...STRANGERS IN THE WOODS...
~ KIERA ~
I was never afraid of darkness. However, I vastly underestimated the utter blackness of a night-time forest. It pressed in on me from all sides, like a hand clutched tightly around my body.
'Run, Kiera!'
Dad's voice overwhelmed the constant ringing nearly driving me crazy. His words repeated over and over again. And my body obeyed. The only thing keeping me sane was the pill bottle clutched tightly in my hand.
Everybody ran from something. It could have been monsters or something else entirely; a bully from school, a nasty boss at work, a recurring nightmare, or even their guilty conscience. And me?
I ran to survive.
Every fibre of my being was screaming with awareness; a gush of frigid air, gentle drops of rain, trees barely lit by seldom flashes of lightning, soft rumbling in the distant skies above, and even the things chasing me through the forest – I was aware of everything.
Adrenalin kept me on my feet. Having a mind of their own, my legs expertly carried me over large sticks, fallen trees, and around everything else that got in my way.
'Couldn't he have said something more reassuring? Run? From what exactly? He's never seen them before, so what changed?'
We separated when Reds ambushed us a while back. First, there were three of them, then six, and soon twelve surrounded us. Dad, of course, had cleared a path for me to escape.
'Run, Kiera!'
He never intended on following me. He stayed behind to fight so that I could get away. I didn't know where he was, or if he made it out alive.
But... he couldn't stop all of them. Three followed me. I'd been running from them for ten minutes and could feel my body reaching its limit.
They were getting closer. Shadows were everywhere, making it hard to see what was blurring past me, but I could tell from stolen glances over my shoulder that they differed from the other Red I had encountered at home.
These were smaller in size and had an extra pair of legs. Their bodies were thinner too, giving them a slinkier appearance. Their six legs were long and slender, resembling a gazelle's more than a fierce beast, and their paws were small too, like a cat's. None of them had horns, but their three red eyes and canine skull masks were impossible to ignore.
'Crap. I can't hear anything other than my footsteps. Am I dreaming again? Is this another nightmare?'
I vaulted over a fallen tree. Well, I more like flopped over it. I landed on my butt and felt it sink into a bed of soft moss. I cringed at the cold wet moisture absorbing into my sleeping shorts. I grabbed at small branches around pulling myself back up.
'No. They're real. Dad saw them. He touched them. Just because I can't hear them, doesn't mean they don't exist.'
I glanced around, frantically eyeing every minuscule movement within the shadows. The forest had thinned. Trees, shrubs, and underbrush were growing scarce the further away I got from the house.
I couldn't hide anymore, and as I continued moving, I felt like I was running myself to death. My legs, of course, felt like jelly. I wasn't even running anymore. Just wobbling on shaking legs gulping air like a fish out of water.
I was amazed that I was still able to move after the extreme stress my body was under. I felt ridiculous. And let's not forget the wound on my nape. Who knows how much blood I've already lost? But I wanted to survive, so I had no choice but to run.
'Come on Kiera, move! You're nearly there just a little further.'
Nope. My pep-talk failed at convincing my exhausted body. I couldn't run anymore. I couldn't even wobble. I slowed down to a walk and no matter what I did, I couldn't force myself to move any faster.
"No, no, no! Come on, just…" – tears rolled down my face – "Just a little further. Please!"
I glanced over my shoulder again, half expecting the Reds to tackle me, but they were no longer there. Nothing was there. Just the log and the darkening forest behind it.
'I know I told you to disappear, moon, but I didn't think you'd listen.'
I bumped into someone. A pair of arms wrapped around me. We tripped over each other. I felt the mysterious person shield me with their body. If they hadn't then I would probably have passed out. Or worse. Died.
The person was on their back with me sprawled out on top of their chest. My legs were between theirs and I felt their hip dig into my ribs. Or was that my hip digging into theirs? Everything was starting to numb, and I couldn't locate any of my limbs. It felt as if they weren't there anymore. Like I was beginning to disappear just like the moon.
'Seriously? Now? Get up, Kiera! Pass out later.'
I was drawn into the stranger's lap as they sat up. I raised my head. A boy. I attempted to look at his face, but all I could see was his silhouette.
My head was blaring warnings at me. Screaming into my ears, a high-pitched ringing that threatened to explode my skull.
"Ugh!" I squirmed and felt my face scrunch up. "My… head."
I heard – and felt – a soft chuckle vibrating the boy's chest. I shot him a glare, annoyed that he found this all amusing.
"Dying already?" he questioned. He had a smooth tone of voice, neither high nor deep, but as he spoke, I still felt his chest vibrate with every word.
