Bloodless Dreams

Chapter Eight: Gift

I stood waiting for someone to say something or for Harland to return to the room. I am becoming nervous. Just as I went to run Harland opened the door wrapping his arms around me backing me into the room. His hands splayed out across my back and his face buried in my hair.

“Shh… It is okay Nethae no one will hurt you. You do not have to run.”

I pulled away to look in his eyes.

“I was not running for me… I was running to make sure you were okay.”

“My sweet Nethae I do not deserve you.”

I turned around his hold and looked around the room. Vorigon is standing with his hands folded in front of him and his head hanging low. I looked to the goddess confused. She smiled at me and stood walking over to Vorigan.

“He hangs his head to show humility. The last time we stood in this office his brother sacrificed his freedom for him.”

“What?” I said confused even more.

“You see child that dragon you have come to accept and tame is a punishment for defying my command.” She looked at me and Harland with a smile. “Would you like to tell her my son, or shall I?”

Harland only shook his head and remained quiet.

“Your Loweyn did not kill his brother like I commanded so I placed a curse on him. He is to remain bound to that dragon until he passes into the fade.” She took another look at Harland and me before continuing. “So, you see sweet daughter you will not only love Harland, the one whose soul you carry within you but his beast as well.”

I turned around looking at Harland to see the panic. I turned back to Selene and smiled at her.

“It will not be hard to love them both.”

She nodded her head approval. “You have a good Nethae. I did well if I may say so.”

She laughed and then clapped her hands loudly transporting us into the fade.

“Now for the reason I have called you all here. Daughter I have a task for you. It is an especially important task, one that will decide the fate of Vorigan.”

Vorigan looked up at the goddess with fear and Harland’s grip tightened around me as he growled loudly. The Goddess laughed and shook her head looking back at the King who did not share her humor.

“Let me explain before you lose your temper warrior.”

She said in a serious voice.

“Daughter, you are to travel back to earth. There is a woman there who needs your help. You must save her and bring her back here to Vorigan. If you fail, he will lose his nethae.”

I looked at Vorigan terrified. His face sad and hopeful all in one. Harland became angry and the King looked outraged.

“Can you do this for your Loweyn’s brother?”

“Yes.”

“No, please do not take Harland’s Nethae away from him like this. Send me instead please goddess Harland has already suffered enough on my behalf.”

“If I were able to send you Vorigan I would have done so already. But I cannot send you there. I can send her though; she was born in that world it ties her there. You have no tie. Not until you are properly mated.”

“Before you send my Nethae I request we perform the ceremony.”

“Why do you request that Harland?” The goddess asked.

“So, I have a tie to her world if she does not return.”

“You would leave Phetterea to save her? You would risk never returning to your brothers?”

“Yes.” He pulled me in tighter. “I love my brothers Selene I think I proved that already, but I refuse to let her live alone in a world she does not belong in because of a task you deem fit to send her on.”

The goddess started to grow angry. Her size growing, her skin started glowing. She has taken her true form.

“You will not question me, boy. I made you and I cursed you. I can take everything from you and watch you suffer without a thought. I have no heart. I feel no love. No fear. No joy. No sorrow. I am hallow and I will live forever.” You think you can threaten me? Scare me? No Harland, you can do not such things. I enjoy your company, but I will not tolerate your disrespect. Do not test me.”

Her voice booming, echoing across the fade. Her glow turned red and her eyes have flames coming out of them. She is terrifying. But Harland is unfazed. He looked at her and smiled moving me behind him shielding me from her wrath.

“You Selene do not scare me anymore than I do you. I have lived with the curse you placed on me for not killing my brother. All because you are a scorned woman who lives alone in the fade.”

A bright red flash consumed us. I can feel the heat. I can hear her screams. I grabbed onto Harland, moving myself in front of him to shield him from her anger. I cannot bear to see him in anymore pain. Especially when the task she has given me will be easy. I hope. I opened my mind begging the goddess to stop.

- Please goddess. I will go. Please do not hurt him I beg you.

The red faded and the goddess stood there in her false form staring at me.

