Chapter 12

Beca, you need to know.

You need to know now, Beca.

Amy. She could hear Amy's choked, hoarse whispers. Amy was trying to tell her something important but try as she might, Beca could not see her. The darkness was oppressive. She was walking and stumbling in this stifling darkness, calling out to Amy. Amy's whispers faded away to nothingness and now something else was calling out to her. This time the voice was a purr. A silken, seductive purr, beckoning to her. Beca was confused now. She wanted to find Amy yet something in her was yearning towards that faceless voice. That sweet, deadly call.

Then the flames burn bright.

Beca shielded her eyes with her arm yet the redness of the flames burned even behind her closed eyelids. Taller and taller the flames rose and Beca knew the flames will consume her in seconds.

She woke up with a start.

Her heart was hammering and her breaths coming out in short, painful gasps.

For a moment, Beca could not comprehend where she was. It took her a few moments to calm down enough to assess where she was. Beca found herself sitting up, drenched in sweat. She was wrapped up in Jesse's wool cloak, her sable loose on top of her like a blanket. There was a banked fire next to her, the weak glow alleviating the immediate darkness and once her eyes adjusted to the dimness, Beca found that she was in a cave. She could feel the chill of stone walls closing round her. The mouth of the cave was about twenty feet away and from what she could tell, it was night. The moon was ou casting shadowy limbs of trees on the stone wall nearest to entrance.

She felt so thirsty.

Water. She needed water.

Her throat was so parched.

Beca tried to get up. Perhaps she can find a skin of water nearby for her thirst. She was very surprised to find she couldn't get up. Her legs felt too weak. Beca tried her best to quell that feeling of dread rising up in her chest. What had happened to her? Where was Jesse? The last she remembered was parting ways with Stacie. The Amazon had Amy, sick and dying, secured to her silver charger, riding to the nearest monastery for help. Jesse and Beca had continued their way. They were a day's into the journey, hardly speaking a word to one another when Beca remembered she felt increasingly unwell. Despite the heavy sable wrapped around her, she felt cold. So so cold. And then that piercing pain that ran down her shaking body. And then nothingness.

Beca flexed her fingers slowly, then moved her wrist and forearms. At least her upper limbs seemed to work. She quickly patted herself and breathed a sigh of relief when her hands closed on her daggers. And then Beca realised something. Why am I undressed? Where's my riding jacket? Where's my trousers? She didn't have time to think more about that because something was moving in the dark. Beca's head whipped up and immediately, her body tensed. Something huge was padding softly in the dark outside. She could hear the soft swish and shuffle as the creature went through the brush and the clicking of claws on hard trodden dirt.

It sounded huge.

Beca quickly thought of her options. She breathed in deeply, careful not to make a sound and drew the sable round her, hoping to meld into the dark. Slowly, surreptitiously, she tried moving her legs. No dice. Still too weak. She cursed her useless legs. There was no way she could run. Her best hope was lie quietly and hope the beast outside will not come sniffing into the cave. If it did, she could protect herself with her daggers and not make herself an easy meal.

It was coming nearer.

For a moment, the beast crossed the mouth of the cave and Beca looked in terror at the shadow casted by the moon. It was huge, rearing animal and Beca screwed her eyes shut, trying to calm herself down. When she opened her eyes, the shadow was gone and Beca tried to draw her legs up again, willing them to work. Her calves and thigh muscles were screaming in pain. She ignored the pain, scrabbling back and planting her aching feet on the ground. Her right hand held one of her daggers loosely, thumb and finger holding the handle and she squinted in the half darkness. A well aimed dagger straight in the middle of the creature's eyes might be her best defence.

Her keen ears picked up the sound of gravel crunching near the entrance. Beca drew her arm back ready to let the dagger fly. With pin sharp focus she steadied her breathing and when she saw movement, she heaved her arm forward hard. The dagger flew and it was not until it turned once in the air rushing to its target when Beca saw who it was.

"Jesse!" she tried to scream only to find the sound caught in her throat.

He moved so fast.

