Chapter Four: Reaching Through The Dark

Gelda watched the demon as he dozed, propped up against a tree. To another observer, she was sure it would not have been as obvious. He was crouched with his head tilted forward, his hair covering part of his face, but his arms were tense, one perched on a knee. Zeldris appeared to be in deep concentration, and at first she had thought that was what it was; but then she noticed the way his breathing was slower, and deeper, the way his body did not even flinch when a breeze blew by or she shifted where she sat. She had been doing nothing but watch him for two days, and Gelda had learned quite a bit about the soldier who was taking her to her new home.

This was the second time that they had stopped since their journey began, as the princess had complained of fatigue again after moving for hours on end. The wild part of the forest had ended ages ago, and now they moved through hamlets and towns and farmland inhabited by humans. Even though the terrain was easier to travel across, it was increasingly difficult to remain hidden.

Zeldris still refused to stop and sleep, even though when they did pause hours ago Gelda had eagerly curled up on the ground and immediately dropped off herself. She had pressed him why, and he had given a vague excuse about needing to stay alert; however, she expected that he had so little power left, that he would not be able to maintain his hold on her while unconscious.

Gelda had tested her hypothesis when she first noticed him drifting asleep, and found that the barrier was not as strong as it had been. She felt the resistance, yes, but it felt more pliant than the brick wall, and her own body's reaction was more of a pressing than a yanking backwards. Thinking that she could break through, Gelda had tried to run; but the sudden surge of his own magic had snapped Zeldris out of his doze. He grabbed her easily, tossing her to the ground with a threat, refusing to speak to her when she argued back with him.

Carefully Gelda slid across the soft grass towards the demon. She did not dare to take off again, not until he was weaker, anyway; but now that she knew his power was growing thinner, she wanted to look inside his heart again. The vampire told herself that she was still hopeful she could find something to use to win her own freedom. However, the truth she would never admit was that she was curious.

The image she had seen before flashed in her mind, still as vague as ever. It was like looking at a picture through a dirty window, the dust caked on and making nothing more than light and color visible. She could not make out a shape or a face, but there was something there. Gelda had to know what this callous and powerful demon wanted, even if it was nothing she could manipulate.

Slowly she inched closer. Zeldris did not stir, so after a brief pause she sidled up next to him. She spent several minutes watching his chest expand and contract until her own breathing matched his. Then her mind slid outwards, seeking his heart, and her own heartbeat slowed a bit to match his steady rhythm.

Typically Gelda could not take such time and care when using her powers, wanting to quickly subdue a frightened human to quell her hunger, or smooth over an unhappy visitor for the king. It was thrilling to her now to be able to move slowly, truly digging into the depths of her power for the first time in a long time. Once their breathing and heartbeats were synchronized, Gelda tilted forward silently until her hand was a hair's breadth away from his chest. Gently, gradually, she pressed her power forward. Her eyes slid closed as she imagined it slinking inside of him, drawing closer and closer to his heart.

When she reached the brick wall, she was not surprised. It had been a slim chance to find him unguarded even in his exhausted state, but Gelda was pleased that she had managed this far without his notice. There was a bit of a thrill to be able to look inside this person who had been so cold to her. His powers were easy enough to read, and she could sense the pride and arrogance inside of him, the need for control, his demanding nature… but his heart's desire remained securely, stubbornly locked away.

She waited several more minutes, carefully sliding along the wall, seeking any weakness that could be the key to peering inside. Nothing presented itself, so Gelda decided to try her persuasion. After checking to make sure he was still sleeping, the princess began to stroke his mind gently. She pressed her hand tentatively against his chest, wanting a firmer connection, and excitedly felt a bit of a spark when she did. Over and over she glided her own desire into him and against him.

Tell me what you want, Zeldris. Wouldn't you like to share it with me? I can give you anything…

Her eyes closed. Since she could not move through the wall, she tried to wrap herself around it.

Give yourself to me. I want to give you your heart's desire…

Her heart whispered to his, and her power began to envelop them both.

Give me your wish. I will give you anything, if you just ask…

Gelda was suddenly cut off as two strong hands gripped her, pulling her sharply against the demon. The next moment his mouth crushed over hers, and Gelda yelped in surprise as he tilted his lips against her. His fingers dug into her body painfully before the vampire found herself flung backwards into the ground.

The sudden force of movement knocked the wind out of her, and as she gasped for breath his tongue pushed aggressively into her mouth. Gelda found her hands pinned between their bodies, her palms flattened against his chest. She tried to give a small cry, a command, something to order him off of her, but what came out was a moan that he swallowed eagerly.