His hand slipped up into my hair and supported the back of my neck. Lightning flashed, but whatever light there was only outlined his silhouette, never reaching his face. The stranger was slender, and his hair was thick and shoulder-length. But I couldn't make out any more details.
"Sorry, but I can't allow that."
'You think I want to die here? Why do you think I'm running in the first place?'
His fingers hooked around my curls, which he gently pulled back, making my neck accessible to him.
'Oh. Right. Of course. My lips are heavy, like they're made of lead and my tongue won't move. Even if I want to, I can't tell him off.'
"This might hurt a bit," he murmured.
He pressed something sharp against my skin. A needle? I could only let my imagination decide what it was because I couldn't see it with my own eyes. It pricked my skin, but I didn't feel it inject something, so it couldn't have been a syringe.
"Good, now hold still. I need to remove his mark. Or at least some of it."
His head dropped, and a second later I felt his supple tongue sweep across my skin. His mouth cupped over the wound, slurping up the blood that was still oozing from the bite mark.
"Stop it!" I screamed.
I shoved him back and scrambled to my feet, shocked that had enough strength to push him away. I could barely keep my balance and nearly tripped over my feet, but still…
I studied his figure. He slowly raised a leg, rested an arm on his knee, and calmly stared at me.
'Dad, where are you? I need you right now...'
"You know, you don't smell like the others..." – he slowly got up – "but you do taste like them."
"Who are you?"
"Bis Drengr! Your first question is asking about my identity, and not what I did to you?"
"Oh, I'm sorry for my incomprehensive accent. I'll try to do better. Wooooo. Ahhhhh. Yuuuuu?" I annoyingly exaggerated the pronunciation.
"No one important." He took a step closer, and I took several back. "Fine. I'll maintain distance. But we need to leave."
"I'm not going anywhere with you."
"Dre'ys! Are you always this difficult?"
My eyes shifted to the surroundings slightly behind him. We were far away from our cabin. The river was directly south of our current location and Vincent's house would be a ten-minute walk from there.
'He's right. What did he do to me? I felt a little better, but…'
Even if I ran away, it would be difficult to shake this creep off my trail. I was exhausted so I couldn't run very far anyway. My best bet was going to the river, but the challenge was reaching it before the Reds killed me. Or before this pervert caught me.
'The Reds... Wait, what happened to them?'
"What happened to those things?" I asked and glanced back at the boy.
"Those things?" He placed a hand on his hip and stared at me. He stood still. So still, in fact, that it seemed like he was blending into the background. "Ah, you mean the Fyres. They were herding you towards their master, so I got rid of them."
'What? Herding me towards their master?'
"You can see them?"
"Right. I'll be taking these. It's about time you stop drugging yourself and accept reality." He shoved my meds into his pocket. My eyes snapped to my hands, realizing that they were empty.
'What!? When did he…'
"You ought to be more grateful. I just saved your life – temporarily anyway. Maeve is smart. Clever. He marked you knowing you'd reject him. Knowing you'd be on borrowed time."
"Who is Maeve?" I asked cautiously.
"Don't tell me he bit you without introducing himself?" he inquired, crossing his arms. His head leaned to the left, and I could almost feel his scepticism rub off on me.
'– that Daemun just marked our daughter – only Cain can save you now – Maeve made sure of that.'
I kept hearing Dad's words in the back of my mind.
"That horned wolf…?" I tried to confirm. My hand raised to my neck and cupped over the wound. It was numb, and I couldn't feel much, but I could feel my blood gathering between my fingers. It felt thick and sticky.
"Slow on the uptake, are you? Yes. That's Maeve. You felt it, didn't you? When he bit you? Something entered your body."
"Raven, you shouldn't run off like that," someone said behind me.
I nearly jumped out of my skin. I whirled around and saw another boy approach us. He stopped in his tracks when he noticed me. He was bigger than the other boy. Taller with a bulkier build. But he was a black mass of shadows just like the other one.
'It's like they're wrapped in darkness. Why can't I see their faces?'
"Hmph," the skinny boy named Raven huffed.
"I see you found her. That was quick," the other one said. His voice sounded a little deeper than Raven's.
"She's bleeding all over the place. Of course, it was quick. Any idiot with a nose could find her."
"You didn't tell her, did you?"
"I didn't," Raven said, uncrossing his arms. He stepped closer. I wouldn't allow myself to suffer another second in his arms. So, I made certain the distance between us didn't shrink.
"We ought to be on our way. If we remain here, he will discover us. At least fifty Daemun must have been called forth by that insane fuck. The bulkier boy remarked, "I wouldn't be surprised if he called forth a hundred."