A slight twist to his torso and the dagger went past, thunking uselessly against the stone wall behind him. The thundering in Beca's ears were so loud and she tried scrambling to her feet. She was entangled in the cloaks covering her, her legs were still not strong enough and Beca would have crumbled forward if Jesse was not there to catch her. Beca gasped painfully, clutching onto his arms, internally screaming at her legs to hold her weight.

"Mi'lady," she heard his husky voice rumbling. "You are not well. Please sit down."

He was going down on his knees, bringing her along with him and this time, Beca obeyed, sinking back to the ground, her legs wobbling underneath her. Beca closed her eyes trying to collect her thoughts, trying not to think what would have happened if Jesse had not duck.p that dagger she had thrown at him.

"Are you alright?" she heard him asking.

"Water." Beca croaked out, her voice a little rough and wobbly. "I need water."

She felt him moving away and Beca took that interlude to slow down her frantic breathing and wrapped Jesse's cloak closer around her. He came back, holding out the skin of water and she gratefully took it, swallowing deep gulps of the cool, clear liquid. So fast was she trying to swallow that the water sloshed out, spilling over her chin and front. Her thirst momentarily quenched, Beca wiped the back of her hand across her mouth and handed the skin back to Jesse. She ran a hand through her tangled hair, pushing them away from her face and Beca found Jesse scrutinising her closely.

"Did you just woke up?" he asked. "How are you feeling?"

"Weak," she responded. "I couldn't move my legs just now. What happened to me? How long was I out?"

He didn't answer, moving away towards the other side of the fire. Beca followed his movement and saw him going through their packs. They were on the other side of the fire; she didn't notice them before. He was rifling through the many pockets of his before coming back to sit next to her.

"Here. Have some of this," Jesse said, handing her some dried jerky. "You need some medicine. Let me brew it for you."

The jerky was hard but she fell on it ravenously, chewing and working that piece of meat between her teeth. He was blowing and fanning at the coals, trying to restart the fire. He was not having much success. Beca curiously glanced at the coals, more white with ash then red. An unbidden thought went through her mind and she turned back to chewing on that jerky. Suddenly the flames caught, rising and crackling and Jesse had to draw back. She felt his eyes on her momentarily before he busied himself with boiling some water.

"Is there any more?" Beca asked as she finished that little piece of jerky. She licked her fingers clean. Her tummy was still rumbling she was so hungry.

Jesse was eyeing her carefully.

"If you can wait, mi'lady, I can hunt," he replied. "I'll get some game for you."

"No," Beca quickly answered. She consciously fingered cloak wrapped around her. "Please don't leave me alone. There was some sort of huge animal outside just now and in my current state, I don't think I can defend.."

Her words trailed off as realisation hit her. Her eyes snapped up to meet his and just as quickly, Beca dropped her eyes, fussing with the button on Jesse's cloak. For a suspended moment, nothing was said. Wordlessly, Jesse rose to his feet, walking towards the entrance. He bent down to pick up the dagger lying in the dirt and came back, placing the dagger next to her foot.

"I don't think you are ever defenceless, mi'lady," he said without a trace of humour. Again, Beca felt the weight of his stare as she reached for the dagger and tucked it close to her. He didn't say anything else until the brew was done.

"Careful. It's really hot," Jesse said, handing the concoction to her. He had blew on it, in an attempt to cool it down and Beca took the wooden cup in both hands, grateful for the heat to warm her hands with. The brew was bitter and tasted of roots and he watched her carefully as she drank it all up. Beca raised her eyes to meet his. He seemed to want to ask her something.

"How's your forehead? Are you feeling hot?"

Beca cocked her head to one side.

"I'm not.. having a fever, if that is what you meant," she answered.

Jesse leaned forward.

"Can I?" he asked, extending his hand forward and at her nod, he gingerly laid the palm of his hand against her forehead, checking her temperature. His hand slid down her cheek, then down to her throat. He had calluses on his hand – she could feel them – yet it was so warm and comforting that she wanted to lean into it. She could feel his fingers stroking her neck and Beca closed her eyes, almost sighing out in content. Just as quickly, his fingers were gone. When she opened her eyes, Jesse was sitting two feet apart from her, resting on his heels.

