Author's note: Sorry for the delay. I got carried away with "No Regrets" which turned out to be a surprising hit! Thank you kind readers for taking the time to comment on that story and especially this one! I admit this chapter is shorter compared to the last but I'm doing my best to keep things rolling. And so away we go!
"Dreamin' Demon"
Chapter Four
A coarse, scaly hand clamped over Bonnie's mouth and she was yanked from Damon's grasp.
"BONNIE!"
There was no doubting the fierce protectiveness in the vampire's pitch along with the treacherous, black eyes and sadistic fangs from his snarled lips. He promptly transformed into the cruel and treacherous creature of the night who would viciously slaughter anybody or anything that dared to cross him. The mask of absolute impassiveness was gone as he wore the expression of a man determined to save his cherished loved one.
Before he could attempt to rescue her, however, darkness washed over his form and he completely vanished from sight. Bonnie's glowing aura shattered and her skin went ice cold as she desperately searched for him in the sea of nothingness. Her entire body was locked in place by her unseen captors.
Once again, she was physically restrained.
Once again, fear raced through her system.
But it wouldn't be like the other times. This time, the fear hastily ran its course and determination settled into place. Her blood was boiling and the fire in her belly was burning.
A nasty cackle was heard behind her. It reminded Bonnie of a wicked old witch from fairy tales as she was ready to execute her evil plans against those who opposed her.
"My dear, you are indeed a spirited lass! I underestimated you."
A hood figure appeared before her, guided by a mysterious floating orb of light. Beneath the hood was the face of an ancient, gnarled looking woman with stringy, lifeless white hair and skewed red eyes. She looked like a bitter old nymph from wood carvings of the middle ages. Yup, Bonnie thought, all that was missing was a poisoned apple to be presented to her.
"I am Narcisa," the woman formally introduced as she offered Bonnie a cruel smile. "In all of my years, I have never met someone as stubborn as you. You put up quite a fight for someone so innocent looking."
Bonnie winced as the hands holding her squeezed the back of her neck, stretching her skin until she thought it would rip from her body. So she was the cause of all of this. This selfish woman - no, this demon - was the reason behind the games and torment. She was nothing more than a bully who wanted to feed off of her dread.
"What have you done with Damon?" Bonnie demanded as she held up her chin against the strain being put on her. She would be defiant, no longer afraid. "Where is he?"
Narcisa shrugged indifferently as she rubbed her knuckles with leathery, skeletal fingers. "He's back in the outside world where I can toy with him. He's persistent, I'll give him that. I wasn't even aware of him when I first arrived. Hmmm..."
"It's because I brought him here," Bonnie remarked boldly, her brown eyes filled with renewed passion. "We're connected in a way you will never understand."
In one quick stride, Narcisa reached over and grabbed a fistful of Bonnie's hair. The girl cried out in response but did nothing else to show weakness.
No more tears, she had promised herself. She felt Damon's Power still supporting her own strength, backing her up. Narcisa was telling the truth; Damon was alive and that meant she needed to hurry before their rapport was shut down.
"Stubborn little girls will get what is coming to them," Narcisa promised as she finally released Bonnie's hair. She made a gesture in the air and the hands that bound Bonnie wrestled her to the ground.
Damon muttered a curse when he found himself headlong inside a thick blanket of fog. Everywhere he looked, including the sky above him, his vision was obscured by heavy clouds. He tried to will away the fog with his powers but it refused to budge, intent with trapping him here.
Little Redbird! he called out telepathically as his eyes zealously scanned for any sign of the house or his enemies. Are you all right?
I think I'm okay. The girl sounded strangely at ease; it didn't settle right with him but she continued communicating with him. As long as you're with me like this, I'll be okay.
Someone didn't care for our happy little reunion, Damon remarked sardonically as he heard a loud snap nearby. It sounded like a tree branch breaking under heavy pressure. They're determined to keep us apart.
Effortlessly he dove to the side as a telephone pole fell and crashed to the ground where he once stood. Broken power lines flogged like live snakes and Damon managed to avoid electrocution by keeping his distance. On bended knee, he watched as a gigantic insect-like feeler complete with hooked claw stepped over the fallen pole.
The wall of fog seemed to fade in order to allow a grotesque looking creature to emerge. It was a female monster who stood well over ten feet tall with a dark green skin, thin waist, hairy and thick-as-tree-trunks arms, razor sharp claws, and dressed in segmented body armor and helmet similar to what Roman soldiers wore centuries ago. Her gaping mouth was filled with needle-like teeth. Beady black eyes focused on Damon and saliva dripped from her mouth.
"Narcisa, I presume?" He recalled the little goblins crying out for her, their "mother," right before Bonnie transported him to where she was being held captive.
The monster howled and she swung one of her giant claws. Damon jumped away with ease but right when he touched the ground, she used her other claw, which clenched into a tight ball, to smash the earth. An overwhelming shockwave was let loose and uprooted the ground. He momentarily lost his footing and grunted when he narrowly avoided getting swiped at by one of her feelers. Glancing down he saw a tear in his leather jacket's sleeve and a thin line of blood on his flesh. He regained his momentum and searched for one of the many fallen weapons dropped from the earlier fight. Unfortunately all of the bodies and weapons had mysteriously vanished.
