Chapter 24

Tera could see her own reflection in the jagged shard of the mirror Elise clutched in her hand. She noted for a moment how hard her face looked. There was an intensity there that surprised her, a harshness that she never would have suspected. It provided an interesting perspective on how others perceived her in such moments.

"Let it go," Tera said in a calm but hard tone, as she shifted her gaze to Elise's eyes. She found a wild feral energy within those blue depths that surprised her. Normally such zealous fervor was reserved for religious fanatics bent on joining whatever god they prayed too.

"No, no, must complete final duty, please just let me go," Elise said in a growling tone.

Tera could feel the young womans blood flowing from her palm. It oozed over her hand. The warm fluid slipping between the tightly clenched fingers which held Elise's wrist in an iron grip.

"You don't have to do this, someone is making you do it, fight it, fight it"

Tera's words came out in short clipped bursts as the women struggled. Tera could see the pain in Elises' eyes, knew that its source was not the shard of glass digging into her palm as much as whatever phantom held sway over her soul.

Sims burst into the room.

Moving quickly behind Elise his arms wrapped around her. His hands joining Tera's at her wrist.

Elise's eyes cleared and softened for a moment, she locked her gaze with Tera's.

"Please, it's ok, it's for the best ... I'm ... so tired of fighting him, just let it end..."

Elise's voice trailed off in a whisper as the softness faded from her eyes, replaced once again with the burning fury of overwhelming need.

Tera would always remember that soft lament, the pleading, broken quality of it, the way it touched her soul.

Sims shifted his weight, trying to get a better hold on the woman's wrist. He misjudged her strength.

Shifting the trio's balance he lost his grip and fell backwards, the girl and Tera falling hard to the floor, the jagged mirror trapped between them.

...

Valerie felt Michael's hand tense in hers.

The pressure, painful one moment and then gone the next as he broke into a dead run, heading for the castle.

"Michael!"

Valerie screamed as she started running after him. An immediate sense of foreboding cloaking her soul.

Nigel saw Michael and Valerie walking, noted the watchers behind them. And then Michael was off like a shot, bobbing and weaving through the heavy crowd heading towards the house.

Nigel keyed his com as he followed Michael, who was now trailed at some distance by Valerie and the watchers.

"Team 3 head to the main house, something is going on."

'I'm getting to old for this, ' Ian thought as he ran.

Michael had felt the pain blossom in the pit of his stomach. It was a deep cloying thing that came over him with such speed and intensity that he was almost brought to his knees by it.

The crowd seemed bent on stopping him as he moved through them with as much speed as he could.

Finally getting free of the crowd Michael broke into a sprint as he gained the castle grounds. Running along the west side of the maze he reached out with his senses, trying to get a fix on Tera. He was surprised to find that there were two people he was picking up, one was Tera, she was under stress, her emotions a tight bundle of energy and exertion. The other person was oddly calm. He could sense pain, frustration and rage but also a sense of sweet resignation. It was as if the person was being torn down the middle, neither side having the strength or energy to overcome the emotions that whirled within them.

Michael angled away from the main house. Tera and whoever was in such turmoil were off to the right, within the low building on the other side of the maze.

Two men were at the entrance; they saw Michael coming and immediately went stiff, their eyes becoming hard as their hands moved towards the side arms at their waists.

Michael paid them no mind as he blew by them into the building, coming to a quick halt as he got his bearings before turning left, running down the long hallway. The last door on the right was open, he could hear a wailing cry as he grabbed the doorframe, using it to slow himself and pull him into the room.

Sims was standing over Tera, who had a young woman wrapped in her arms. Her eyes locked on his, he could see the pain and fear playing in their liquid depths.

"Michael,"

Tera's gasped acknowledgement of him brought him to his knees at her side.

"She is going to die Michael, please, help her, it was an accident, she doesn't want this," Tera said. The strain evident in her voice.

Elise's head turned, she looked up, her face ashen.

When she found his eyes, she tensed, her whole body becoming rigid.

"I'm sorry."

Her whispered words echoed in Michael's ears as her eyes slipped closed.

Michael pulled her limp form into his arms. He could feel the warmth of her blood as it oozed over his fingers as he placed his hand over the wound. The shard of mirror had slipped between her ribs, the crimson stain of its entry slowly spreading over her white shirt.

Michael closed his eyes and reached out to her, remembering the feeling of being connected with Tera in the river he sought and found the image of Elise's wound. The mirror had made a deep gash in one lung which was filling up with fluid, her heart was also compromised, the damage was extensive, Michael felt the life ebbing from her. He let the warm energy surround them, felt the power flow into him and through him. Opening the floodgates he let it wash over her, sending it towards her wounds, willing them to heal.

Michael tensed as he felt something else. A dark foreboding presence, malicious, malignant. He expanded his connection with her, linking with her mind. When he did Elise's eyes snapped open. Michael stared into her now opaque eyes as her arms came up, twining around his shoulders.

Tera and Sims both moved to separate the two.

"Don't."

Michael's single word, uttered in a soft but lethal tone stopped both of them in their tracks.

By this time Nigel, Valerie and the rest of the watchers had found their way into the room. All of them stood watching the two figures locked in what could be viewed either as an embrace or a struggle.

