"Instead of spring it's always winter
And my heart has always been a lonely hunter"
~ Madonna
Chapter Six: Lonely Hunter
The blue Antarian coat of Arms flaps over my head. Rich gold floss anchors the five diamonds in place. A ceiling fan moves it up and down. The movement causes the gems to sparkle in unison. It's such a beautiful symbol for such an ugly people.
Someone taps me on my shoulder.
"You should be proud of yourself my dear. We gained a decisive victory today based on your talents," one of Khivar's general announces.
"How many?" a morbid need to know drives me. Adding each casualty to a never ending list, in the hopes that some day I'll be able to make it right.
"Fifty six," he replies before turning to the Minister of Finance.
"It wasn't your fault," Tess says.
"Tell that to the dead people," I answer.
"Sorry for the delay ladies," Kyle hands us both flasks of champagne. Drinking it down, the bubbles tickle my throat. A warm fuzziness eats away at my guilt. Grabbing another flask off a passing waiter, I finish it to. My only way to get through this night is to be numb as possible.
Khivar appears at a podium.
"Ladies and Gentlemen take your seats," his voice booms. "After searching for years, our Queen has come back to us. Vilandra has returned."
Plush purple curtains part to reveal a woman. Clad in a floor length red sequin dress, her whole body sparkles in the light. A diamond tiara shines from her head. Blush, lipstick, and eye shadow are all combined in one perfect combination. She should be the paradigm of beauty, but she isn't. A green serpentine necklace clings to her. From its band aluminates an eerie glow. Her face represents a blank mask. No signs of expression flit across it as Khivar leads her to the dance floor.
The audience gasps "she has returned," in one collective sigh.
Somehow they find nothing wrong with this resurrection.
"It will be only a matter of time before they find her brother," another general says beside me.
"What did he do her?" Tess whispers.
"I have no idea," I answer.
Kyle stares at the couple. Dark shadows line his once carefree expression. Grabbing a glass of Antarian port, he drinks it down.
"What happened to loving people for who they are? I love you so much I'll kidnap you in your next life and turn you into a zombie." my voice carries a dangerous mix of emotions that will only get me in trouble. I drain another glass of wine. So long for being numb, my new plan is to get utterly smashed.
Hands grab me from behind and force me out of the chair. From the fingers digging into my arms, it can be only one person.
"You're not wearing a dress," Silas says, "are you trying to embarrass me?"
Kyle springs up, "leave her alone."
Oh, this can get ugly very quickly.
"And who are you to tell me what I can do with my property?" Silas remarks.
"Property," Kyle repeats dumbstruck, "what is it with you people?"
"Kyle this is my intended so ---" I try to explain.
"So she's mine to do with what I wish," Silas finishes.
For the second time in one night, all the color drains from Kyle's face. He sits back down.
Grabbing me by the arm, Silas drags me over to a corner, "this is unacceptable attire for such a function."
I look down at my shirt and dress pants," contrary to popular belief my goal is not to make you happy."
His blue eyes glance around. The wheels literally turning in his head to attack or refrain. Choosing discretion, he withdraws, "this isn't over. You will learn to obey me," he grits before walking away.
Four words Silas. When hell freezes over.
Yellow and blue strobe lights flicker over the dance floor. The sweet smell of Crush floats by. Party goers move closer to each other. In thirty minutes, it will be a free for all. One I don't want to see.
Making my way back to the table, I pick up my coat.
Tess and Kyle's faces bare a mutual look of concern.
"I'm fine. I'm going for a walk."
A weight disappears the moment I'm outside. A breeze blows my hair. Cold creeps into my cheeks. Taking a deep breath, I let it all in. This is real. Something that can't be faked with necklaces, threats, and drugs.
The rush and retreat of the ocean sounds, but I can't see it. Large sand dunes block out any view. Preventive bunkers to maintain protection where the H&K's cannot since ocean's salt erodes their programs.
Large draw bridges sway in the wind over my head. Unmanned, all fears of an ocean attack having vanished. The resistance simply doesn't have enough men Larek contends. Meandering, I begin to walk down a path.
Two distinctive voices reach my ears. Crawling up one of the bunkers, I can see the ocean and something even more interesting.
Moonlight shines on Larek's solemn face while the other stands with his back to me. Clad an orange cloak, his figure seems to merge with the sand.
Energy forms in a magnetic pull like two ends finally meeting after a long absence.
"I'm telling you she's an innocent victim of her gifts," Larek states.
"And I'm telling you that there is no one innocent in this. Her gifts as you like to phrase it have cost hundreds of lives. I can't do what I need to do here if I have the threat of her visions always breathing down my neck," the other answers.
