Creatures of Snow (35 page)

“
You were with Lee?” He
couldn’t help the slight twinge of jealously that leaked into his
voice.

“No, idiot. I was just
about asleep when he woke me back up to tell me he was worried
about you.” She stood up straighter but at the same time seemed to
relax a bit.

It had to be true. He could now see the
droplets of water that still clung to her brow, just below her damp
hair. He noticed too how her clothing stuck in just the right
places due to the moisture still lingering on the skin beneath.

“Well, it looks like your
fine.” She shoved the paper into the pocket of her jeans and shook
her head, sending a chilly drop of water from her hair flying until
it found a home on his cheek. “He had me worried about you. Said
your mind was distressed more than before. And don’t give me that
look, you know he wasn’t in your head. It’s not his fault you
broadcast your feelings like the evening news.”

“
Why didn’t he come then?”
Sky looked passed her and half expected to see the whole gang
behind her. But no, she was alone.

“
Because he knows I can
handle things.” She took a step towards him and he defensively took
a step back. “More people only complicate things when dealing with
Furies.”

The word sent a firestorm
into his stomach. “Well, I’m fine.” And he had been, but now, with
her standing there, he could feel a pull in his veins, like his
blood was too thick to flow. Zar was being quiet, but that scared
him even more. “I just need to relax, and right now, I think I just
need to be alone.”

She stepped closer yet
again. He tried to back away, but his back was already up against
the wall. “You look pasty. More then usual.” She squinted her eyes
and advanced closer.

“I’m just really tired.”
Images flashed into his mind, or were they memories? It was Sara
that he saw, but it wasn’t. She was clearer, but with less detail.
She was covered in blood, but it wasn’t hers. “I really think you
need to go.”

Sara’s head tweaked to the
side, her eyes trained on his, as if waiting for something. “Why?”
Her hand landed on his chest, but retracted instantly, “You’re
burning hot.” She resettled her hand and spread out her fingers,
“Your heart’s racing.” Her brow furrowed in concern and
concentration.

The sensation of her touch on his bare skin
was what tipped the scale. The visions of pain flooded his mind
again. Iko’s, thousands of them, screaming in anger and fear,
humans were dying, writhing in agony as the Furies attacked their
mind, body and soul. “Sara, go.”

“
I can feel it.” She
whispered, pressing her hand harder against his chest. “I’ve never
heard of anything like this.” Her voice was a mixture of fear and
intrigue, “It’s not a central point. It’s like, it’s a part of
you.”

He meant to shove her
back, to run away from her. It was her presence that was giving Zar
power over him so all he had to do was run. He just needed to get
away from her. His arms felt like lead as he lifted them, but he
was able to wrap one hand around her shoulder and position the
other one around her waist. His muscles tensed, ready to push, but
her hand came up and touched his face.

“Sky, I can help you
throu-”

Her words were cut off by
his lips on hers. The switch had been so seamless he hadn’t even
realized that he’d lost control…except for the fact that he would
have never, ever kissed her. He knew the feeling of her fist in his
face and wouldn’t have been one to invite it, but the punch never
came. Instead, her hands held tight to him and pushed him back into
the wall.

He expected the worst. He
suspected the only reason Zar would keep him this close to his own
consciousness was so that he feel every last bit of pain she
inflicted, but her hands slid down his body gently until they
rested delicately around his waist.

In an instant his senses were magnified to
the point of near insanity. The slightest movement felt like an
earth shattering event. He could feel the beat of her quickening
heart through her skin, hear the shortness in her breath, he could
even smell the water in her hair.

Fight it.
He thought. He had to regain control.

All thoughts of pushing
back against Zar were temporarily put on hold as Sara let out the
slightest of sound that thundered in his ears when she pushed her
body into his

Stop!
He wanted to scream. What a marvelous plan this Fury had,
using his feelings for Sara as a shield as he took hold of his
body. Sky could feel it now. The fire in his blood.

He felt as his arms wrapped around her and
she let them. Her hands slid up his back and he walked her back a
few steps.

Open your eyes
Sara!
She should have been able to see
that it wasn’t him, but there she was, staring at him and not
seeing. Or, maybe she did know. Maybe she was just playing with the
Fury.

Another kiss, gentler, teasing her. Lightly
on her mouth, then her cheek, settling into her neck. “He likes
you.” His voice, that wasn’t his voice echoed through his head.

Her face was so serene, with eyes closed and
the slightest of smiles as his kisses danced around to the front of
her throat. “Who? Lee? It’s not like that with him.”

The laughter that made its way out of his
throat was enough to make her back up a step.

She would see him now, she
had to. He could see the seal peaking out of her pocket. All she
had to do was grab it.

“Sara, sweetheart,” He
said slowly, stepping towards her. His hands cradled her face,
forcing her to look into his eyes. “You’re far from
home.”

Sky didn’t understand what that was supposed
to mean, but the way her face dropped and her eyes widened he could
only assume that she certainly did.

**********

What a fool she had been. Sara backed away
slowly, her ice cold stare was betrayed by her shaking hands. How
could this be? How could she have let this happen?

“Sara.” He said again, so
smooth, so loving. “I have to admit, I’m a little jealous.” His
hands reached out for her again. “You really liked this
boy.”

“This can’t be.” She shook
her head and squeezed her eyes shut, trying to get a bead on what a
rational explanation would be. She felt his hands again, gently
pulling at her arms. “You’re not real.”

“I am very real,
sweetheart.” He breathed to her, “I’ve always been real.” He
smoothed her hair back gently, kissing her forehead, kissing her
cheeks. “Since I have him, we can play again. And now that you’re
older, we can play big kid games.” He laughed, but there was an
edge of disgust behind it.

