hand. I didn't wait for him to recover, driving my knee into his groin and my nails against his throat. I might not have a blade, but they were sharp and I could feel his skin tear. His hands gripped my arms, fingernails digging into my skin, he moved his head back, and then slammed it forward into mine.

  The pain split the world apart and I released my grip, tumbling off him, feeling the hard ground beneath me. Blind rage burned through my veins. How dare he? How dare he come at me like this? Ruin my life, ruin my dream? Everything blurred as anger ate away my vision, ate away all sense of what might be real and what might not.

  All that remained was black. Oblivion.

  EVERYTHING ACHED.

  I was aware of that even before I opened my eyes. Maybe even before I woke up. The morning light was shining so brightly through my windows that someone must have come in to throw them open. My eyelids felt so heavy that I didn't think I could open them. I was so tired.

  Worn out.

  Aching beyond anything I'd ever experienced. I rolled over and bumped into something wet and cold, my eyes shot open and I was face to face with...another face. A familiar face.

  It was the man from the photo.

  The smell hit me then, death and blood and oh my god. I scrambled upright, horror making my movements jerky. My foot slipped in a puddle of blood and bile rose in the back of my throat. I gagged but nothing came out.

  "Ohmygodohmygodohmygod."

  I looked around, trying to find something to focus on that wasn't this body in front of me, but the next thing I saw was a dead owl, its feathers were strewn across the clearing, its claws still tangled in the matted hair of a dead woman.

  The one from the photo. The one that they told me helped the man to escape. These were the people who were trying to kill me and I...

  I killed them.

  I'd thought it was all a dream. A really messed up one, but there was plenty of evidence to show me it wasn't. I looked down at my bare arms, covered in scratches and blood, a long cut on my left. A sob caught in my throat and the only sound I could seem to make was a low, keening wail.

  There was a whimper from my left and I spun, half expecting to see one of my enemies coming back to life, but it was the wolf, his coat speckled with dried blood. Four steps took me toward him and put some distance between me and the bodies. I dropped to my knees, running my hands through his coat. He had a gash on his side and nipped me when I got too close, but it didn't look so deep that he'd die from it.

  "I thought you were just in my dreams," I whispered. "I'm so sorry you got hurt."

  He whined and then licked my fingers, his tongue rough and warm, then his whine became a growl, his gaze going to something behind me. I turned to see figures moving through the trees and I scanned the ground, trying to find a weapon, then one of the people stepped into the clearing and I sighed in relief.

  "Sheehan." I stood up, my legs wobbly, and stepped around the corpses before throwing myself into his arms. More figures emerged and I looked over his shoulder to see Colton and Felix. "I'm so happy to see you guys. I..." My shoulders slumped and I tucked my head, trying to breathe deep and slow. Every time I closed my eyes all I could see was blood and lifeless limbs. Vacant, staring, dead eyes.

  "We can see, Princess. It's okay. You don't have to explain." Felix came to stand by my side, he stroked my hair back from my face with his hand, the motion comforting.

  "I was dreaming..." I bit my lip. When had the dream become a reality? How the hell had I got out of the house again? "I don't know how I got here, but it's them. The ones you thought would come for me."

  Colton moved around Sheehan, dropping to his knee to inspect the bodies. The wolf didn't seem phased by them now that they’d come into the open, he just licked his wounds silently. "Felix, call the others, get them to bring something to clean this mess up. Sheehan and I will take Ebony home and dress her wounds."

  "What about the wolf?" I asked, turning so that my back was against Sheehan. I wasn't ready to leave his warmth. He wrapped his arms around my waist, holding me tight. Holding me upright. "He helped me. We need to help him too."

  Colton nodded. "Make sure that happens, Felix. We owe the creature a great debt." He tipped his head at the wolf as though acknowledging him. Strangely, the wolf returned the gesture.

  I must be imagining things. Tonight was just too strange to comprehend.

  I closed my eyes, feeling a tide of exhaustion wash over me. It was all too much. “Can we go? Please? I don't want to be here. I can't-"

  "It's okay. Ebony. It's going to be okay." Colton moved towards me, catching my chin with his hand so that I looked into his deep green eyes. "This will all be over soon. I promise."

  Hope caught in my chest and I nodded mutely, letting Sheehan turn me away from the mess, letting these two men lead me home.

  I cast one glance back to Felix, who was on the phone now, pacing a tight circle in the clearing. Where there was no stump in the middle. I frowned.

  Maybe I was still going crazy.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  I couldn't stop shaking. Even my teeth chattered, and it wasn't because I was cold. The sound bounced off the tiles in the bathroom, and inside my head, every little one making me twitch.

  I'd killed someone. Two someone’s, perhaps. I didn't look close enough to get the details, but it was undeniable that I'd been involved in the killing.

  There was blood under my fingernails, and I didn't think it was mine.

  The fact that no other units had been called to help was niggling at my brain. These men were all law enforcement, and yet...there was no extra help.

  Did this mean I could go? Or just that I was safe for now.

  Was I ever going to be free if I was a killer?

  Sheehan turned off the faucet, and Colton approached me, placing his hands on my shoulders. The shaking slowed with the pressure he applied. "Ebony," he said slowly, making sure I was
focusing on him. "The bath is ready. It's time to get clean."

  I nodded mutely, my fingers twitching to the buttons of my top. They were so small, pearly white, the sheen on them had meant the blood slid off.

  Colton pulled me towards him, kissing the top of my head. "It's going to be okay, Ebony. It is. We'll come and check on you soon."

  He stepped away but I reached out, grabbed his wrist. "Please don't go." I looked him in the eyes, saw his brow dip in concern. Please don't make me say it. Don't make me say how afraid I am.

  "Okay." He nodded and moved back towards me. He reached for the buttons and they looked even tinier in his large hands, but he undid them deftly, gently, slipping my top off my shoulders and letting it fall to the floor. His fingers skimmed my waist, pushing my pants over my hips so they could fall too, and then he held out my hand, balancing me as I stepped out of them and towards the bathtub.

  It was one of those deep, claw footed ones. Sheehan stood on the other side and he reached his hand out, the two of them keeping me steady as I stepped over the rim and sunk into the water, the scent of soap and jasmine hitting my nostrils, drowning out the blood and dirt. My head fell back against the rim and I tried to let the heat soak the tension from my body.

  Wordlessly, Sheehan grabbed a sponge and started to gently clean each of my limbs. Colton slid me down the bath a little, leaning over the bathtub behind me, cleaning my hair with a delicious smelling shampoo, massaging my scalp while he was at it.

  I couldn't help but relax under their ministrations. I was so tired, so caught up in what had happened, but it was hard to be afraid when you were being treated like royalty, adored and loved with every small gesture, each touch.

  Task complete, Colton let my head rest against the edge again. I looked back at him, noticing that his shirt was soaked. The arms on Sheehan's shirt were as well, but neither of them seemed phased. They were still focused on me. Steady, waiting patiently, silently.