Sleep Keeper (11 page)

“No! No! I won’t let you take me!” he screamed into the stark forest.

His head was spinning faster. Laughter echoed in his mind as he fought to gain control. He cupped his hands over his ears but it didn’t provide any relief. He moaned and wrapped his arms tight against his waist to soothe the burning in his gut.

“Calm down, calm down…” he chanted.

The spinning ceased momentarily when he saw Selena jogging over. He held his breath as he watched her long sable hair whip across her milky face. He locked onto her big blue eyes.

“Selena…” he whispered with a half smile.

“Marcus! I was worried about you!” she threw her arms around him.

The soft skin of her cheek brushed against his, and a fresh wave of rage pushed through his chest. He quickly pushed her away, with more force that expected. She flew backward several feet and landed on her side.

Torn between fight-or-flight, the adrenaline flowed profusely through Marcus’ veins and sent his heart pumping faster than his body could handle. Flooded with oxygen-starved blood, his mind spun deeper into the darkness. He fell to his knees and cradled his head, begging for the struggle inside of him to cease. I felt a sharp pain shoot through his head. He groaned and fell onto his back. Selena ran over and knelt beside him.

“What’s happening?” Selena cried.

“Get away from me! I hate you!” he screamed in a voice she did not recognize.

Her face flashed with surprise. “I don’t understand…”

Marcus remained on the ground with his eyes squeezed shut. She could see his pain.

“Where are the others?” she asked.

“Erebus… his men were too strong… we didn’t stand a chance…” he stuttered. “They’re gone,” he whispered as he stared into the bleak sky.

Selena held a blank face, unable to fully process his words.

Tears beaded in his anguished eyes, “My mother’s dead… and my father joined HIM!” he hissed out.

The rage was slowly winning the battle inside with every passing minute. “Leave me, save yourself. I’m broken,” he moaned.

“You’re not broken, you’re just confused. He infected you, Marcus, but you can fight this,” she tried to encourage him.

“Be smart!” he snapped back. The muscles on his arms were flexed tight. His hands were marked with swollen veins.

“I AM being smart!” she cried back with a shaken voice. He wondered if she really believed that. She wondered too. “I will not desert you… I will fight for you…”

“I’ll only take you down with me,” he whimpered.

“You’re worth the fall,” she cried, as tears rolled down her cheeks.

She took his right hand into both of hers and squeezed tight. Marcus laid his left hand over hers and stared into her wet eyes. For a moment she could see a hint of brown flutter in his blackened eyes before disappearing into the dark.

He pushed her hands away. “I will not let you ruin your life!”

“It’s not your choice to make!” her stern voice carried in the wind.

The shrill of Julius’ scream echoed across the land and pierced Selena’s heart. She turned toward the North and watched her cousins’ bodies tumble to the ground as the army swarmed in. She covered her mouth with her thin hands. A crushing weight slammed inside her chest as the horror before her unfolded.

              “No!” Selena yelled and jumped to her feet.

              “Selena! Come now!” her aunt ordered from afar as she led the others away. 

              Selena looked back down at Marcus… to find him gone. I could no longer feel his anger or darkness. Selena scanned all around, but there was no sight of him. She stared back at the ground where just moments before she had held his hand. She knew if she had just a little more time, she could have casted the evil from within him. She thought what they felt for each other had to be strong enough to overcome Erebus’ hold. She would have sacrificed her soul to save his, but instead he sacrificed his for her.

“Selena!” her aunt hollered angrily.

She wiped her eyes with her sleeve and rushed over to help her aunt. It felt like an eternity as she crossed the property, leaving behind her father, brother, and Marcus. She followed the others toward the mountain and into the opening of the cave. Her aunt led the group down the tunnels while Selena remained at its opening. The granite entrance was rigged with a lever to seal the opening shut. It would buy just enough time to travel through the intricate tunnels burrowed in the earth that emerge on the other side of the mountain, several miles away. Without access to the tunnels, it would take Erebus’ men a full day’s journey to reach the other side.

              Serena cupped her mouth as she called out into the wind. “Father! Draco! We’re all here! Hurry now!” She let out a sharp whistle that pierced through the air.

              Ciro caught its tune and tugged at Draco’s arm to retreat. Draco stowed his sword back in the scabbard and hurried behind his father, running the quarter mile toward the opening. The army of wild-eyed men was close now, charging forward like rabid hyenas. The dark-cloaked villain remained lingering amongst the trees. Twenty yards left and the two would reach Selena.

              “
Come on… come on…”
Selena chanted as she watched them anxiously.

My stomach twisted with apprehension.

Suddenly, a figure glided from the forest with lightening speed and paused directly in front of Draco. She had heard countless descriptions of this savage, but nothing prepared Selena for the terror that seized her throat when he glanced over his shoulder and locked onto her stare. His dilated pupils were as black as an endless abyss that sucked her in and filled her with panic. His thin irises were the color of ice; a faded blue that melted into the bright white of his eyes. Dark brown hair stuck against the drab skin of his narrow face. Thin lips snarled against his small dingy teeth. Although he appeared to float effortlessly as he moved, the hanging skin and lack of muscle tone made his physique looked unusually haggard for being the same age as me.

Draco stood frozen with his eyes fixated on Erebus’. I felt the bravery swimming inside his chest suddenly replaced with a feral craving for blood. His eyes glazed over and his innocent face had hardened. His arms fell limp by his sides. A different kind of adrenaline rushed through his veins, the same as I felt in Marcus, except he didn’t fight it. He remained still, eagerly waiting for the command to his first kill. Power and freedom flooded his mind, even though with every breath he took his soul was being woven further into Erebus’ hold.

Watching the transformation, Ciro lunged at Erebus. “Leave my son alone!” he roared.