"Who are you?" I asked, glancing between them.
"No one important," Raven repeated. "Daemun should have her scent. They'll be here any minute. But they're not all his. There are others too. From Demicaux, Petraeus, and even some from V'velgrys."
"They won't try anything. Not with 'him' nearby."
"Daemun? What's that? What are you talking about?"
"Drengr! Do you know anything?" Raven asked. He stared at me, or well, I assumed he did.
"Where she's going she doesn't need to know anything," the big boy muttered.
'Where I'm going? Do they want to take me somewhere? No! I'm not going anywhere unless it's to Vincent. He's the only one I trust.'
I bolted. I ran as fast as my legs would allow. But I didn't make it very far. Within ten steps, the bulkier boy grabbed my wrist and yanked me back. His grip was so tight that it felt like my hand would pop off.
"There's no point in attempting to run away. It's almost sad how sluggish you are. I would have arrived sooner if I had anticipated your weakness. Come with us now and stop fussing."
"No!" – I shrieked – "I'm not going anywhere with you."
"Shut up!" I was yanked back and felt my captor's free hand snatch my neck.
"DAD! HELP ME! I'M OVER HERE!" I screamed so loudly that my throat felt like it's been set on fire.
"You brought this upon yourself. Had you come quietly I would not have had to resort to this." He grabbed my neck and tightened his hold on my throat.
"Careful, Coda. You might break her," Raven warned. He stepped between us and placed a hand on Coda's arm.
"Like you are one to talk. I bet you would have sucked her dry if I hadn't shown up," Coda snarled at his friend, releasing my throat but refusing to let go of my wrist.
My fingers gently stroked my skin which I knew would bruise. It hurt to breathe, but I was grateful I could.
"I considered it, I won't lie, but I changed my mind. She isn't your average Maji," Raven said. Gently, he tucked a strand of my hair behind my ear and stroked my cheek with the back of his fingers.
"She is Kade's daughter. Of course, she is not average. Good for us. Means she will make us a lot of money," Coda responded. I could almost hear the smile on his face. He pushed past his companion and began walking.
"You're selling me?" I pulled my arm back and dug my heels into the ground, but it made no difference. Coda was too strong and dragged me along with him anyway.
'What's going on?'
"You? No. You are of inferior value to us. We are selling him."
'Him?'
Lightning flashed in the distance and the clap of thunder was loud enough to make my ears ring. Then, to my delight, the familiar red eyes returned.
I preferred being chased by those creatures rather than being with the two boys. With the beasts, I could at least convince myself that they weren't real. That I was just dreaming...
"Peek-a-boo, I found you," someone said.
A figure emerged from the shadows and the Reds moved closer to him. One stood at his side staring intently at the three of us.
"Bis Drengr, Hibbi's ri," I heard Coda mutter under his breath.
"I don't like this game anymore. It's boring. Isn't any fun if nobody hides. But it's okay. We can play something else. Something more exciting," the stranger said.
Three long strides brought him closer.
Lightning flashed again and briefly lit up his face. His eyes were a beautiful mix of yellow and gold. He had thick rounded low arch eyebrows. He was just as tall as Coda with an athletic build dressed in black clothing.
"We have no interest in your stupid games, Cain. We are leaving with this girl, even if we must drag her corpse out of this forest," Coda said.
'Wait...Cain? He's Cain? The one Dad mentioned?'
"Ugh, you are so boring! I thought this would be more interesting, but I'm wanting to have some fun right now. Eating that wench's crystal dampened my mood. I lost my fucking appetite because of her. Anyway, if we can't play any games, I guess I'll have to get serious. And I despise getting serious.
"Go fuck yourself, Cain. I do not have time for this," Coda spoke under his breath.
The Reds began to click. Their eyes glowed. Flashes of my recurring nightmare came back to me. Red eyes. So many red eyes.
"Tris Heli, Raven!" the boy keeping me hostage screamed and shoved me towards the skinny boy.
Raven grabbed me and moved his head closer to my ear. "I like you, Kiera. But don't get me wrong. You owe me. I saved your life. You best remember that," he whispered.
"You're no one important, remember?" I whispered back, mocking his earlier words.
"For now, yes." He chuckled and moved his head back. "I'era flus te Aesi, Kiera. Uos dos Yav'r. Aesi sol sie Myra alta. Ys yinu. Now go. You're running out of time. I told you, didn't I? I saved your life. Temporarily."
I squirmed free of his grip and shoved him away from me. I didn't look back. I just ran towards the river.
Vincent lived upstream. He could save me. Just like he saved me from that thing in that lake...