Once again, please enjoy the chapter and please let me know what you think.
I sip slowly at my whiskey, quietly observing the deserted streets below. A thick layer of snow had formed overnight, tranfsforming the world into a wintery-white wonderland. My shoulders sag with the exhaustion from staying up all night. It was either that, or we would have been on the receiving end of a rather unwelcome visit. Behind me, the crackling fire dances warmly, unable to permeate through the frostiness that has descended over the room… over our hearts. Clearing my throat, I turn around to face Sembene and Sir Malcolm.
"No. We're up against something darker, something… primordial. She was dangerously smart, completely and utterly able to think for herself. It wasn't just animal instinct that drove her. It was…" I trail off as my mind runs away with this thought, heart sinking heavily.
Sir Malcolm frowns. "What is it, Mr Chandler?"
I hesitate. "It's… it's like she was acting on orders."
I watch as a sense of dread washes over Sir Malcolm's face. Could my heart sink any lower than it already has? Sembene rises from his perch on the couch armrest, stoic facade always in place.
"She was hunting," Sembene explains. "And if you are right, Mr Chandler, then she is not the only one. I have seen this before, many times. The lions from my home hunted like this. Always together, always watching."
"So how did you fight these lions?" I ask. Sembene's mouth tightens into a thin line and for the briefest moment, the African's soft eyes cloud over.
"You don't, Mr Chandler. You never fight the lion."
I sigh, turning to stare into the blazing fire. Sir Malcolm remains where he is, posture rigid.
"But… "Sembene starts. As one, Sir Malcolm and I turn our gazes to Sembene. "You also never run from the lion. You must understand it and only then, can you stand your ground. This is the dance of The Lion."
I nod as I allow Sembene's words to sink in. If we can't fight them, we need to learn to understand them. But, first, we need to find them. And even then, climbing that mountain might prove hazardous. A cold sensation settles over my skin, sending tremors over my spine; what if that thing is watching us right now?
Just then, Dr Frankenstein strolls into the room, medical bag clutched tightly in one hand. I shove my thoughts aside, anxiety gripping at my muscles. "How is she?" I ask. Victor sends his red-rimmed gaze to me, a smile pulling at his pale lips.
"Everything seems to be in order. A few bruises here and there, some abrasions. All-in-all, Miss Ives seems to be perfectly fine."
I frown. "Seems?"
"Yes. Sir Malcolm, a word in private, if you will?" Victor asks, brushing my questioning stare aside. Sir Malcolm nods, leading the lanky doctor into the library. The door shuts with barely a click, engulfing everything else with a tense silence. I glance at Sembene, my frown still firmly in place.
Sembene has migrated to the fire, arms hanging limply by his side, back ram-rod straight. I swallow and wet my lips. "The way you spoke about your lions… did something happen?" I ask, almost tentatively. For a moment, the only sound that greets me is the crackling of the fire. Until…
"In my home village, there was a boy. He could not speak. Our shaman could not understand this, for it was not normal. 'How is it that his mother and his father have mouths to speak, but this Little One does not?' He had asked. The Gods did not answer. Perhaps even they did not know." Sembene turns around, his dark hazel eyes glimmering with memories of the past. I take a seat on the edge of an armrest, rest my whiskey glass over my thigh.
"This Little One always smiled, always laughed. He did not understand his curse, but in some way, he accepted his fate. I respected the boy for that, for he was strong. And Little One knew this. He became my friend, my student. But… this did not last. One night, Little One had wandered off."
I swallow hard, drop my gaze to the carpeted floor.
"We all heard the lion; its growls and grunts. And we all did nothing." Here, Sembene stops. I look up to find him staring at the floor. After a moment, Sembene swallows and continues. "On my hunt, the sky a pale blue, I found what was left of Little One."
"Jesus," I mutter.
Sembene turns back to the fire. I stare at his back for some time, unable to cast this boy from my thoughts. How afraid he must have been, having no way of calling for help. The door to the library opens, revealing a stern Sir Malcolm and a slightly concerned Victor. I fight desperately against the urge to ask of their conversation. Is Vanessa really alright?
Sir Malcolm sees Victor to the front door. They share muttered greetings before the door shuts. I step forward, lean against the door frame to the drawing room. Sir Malcolm, back leaning against the door, gaze pinned to the floor as if in deep thought, pays my presence no attention. "She's not really alright, is she?"
Sir Malcolm lifts his gaze to mine, remains quiet. His grey eyes flash as he spins around, reaching for his coat. "I will be back shortly."
Before I have the time to reply, Sir Malcolm rips the door open and rushes off. The door slams shuts with a bang. Sighing, I turn around. Sembene walks forward, a small smile stretching his full lips.
"You are going to need a room."
I smile in reply.
****
Sembene had lead me upstairs, past Vanessa's shut bedroom door and down another hallway. I was relieved to find that my room was nothing more than a stone's throw away from Vanessa's.
Sembene offers to prepare my new bedroom for me, but I decline. Doling out chores to servants was something of the past. That was America, I think. Sembene seems surprised as he leaves with smiling eyes. When my bedroom door shuts, I sigh and rid myself of my guns, draping them gently over the couch at the foot of the bed.
Preparing the room doesn't take too long. I replace the sleeping materials with fresh linen, stopping to marvel at the smoothness of it. Sleeping above inns for so long, I had quickly learned to become accustomed to what they offered; a hard bed coupled with coarse, scratchy bedding. As I smooth my hand over the material before me, I feel my body sag with relaxation. Exhaustion sinks in, weighing over my body with a seductive pressure. Slowly, I lay down, close my eyes…
A loud crash startles me awake. I bolt upright, grab at the soft linen beneath my hands. From outside, silvery moonlight streams into the room. When a small groan echoes down the hall, I jump to my feet and race into the hallway with a panicked haste. How could I have allowed myself to fall asleep? Stupid!
