FIFTY ALLIANCES

Chapter five - When Nature Calls

-Tereese-

I blinked slowly, my eye lids slipping open and close at a strange pace. My vision blurred with every raise of my eyelids. I blinked numerously trying to maintain my sight. I couldn't recognise where I was. The environment looked strange and the echo of the voices of male chatter reverted in my ears causing an ache with every word.

I whisper-screamed to the soreness of my body and the weakness that came with it. The voices came to a halt, highlighting the chirps of crickets. That was a sign that they acknowledged my awakening.

I was lying down flat, my face to the ceiling, staring at the chandelier in the middle of the tall building. It was the main brightener of the place. I turned my head slowly to the sides to observe my environment, the walls were covered neatly with a white and gold-designed wallpaper, a pillar at every seven to eight meters and carvings stretching from the pillar to the center was lit dimly by wall lights. Candles placed firmly on candle sticks round the room, like the one I saw at the welcoming party, fumed making the atmosphere hot.

I could barely move my body and returned my head to face the ceiling, the pain in my bones stung deep like piercing needles.

My forehead creased as my brows came together to form a frown. I couldn't put a thought to how I got here and why I was in soo much pain. I remember stepping out of the gathering and coming to face a black car..... Black car...... I passed out!

I lunged my body forward abruptly trying to sit up and winced from the effect of cold hard metals brazing on different parts of my skin, pulling me back. I couldn't move. My arms, ankles and wrists were bound to the white solid concrete granite pillar table I was on. From my earlier view, I guessed I was feets above the ground.

I took another painful look round the place again my heart pounding loudly and chest heaving in and out weirdly as the pace of my breathing quickened.

The place gave a scent like that of a sanctioned temple and each candle I brought to sight had a marking like the ones used for sacrifice.

My eyes widened with dreads of a thought - My sacrifice.

I struggled in my pinned state, I knew it was futile but didn't stop. I tried to scream but was choked by the cloth in my mouth. The small poke I felt at the back of my neck made me know it was tied from behind. I couldn't break free and I couldn't whisper any spells, even if I could, my magic seemed dormant.

A deep eerie chuckle rang in my ears, "Don't bother," the voice said, "here's magic repellent, magic of your level repellent."

I felt a figure roam around me, the darkness of his moving figure wandering round mine. He stopped at the start of the pillar and I turned my head to face him. The familiar unique grey eyes of the stranger stared daggers in my skin. I felt uneasy as his lips moved to a side to form a wicked grin.

"This is where you die, traitor." He said and spread his fingers in two parts then held my cheeks, clenching his fingers on my face, holding it tighter, tears broke out my eyes and rolled to the side. He looked at me like I was a useless piece before turning to the side, freeing his grip on my cheeks. "Start the ritual." He said and moved away.

A familiar chant hummed in my ears and I struggled a peep to behold three women in white robes and roughly done wavy hair, standing. Their hands moved in a weird way. The chanting was coming from them.

Fierce husky whispers of my ancestors broke the peace in the room, aside their chanting, like angry purrs.

Die! Murderer! Deceiver! Come home! Curse to witches! Die! Die! Death is what you deserve!!

I thought they'd come to help me but I was wrong, taking in the venom of their words.

I screamed at the sound of a loud gush of air. My ear drums exploded with the loudness of their curses and blood flowed out endlessly.

I didn't want that to happen back then. I was forced to do it. I regretted my actions daily but it haunted me everytime.

A massive masculine figure overpowered mine in a shadowy form. I didn't understand the happenings of my environment anymore as everything drifted like fading dust swept by wind in a desert, whirling, till a tornado was formed and I was in the center.

My eyes beheld the flamy, raging eyes of a black horse, the crest imprinted on its neck made me know it belonged to the goddess of death. It was ten thousand times bigger than I had imagined. I felt like an ant compared to it. A sharp black flamy sword swung in the air, it was twice the size of the horse, the sword of death and curses. They've come to take me, punish me for my sins. My body paralyzed at the sight of a molding female sculpture of the goddess of death....

My eyes shot open with a harsh raise of my upper body from the bed. I scanned the room panting and sweaty. My pants drifted to regular breathings sighting a lit candle, trailing the smoke with my eyes. Sitting on chair behind the candle was Dane. He gawked his head to face me as I adjusted myself to sit properly.

There was no horrifying grey eyes or witches in white garments, no Flanos-the black horse, just me on a bed laid with white sheets and white duvet. It was just a dream. More like a revelation, someone out there still cares about me and is giving me a warning. I shouldn't stay here for long.

"How's your health?" Dane's voice held care and a promise. I didn't think he cared for anyone. I wanted to say something but my words hung in my throat with fatigue.

"Don't utter a word, let me get you some pills. It'll help with the venom you've let in your system." Dane said and I nodded sluggishly. I watched him walk away. My lips felt dry and sore and blistered, my skin looked pale. What was that welcome party for anyway?

He came back with a bottle, not the usual drug bottles I was accustomed to. He poured some in his hands, tilting the bottle and dropped the excess back in. He c****d it tight and pulled out another repeating the process.

"Here." He said and sat on the bed pointing a glinting red and blue pills on his palm to me with a flask on his other hand. I stretched my hand to take it when he touched my lower lip with his thumb causing me to wince, a frown forming on my face, that twitched.

He brought the flask to my mouth and fed me a liquid, with the first contact it made with my tongue, my facial expression changed. It wasn't water but a concortion mix, a bitter and nauseating one. I attempted to spit it out but he pushed my lip back up to meet with the other. He waited for a while, letting the my tongue swim and get used to it before tilting my head lower with my jaw and put the first pill in my mouth.

Pushing my lip to touch the other again, he tilted my head back up, enabling me to swallow. I gulped with a sickening look.

His nails clicked on a ceramic plate, dropping the other pill on a saucer which had sandwiches on it. The saucer was on my bed table and a glass of juice was beside it.

"Take the second pill in five minutes." He said and turned to leave. I looked at the saucer and back at him when I found him in the same spot. He turned back to face me. "With juice. Eat something. The drugs are strong." He said again and I plastered a reassuring smile.

"Mmm." I muttered, my face high to face his and watched him turn back. He hesitated and sighed then came to sit beside me on the bed.

My eyes widened at the feel of his body round mine. I didn't expect a hug.

Be safe okay, I promised to protect you. He muttered in my head, I'll check in on you in an hour, I have people to tend to. I felt anger in his telepathy this time. I didn't want another slaughter, nature is angry with me as of is.

"Dane, please stay. I don't want to be alone." I pleaded at the sight of his folding fist. I really don't want to be left alone. "Please."

His fist unfolded and he took off his suit jacket. That was a sign, he was staying. I thanked the lord under my breath and slowly bent backward to rest on the pillows aligned behind me, my eyes weighty with need for sleep. I glanced at the second pill on the saucer once more before resting my head, two more minutes, he'll wake me. I thought to myself then shut my eyes to a large slumber.