The Need (3 page)

“
What are you?” Aisling peered hard at the girl and her strange eyes as she accepted the wet cloth from Jon.

“
Ais, give her a chance, if you’d seen what those creeps were doing...”

“
No, no, it’s fine... I’m supposed to tell you anyway... I’m like you are. Well sort of only I’m far older and my powers are different. I read minds, sense the truth and I can feel power... I’ve felt yours and I have to say I’m pretty impressed.”

Her face said it all, she clearly was impressed by the level of power both he and Aisling had achieved. But something about her statement bugged him.

“
What do you mean supposed to tell us?” His hand crept towards Aisling’s unconsciously twining his fingers with hers as he sat and waited for an answer. Tension thrummed down through her arm and he slowly stroked the back of her hand with his thumb, brushing lazy circles across her soft skin.

“
Ah, you picked up on that. Well it’s a long story.”

“
We have time.” Aisling’s voice was cold and commanding as it cut across the other girls.

“
Um, ok then, well my name is Natasha. I come from a group of magic wielders and protectors called the Croí. We’ve dedicated our lives to the preservation of all magic’s and the beings who wield them. For years we have fought against the hunters. They want to rid the world entirely of our kind; most of us have been forced into hiding.”

“
If you’re so powerful then why not just wipe them out yourselves?”

Natasha shook her head and lowered her eyes to the table top before speaking quietly.

“
Aisling you are so young, you are not aware of all the laws that govern our kind. We are tied in by so many they leave us vulnerable. But it is the way the old ones feel it is best and who am I to question their knowledge. In the law of Croí it is forbidden to use our magic to simply demolish our enemies. We have tried to train to fight but the hunters are simply faster, stronger and just better at it. It is their calling just as our calling is magic.”

She grew quiet and once more stared at the table top. One lone silver tear dropped from her face and hit the wood with a splash quickly followed by more. Aisling and Jon exchanged looks unsure of what to do with their guest’s display of vulnerability. It was Jon who finally broke the silence.

“
So how did you come to be in their possession? If they kill our kind then surely they would have killed you to?”

“
I was on my way here to you when I was intercepted.”

“
Why would you travel alone when you know what those guys are like and what they do?”

“
I wasn’t alone...”

Her voice grew choked and she quickly covered her face with her hands quiet sobs filled the kitchen and Aisling stood up and fetched some tissues from the box on the window She set them down softly in front of Natasha and turned to move away but Natasha’s hand snaked out with lightening speed and gripped her wrist in a vice like grip.

“
It’s because of you I lost him.” Her words hissed out through her teeth like venom. “You and the stupid prophecy that surrounds you and him.” Her finger jabbed out in Jon’s direction as he kicked back his chair to go to Aisling’s aid but Natasha’s movement caused him to freeze where he stood.

“
Oh did I not tell you, I can bend powers? It’s all part of my little gift but all that wasn’t enough to save my Jason. You see the hunters don’t have powers that like we do so mine was useless... I was powerless to save him...”

Her grip relaxed on Aisling’s wrist and she snatched it back rubbing the red area of skin. Jon also found himself released and rushed to Aisling’s side holding her tight in his arms he moved her to the other side of the table.

“
What happened Natasha?” Aisling’s voice was low and sympathetic.

“
We had almost made it here... God we were so close to getting to you two and we had booked into a hotel for the night. I thought it would be better if we did that, I knew you were both so new to your powers and I didn’t want to frighten you... We fell asleep... then they came for us... Max, Silas and a few others... they took us back to their place...” Her shoulders shook as she recalled vivid memories.

His face still haunts me you know... the look on his face... they made Jason watch as Silas had some intimate time with me first... and then they made me watch as they....” Her voice trailed off as she stared at some unknown horror unfolding before her eyes. She shook her head suddenly and her eyes came back into focus. “They murdered him and then kept me. I couldn’t fight them and Silas liked me. Max saw me as a commodity to use.”

“
Oh god, Natasha... I’m so sorry...”

“
We’d been together one hundred and forty years... He was my soulmate... two souls destined to be bound to each other for all eternity and now he is just... gone...”

“
Wait what? One hundred and forty years?”

Natasha gave Jon a watery smile as she spoke. “Yes, when you learn and live by the craft according to Croí we tend to live for a very long time. We’re not immortal or anything but the magic keep us alive.”

“
I just can’t believe that one hundred and forty years... how old are you?”

Natasha laughed softly, “Jon has no-one ever told you to never ask a woman her age?”

“
Oh right yeah sorry...”

“
No it’s fine, I’m one hundred and seventy two and I’m technically still only a baby.”

Aisling had remained quiet throughout the exchange before once piping up.

“
Why were you coming for us, or to see us? What do you want with us?”

Natasha sighed before standing up gracefully, she moved like a ballerina. Her movements filled with light and airy steps, it was as though her feet never truly touched the floor. As she sat with them, the scratches that covered her began to slowly heal and disappear and her skin returned to its normal pale shade. Stopping at the sink she peered out the window into the night.

“
There is a prophecy foretelling of two lovers who will have the power to destroy the hunters forever and they will do it with their magic because their power lies within their love for one another. It has been said that they shall be as one soul sharing two bodies and to separate them would mean dire things for both. We believe it is you two, and after what I have seen you do tonight I’m inclined to agree... Max seems to fear you...”

“
You keep mentioning Max who is he?”

“
He never introduced himself? Oh dear how very lax of him, Max is the man you made simply disappear. By the way do you know what you did with him?”

Jon shrugged and Aisling wrapped her arms around his waist tighter, cuddling in against his chest, his heart beat steadily beneath his shirt and it calmed her. Natasha sagged suddenly against the counter top and seemed to grow paler than she already was.