“What did you say daughter?” she asked in a soft voice.

“Please do not hurt him.” I took a step closer to her. “I will go and complete your task. I beg you not to hurt him.”

Harland pulled me back away from her. His growl growing, his skin steaming. I do not understand what is going on. Vorigan came standing in front of me ready to defend me. The King did the same.

“Daughter come here.”

I wiggled my way from Harland and by pasted Vorigon and the King. I walked to Selene placing my hand in hers. She smiled at me and looked to my Loweyn.

“She is like you in many ways my son. You know he said those same words to me when I commanded him to kill his brother. That is when he chose to take the dragon instead of Vorigan’s life.”

“Please mother. I will live without my mate do not punish Harland anymore.” Vorigan said as he cried.

I know what he is giving up, and I will not allow it.

“I will go, mother. I will go now.”

I looked back at Harland and smiled at him. Before the bright white light consumed me, I can see him running towards me, tears falling from his eyes and then his Dragon. The light faded and Selene let my hand go. She took a moment to look around. I realized she has taken us to my apartment. She said nothing as she went around the small space looking at everything.

“It is not much.”

“It is perfect, just like you, daughter. I could have never asked for someone stronger to love my son.”

“I hope I do not fail any of them.”

“I have seen this path and you do not fail.” She turned and looked at me. “I will give you twenty-four hours. At the end of that time, I will come for you weather or not she is with you. Do you understand?”

“I do. What is her name?”

“Adabella Drake.” She looked out of the window. “I will tell you this, she is in pain. She will not trust easy and she will not believe you. I have this that will help you.”

She handed me a little pendent with a red powder inside.

“It is poppy essence. She will sleep.”

“I understand.”

“Go now. Call to me once you have her daughter, I will come for you without fail.”

I nodded my head and watched her fade away. Once she is gone, I went to my laptop and typed her name into the search bar. After a few hours of looking for her, I finally found her. She lives on the street over from mine in the apartment building. I grabbed my keys and left my apartment. I walked down the street remembering the smells of the city.

Remembering why I always wanted to leave. Compared to Phetterea this is not a pleasant place to be. I finally got to her apartment building and went to the address board looking for her name. Instead, I found a man’s name with the same last name. I pushed the buzzer and waited. No one answered. But with luck someone left the building, and I went through the door before it closed, locking again. I went up the stairs to her door.

I can hear yelling, crying, and then things crashing against the walls. Pieces of glass shattering on the ground. I knocked on the door and stood there waiting. When the door opened, I am confronted by a man with anger, soulless eyes. His knuckles are bloody and sweat is dripping down his face.

“Who are you and what do you want?” He asked.

“Hello. I am Eva. I am looking for Ada, we have to get back to the office our boss needs the presentation done or we lose our jobs.” I said with a smile, praying she works in an office and I believable enough.

He looked at me and turned around.

“You know her, Ada?”

Adabella came around the corner, her face bloody, her eyes black and her lips swollen. She has her arms wrapped around her, trying to protect herself.

“Hey girl. We have to go finish our presentation.”

“Oh yea. I am sorry Eva, I completely forgot about it. Just let me clean up and I will be right out.”

“Sounds good I will wait here.” I said with a smile.

She left the hallway. I looked back at the man and smiled. Something is telling me he doesn’t believe me or Adabella. It is confirmed when he grabbed my arm, throwing me into the apartment and slamming the door closed. I stood up and looked at him. He is angry and coming at me with balled fists. This is going to hurt but I can do it. I have to.

I watched him barreling towards me when his fist came flying towards me. I move just in time to have another one of his fists colliding with my face. I feel to the ground as the pain raged through me left cheek. I backed myself up away from him when Adabella came out of the room and into the kitchen grabbing a large kitchen knife. She plunged it into his back. His eyes grew large and he stood up turning around to face her before he feel to the ground. I looked at Adabella and stood taking her hand.

“We need to get out of here now Ada.”

