Fated Release (Fated Keepers Series Book 2) (9 page)

Chapter 14

Arsema

Lyon is snatched back from me spontaneously. I can't reach him anymore. I can't feel his presence at all. I just want to curl into the fetal position and cry until I am empty of all fluid. The brief moments we shared have left me empty and longing for him even more. My soul literally feels torn in half. I pray he finds his way home to me, soon. I don't know how much longer I can hold on in here.

Every minute I feel myself weakening more. I have given up on breaking through the barrier again. The thought alone exhausts me. More and more often I feel myself being sucked into oblivion. Each time I disappear from my relative consciousness, it is harder to come back. Giving up would be so easy at this point. I could submit to the darkness and allow it to cradle me in its cold grasp, but I hold on. I hold on for Lyon, for Tris, for Cash. I hold on for my Grans and my mom and dad, even though they are not here anymore, I know they would expect the best from me and I will give them nothing but my very best effort.

There is commotion in the house. I can barely hear it given the turmoil of my thoughts, so I push my own self doubt and fears to the back of my mind and focus on the room at Grans. I may not be able to speak or show any sign of consciousness to my family, but I can still hear everything they are doing and saying with minimal effort. Someone new has arrived at the house.  I hear Erik greet her at the door and then I hear Elmeri rush into the room with Cash following shortly behind.

“Oh thank heavens you are here! We have been looking for a Shaman all across the States. Who found you?”

“Excuse me? No one found me. I came because I felt a pull here. But clearly I am in the wrong place. I don't consort with your kind.”

I hear Erik hang up the phone and he tries to get more details from the Shaman. 

“I’m sorry if we seem a tad unorthodox. It’s just that my daughter is in a coma and we believe a Shaman may be able to help awaken her. We have several members of the family out looking for one and then you show up here, so we assumed someone had found you and sent you ahead.”

“No one found me and I wouldn't be
sent
any where! It was clearly a mistake to come here and I will be leaving now. If you will please excuse me…”

No one says a word, apparently at a loss for what to say. What a firecracker she is. Why would she feel drawn here if she wasn't meant to help? I feel frustrated and helpless all at the same time. I just want to be able to move, and walk, and speak.

I hear Haas head into the living room. “Of course you can go anytime you desire, but will you please stay and at least have something to eat or drink. I know you are famished and exhausted from your long journey.” Haas offers politely.

There is a sudden intake of air followed by a rushed acceptance on the Shaman’s part. “I can do that, I suppose.”

“Great! My name is Haas, and who do I have the pleasure of speaking to?” Haas has always been a gentleman. I have liked him from the moment I met him.

“Reine. My name is Reine.” The Shaman answered curtly. I can sense her discomfort even in my comatose state. I am sure everyone else felt it too.

“Nice to meet you Reine. And can I say Thank you.” Haas is more excited than I am. I don't understand why. She is here to supposedly help me. Why would he be excited about that? It’s only then, that I notice the admiration in his voice.

“Thank you for what? I already told them I'm not here to help.” Reine is getting irritated now. I can feel her anger rising. She has made it abundantly clear that she was not there to help and yet Haas is still trying to reel her in.

“No, you misunderstand. Thank you for finding me, my keeper.”

Oh snap! The Shaman is Haas’ keeper? Things just got really interesting. This is like an episode of Days of Our Lives and I can't wait to see what happens next. I so did not see that coming!

“I think you’re confused there big boy. I’m no one’s keeper.” If I didn't know any better I would have thought she was finding this amusing. But there was no mistaking her sarcasm for anything else.

“I’m sure you're right princess. My mistake. Sandwich?” Haas offers politely.

I hear Erik and Elmeri whispering away in the living room while Haas makes Reine something to eat. The tension in the kitchen is palpable. I can feel its thickness surround me in my room.

“So what’s wrong with the girl?” Reine asks Haas, obviously her curiosity has gotten the better of her and so Haas gives her the shortened version of the last year.

“She is the chosen one? Are you certain? Is this why you believe me to be your keeper? Because she opened the bonds?
Merde!!! Grandmother spoke of this day. I thought for sure it was all just the ramblings of an old lady!

“Yes. She has opened the bonds.” Reine’s curiosity is now peaked. She steps forward. So close that Haas can feel her breathe on his face. She speaks softly, so only he can hear.