Zeldris slid his hands from her waist down her hips and around to grasp her backside. She gasped in surprise at the rough movement, wriggling a bit underneath him, but then his hands quickly skimmed lower, palming the backs of her legs. He curled his fingers to grip the inside of his thighs and yanked them apart. Her mind was spinning from the kiss, shivers of pleasure rippling through her as he sucked on her tongue and nipped at her lips. But when she felt his hips push forcefully against hers, Gelda froze. The hands on her thighs pulled them upwards, opening her body more to him, and he began to grind against her.

Gelda had never been handled in such a way, and it made her dizzy. There had been a few suitors on the aggressive side, who had tried to steal a kiss or grab her body possessively, but never had she been kissed so thoroughly, never had she felt a man pressing on top of her like this. She shuddered as his tongue dipped back into her mouth, and gave a squeal when he rocked against her again, a mixture of fear and excitement.

She realized suddenly her powers had flared upwards and out. The vampire squeezed her eyes shut and pulled back; then at once Zeldris stilled. His body still covered hers, his mouth still sealed against her own; then he reared up abruptly, looking down at her in anger. "What did you do?" he hissed sharply at her.

"N-nothing!" she stuttered in surprise. She gasped for breath as she pushed hard against his chest. "You threw yourself at me!"

Gelda forced herself to keep from shaking, looking back at him as if to dare him to argue. He narrowed his eyes, but to her relief he released the punishing hold he had on her body. Zeldris braced his hands on the ground on either side of her, pulling his body up but keeping her caged beneath him. "You're lying," he said. "What did you do?"

"I didn't do anything!" she insisted, blinking up at him.

She shivered as he glared down at her, his expression dangerous. It was if the tables had now turned, and the demon could look directly inside of her. Zeldris stared at her for a long moment, and then he said through gritted teeth, "If you ever try something like that again, you'll regret it. I don't care who you are, or what you think you are the queen of. Do you understand, princess?"

Gelda could only nod her response, trembling under the way his eyes seemed to look straight through her. Finally he leaned back and stood. "Get up, we're moving," he practically spat at her. He turned, not looking at her as he adjusted his sword around his waist. His eyes swept around, taking in the area.

Slowly the princess climbed to her feet, brushing away dirt from her dress. She watched as Zeldris looked up at the stars just beginning to peek out from the darkening sky. Whatever she had seen, whatever his desire was, she had not expected him to react that way. She had not expected him to react at all, and the fact that she had had some effect on him was both frightening and thrilling. Gelda wished that she had been able to take another look, but now understood that tempting such a dangerous creature was more than she could handle. She placed a hand on her mouth, her fingers caressing over her swollen lips, a small shiver going down her spine as she remember how he had kissed her; but then she pushed the thought away. If she was going to escape him before they made it to the demon realm, she would have to determine another way.

.o0o.

Zeldris watched the princess in front of him closely. They had been walking for more than a day, and he estimated they were about halfway to the place where he could access the demon realm. He was glad that they were drawing closer, but their progress had actually slowed quite a bit in the previous hours. They were deep into the humans' country, and to complicate matters further, he could sense fairy magic on the horizon as well. So he kept them hidden during most of the day, hiding like mice where they could find cover.

It disgusted him to act this way, but there was no other option. If he went brazenly through Britannia he was sure to be challenged, and at his current power level he was not sure if he could get himself away and the girl too. He surmised he could take on one knight, maybe even two or three; but if they came upon a group of them, or even worse, a squadron of trained soldiers, then he was sure to be in trouble. Zeldris was confident in his abilities, could even be called arrogant by some; but he was not a fool, and would not take such a risk.

The brief nap the day before had helped somewhat, but his mind had not been able to completely settle as he struggled to keep his senses sharpened. And then Gelda. That wretched princess had tried to use her powers on him again, he was sure of it. There was no other reason for him to have reacted the way he did. His mind had ben so busy pushing outwards looking for a threat that he did not sense the one right in front of him in time.

Zeldris refused to speak to her as they walked. What had Gelda even been thinking? He knew that she did not learn anything from her little attempt to look inside his mind; if she had, she would have certainly said something or tried to use it against him. But it troubled him that she had even dared to look, and even moreso that he had lost control before he realized it. He remembered a dream, although specifics he could not recall. His senses had been sharp on the area around him, while at the same time, he had felt warmth against his chest, a soothing voice in his ear. It was like being underwater, and in his own mind he had moved sluggishly, reaching out to grasp something that was beyond his vision. When he had snapped out of his haze and found himself on top of the princess, he had been just as surprised as she.