“I cannot leave him…”

“We have to go now.” I said pulling her out of the apartment. I never let her hand go as we made our way down my street and into my apartment building. I took the keys from my pocket and unlocked my door shoving her through the doorway. I followed her in slamming the door shut and sliding the lock into place. I closed my eyes for a moment and calmed my nerves. I turned back to her with a soft expression. She stood there staring at me with fear.

“Are you going to call the police?”

“No Ada. I came to you for something else. It is time to come home to Phetterea where you will be safe and unharmed. The police will never find you and no man will ever hurt you again. Will you come with me willingly?”

“Will you take me to the man who comes to me in my sleep? The large man with beautiful eyes and a soft voice?”

“His name is Vorigan. He is a good man and he is waiting for you. Are you ready to go?”

“Yes.”

I did not believe her but with what just happened we needed to leave this place sooner than later. I closed my eyes and called to the Goddess. She came with a bright flash of light, Selene wasted no time taking my hand and Ada’s hand transporting us back into the fade where Harland, the King and Vorigan waited.

*        *       *       *

Harland

“Where did she take her?” I yelled in anger.

“I do not know brother.”

“Why are we still here?” Vorigan asked.

We all stood there looking at each other. My anger growing. That witch took from me yet again and I am supposed to stand here accepting it.

“No one has ever called me a witch before Harland. Interesting.”

“I meant it too.” I said turning around to see her sitting on a stone looking into a pond of water.

I walked over and looked down to see her watching my mate. I felt a little relief until the pond panned around showing a man coming towards her with his fists balled. She stood tall and planted her feet ready to fight back. She is strong and stubborn I have faith she will win. I watched the man swing his fists and her dodging them until the last blow it hit straight in the face knocking her to the ground. I want to rip that man’s throat out and drink his blood for harming my nethae.

I watch as Eva tries to get away from him when a woman runs from another room into the kitchen, she grabs a knife and plunges it into the man’s back. The man stood up and turned looking at the women before falling down. Eva got up and grabbed the woman’s hand dragging her out of the apartment and onto the street. Eva never let the girls hand go all the way to another house.

Eva pulled keys from her pocket and unlocked the door letting the stranger go first. Once they are inside Eva locked the door and closed her eyes. Just as Selene disappeared. Eva faded from the waters view making me more enraged. I stood up and looked at my King and Vorigan they both sharing my anger, sharing in my rage. We are ready to kill. To fight. To protect.

I started pacing back and forth, my fists balled so tightly my fingers started going numb. I was about to shift just as a flash of white consumed the field leaving Selene, the strange women and my nethae. I looked at Eva and she started running towards me flinging her body into my embrace. I held onto her tightly swinging her in circles pressing my lips to the side of her face.

I set her down and grabbed her face with me hands.

“Are you alright?”

I looked her over seeing a fresh cut across her cheek. Adding more pain and damage to her already fragile body.

“I will be okay.”

I let her go and we turned our attention to the stranger standing in the fade with us. The goddess is whispering something in her ear when Vorigan came running over to us. He stopped dead in his tracks and dropped to his knees. His eyes started welling up with tears that finally cascaded down his cheeks.

“Vorigan come here.” Selene called.

Vorigan got up and walked to the goddess and the women. The goddess smiled at the women and nodded her head. I watched my brother take the woman into his arms and fade away. The next to go was the King who looked relieved to be leaving.

“You did a good job Evangeline. I am incredibly pleased with you.” Selene said walking over to us.

“If you need to me to help any of my other sisters please let me know.”

This made the goddess smile and look at me.

“At least you nethae knows her place.”

I looked at the goddess with resentment. I am cursed because of her petty selfish reasons. I will not give her any gratification when it comes to me or my nethae.

“I will call on you daughter. Until then you have a mating ceremony to organize. If that is what you want.”

I looked at Eva as she nodded her head slightly. I want to mate her now, but I do not think she is ready for something like that. I haven’t even explained what happens during the ceremony. Selene placed her hands to our shoulders and teleported us back to my room.

I looked down at Eva to see her noticeably less tense. She looked up at me and smiled before turning and leaving me alone in the room. She pulled the door shut behind her. I can hear the bedroom door next to me open and close with the lock sliding into place.

What have I done…?