“Let me see her.”

I sense when Haas and Reine appear in the room. The temperature warms and my soul quickens at the light she holds within herself. She is powerful. I can feel her power as it reaches for me even though she hasn't left the doorway. When it connects with mine, a spark of electricity shoots through me. It’s not painful. It’s energizing. I feel as if she breathed life back into me. I am still in the coma, unable to move or speak but she senses me here, just beneath the surface. I know she does.

“I'm sorry. I can't help your friend. None of us can.” Reine says pulling her shoulders back; she shakes her head and starts walking out the door.

“What do you mean? You have to help her!” I hear Cash yell out. The frustration in his voice is breaking my heart. I listen closely wanting to hear the answer as well, fearing the truth I already feel in my soul.

“She needs her bond. Find her keeper. With him, she can heal. Without him... she will perish forever.” I hear the pain in her words. She senses the distance between Lyon and I. Not the physical distance but the emotional, spiritual distance. My worst fears are confirmed. If Lyon doesn't come home soon, we will both die.

Chapter 15

Tris

I can't even begin to describe the relief I feel at knowing I'm not actually dying. The weight that has been lifted off my mind is enormous. Of course, I now have many more thoughts and concerns, like HOW THE HECK I am able to have visions of the future? But I'm not on deaths door so these questions will be answered in time.  Haas called Erik back after the initial shock wore off on both of us and he briefly spoke to Elmeri, the scholar. She is supposed to be meeting up with us soon and hopefully then I will have the answers I so crave.

My headaches have not completely faded. I sense them in the far reaches of my mind. Waiting patiently to dash in and interrupt my normal every day schedule with another vision. The headaches always come on right before the vision occurs, a warning symptom, I suppose. Thankfully the eye bleeds have not reappeared. It seems that was a one-time occurrence for the first vision.

“How are you feeling? Are you alright, m'anam?”

Orin has gotten even more protective of me than before, if that is possible. He is seriously driving me crazy with the incessant questioning but I will allow it if it keeps him close to me. My body needs him, for whatever reason. And when he is close, touching me, I feel safe and secure. I will forever be thankful for his help in this journey of mine, even if I can't ever tell him that. He also is an instant pain reliever. Not that I will tell him that either. So I secretly stay close by hoping he won’t notice.

“I’m fine. Same as I was ten minutes ago when you asked Orin. Same as I will be ten minutes from now when you ask again.” I snap at him.

“Do you have a problem with my time intervals? I can start asking you every five minutes if that will help or every two minutes? Are you ok, m'anam?”

I am seriously going to kill this man, very soon! My anger is boiling to the surface. Maybe he should step away. Far, far away! He is still laughing at me. He can see that his comment had an effect on my mood.

“Oh my god, I am going to kill you! Every ten minutes is more than enough you brat!” I say laughing at him as he dashes out my arms reach when I try to slap him.

“Are you sure? I wouldn't want you to feel neglected in any way, babe.”

He says to me from a good three feet away. I jump forward to grab his shirt tail and I am instantly hit with a bout of vertigo and another god awful headache. Orin senses the change in me the moment it occurs and reaches out to help me sit. I realize subconsciously that he has me in his arms and he is soothing me, brushing the short, chin length tendrils of my hair out of my face while he whispers sweetly to me using words from a language I am not familiar with, but I am not able to focus on that because I am currently nose deep in another vision.

I see Rochelle, immediately recognizing her. She is in the embrace of some dude. A man whose evil I can feel crawling along my skin just from looking upon his face. He is dark. I don't know how else to describe him. He is just dark. His eyes are almost black and as I search the depths of them, I see nothing within them but death. He is tall, standing at least five inches above Rochelle and his hair is shaved to his scalp. The aura surrounding him is pure evil. They break apart and I see him wipe his mouth as he turns away from her. Her heart is in her eyes as she gives him her complete attention.

“How much longer are you going to keep her around? Surely she is close to being drained completely.” Rochelle asks as she waves to a girl in the far corner I hadn't noticed before now.

She is small and frail. Her skin is almost yellow, she is so malnourished and her face is shrunken in upon itself. She appears dead already until the dark stranger walks to her.