“It wasn’t real. You were
just my subconscious.” Was Sky playing a cruel trick on her? But
how would he have known her old dreams? Maybe Lee was in on it too.
“This isn’t funny.”

“It is a little bit. I
mean, not, ha ha funny, but, you know, strange funny.” He backed
away from her with a light step and a quick turn he sat himself
down on the bed. “We were best friends, weren’t we sweetheart?
Wasn’t I the one who listened to you, comforted you, made you laugh
–“

“You were just a dream.”
It had only been a few times, after her parents had been taken. She
had cried herself to sleep outside of water.

“
I was there for you when
no one else was.” He stood and walked towards her, “You were so
lost and afraid,” He circled around her like an animal closing in
on its prey. “I’ve missed you.” He came up behind her, encasing her
in his arms

“
Why are you doing this?”
She said weakly.

“Because, sweetheart, this
is how it’s meant to be.”

She leaned back into him,
remembering the nights that seemed like days, when nothing else
mattered but never waking up.

“
This is what he was made
for. This is why you’re here, my little star.”

“
I don’t understand,” She
whispered, “What do you want from me?”

The body against hers
became rigid and she felt the shift in the air. The energy around
them became heavy and the hands that were once holding her gently
tightened around her roughly. “Run, Sara.”

“
Sky!” She stepped forward
and turned, dazed and startled as if she was coming out of a
dream.

“Please, just go.” Sky’s
voice was strained and his face was twisted as he fought for every
word.

“
Fight him Sky.” She was
an idiot. A weak, foolish idiot. “I’m so sorry.”

“There’s nothing to be
sorry about sweetheart.” He smiled smoothly at her, his voice calm
and steady. “But wow. He was getting pretty mad in there.” In a
strange move, he actually backed up a step, away from her. “I’m
sorry prince, but I’m afraid you can’t stay here any longer if you
can’t be quiet.”

“No!” She screamed when
she realized he was talking about Sky. She couldn’t lose him, not
after she had sworn to protect him. She formed her hands into the
only seal she could remember although her father had taught her so
many. She never understood the things, she had thought seals and
hand signs were just a silly waste of time.

It was only out of her own desperation that
she could form any energy at all. She channeled it, formed it and
shoved it in his direction, shouting, “Te solvo.”

She saw his eyes change for an instant, he
was fighting so hard. She couldn’t let him down, not when he needed
her. She formed her hands again, shifting her fingers into a more
exact replica of what her father had shown her.

“
Stop it Sara, you don’t
know what you’re doing.” He had his hand clutched to his head,
bending slightly with a look of struggle on his face.

She ran at him, not about to let the
opportunity disappear. She shouted the words again as she shoved
her formed hands against his chest. “Te solvo!”

His head snapped back and cracked loudly
against the stone as he hit the wall. His body slid down slowly,
his eyes rolling back.

She ran to his side, “Sky?” There was blood
on the wall where his head had hit. She may have over done it.

Sky’s eyes came wide open, crazed and wild.
She tensed, not sure who was in control. If she could only remember
more. Why hadn’t she prepared for this?

He lunged forward, before
she could react. His hands latched onto her waist. For a moment it
was panic, Sky might have been lost, maybe forever. His hand went
down into her pocket, but it was a second too late as she realized
what he was going for.

“
Sky don’t!” She screamed
and tried to stop his hand from crushing the sloppy seal into his
body.

His scream was probably the loudest thing
she had ever heard. She wanted to yell for help, but his voice
would be enough to bring all of the ships inhabitants.

She tried to hold him down, tried to stop
him from thrashing about. The back of his head bled freely, the
bones in his hands must have shattered as he slammed them
repeatedly into the ground.

“You idiot!” She screamed
into his face. “I didn’t use that for a reason!” She had written it
so quickly, it couldn’t have been right. Would it do the trick,
maybe, but at what cost? “Zeph!” She finally screamed, but it was
lost in his shouts of agony. She wiped furiously at the tears that
had started falling down her face, backing away from
him.

Al was there at Sky’s side before she even
realized she wasn’t alone in the room. “Skyden.” Al’s hands held
Sky’s head to the ground and forced him to look at him. “Calm
down.”

She couldn’t see it, but she could feel how
Al had changed. His Telic powers flowing out, filling the room with
a powerful tranquility that out weighed the terror.

Sky’s body tensed, but was still. His eyes
blinked repeatedly as he fought for focus and his jaw was clenched
so tight it was a wonder his teeth didn’t shatter. “It hurts.” He
managed.

“
Zeph’s coming. Just hold
on.” Al’s voice was steady and deeper then she had ever heard
it.

Sky inhaled sharply, but Al re-adjusted his
grip on his head, dropping a hand to his chest, circumventing
another outburst.

“
Hang in there.” Al’s
voice wavered just slightly, but not enough for Sky to
notice.

Lee and the Captain were
in the doorway next, pushing past her to claim their places at
Sky’s side. Zero shoved his way in a few seconds after, placing a
strong hand on Al’s back.

Her hands clenched, then
released, and then clenched again. This was her fault. It didn’t
have to be like this, she could have stopped it the second she saw
him in the bathroom. She knew he was struggling, but she hadn’t
wanted to face the actual reality of dealing with a Fury. And not
just any Fury…why did it have to be
him?
Was she the reason the Fury had
attacked Sky? Just to get to her? A hand clamped down heavily on
her shoulder.

Startled, she turned to face Zeph. He looked
at her, but said nothing. His look could have been taken as
reassuring, but for all she knew, it could have been
disappointment.

“
Zeph,” The Captain
pleaded, “Please.”

Everyone dispersed, giving Zeph plenty of
room as he knelt beside Sky and brought him up into his arms.

Lee and Al gathered by her side. She wanted
to run, “It’s my fault.” She swallowed hard, needing to face the
blame.