Without a touch, Ciro was hurled fifteen feet into the air and crashed onto the icy ground. His body remained still.

“Father! No!” Selena cried.

Draco held a blank expression as he observed his father’s crumpled body. His unfocused stare met his sister’s heartbroken eyes. He tilted his head, as if to study her. The indifferent, passive gaze on his face made Selena’s stomach twisted in a knot. She couldn’t understand how Draco could stand idly by as his family was destroyed. She glanced from person to person to discover that she was the only one who was not affected by Erebus’ corrupt presence.

Draco turned away and took his place beside his new master. Erebus mouth twisted in a wry grin at his latest victory. Selena’s eyes filled with tears of sorrow as her heart began to fill with rage; but not Erebus’ rage… her own. Her tears suddenly subsided as the anger inside her intensified. She clenched her teeth; her body burned with an uncontrollable fury. Her nails dug harder into her hands causing droplets of blood to drip from her tightly clenched fists. She was determined to defend her family. Nothing would stop her.

Just as Erebus placed his hand on Draco’s shoulder, the ground began to quiver. Erebus looked up at the mountain, mystified by the sudden quake. The shaking intensified, causing the men to fall to their knees. Selena and Erebus were all that remained standing. He peered at the source of his attacker, the young girl.

Erebus raised a hand and forced it out toward Selena… but nothing happened. His powers were useless against her. She threw her arms into the air and Erebus’ body arched back. His arms flailed, stretched out behind him. A soft crimson glow of energy tore through his chest and flew into Selena’s hands. Erebus fell to his knees as Selena’s body hovered above.

The shaking increased and a sliver formed in the Earth. The ground ripped open; a cloud of dust filled the air. Visibility was obsolete, but Selena could hear Erebus’ screams fading farther away as he fell through the Earth.

The ground quickly closed and the quakes ceased.

The air was unusually quiet.

“Draco?” Selena called as she ran toward the scene.

The unsettled dust still restricted her visibility to a few feet ahead. The men stumbled to their feet, appearing disoriented and unsure how they arrived in the deserted forest.

“Draco!” she cried.

“Selena?” Ciro stumbled to his daughter and wrapped his arms around her. “What happened?”

“Where’s Draco?” She pulled away and frantically searched the nearby area.

Minutes ticked past with no sight of Draco. The air slowly cleared as the breeze blew the remaining haze away from the mountain. The men looked up at the sky in awe as the sun broke through the clouds and cast a rainbow against the lavender painted sky.

Selena continued her search for her brother until night fell and the bright moon replaced the sun. The forest, that had been silent for so long, began to softly sing its natural symphony.

“Draco,” she sobbed as she looked up at the moon.

I blinked my eyes and the moon was farther away, partially covered by the windowpane in my living room. I sat up on the couch. Darkness encompassed the room. I quickly ran into the bedroom and crawled in bed next to Mitchell. He sighed in his sleep and turned over. I took a sip of water from a glass on the nightstand. Trying to ignore my stinging neck, I lay back down. The details of my recent dream quickly began to fade, like most dreams did. Orion’s storytelling triggered the first real dream I had in a long time. A touch of panic crept up as I wondered if having a real dream meant I no longer would dream of Orion… I closed my eyes, trying for force myself to fall asleep. Of course that didn’t work and I lay there two hours before my mind finally gave up and I drifted off.

I stood in the familiar forest outside of Orion’s house. The warm sun and crisp air welcomed me back. I was ecstatic to be here. I felt surprisingly refreshed and content, given the recent attack in my life. I pushed them out of my mind and focused on the present… seeing Orion. I spotted him through the window in his house and jogged across the field. His door opened in a flash and I was instantly reminded of how gorgeous he was.

“Hi,” he greeted with his ravishing smile.

He moved from the entrance and motioned me to come inside. I followed, beaming a grin in return. He reached down and scooped me up in an unexpected hug, lifting me from my feet. I felt both nervous and exhilarated with his arms around me. I swung my arms around his neck and pressed my shoulders into him. I closed my eyes a moment, lost in his scent, when he set me back on my feet and ended the hug just as quickly as it began. He moved to the couch and I stood there for a moment in a daze before snapping back and joining him.

“I was worried about you,” he said.

“You were? Why?”

Could he know what happened with Jeremy?

“I don’t know… maybe I just missed you,” he smirked.

Was that a joke or did he really miss me?

I couldn’t leave this mystery hanging. “You missed me?” I asked with a slight grin.

“I guess I’m getting used to having you around,” he winked.

Was that sarcasm?

“So, everything’s okay?” he asked again.

I hesitated and shifted on the couch, “Yes, everything’s fine.”

He straightened his posture, “What is it, Alexis? You can tell me.”

“Well, something happened tonight, or today, whichever. It was my brother, Jeremy. He… I don’t know how to explain it. He just snapped.”

“What happened?”

“I’m not sure. He… went after me.”

Orion’s body stiffened and his face flashed with anger, “He went after you? Like, he hurt you?”

“Not badly, but he tried. Mitchell stopped him… I don’t want to talk about it. Can we just let it go?” I urged.

His jaw tightened when I spoke Mitchell’s name. “Let it go? Does this happen often?” He was noticeably baffled by my dismissal.

“No, of course not. I just don’t want to talk about it.” I asserted.

“Where’s your brother now?”

“He’s in jail, locked up. I don’t know how long they’ll hold him but he was on parole so I’m sure it’ll be for a while. I’ll probably have to go to court…”

“Why did he go after you? Did you two get into an argument?” he interrogated.

Obviously Orion was not going to let this go.

“No, that’s the strange thing. I don’t know why he did it. I came home and he was waiting in my house and just… attacked me. He never said why. That’s all I know.”