“Oh she still has plenty of life left in her; you just have to know how to access it.” He says as he reaches over and strokes the girl’s cheek almost lovingly, but the look on his face is anything but loving. The girl’s eyes fly open at his touch and I catch a glimpse of light in her dark brown eyes before it fades and is replaced with a murky expressionless color. She screams and writhes in pain as he continues to stroke her face.

“For instance, my sweet kitten, one might assume she was bled dry of power if they were only trying to access it through physical pain. But a perfectly planted mirage of a sister, or mother she loves, being tortured and murdered will force her to dig deeper and find that well of power buried deep within. This is the key, kitty.”

“So, you’re showing her, her family being hurt then?” Rochelle asks curiously

“Yes. That and so much more. Why torture the girl myself when all I have to do is make her believe she is being tortured? Watch and learn.”

The girl before me is begging, pleading with someone I can't see to please spare her sister. She is on hands and knees with tears flowing down her face in continuous torrents when the dark stranger changes the illusion he has created. Immediately she screams out in pain. Flat on the ground now, her back arches at an abnormal angle as she twists and turns trying to escape a painful mirage.

“She is now being sliced open, one cut at a time with tiny razor blades. Thousands upon thousands of cuts, some deep, some superficial, but all painful.” He says looking at the girl with a sardonic expression on his face. He is enjoying this. A lot.

“Can you just make her stop now? I don't want to hear her wails anymore.” Rochelle yells to the stranger.

“Certainly my kitten, perhaps you would like me to turn the illusion on you instead?” He asks evilly.

Rochelle scurries away from him as fast as she can. “No, Ose. I'm sorry. I spoke out of turn. Please forgive me Master, I meant no disrespect.” She pleads.

“Of course not. Now come here and tell me what you have learned from the lost boy.”

Rochelle returns to Ose’s side careful to not offend him anymore. They continue their discussion once Ose removes the mirage from the poor girl's vision. She falls into a fitful rest and I try to make myself move closer to her to try to make sure she is alright. I don't know why but something about this girl reminds me of someone else. I feel a need to protect her.  I am hovering closer to her when something Ose says snags my attention.

“Fools. They don't realize that they don't even have the full prophecy.”

“What do you mean?” Rochelle asks willing to endure his wrath for the answer to this question.

“When the Craecia were first created, each of us was given a piece to the prophecy. Erik and his followers have pieced together all the lines they were given, including the one I told him was mine. But they don't realize that the most important piece is in my possession. And without it they will never stand a chance of defeating me.”

“So wise, even in the beginning you were cunning and masterful. I should have joined you long ago.”

“Ah but my kitten, I didn't want you then. Once I did, you were mine. Are you not curious as to what the missing piece is?” He asks, placing his hand behind her neck he teasingly runs his tongue along her throat, leaving a trail of retched saliva in its wake. I hear Rochelle moan softly as she leans into his broad chest, craving more attention from him.

“Of course, But I am your servant, my master. Nothing more. I know not to ask about your personal matters.” She replies breathlessly.

“So smart and cunning my kitten. That is what attracted my attention to you in the beginning. You and I are one and the same. The prophecy doesn't call for one chosen as the foolish Craecia believe. It calls for the one who will come and awaken the bonds so all can find their keepers. But they do not know that the one, who will have the power to defeat me, is not just one young girl, but four, all bonded with their keepers and bonded through sisterhood as well. This is what we must prevent. Destroying one will destroy all chances they ever have of defeating me and my army of Orfeo.”

Rochelle looks as if she is going to ask more questions but the pair is interrupted when a tall, lean woman appears at the doorway to the cottage. She glides over to Ose sensually walking right past Rochelle, ignoring her presence all together.

“The Original has left the house, Master. I thought this news would please you. We await your instructions.” She lightly rubs her fingers along the length of his shoulders and I see the flames of jealousy ignite in Rochelle’s eyes. She doesn't like this newcomer one bit.

“Thank you Liz.” He says pushing her hands off his shoulder and walking the few steps to Rochelle. “Shall we?” He asks holding out his hand for Rochelle to accept. She doesn't waste any time taking it and following Ose out the cottage, sending a scathing look toward Liz as she goes.

I am sucked out my vision quickly and it takes me a moment to get my bearings again. Four chosen? Is it possible? Surely not. It was far-fetched enough to believe Arsema, my best friend was the chosen one, but to believe that I could be also? How? I need Elmeri here now. Surely she will know what this means. One thing is certain though. We need to find Lyon and quick.