Gelda had denied it but he knew she had tried to search him again. He watched her walk, tightening the spell he had cast around her. All he cared about now was to keep moving, keep heading towards the demon realm. Deliver the girl to his father and never think about her again.

The evening was growing darker by the minute, making it easier for them to move. They had resumed their walking an hour prior, and he listened carefully to the quiet around him. He wanted to use all of his senses, but the vampire walking in front of him had proven that he needed to reserve some of his power to keep tabs on her as well.

Gelda paused, and he drew up behind her. Suddenly he felt a prick under his skin, just as she said, "There are humans nearby."

Zeldris nodded grimly. There was a group, just as he had feared, at least a half dozen closing in. If they continued their course they were certain to run into them; the choice now was to stop, or to fight.

The choice was made easier as he read their power levels: they were high enough to be Holy Knights. Even though they fluctuated greatly, together they were as strong as he in his weakened state. He gripped Gelda's arm and pulled her behind him, cutting a sharp left out of his direct path. She gave a sharp intake of breath as they moved. "Where are we going?" she hissed.

"Quiet." They moved quickly as Zeldris tried his best to look for a place to hide. There was a village not far, and he wondered if it would be best to head towards it. There would at least be buildings, and maybe one would be empty. But chances are the knights approaching came from there, so they'd be at an advantage to defend it. As he turned over his options, he suddenly realized the energies around him had changed.

Zeldris pulled up short, pushing Gelda behind him. The air around them was thick, but silent, and he realized they had anticipated his move. Suddenly a flash of magic came screaming through the twilight. He dodged it easily, pulling Gelda around him, and drew his own sword.

Smiling to himself, he felt the familiar burn across his forehead. Whoever these knights were, they may have more magical power than him at the moment, but there was no matching his strength. "I will allow that one," he called out, his voice booming in the silence. "If you value your lives, you will leave, now."

"What are you doing?" Gelda whispered fiercely, seething. "You can't fight them!"

"I could just leave you here to die," he snapped back at her, just as a voice returned from the darkness, "You are in our territory, demon." The echoing sounds allowed him to gauge the distance of each knight, and he surmised there were six of them, closing in fast around them. He felt Gelda press against his shoulder, but he stepped away from her, not wanting to be distracted.

"Then come and meet your death," Zeldris laughed.

He sensed a movement to the side, and suddenly they were advancing. All at once Zeldris was ducking and weaving, swinging his blade in a wide arc to run them through all at once. He caught one in the stomach, who fell to the ground in a screaming mass of blood; the others shouted and were on him in an instant. But Zeldris was ready, never breaking concentration as he threw one, sinking his sword into another. The tallest one managed to land a blow, but the demon twisted and used the knight's own blade against him, sending him flying and crashing backwards into the night.

Another advanced towards him. Zeldris spun, sweeping at his feet, and the knight crashed to the ground. The demon's sword was poised at his neck less than a second later, and the fighting was over—too soon, in his opinion. The way the knight laid crooked on the ground made Zeldris suspect his back was broken, and he huffed with distaste at him being so easily bested. Knowing he was completely immobile, the demon lifted his eyes to scan the area. "I know there is another one," he called out confidently. "Show yourself and I may let you live."

He sensed someone behind him, and Zeldris turned. He narrowed his eyes, anger boiling through him suddenly. The last Holy Knight had one arm around Gelda, the other holding a blade to her throat. "Step back and I may let her live," the knight answered.

Gelda's eyes were wide as they fixed on his. But the demon remained aloof, indifferent, as he looked back at her. He quickly debated a plan, but then he saw the knight press the tip of his knife into her, drawing a stream of blood.

She screamed as Zeldris moved, faster than either of them could see. There was an explosion of dark flame from the demon, and in next instant he had Gelda against his hip, his arm securely around her. Both knights were now completely charred; all that was left were their burned remains, forever frozen, twisted in pain.

The princess was clutching him tightly, and after a moment she seemed to shake herself, pulling her head up to look at him. Their eyes met as they both caught their breath, and Gelda raised a hand to cover the wound still bleeding on her neck. "You saved me?" she asked, her voice high and tight.

Zeldris opened his mouth to make a biting comment, but suddenly his head swam and his arms felt heavy. He stumbled, crashing to one knee, and then the world seemed to blink into darkness. Gelda called his name, very far away, and it echoed through his head. He tried to stay awake, tried to climb out from the unconsciousness that was now rapidly sweeping over him. But it was too overwhelming, and in another moment, everything was gone.