Georgia closed the gap quickly and sat down
on the bench beside Carol Anne. Her golden eyes gazed into the other woman’s
wide grey eyes searching. It had been so long, so many centuries since she had
seen her sister that she felt another surge of emotion that she had long since
forgotten. She would have thought it was love but she considered love a
weakness so she equated the feeling to respect.
She searched for her sister’s soul in the
woman and felt hollow when she found no sign of her; instead flashes of
pictures entered her sight. Flashes of tears and blood others of hatred and
humiliation. The ground gently shook beneath their feet as Georgia’s anger
raged to the surface. Knowing the guardian was coming up behind her didn’t matter;
she would rip the man apart that she saw in the memories of her sister.
“You
are not at full power.” She heard in her head. “I saw what you saw but there is another way to handle this.” Georgia
hated that she was right and grit her teeth against Skye’s words that did
nothing to help her rage. “Or… Chase can
kill you and I’ll be back to myself again.”
That last sentence checked her and her
expression softened as she took in the fear in Carol Anne’s eyes. Chase was
directly behind her now and on full guard. He had a curved knife with a
Hematite grip within quick reach of his hand. It was the only thing that could
do long lasting damage to her. “Down dog.” She said sweetly and he stood
perfectly still but ready. She turned her attention back to Carol Anne and
spoke softly. “Sister…I’ve seen your horrors and this will be dealt with.” She
reached out to touch her and the bonds restraining Carol Anne fell away but she
didn’t move away. Carol Anne sat frozen before her staring into those eyes. “I
know that your plan is to leave, I have seen this…but I need you to go back. I
won’t lose you after finally finding you.” She paused. “It is not really you
though…but I will keep your vessel safe until I find your soul.” Georgia could
compel men and women but never a sister. She had to trust that Carol Anne would
listen and Georgia never trusted anyone.
She stood with the grace of a queen and her
eyes never left Carol Anne’s face. “One more night sister and we will be
together again.” As she turned, she looked up at Chase. “I know enough to know
that if I go in there and see that man he’ll die by my hand and you will have
to kill me.” She noted how fierce and handsome he looked at this moment. “I
also know that since 2 souls dwell in this vessel, if you kill me, you will kill
her and without a soul inhabiting this body…” her eyes flicked to the awning of
the shop. “We will both die…and not return.”
Georgia felt Skye’s immediate fear spike
through her. Chase didn’t change his expression but his body visibly relaxed.
She raised her hand slowly and placed it on his chest. He flinched, not so much
seen as felt and when she looked into his eyes again her golden eyes were
replaced by green ones and the hand touching him was shaking.
Skye dropped her hand and turned to where
Carol Anne was still speechless on the bench. She took in Skye’s now green eyes,
the colour drained from her face and she fainted.
Skye looked at Chase with pleading eyes. His
only response was a grunt and leaned down to pick up Carol Anne. “We need to
talk.” He said gruffly.
“You think?” she snapped and he gave her an
incredulous look as he lifted the unconscious woman. Feeling ashamed of her
reaction she was reminded that she had been in almost the same position as the
woman he was holding not so long ago. “Sorry.”
The bell rang as the shop door opened and
Skye held it open for Chase to sidestep through. They heard the voices in the
next room and heard Robert haggling with Leigh. They exchanged a glance and
understood. She motioned him towards a Victorian sofa made of dark wood and
lush green well-worn fabric. The scroll work on the high back and arms was
elegant and it creaked gently when Chase laid Carol Anne down.
The creak drew Leigh’s attention and she
gasped and ran into the room. Robert turned, saw his wife laying there with
Chase standing above her and something flashed across his face. It was not care
or concern. Both Skye and Chase caught it before it turned to feigned concern
for his wife’s condition as he hurried into the room. Chase stepped back when
Robert approached and kneeled down next to his wife. He didn’t look at anyone as he
asked. “What happened?”
The lie came easily to Skye and she had a
feeling that it wasn’t her that the explanation was coming from. “I was outside
talking to Chase and she just passed out by the pond!” She couldn’t stop
talking. “I asked Chase to bring her here because you know, I couldn’t carry
her. The poor thing I hope she’s ok!” She forced herself to put a hand on
Roberts shoulder…she shouldn’t have. She felt his hatred, felt his enjoyment of
hurting her and even felt his shame that he liked hurting her so much.
Visions of brutal violence hit her but it
wasn’t his violence, it was Georgia’s. Visions of her hand breaking through his
chest, through the muscle and bone past the breastplate to his beating heart.
The image of blood pooling around her hand and flowing down her wrist before it
stopped at the elbow and splashed to the floor.
The grotesque image of her hand closing
around his heart and squeezing rattled her but only for a moment.
To Skye’s surprise she calmly removed her
hand and stepped back only to hit a solid body. Chase’s warmth soaked into her and
she relaxed even though her emotions were a storm inside of her. Her desire to
save Carol Anne was absolute.
She felt Georgia smile.
No comments:
Post a Comment