Control
Dmitri held me in his arms like I was a small child. He was awake, I could tell, because his breathing had changed. He pulled his arms away slowly and getting up from the bed, began to collect his clothes. He dressed hurriedly and I still did not stir, wishing he would leave me in my defiled state. He walked towards the door, but instead of opening it, turned toward me.
"I know you are awake." He said in a commanding voice. "You are angry with me." I did not answer him. He walked towards me swiftly and sat down near the edge of the bed. "You do not understand Asha, I am sorry if I caused you any harm. Look at me!" He drew a deep breath. "Sometimes the Ashlyns can concentrate better on a part of the mind. I can focus on emotions and I have practiced this for so long and know all I feel are others emotions, filling me. That's how I knew you were standing in the shadows last night, you were so angry and Jai" He trailed off. "I couldn't control myself." I finally turned to look into his pleading brown eyes.
"And now?" I asked coldly.
"Now I am in control." He said. I looked into his eyes and when I did not answer him he walked out of the room, slamming the door loudly.
How could I be stuck here with this mad man? I had no idea where I was or how to get away from him.
*_*
My days passed slowly, in a monotonous rhythm. I was hardly ever alone and when I was I was locked in my room. I did not see Jai again, and hardly ever saw Eli. Dmitri's moods were always changing and I had fitful dreams most nights. After about a week of being with Dmitri he told me that we would be getting married, finishing the bonding ceremony our fathers had started many years ago. We would be traveling to a town unknown to me, where Dmitri said a very powerful Ashlyn priest would be residing. He would complete the ceremony and then my magic would be bonded to Dmitri.
We left abruptly one morning. Lydia was in a panic, packing things inside the carriage that would bring us to our destination. Dmitri was in his study, as usual. So that left me alone in the parlor, waiting for further instructions. This journey made me think of a similar one that I had set out to with Dale; that all seemed so long ago, so distant. I thought of what had become of Irma and all others I had meet in my travels. Why had I been so insistent in learning about my past, it had only brought trouble.
Next to me my morning tea sat cold and untouched. My toast was stale and the jam dry. Voices sprung up in my mind, I closed my eyes trying to force them away. My head became swamped with images, and I could no longer see the parlor around me.
*_*
The sea shone bright and beautiful, waves powerfully sweeping through her. Seagulls made their cries and the sound of laughter and children could be heard. The air smelled salty and the moisture made it thick. I could all of this from the spot I stood and willed myself to become fully engulfed in the vision, to go to this beautiful place. My power would not let me join it and instead the vision faded and I was in the parlor once again.
On my left sat Jai with a look of worry on his face. When he saw me looking at him he turned away, embarrassed.
"Forgive me." He said getting up. "You seemed … distant. I thought you might have been ill." His rich voice warmed me and I fell into his warm green eyes. He breathed in heavily and backed away from me, watching me as if I was a ghost.
"You recognize me." I said as more of a statement then a question.
"No." He answered quickly but his eyes showed the truth to my words. "I most go." He backed away again not willing to turn his back to me. A gave him a slight smile and I swear he thought me mad. Maybe I was, in a mad world only the mad are sane.*
"There you are." Lydia said when she found me later. "You most get going; master wished to be off at midday and now it is long past that mark." I let her lead me outside into the carriage. It was loaded to the brim with bags and Dmitri was already inside. I hesitated slightly before entering, turning around to see Jai on a horse in front of the carriage. I smiled happy that he would be going with us.
"What are you so happy about?" Dmitri asked me gruffly.
"I am happy to be with you master." I told him. He smirked and went back to his papers. With men like Dmitri all they care about is control, all I had to do was let him think he was in control of me and try to figure a way out of this mess.
We camped after half a day's journey. Lydia was right; we were late starting out because it had been dark for a long time when we finally stopped. The men, Jai, and two others, set up tents while Dmitri ordered them about. After that was done one of them set off to making dinner. Dmitri wandered away from my side so I took the chance to sit next to Jai. He smiled wearily when he saw me coming near him.
"How has your journey been?" He asked munching on a piece of bread.
"Fine." I answered. I shivered in the cold night and he stared at me confused. "I am not a ghost Jai." I told him. His face reddened, embarrassed.
"I have the gift of memories," He explained, "so I have many visions of people that are dead. And when you were transported to my vision, that has never happened to me before it takes very powerful magic, I thought I was seeing a ghost. Especially when you said your name was Asha."
"So why were you so angry?"
"You could not be dead; you are our only hope Asha, to stop this madness. It gave me hope seeing you, that maybe I was powerful enough…" He trailed off.