"Looks like you've sweated the fever out," he commented, tucking his hands into his lap.

"How sick was I?" Beca said, looking away. "What happened? I can't remember anything."

"You had a raging fever," Jesse answered. "Just as we left. I was hoping you could have held on until the next stop but at one point, you lose consciousness and nearly fell off Blaze." Seeing her start, Jesse reassuringly said, "The horses are outside resting. Blaze is fine."

"How long was I out for?" Beca asked.

Jesse frowned, trying to think.

"Three days."

"Three days?" she said in shock. "We lost three days?"

"Yes," Jesse replied carefully. "It couldn't be helped. I could not risk you being hurt. We had to stop."

Beca bit her lip, thinking of the route that they had taken all these weeks. They must have had to detour. She wouldn't know until she stepped outside and see the lay of the land. Have they gone off the High Road and turned to the mountain pass? That would make more sense; especially if they wanted to avoid any altercations with those creatures that came out of the trees. Beca shuddered thinking of those vile, unholy things. The way they slithered out of the gloom, laughing their shrill, grating laughs, feeding. Feeding on Amy's palfrey, closing in on them and for a moment, she felt bile rising in her throat and she had to throw up.

He was beside her, calmly rubbing her back as she heaved the contents of her stomach next to her. It was all water. And when she finished dry heaving, Beca used the corner of his cloak covering her to wipe her mouth before sitting back, leaning into his chest. She was too weak to sit up straight by herself. For the moment, she just wanted to lean against him. Beca desperately wanted to feel the bulk of him and feel safe and she would not object if he were to wrap his arms around her.

"Amy. Do you think Amy is safe?" Beca murmured worriedly.

There was a pause before he replied.

"Yes. Stacie got to the monastery in time. Lady Amelia's mending."

He sounded so confident that Beca had to ask. "How are you so sure?"

"I have my ways," Jesse deflected the question. "Please rest assured Lady Amelia is well, mi'lady. She's amongst her kind and they helped her heal." Before Beca could ask what he meant, Jesse continued. "You will see her soon. Forgive me but I had to change our route. I have to keep you safe and it meant we have to travel where we are welcomed."

She turned to look at him and for the first time, Beca noticed the lacerations on Jesse's face, high on his cheekbones. There were some bruises as well, a little faded but still there.

"You're hurt. Why are you hurt?" Beca said, reaching up to trace the injuries on his face. For a moment, she thought he was going to draw back at the touch of her fingers but Jesse seemed to still himself and let her trace the cuts on his face.

"Just a few skirmishes, mi'lady." Jesse replied.

She knew he was trying to play it down. If she was lying comatose for three days in this cave, he would have been on guard, protecting her. Was that why she saw that enormous shadow of that beast prowling outside? Beca knew what he was now. She would be foolish not to. She also knew the abilities of his kind.

"This does not make sense," Beca said, gently grazing his injuries. "You usually heal very fast."

"I will be fine," Jesse said, moving away, leaving her fingers hanging in the air. "Some poison are a little harder to get rid off."

Beca let her hand fall into her lap, her thoughts now going back. Almost without any emotion and matter of factly, Beca said knowingly, "They are still hunting me."

Jesse nodded.

"Yes, they are."

"I kept hearing voices in my dreams," Beca said.

Jesse's eyes hardened but his voice was still mild. "What voices, mi'lady?"

Beca tucked her hair behind her ear and kept her yes on her lap.

"I hear Amy but her voice kept fading away," she said hesitantly. "Then another voice kept calling out to me. I wanted to go but there were flames -" Beca shook her head. "I'm sorry. I am not making sense. You must think I'm mad."

"No, you're not," Jesse replied gravely. "You were being summoned, mi'lady. What Luke did to you that night - " He broke off, clamping his lips tight.