They're talking about me.
Guilt surfaces but another more primitive emotion replaces it. Something in his voice draws me in. A cadence, a tone, a warmth, I can't pinpoint it, but it wraps around me. It beckons me to come closer.
"She won't be a problem. There's some kind of guard in place."
He snorts," she ignores me and helps Khivar kill everyone else that's a supremely
comforting. I understand if some kind of attachment has developed between the two of you. If you can't do it, I will."
It.
A lovely little pronoun that can mean a variety of things. However for some reason, I don't want to stick around to see the mysterious "it" materializes into actual fact. I back up. My movements loosen bits of sand. Particles break up and slide down the dune. Pooling at the bottom, it makes no sound or at least none I can hear.
"What's that?" the stranger asks. He throws of his hood.
I know I should crouch further down, but recklessness grabs me. I couldn't walk away even if I tried.
His skin is a bronze color.
An earthy brown fills his eyes.
Two full lips form a perfect mouth.
I wonder if he'd be a good kisser.
An interesting fantasy of him in a pair of leather pants appears before me. Shaking my head, it disappears. I've completely lost it.
"It's was probably a gull," Larek tries.
"No, I sense someone."
From the sound of his voice, I can tell he's nearing the crest of the dune. In a second, he'll be right on top of me. .
"On top of me," I mutter. Another little picture floats into my head.
Life and death situation here, get your head out of the gutter. I drop down to the dune's base.
Moments later his figure appears at the top. Placing his hand on the sand, his face blanks out.
Oh please don't let him get a flash of me lusting after him.
"What she look like?"
Larek comes up beside him. "Medium brown hair. She's rather small, but she's extremely stubborn."
He looks up from the sand, "you respect her."
"Yes, I do. Even after all she's been through, she keeps fighting."
"Fighting against us."
"No, fighting to keep from drowning. I don't think you understand what she faces here."
"I'm not here to understand her. It would only complicate things." He gets up and brushes the sand of his pants.
"Would Liz really want you losing yourself like this?"
A sudden pressure fills my head. Pushing this way and that, it causes a stream of blood to drip from my nose.
"You didn't know her. So don't begin to tell me what she would want," he bites.
Gradually, the sounds of their footsteps retreat and with it my headache.
I wait. Seconds tick. Well, I don't really know how many seconds tick. Time seems to move so much faster without a watch. Deciding enough time has past, I get up.
Sand clings to my hair and clothes. Wiping my nose, I start back to the party.
Gulls shriek.
Dark clouds hang in the sky.
A faint whisper of something reaches me.
I pick up my pace.
A dog barks.
Droplets of rain fall.
One word solidifies in my mind.
Danger.
I'm running.
Rain smacks my skin.
Sand swooshes behind me.
A bolt of lightening shoots across the sky. Startled, I look up.
Two arms grab me by the waist. Frantically, I struggle against a hard chest. A blast shoots from my hand.
It's easily blocked.
"Larek was right you are a fighter," a voice says. The same one just minutes ago I found so sexy but now I want nothing to do with.
He puts me down. One arm holds my hands behind me while the other slides something cold and metal across my neck. It feels like a knife, which means he's either human or has defensive powers only.
"With all your talent you think you would have seen me coming."
"Sorry to disappoint. What do you want?" hiding my fear under a feigned icy control.
"As if you could have anything I want," he answers. The blade stops just above my throat. "Tell me something. When you go to sleep at night, do you see the faces of all the people you helped kill? "
"Do you?"
"Touché," he presses the knife harder into my neck.
Somehow I don't think that was the answer he was looking for.
Seconds pass and still he does nothing.
The rain stops.
Wet hair sticks to my neck.
His tense muscles strain against my back, "do you have the package Valenti,"
Great on top of holding me at knifepoint, he hears voices.
"O.k., proceed to the drop off point," the side of his face slides down my own. His lips resting at my ear, "you see the bridge," his fingers push my head up. "You are going to walk in front of me past the outpost, and anyone else we encounter."
Like hell, I am.
"You try anything and goldilocks gets it."
Goldilocks?
Tess.
Fear washes away any thoughts of escape, "You're lying."
"Try me. I'm just looking for any excuse right now to kill her so by all means do something." He takes the knife away from my throat, "scream, run, blast me."
I can't.
"Didn't think so. Now move."
Yipee!!! Max finally shows up. I was beginning to think he was never going to get here. I know the current situation isn't really cool, but he's confused. Liz is confused and together they're going to be really confused. J
