Chapter 17
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Later that night, Kiriana lay awake on the couch in the living room, staring forlornly up at the ceiling. Presley had long since gone home and everyone else was asleep. She sighed as she turned onto her side, gazing at the wall now and wishing she could sleep.

For a moment, she thought about turning on the television, but then realized that the noise might wake someone else up and decided against it. If they did, they would undoubtedly notice that she was upset and want to talk to her. She didn't want to talk. She wasn't ready yet. She still had her doubts about this whole thing, but part of her was screaming at her that it was true and that she couldn't deny it. She wished that part of her would shut up as she moved deeper beneath the blanket.

But doing so only made her feel even more claustrophobic than before and she sighed in frustration, tossing the blanket off of her and standing up. She started pacing back and forth restlessly, and was about to give up on that, too, when she stopped and stared at the door for a minute. She shrugged inwardly and walked towards the door, being quiet enough so as not to alert anyone to the fact that she was sneaking out of the Sphinx in the middle of the night.

//This is ridiculous. I need to get out of here for a while. Maybe it wouldn't hurt if I just went up on the roof long enough to get some air. I'll be back before anyone even knows I'm gone// she thought to herself as she slipped through the front door and closed it again behind her.

Once outside, she turned her gaze up to the beautiful moonlit sky. Something made her change her mind about going up on the roof and instead she decided to walk down to the bay. She knew exactly where it was. She had been there countless times in the past with Presley, the two of them merely sitting together on one of the docks talking or not speaking at all, just sitting in silence listening to the waves below and enjoying each other's company.

//Even back then I knew there was something more than friendship between us// she reflected idly. //I just wish it wouldn't have taken us this long to realize it. Or at least me, anyway. I don't know if he's realized it yet or not. He probably has, though. I wouldn't doubt it// she thought to herself, reaching up to touch the necklace that he'd given her earlier.

As she walked, lost in her thoughts, she barely noticed the light rain that had begun to fall. Nor had she really noticed that she had reached the bay and was now standing on one of the docks that overlooked the water. She stopped finally, gazing at the moonlit waves with something akin to awe for a moment, then closed her eyes and stood totally still as the wind and rain swept over her. She smiled slightly as the breeze tugged at her coppery hair, the strands gently caressing her face as she spread her arms outward like wings.

Suddenly she was brought back to reality by what sounded like someone whispering her name from the shadows behind her. Thinking it was Presley or one of the others, she turned around and opened her eyes. "Hmm?" she muttered softly.

But the figure who stepped towards her was the last person she had expected to ever see there. It was the sorcerer who had tried to kidnap her earlier that day. She gasped in horror and started to back away from him, only to realize that she had no where to go. She was on the edge of the dock. She glanced behind her and saw the waves below crashing gently against the dock's support beams as though willing her to take one more step back and escape into their deceptively welcoming, docile arms. She shook her head and glanced back at the sorcerer, and suddenly a name popped into her mind unbidden.

"Scarab," she said quietly, trying to keep her voice from trembling.

"I see you remember me," Scarab remarked.

"Stay away from me. I'm warning you," Kiriana said.

He glared at her. "You're no position to give me orders, girl. Get her!" he commanded.

A moment later, she saw two of Scarab's shabties advancing on her and she bolted. But she didn't get far. The shabties grabbed her by the arms and held her as she struggled wildly, trying desperately to break free. Just like before, though, it was no use. Their grips were like steel. Scarab came towards her, a smug look on his face that Kiriana wanted to slap off of him. Instead she settled for spitting in his face defiantly when he was only inches away from her.

"You won't get away with this, Scarab. The others will realize I'm gone and come looking for me, and then you'll get your sorry butt kicked when they find me," she snapped.

"I already have gotten away with it, my dear. I know they'll come for you. That's exactly what I was planning on. Now that I have you, the others will fall into my trap," he smirked, and she shivered as he grabbed her face roughly in his wrinkled hand, hurting her.

Her eyes widened in horror at his words and started struggling harder. "No! Let me go!" she screamed.

But he didn't let go of her and she suddenly felt herself drifting into unconsciousness. A quiet whimper escaped her as she realized what he was doing.

//PRESLEY! HELP ME!//

That faint mind cry was all she could manage to get out before she collapsed in the shabties' grip and the darkness surrounded her.



TBC...Mwa ha ha!! ::Again hums creepy tune:: The plot continues to thicken...
~*Celestia Vitaria*~