“
Are you alright?” Jon’s concern touched Aisling and she walked over to the woman and helped her to sit down once more.

“
I’m fine, thank you. I think I just need to lie down. I’m not back to my full strength and healing takes a lot of me. Perhaps I will never be back to my full strength... some of us cannot outlive our soulmate...” Her eyes filled with tears once more and she brushed impatiently at her eyes as they flowed down over her cheeks.

“
I don’t know what my parents would say if they found you here...” Jon’s voice was wary but Aisling quickly interjected. “No it’s fine you can stay with me... Mom will be pleased to think I have another friend other than Jon.” With a smile she turned towards him and pulled the letter from her pocket. She slipped it into his hand. “For you.”

Quickly he pressed his lips against hers and the pleasure thrilled through him. He knew Aisling didn’t feel it the way he did but one day she would and when she did they would be explosive together. She pulled back from him and he studied her face.

“
Aisling I love you, you do realise that don’t you...”

“
Jon, of course I do. I feel exactly the same way. We are made for each other, we always were.” Her hand reached out and traced the line of his jaw with her fingertips lovingly.

“
I don’t mean to break the happy couple up or anything but do you think maybe we could go to your house? I really do need to rest...”

“
Sure.” Jon’s voice held its usual unhappy tone as he led the two girls back out the door they had come in and over to the fence. Lifting aside the loose timbers he watched as Natasha disappeared through. Catching Aisling by the hand he felt a strange feeling of loss creep through him and he pulled her back around to face him.

“
Ais, promise you’ll never leave me. Not for any reason. I couldn’t bear to be without you.”

Her own face seemed to mirror the gravity of his words as though she too felt the loss and without thinking she quickly pressed her hand over his heart and leaned up to kiss his lips.

“
I will never leave you Jon, not for anything.”

Heat from their passion and power combined flared through them both and Jon could feel a need building within him. When Aisling finally let him go her eyes were wide and her breath came in little gasps.

“
I, I should go...”

“
Yeah, I think it might be better... that felt different...”

“
I’ll call you later if you want?” Jon watched as she edged toward the gap in the fence never taking her eyes from his. It was as though they simply couldn’t drink enough of each other in.

“
I’ll be waiting for it love, be careful...”

She disappeared through the fence and he watched as she turned and beckoned Natasha to follow her. He watched her until she opened the door to her house and once more turned back to where she knew he was watching. Lifting her arm she waved quickly and vanished inside closing the door and leaving Jon to stand in the night air. Shivering he made his way back to his own house and shelter.

Chapter Three

Back up in my room I watched Natasha from the corner of my eye as I prepared her makeshift bed. Beautiful wasn’t a strong enough word to convey how she looked and a small part of me felt jealousy towards her. I wondered did Jon think she was beautiful. Of course he does, a small voice in my head piped up. He’d need to be nuts not to. I jumped as her voice cut through my own thoughts as though she could simply pluck them from my head. Then I remembered that she could.

“
You don’t like or trust me, do you, Aisling?”

“
Did you read my mind?”

“
Aisling I didn’t need to. I can feel it rolling off you in waves. No offence but you’re not very good at hiding your emotions.”

“
Oh...” I continued to fix the covers on the bed as she studied me carefully.

“
I’m not lying to you Aisling. I have no reason to. You saw the hunters and what they are like...” As her voice broke, I sat down on the bed opposite her.

“
It’s not that I think you’re lying as such... I just don’t see how Jon and I fit into anything. Yeah I get that Jon is powerful but I’m not. God I can’t even kiss him without getting frazzled. That’s not exactly the sign of someone very powerful or part of some great prophecy. As much as I hate to say it, I think you have the wrong girl.”

Her laugh slithered down over my skin like a strange caress and goose bumps lifted across the back of my arms. Quickly I scrubbed my hands over them trying to get rid of the strange sensation.

“
Aisling, do you remember when Jon wasn’t so powerful... He was just like you, almost normal but still not quite right and still able to do things that are outside normal capabilities.”

“
Yeah, I remember.”

“
Well did you think he was going to change so much on his twenty-first birthday?”

I sat deep in thought for a few moments before answering her. “No I don’t suppose I did. So does that mean that I’ll change like that to?”

Natasha quirked her eyebrow as she stared at me. “You really need to ask that?”

“
Of course I do, I don’t understand anything that is going on. I know I love Jon but after that I don’t know anything. I feel so confused.”

Carefully she reached her hand out towards me and covered my hand with her own. “It’s ok to be confused Aisling. We all get like that. God knows but I was when I started out. I suppose luckily for me I was born into the Croí.”

“
Well you see at least you understood what was going on straight away. Until you turned up... well I knew I was different but I just didn’t know how different I would be... Wait does my mom know all this?”

“
I think perhaps that might be a question better answered by your mother. I am not privy to all the details surrounding your case. I’m just following orders. I am sorry I didn’t make it here sooner, we did try...” Natasha’s voice cracked once more and she buried her face in her hands. “I’m not sure how I’m supposed to carry on, I don’t even know if I can.”

“
How long were you with the hunters?” I watched her as she tried to control her emotions but she couldn’t prevent a tear that leaked from the corner of her eyes and trailed down over her cheeks.

“
I was with them just a little over two months. The only comfort I have in all that was whilst I was Silas’s pet I didn’t have to much time to think about what they did to Jason. I felt I deserved it. I couldn’t save him and then this was my punishment. It felt right somehow but now... What do I do now? I can’t go back to just my life in the Croí. Not without him. How can I live when he isn’t here anymore?”