Daine sat up in bed, pouring sweat. Her fingers raked the air, trying
to grab at something that wasn't there. It was if a hand had wrapped itself
around her throat and nearly strangled her to death. Its tight grasp had
come swift and powerful, locking around her thin neck like a an iron band.
Even now, she swore she could still feel bony fingers digging into her
flesh. The woman straightened, forcing her shaking hands to feel around her
throat for bruising. She winced as her fingers brushed deep indents; a
being had indeed tried to kill her in her sleep.
When Daine had composed herself, she swung her legs over the side of her bed. Throwing aside the sheets she had been wrapped in, she stepped onto the floor. The frightened woman dug her toes into the soft rug, comforted by the reminder of her home. Bleary eyed, she scanned the room, searching for whatever had throttled her. Nothing moved about in the shadows; whatever had come had passed just as quickly. She was safe now, at home, alone and alive.
"Daine," a sleepy voice yawned.
The woman jumped.
"Daine," the voice repeated, sounding more alert than before. Sheets rustled beside her and the bed spring's squeaked as something very large shifted.
"What?" She whispered into the darkness. "Numair?" Her voice cracked. Clearing her throat, she asked louder, "Numair, is that you?"
A candle ignited itself from the opposite side of the bed. A man sitting up in the bed moved closer to Daine, now illuminated in the soft glow of candlelight. His dark eyes stared into her blue one's, reading her worriedly.
"What's wrong?" The man asked softly. He reached a hand-a very large hand-out to her. Daine accepted it gratefully, letting him pull her limp body into a comforting embrace. She heard his breathing over her shoulder and the soft beat of his heart through his shirt against her own chest. This was all she heard, his question never reaching her ears.
"Numair, tell me about invisibility spells," The woman said flatly.
Her lover jerked away, taken aback by her random inquiry. Bewildered, he looked down at her. Daine met his puzzled gaze, her expression blank.
"Im guessing you didn't just pull that out of thin air," Numair replied.
The woman turned away, a surge of panic suddenly lancing through her veins.
"Darling," Numair soothed. "You're shaking all over....tell me what happened."
"That's just the thing," Daine murmured. "I don't know what happened."
The mage stiffened, his mind whirring with confusion. Never had his friend of so many years (and recent lover) seemed so lost. She had always managed to maintain a confident air in times of past uncertainty. It disturbed him, almost frightened him even, to see her in such an empty state.
"All right," Numair said, trying to remain calm. "Tell me what you do know." Daine cringed, putting her free hand to her throat. The place where the being had grabbed her throbbed more than ever. Quietly, Daine explained,
"It happened so fast....I dunno...it was like a hand just wrapped itself around my throat and started choking and shaking me. That force...whatever it was totally cut off my airway. I couldn't call for help, I couldn't even breath."
"I see," Numair mumbled, fingering his own neck. "A dream perhaps?"
"No," Daine coughed, shaking her head. "No, it hurt to much to have been a dream. And besides, that thing left bruises, see?"
Numair lifted her chin and tilted her head to the side. Leaning back, he studied the black and blue marks around the woman's neck.
"Don't you see them?" Daine asked when Numair didn't respond.
"Yes, I see them," The man said. The hair on his arms and the back of his neck rose, a strange tingling coursing through him. "We should see a healer about this." He decided, finding it suddenly hard to speak. "Then we must notify the king. If someone has infiltrated the castle under an invisibility spell without my detection...." He shuddered. Daine shivered as well, knowing that Numair was the most powerful mage in the realm and was able to sense the arcane better than anyone.
Without further hesitation, both mages climbed out of bed and left to seek out a servant to wake the king. They moved quietly so not to wake the other palace residents, wanting to avoid all speculation until the matter was resolved. Neither one of them noticed the figure cloaked in shadow at the doorway, observing them with amusement as they passed him.
-I have eluded their most powerful,- the invisible being thought to itself, smiling cruelly.- Now I take everything. -
When Daine had composed herself, she swung her legs over the side of her bed. Throwing aside the sheets she had been wrapped in, she stepped onto the floor. The frightened woman dug her toes into the soft rug, comforted by the reminder of her home. Bleary eyed, she scanned the room, searching for whatever had throttled her. Nothing moved about in the shadows; whatever had come had passed just as quickly. She was safe now, at home, alone and alive.
"Daine," a sleepy voice yawned.
The woman jumped.
"Daine," the voice repeated, sounding more alert than before. Sheets rustled beside her and the bed spring's squeaked as something very large shifted.
"What?" She whispered into the darkness. "Numair?" Her voice cracked. Clearing her throat, she asked louder, "Numair, is that you?"
A candle ignited itself from the opposite side of the bed. A man sitting up in the bed moved closer to Daine, now illuminated in the soft glow of candlelight. His dark eyes stared into her blue one's, reading her worriedly.
"What's wrong?" The man asked softly. He reached a hand-a very large hand-out to her. Daine accepted it gratefully, letting him pull her limp body into a comforting embrace. She heard his breathing over her shoulder and the soft beat of his heart through his shirt against her own chest. This was all she heard, his question never reaching her ears.
"Numair, tell me about invisibility spells," The woman said flatly.
Her lover jerked away, taken aback by her random inquiry. Bewildered, he looked down at her. Daine met his puzzled gaze, her expression blank.
"Im guessing you didn't just pull that out of thin air," Numair replied.
The woman turned away, a surge of panic suddenly lancing through her veins.
"Darling," Numair soothed. "You're shaking all over....tell me what happened."
"That's just the thing," Daine murmured. "I don't know what happened."
The mage stiffened, his mind whirring with confusion. Never had his friend of so many years (and recent lover) seemed so lost. She had always managed to maintain a confident air in times of past uncertainty. It disturbed him, almost frightened him even, to see her in such an empty state.
"All right," Numair said, trying to remain calm. "Tell me what you do know." Daine cringed, putting her free hand to her throat. The place where the being had grabbed her throbbed more than ever. Quietly, Daine explained,
"It happened so fast....I dunno...it was like a hand just wrapped itself around my throat and started choking and shaking me. That force...whatever it was totally cut off my airway. I couldn't call for help, I couldn't even breath."
"I see," Numair mumbled, fingering his own neck. "A dream perhaps?"
"No," Daine coughed, shaking her head. "No, it hurt to much to have been a dream. And besides, that thing left bruises, see?"
Numair lifted her chin and tilted her head to the side. Leaning back, he studied the black and blue marks around the woman's neck.
"Don't you see them?" Daine asked when Numair didn't respond.
"Yes, I see them," The man said. The hair on his arms and the back of his neck rose, a strange tingling coursing through him. "We should see a healer about this." He decided, finding it suddenly hard to speak. "Then we must notify the king. If someone has infiltrated the castle under an invisibility spell without my detection...." He shuddered. Daine shivered as well, knowing that Numair was the most powerful mage in the realm and was able to sense the arcane better than anyone.
Without further hesitation, both mages climbed out of bed and left to seek out a servant to wake the king. They moved quietly so not to wake the other palace residents, wanting to avoid all speculation until the matter was resolved. Neither one of them noticed the figure cloaked in shadow at the doorway, observing them with amusement as they passed him.
-I have eluded their most powerful,- the invisible being thought to itself, smiling cruelly.- Now I take everything. -