Y'all, I am so sorry for the many months of delay. Lots of chaos and temporary loss of inspiration, but I'm back now. My update schedule will probably be chaotic, but I will never abandon the story and I'll try to get the next Haldamire chapter out soon. Let me know what y'all think of this rather dramatic chapter.
I swallowed against the burning lips on my throat. My head was held in place by a hand wrapped tightly in my hair. I was afraid to open my eyes and to scarcely take more than a breath. The lips were harsh and hot with the teeth scraping lightly against the soft skin on my neck.
I let out a slight whimper and felt the lips press harder in response. My hands were tightly clenched in fabric. The hand angled my head more sideways stretching out my neck so it felt almost strained. My hands had to be clutching the cloth so tightly they were white because I could feel them shaking from the force. I felt the presence of sharp teeth nip right under my chin where it met the throat, and the pulse could be felt.
"Stop being so frightened. I find it strangely perturbing" The teeth lifted as the words were whispered into my ear in a tone I couldn't think to place. My hands were still fisted and shaking in his clothes.
"What did you expect?" I asked almost petulantly and felt heat flare up. We were so close together that despite the barriers of clothing I could tell even minuscule temperature changes. The easiest way to read his mood. Much easier than just knowing more anger was hotter. So many things could be told from unbidden temperature changes to even the smallest degree. No wonder Tar-Mairon could read them easier than they could him. They had a much harder time controlling their emotions or rather, they truly didn't care to. It isn't like many beings would ever get close to enough to tell.
"You still haven't learned proper respect" I yelped as my hair was pulled painfully. I opened my eyes to catch his and then look down submissively with a little whimper. The pressure eased a little and I shivered in relief as my neck wasn't exposed so stressfully by pressure.
I gasped as I felt his other hand rest lightly on my stomach and wander down slowly. I managed to unclench my fists from his robes and grab his hand.
"No, not yet" I whimpered. His hand was still, but it wasn't from me holding his hand with mine. He could overpower me very easily if he wanted to. I felt his temperature drop in sulky type behavior before shooting up with anger.
"Do you know why you're here alive?" I gasped as he bit me hard on the neck.
I came to with a start of shock on the couch in my parent's house. I sat bolt upright and looked around nearly screaming when I saw Langon standing passively by a window. I quickly looked around to see if anyone was there but saw, and heard, nothing.
"An interesting place" Langon said placidly and then continued when I sat silently "your memories and home"
"interesting" I muttered feeling extremely disoriented because I felt the echo of heat and pain on my neck.
"What's more interesting is that I can never seem to remember what I learn here when I leave. Its very confounding and a problem Tar-Mairon has been in deep contemplation over with Haldamire" Langon finally turned and looked at me with disturbing eyes of pure inky darkness. I shrugged with a scowl. I thought about glaring at him but decided that I didn't want to die or suffer so I just looked at the floor.
"Of course, I'll remember that little glimpse I sent you. Tricky magic sending visions of foresight to one without the gift but with little amounts of celestial blood." He continued on and I felt ice drip down my back "think of it as dreams within dreams and remember the price if you wish to live, but I suppose it wouldn't be hard to trap you in so many dreams that you wouldn't even know what reality is and live that way" He said in his sing-song tone of manipulation. It was working too. "Not an appealing prospect? We could break your mind so much it wouldn't matter. You're running quickly out of time"
"I don't want to live within dreams to live and wake up in a real dream. I want to be me as me" I scowled feeling terror and anger both puling in me. I couldn't remember when this dream had started or how I even got here. What was I doing before?
"So you agree?" Langon turned back to the window. Didn't I have forever? Did he decide to push now? I could never trust anything Langon said as truth. I saw him before at a movie theatre in this dream of my previous life, I think. There was so much confusion in me, but I could doubt that I had to wake up to reality, good or bad, if I wanted to stay me.
The words "I agree" were scarcely out of my mouth before I felt everything going dark and like I was being flung upwards at the same.