"Luke is a vampire. I know that now," Beca said. Jesse nodded again and Beca started to fret. "Why have I never noticed it before? I should have known. It was so obvious yet -"

M"Don't be so hard on yourself, mi'lady," Jesse comforted her. "They're skilful creatures. He would have woven a glamour, a spell to hide his true identity."

Beca thought back about how her thoughts will cloud whenever Luke was near. How hypnotising were his green eyes, his smile, the way he would charm and compliment her. She had been so foolish. She had mistaken those empty words, that fake spell he had weaved over her. She had thought she was in love with Luke O'Cullenain. She had let him touch her and kiss her and -

Beca's hand flew to her neck.

Jesse saw that look of horror on her face. He stayed silent, watching her prod the skin on her neck. The one that he had caressed just moments before. The very same place where that leech had fed. He saw it with his own eyes. It was no doubt the worst thing Jesse had ever seen; seeing his beloved, the woman he had swooned to protect clutched in the arms of that parasite. He saw the blood, her blood, dripping off it fangs, that greedy, hungry look in that leech's eyes and that smug, triumphant look on its foul face.

He wanted to tear that creature to pieces. Spill every drop of that poisonous blood

Ground each bone to earth. Burn every bit of unholy flesh till it was all dust.

He wanted to scatter each particle of dust to the four winds.

He would have if he didn't have to think about keeping her safe from what other abomination that were slithering and crawling out of the darkness. Jesse had to content with protecting her and letting that creature go. He would bide his time with Luke O'Cullenain.

Yet Stacie had been right. Luke had been right, damn him.

Beca had been marked. She had been fed on and it meant that poison had leached into her blood. It would mean she would turn. And Mother Luna, what did he have to do to prevent that. When they parted company with Stacie and Amy, Jesse knew what his duty was. He knew what he had to do if Lady Rebecca Mitchell were to turn.

It was the heaviest burden for him to bear.

He had watched in trepidation as the fever took her. That first stage when poison from the creature's fangs raged and coursed hungrily through her veins. Leaching all the good, all the perfection that she was and turning her into something entirely different and inhuman.

He had watched as Beca clawed at her throat, unconscious, mumbling incoherently.

He had watched as she tried rising from the haphazard pile of bedclothes, her body arching in pain and heat. He knew the vampire was calling out to her. Luke needed to feed more to make the turn complete. That binding spell Stacie had tricked both of them to do was what stayed her.

Despite hearing the creatures hunting for her. For him. Yet Jesse still watched.

He had to turn wolf on more than one occasion, ranging round the area, despatching any scouts sniffing around the perimeter. That came at a price. He was hurt. He needed some time to recover but there was none.

Still he watched over her, praying to all the gods he knew that Beca would be alright.

She was still unconscious after two days.

She would have turned by now. This morning was the worse. Her eyes had flew opened, her mouth in a silent scream, her canines far too white, too sharp. And again, her hands were clawing at her throat, her teeth gnashing, chewing on her lips, like she had this unbearable, agonising thirst she could not get rid of.

He had his sword poised over her heart, the point making a dimple on the white flesh of her perfect breast. Tears were streaming down his face yet his hand did not waver. It was when she closed her eyes, her arching body falling to the ground and relaxing into slumber that Jesse heaved a sigh of relief.

He threw his sword aside, sinking to his knees. He had to rub his face hard, trying not to sob out loud and when he was master of his emotions again, Jesse had carefully tucked Beca back into his cloak, covering her with her sable. For a moment, he allowed himself one indulgence; he ran his fingers over her pale, flushed cheek, stroking it softly before getting up and leave.

Beca was still running her fingers on her neck and her eyes met his.

"It's gone," she said. "The marks. They're all gone."

"Yes." Jesse answered simply.

"What? How?" she stuttered.

A strange, high pitched wail went up from the outside. Jesse snapped his head up, his ears pricking sharply. A curse felled from his lips and he turned to look at Beca again.

"I am sorry for this, mi'lady," he apologised. "But do you think you can ride?"

AN : Right off the bat. Not edited. I'll try better. I'm sorry!