I come to a stop in front of Vanessa's room, breaths escaping in shallow bursts. The door is closed, just like before. Slowly, I reach out, my hand trembling. An icy breeze flows into the room through an open window, the curtains fluttering. In the far corner of her room, lies the scattered shards of a lamp. I barely take note of this as my gaze lands on Vanessa. Dressed in nothing but a thin nightgown, huddled into a tight ball, she rocks back and forth. A string of muttered words, barely making any sense, spews from her delicate mouth. Her face glistens with a combination of sweat and tears, dark tendrils of hair plastered to the sides of her face and forehead. Is this what Victor and Sir Malcolm had spoken privately about?
"Vanessa?" I say quietly, afraid of startling her. She snaps her gaze up, eyes wild. This image sends me back to that fateful night, when she was not Vanessa. The same night I realised my feelings for this fiercely beautiful woman.
"… Ethan," she whispers brokenly. My heart clenches at her utterence of my name. With hasty strides, I reach her. I forget where I am, who I am, as I sit down before her and lift my hands to cradle her face. She gulps, her eyes fluttering shut.
"What is it? What's wrong?"
Vanessa whimpers. "I… I had a dream. That they were here, with me."
"They?"
Her eyes snap open as she flashes her hands forward, grabbing desperately at my vest. "Yes, those things that hunt," she says. Vanessa's glistening eyes search my own, perhaps willing me to understand. But, how did she know there was more than one? In fact, what is she to them? How does she know them?
These questions force themselves to the forefront of my mind. If I am ever to help her, I must have the answers to these pressing questions. I rub at Vanessa's cheekbones with the pads of my thumbs, forcing the questions back... for now. What Vanessa needs now is calm reassurance, not a bombardment of questions.
"It's alright, there's no one here," I say, in the hopes of reassuring her enough to get her to relax. My plan fails when Vanessa vigorously shakes her head, hands clutching tighter.
"How do you know that?"
"Because I -"
"They could be anywhere!"
I drop my hands to her shoulders. "Vanessa -"
"They could be here, right now. Watching us. Watching me. What if -"
"Vanessa!" I urge, sqeeuzing her shoulders. She stops, tears flowing down her pale cheeks. "Listen to me. There's no one here. I promise you."
Vanessa bows her head, shoulders trembling. "I won't let anything hurt you, I swear it."
And I wouldn't, I realise. I would never let anyone or anything hurt her. The conviction this thought carries with it scares me. If anything did have to happen…
I lean forward to rest my forehead against her crown, wrapping my arms around her shoulders. A sound, so small and so broken, escapes from her. In response, I pull her in closer, moving to rest my cheek over her head. In the darkest part of my mind, a small part of me wonders at the oath I have made.
Will I truly be able to fulfill it?
****
I close the door quietly behind me. It took a while for Vanessa to fall asleep, but when she did, she looked so peaceful. So beautifully devoid of her fierce scowl. I was reluctant to leave her side, almost physically unable to part with the calm her presence brings me.
When I turn around, Sir Malcolm is trooping his way down the hallway. "How is she?" He asks, coming to a slow stop a few feet ahead of me.
"She's alright. Woke up from a bad dream, is all."
Sir Malcolm nods. "Mr Chandler…"
I wait for Sir Malcolm to continue, stuffing my hands into the pockets in my trousers.
"I should apologise for my decidedly… questionable behaviour."
I shake my head. "Oh, it's quite alright. You were concerned, like any father would have been."
Sir Malcolm's steely eyes soften, just the slightest bit as he smiles. "And, you are more than welcome to stay for as long as you require."
"I will, thank you. You know… I had plans to leave. Entirely," I say. Sir Malcolm gestures for me to follow as he makes his way towards the staircase. We take the steps slowly, leisurely.
"It was bound to happen sooner or later, I knew that. My ability to stay in one place for longer than a year is shamefully astonishing."
At this, Sir Malcolm chuckles.
"But… what happened to Vanessa... I can't leave. Now now. Sir Malcolm, my time in the war has exposed me to many things, fear being one of them." I pause as we take the last few steps, turning to head for the drawing room. "It's a monster, that fear. It can eat its way through anything. And it doesn't stop, not ever. It leaves men defenceless, scarred."
Finally, we come to a stop in the entry-way to the drawing room. I send my gaze to the staircase as I continue. "In that room, lies a woman who faced down the devil himself. Not once did she blink, or quiver. And yet… here she is, now. That same woman. I fear for her sanity, Sir Malcolm. I've seen men try to fight fear. And I've seen them fail."
My voice trembles on that last word, so very loaded with different scenarios. And none of which appeal to me at all, I think. Surprisingly, Sir Malcolm reaches out to place a hand on my shoulder.
"But we will never give up, Mr Chandler. When Vanessa has grown tired, we will carry on for her. With a little help from this, of course," he says, sweeping his arm out to the side. Packed neatly on the table in the center of the room, lies a row of sturdy shotguns.
I smirk. "Oh, so that's where you ran off to."
In return, Sir Malcolm pats my shoulder, mouth stretching into a wide smile.
****
And there ya go! So, I have a question for you guys, before I continue onto the next chapter - would you guys like me to alternate between both Ethan and Vanessa's POV's, or should I stick to Ethan's?
Please feel free to let me know, would love to hear what you guys think :)
Cheerio!