Merda! She's going to keep me busy for a while.
Bonnie's world spun for a second when the back of her head slammed against the ground. She felt her arms and legs being pinned down vigorously and the old woman, Narcisa, was hovering over her along with three little green monsters with pointed ears, big eyes, and sharp teeth. In general she would have been terrified. She would have screamed for help. She would have started crying.
I can't and I won't.
She would not let her bravery waver.
"Go back to sleep, child," Narcisa advised sweetly, grandmother-like. "It won't do you any good to fight."
"Fight! Fight!" the little goblins chanted gleefully. "Hee, hee, fight!"
"No, we don't want her to fight, my little darlings."
"Ohhh, don't fight! Don't fight!"
"That's right. just sleep. Tell her not to fight it. Just go to sleep and sleep forever!"
Keep talking to each other, Bonnie thought as she closed her eyes and concentrated. In the furthest depths of her mind, she watched as a single match was struck and lit. The shadows crawled away by a simple appearance of little flame. Fire was such an essential tool for survival. For thousands of years Man used fire to keep warm, to cook food, to scare off predators, and of course…
To shed light.
She'd never summoned the power of fire before. Telepathy, precognition, necromancy, empathy - anything along those lines she was familiar with. But this? Calling upon the elements themselves? It was out of her territory.
What if I mess up? What if I can't do it?
The match's flame flickered and Bonnie quickly recanted her doubts. I have to do this! Damon's counting on me and he gave me his power so I can do this! SO DO IT!
Within seconds the flame from the match ate away the wood but instead of disappearing, it festered into an immense tower of flames.
Inferno! Please grant me your strength! Burn away this darkness!
An intense scream caused Bonnie to open her eyes. She watched as Narcisa, who was consumed in bright blue flames, scrambled backward, trying to bat away the fire. The little goblins that were holding Bonnie down hurried over to save their mistress. Bonnie managed to sit herself up and she saw that the goblins who touched the old woman also caught on fire. Their entire bodies were immediately engulfed into flames and it didn't take long for them to crumple to the ground and be reduced to ashes.
"It worked!" Bonnie gasped as excitement coursed through her. Soon she couldn't help but also think, Wait… It worked. I called upon fire to… Wow, I… I really killed them…
Narcisa's body collapsed into a heap, her robes smoldering from the effects of the fire. Bonnie remained rooted in her spot, worried that if she decided to run, she would be caught. Instead she used that moment to make contact with Damon.
I did it! I called upon Fire and it worked! Sort of. I'm still trapped here but let me try something with you!
Damon was hurled across the ground by one of the monster's limbs but he maneuvered his body so that he landed on his feet despite feeling his teeth rattle inside his jaw. No matter where he ran or flew to, the land and the fog were infinite and the monster never lost sight of him. It never seemed to tire. He hated running away because he was no coward. But it would be stupid to attack without any means of being able to inflict any harm on this creature.
He heard Bonnie's voice moments before he'd been thrown and he was unable to respond to her until now. Better make it quick, my little maiden, because this thing is pretty determined with making me its plaything or next meal. I doubt I'll taste good but she's hard to please.
The monster's face came into view and her mouth was wide open, revealing the row after row of nasty teeth. More saliva spilled onto the jagged earth. Damon narrowed his eyes and was prepared to try and grab a hold of the next limb she would thrust at him, when a volleyball sized blue flame materialized in mid-air between himself and the monster.
Arching a brow, Damon watched curiously as the monster was frightened by the sudden appearance. She reeled back and hissed, at least for a brief moment. Snapping her mouth open and shut, she went back on the offense and reached out to grab hold of Damon. When she reached over the fire, the blue elemental detonated and her entire arm was lit ablaze.
You're just full of surprises today, aren't you, cara mia? In truth, Damon was astonished at this turn of events. He had always known Bonnie to be powerful but she had certainly reached a new level with this effort. The monster is hurt but it's not enough.
Suddenly Bonnie exclaimed, You're fighting a monster? What kind of monster? Is it Narcisa? Because I thought I burned her here along with these creepy little goblins!
Her panicked thoughts reeled on as the monster recuperated from the attack and decided to use her good claw to go after the vampire once more.
Concentrate on another spell! Damon informed his witch impatiently as he rolled aside and unleashed a wave of his Power at his attacker. The sheer invisible force struck the monster against her armored chest but it ultimately did nothing. I need a weapon.
A weapon? Bonnie expressed meditatively. I think I can do that!
Don't think, just do it. You've done well so far, my little bird. I'm proud of you.
The claw struck forward and buried itself into the devastated ground just inches away from Damon. Before he could plot another move, however, the monster's neck unexpectedly unfurled and her snapping jaws were now hovering right above the vampire's head.