"Powerful enough for what?"
"My wife, Opal, is lost much like you were. Her family escaped when the riots started. She was from Tritium's line. I have tried for many years to try to find her." My heart dropped. His eyes shown with admiration and love for the woman he spoke about.
"What do you mean lost?"
"Well we Ashlyns can locate others and speak to them through their mind. When an Ashlyn cannot be communicated with we say that the person is lost. Sometimes they have just forgotten to use the magic or they cannot concentrate or they do not wish to be found. Your father is lost." I thought about this, my father, Aaron, possibly alive. "What?" He asked when I did not respond, dragging me out of my pensive state.
"It is just that I am learner new things about myself every day. It is a little unsettling not knowing what you can do, or rather not understanding what you can do."
"Asha." Someone called. It turned out to be Dmitri back from whatever he was doing. "Come here." Jai turned and grinned at his brother. The former did not return it. "Come here." He said again. I got up, not wanting to get him angry. When I reached him he grabbed my arm. "What are you doing?" He asked.
"Speaking to your brother, is there a problem with that." I said harshly. I felt his heavy hand across my cheek. The slap stung, but I would not give him the pleasure of me touching it.
"Aren't you tired." He said as a statement. "We have a long day tomorrow why don't you go to bed." He led me to a tent and pushed me in. "Good night Asha." He said before closing it.
*_*
Dmitri turned from the tent, leaving Asha. 'She is attracted to him.' He thought. He had felt her lust. 'Disgusting.' He walked towards the fire where they had been seated. His brother did not look at him.
'He probably wants her as well. They are working together. Doesn't he realize what I can do to him? He doesn't matter, all that matters is Asha and I. Our son will be the next great lord of the Ashlyns. I will have all the power I deserve and will be able to overtake Puer, to bring control to this country, to wipe out all the disgusting humans that live here, Ashlyn will be our land and I will take back what is rightfully mine. All I need is her power and then I will be able to control everyone.'
His hands where curled into a fist, so much anger, he could hardly control it. His brother was timid in approaching him. The two other men did not speak to him; the man's irate personality was legendary. His anger burned inside him, paranoia creeping on to him. To Dmitri everyone was out to get him, everyone was trying to get him to back down. Much like his mother had done, but he had taken care of that problem. He would be in control and now with the girl that thought was becoming more of a reality.
*_*
The morning brought rain, with made the roads muddy and our progress slow. Dmitri was in a bad temperament and would not even look at me. I sat in a corner as far away from his as possible. Before we had taken off Jai had told me that Dmitri had been this way all night.
"Stop." Dmitri cried. He stuck his head out of the carriage. "STOP." The driver stopped pulling over. I looked at him. His face filled with anger. "Get out." He told me. I exited the carriage and saw that we were still in the never-ending forest; wildlife's noises were all around us.
"Is something wrong brother." Jai said coming up from behind the carriage. He was soaked. The rain continued down more heavily.
"Yes, it is brother." He said sarcastically. Jai demounted his horse. Dmitri's eyes had turned a dark brown. Jai grabbed his brother's hands. "Knell down." The rain continued down with full force. Jai settled his knees into the mud, not understanding his brother's wish. Dmitri pulled out a sword. He placed it on Jai's shoulder. I did not understand what was happening, how someone could be so cruel to their own brother. Dmitri smiled the first real smile I had ever seen him give. The driver looked straight ahead and the other man on a horse grabbed Jai's horse's reins pulling him to the other side of the carriage. My breathing quickened, I leaned against the carriage the cold rain hitting me.
Jai did not move away from his brother. He looked like he was in a trance, actually so did Dmitri. Dmitri moved the sword away getting ready to swing; I closed my eyes, willing it to be some messed up vision. The rain continued down. Big drops hit my face joining in with tears.
Hey, im srry to leave you with that cliffhanger. Will Jai die? Anyway i really like this chapter, maybe you understand where everything is going (it makes total sense in my head) I do not want you to think i forgot about Dale and Lysander, because my friends were telling me i get rid of characters rather quickly but i swear that they will be back. 2 chapter ago i said this was almost finished but i changed my mind, well, actually i don't know. I'm just writing this as it comes to me. I noe how i want the ending is so idk i guess it depends how we get there. I am definetly going to finish this one. Thanks to everyone taking the time to read this story much appreciated you noe please review yadi yada. And i noe this is a ridiculously long AN srry. ~lots of luv IrisLily~
* This quote is by Akira Kurosawa, a fantastic japanese director