Post by Jenn on Jun 30, 2013 14:20:09 GMT -8
Sarah turned from her conversation at Tomadius’ touch. “Yes?”
“They would like to see you on the upper deck.”
“Thank you.”
The message delivered, Tomadius gave her slight bow and turned away. Sarah smiled at his retreating back and crossed the long hall to the large wooden table at other end. Prince Dario sat with Seraphina and Cecelia at his side. There were others there but only Colin was worthy of notice.
She stopped three paces away from the table and waited to be acknowledged. When Prince Dario nodded to her, she took a step forward and bowed her head. “You called for me, Your Highness?”
“Yeeesss.” The word was drawn out, ending in a soft hiss.
Sarah looked up, startled. “How… how may I be of service?”
“You can tell me what you want.”
She shook her head, confused. Want? She didn’t want anything… Then the pain began. It was a pain that was both memory and immediate. Something was forcing its way into her. It violated every part of her being. She tried to scream but something was in her throat, forcing itself both up and down. At her core was ice. The pain grew as it felt like every muscle in her body tried to tear itself free.
The ice exploded in the burning of flame, of sunlight. She was being consumed by it from the inside out. She could feel the light bursting from her face, her mouth, her eyes… and still there was something forcing its way out of her throat.
Then there was a voice, sensuous and sibilant. “What I want… issss to be free.”
Sarah realized that the voice was coming from above her head. She made her eyes open and saw through the light that a snake had forced its way out of her mouth. It was talking while she dangled on its body like a puppet.
“I’ll think about it.” Dario’s voice, clipped and clear.
“Very well,” the snake bowed it’s head and then vanished.
Sarah collapsed to the ground, her insides as raw and torn up as they had been by the ritual used on her the previous week. She couldn’t move. Somewhere over her head, Dario’s voice said, “Tell Hashomer what’s happened.”
Sarah sat up in a tangle of bloodstained sheets and concerned cats. Shaking in fear and remembered pain, she waited a moment, wondering if she’d screamed this time. The nightmares were rare these days. When no one came running, she relaxed a little. “It was just a nightmare. A mother fucking nightmare. Nothing real. Nothing major. Just a nightmare.”
She did the work of striping the bed sheets and re-making her bed. It’s not like she could hide the stained sheets. Shani would know she’d had a nightmare and would tell Victor. Then the two ghouls would quietly try to make things better.
But they couldn’t make things better. Not from this.
“I’m not the magical one in the family. I don’t have prophetic dreams. Psychologically speaking, I’m feeling trapped by Callie. That’s it. There isn’t a Setite or a Setite spirit looking for me. There isn’t.” She spoke to all four of her cats who paid attention to the sound of her voice.
Inky put a paw on her arm and seemed to ask, Are you sure?
Sarah pet her alpha. “No, I’m not sure. Not since we did the ritual on the tablet.” She kept her voice to a low murmur as she made her confession. “I feel like something’s looking for me. Which is why that dream was just a dream.” She ignored the weakness of her conviction as she sat and let her guardian pets cuddle up to her and lick away all traces of her bloodsweat.
“One thing’s for sure… I don’t need to burden Ioseph with this. He feels bad enough already for everything that happened.” She closed her eyes and summoned up the image of Caroline’s face to sooth her shattered nerves. “After all… it was only a dream.”
“They would like to see you on the upper deck.”
“Thank you.”
The message delivered, Tomadius gave her slight bow and turned away. Sarah smiled at his retreating back and crossed the long hall to the large wooden table at other end. Prince Dario sat with Seraphina and Cecelia at his side. There were others there but only Colin was worthy of notice.
She stopped three paces away from the table and waited to be acknowledged. When Prince Dario nodded to her, she took a step forward and bowed her head. “You called for me, Your Highness?”
“Yeeesss.” The word was drawn out, ending in a soft hiss.
Sarah looked up, startled. “How… how may I be of service?”
“You can tell me what you want.”
She shook her head, confused. Want? She didn’t want anything… Then the pain began. It was a pain that was both memory and immediate. Something was forcing its way into her. It violated every part of her being. She tried to scream but something was in her throat, forcing itself both up and down. At her core was ice. The pain grew as it felt like every muscle in her body tried to tear itself free.
The ice exploded in the burning of flame, of sunlight. She was being consumed by it from the inside out. She could feel the light bursting from her face, her mouth, her eyes… and still there was something forcing its way out of her throat.
Then there was a voice, sensuous and sibilant. “What I want… issss to be free.”
Sarah realized that the voice was coming from above her head. She made her eyes open and saw through the light that a snake had forced its way out of her mouth. It was talking while she dangled on its body like a puppet.
“I’ll think about it.” Dario’s voice, clipped and clear.
“Very well,” the snake bowed it’s head and then vanished.
Sarah collapsed to the ground, her insides as raw and torn up as they had been by the ritual used on her the previous week. She couldn’t move. Somewhere over her head, Dario’s voice said, “Tell Hashomer what’s happened.”
#
Sarah sat up in a tangle of bloodstained sheets and concerned cats. Shaking in fear and remembered pain, she waited a moment, wondering if she’d screamed this time. The nightmares were rare these days. When no one came running, she relaxed a little. “It was just a nightmare. A mother fucking nightmare. Nothing real. Nothing major. Just a nightmare.”
She did the work of striping the bed sheets and re-making her bed. It’s not like she could hide the stained sheets. Shani would know she’d had a nightmare and would tell Victor. Then the two ghouls would quietly try to make things better.
But they couldn’t make things better. Not from this.
“I’m not the magical one in the family. I don’t have prophetic dreams. Psychologically speaking, I’m feeling trapped by Callie. That’s it. There isn’t a Setite or a Setite spirit looking for me. There isn’t.” She spoke to all four of her cats who paid attention to the sound of her voice.
Inky put a paw on her arm and seemed to ask, Are you sure?
Sarah pet her alpha. “No, I’m not sure. Not since we did the ritual on the tablet.” She kept her voice to a low murmur as she made her confession. “I feel like something’s looking for me. Which is why that dream was just a dream.” She ignored the weakness of her conviction as she sat and let her guardian pets cuddle up to her and lick away all traces of her bloodsweat.
“One thing’s for sure… I don’t need to burden Ioseph with this. He feels bad enough already for everything that happened.” She closed her eyes and summoned up the image of Caroline’s face to sooth her shattered nerves. “After all… it was only a dream.”