Michael was shocked to find the darkness that he did. It was as if something lived within this young woman. Had been spawned there. An entity of pure evil and malice.

"This one is mine," came a hissing voice that seemed familiar to Michael.

Michael concentrated, pouring more energy into his link with the young woman while trying to clarify what he was perceiving.

His vision solidified and he was horrified by what he found.

Before him was the wasted countenance of the young woman in his arms.

Her flesh, gray and withered hung loosely over her form. Her hair a matted greasy tangle. Her eyes nothing more than black holes looking at him from an almost skeletonised skull. Behind this monster another version of the young woman cowered. Her face pale but illuminated by a faint ivory glow. Never had Michael encountered anything that radiated such a feeling of pure fear.

"This one is mine."

The hissing voice was difficult to listen to; it had the tone and tenor of pure evil.

"Let it die."

"I won't do that," Michael said as he moved closer, trying to get to the young woman on the ground.

The thing moved into his path, a few inches separating them. Michael could feel the malevolence rolling off the entity. Its hand reached out, landing on his chest.

Pain shot through Michael at the creatures touch. Ribbons of agony coursed through him, his entire nervous system seemingly on overload. The creature grinned. "I thought you would be more of a challenge," it said as Michael struggled to maintain the connection.

Tera and Valerie both felt the pain as Michael's body tensed and a low moan escaped his lips. The women instinctually moved to him, placing their hands on his now sweating form.

Michael felt the shift immediately. The pain lessened and then began to disappear all together. Michael's eyes opened and locked with the creatures.

"Perhaps more of a challenge than you thought," his even tone and clear burning eyes made the creature step back, it's hand slipping from his chest breaking the connection.

Michael stepped around the thing, which now stood still, seemingly unable to move, and went to the young woman on the ground. He crouched down, gently moving the hair from in front of her eyes.

"Take my hand." Michael said simply.

Her head raised a bit, her unfocused eyes played over the contours of his face, glanced down at the hand he held out to her.

"But ... the master will be angry."

Her whispered statement carried with it the weight of dread and fear long carried.

"It's ok, whomever the master is, can't hurt you anymore, just take my hand," Michael said with a reassuring smile.

"No!"

The creature had not moved from its spot but its scream caught both of them by surprise.

Fear washed over the young womans features. Michael shifted on his heels, moving between her and the thing.

"Don't pay it any mind, it's ok, I'll protect you."

He said it with a lopsided grin that she found funny and comforting in the same moment. Her hand raised and fell within his.

Both Michael and Elise gasped and opened their eyes at the same moment.

They both held the others gaze as the moment stretched out. No one in the room breathed.

She clutched herself too him.

"Thank you," Elise whispered into Michael ear as she trembled in his arms for a moment and then slipped into unconciousness.

"Sims, take her to the infirmary," Nigel said as Michael let her slip from his arms.

Michael was drained, he leaned back against Tera who was kneeling behind him. Her arms curled around him, it felt good, comforting.

"A hell of a day at the fair," Michael quipped, getting the hoped for laugh that lightened the mood in the room.

"Come on, lets get you out of here," Valerie said.

Holding out her hands Michael and Tera each took one, letting her help them to their feet.

"Who is she?"

Michael's question was directed towards Nigel.

After a long pause Nigel answered.

"Someone we thought to be involved with the trouble the other day, it seems we may have been mistaken."

Nigel's cautious answer spurred Michael further.

"She was involved, but not by her own choice, someone was controlling her, she had known so much pain and fear, take it easy with her, I don't think there is anything left to fear from her, please let me know if there is anything I can do."

Michael pulled Tera and Valerie to his sides as he finished. The trio moved out of the room heading for the castle.

Nigel watched them go, a wary look in his eye as he walked behind them towards the infirmary.

Sims was standing off to the side as the doctor looked her over.

"I want you to keep an eye on her Sims, stay close to her. We will keep her on the property until after the festival, but while she is here I want an eye on her at all times, and she sleeps in here, under guard." Nigel said in a low tone as he stood next to Sims.

"Not a problem, I'll keep an eye her."

Sims seemed distant, only half in the conversation.

Nigel shook his head as he left to go find Ian and fill him in.

...

Elise slowly opened her eyes. The room was bit blurry, the watery vision you have when just awakening. She took stock. Toes wiggled, fingers flexed, neck still worked, with a bit of an ache attached.

Her breath caught and she sat up in the bed. Her vision blurring and a sense of vertigo threatening to loosen her grip on consciousness. Pulling up the hem of the green scrubs shirt she found herself wearing. The fingers of her right hand gently playing over her stomach, there was a jagged ridge of cool flesh that ran about 4 inches between her belly button and sternum. Her fingers played over the scar, the fight coming back to her as if she watched it on video.

Elise remembered the fight, loosing control, having the other take over and attack that woman who was being so nice to her. Silent tears started rolling from her eyes blurring her vision once again.

"It's ok, no need to cry, your safe."

The voice startled her and she turned her head, dropping the shirt hem, her left hand coming up to clear her eyes.

She found kind worried eyes regarding her. It was the man who had brought her food over the last few days. 'What was his name, ' Elise thought to herself.

"Sims?" she questioned. Continuing to look into his eyes, the fingers of her right hand still moving gently over the scar now hidden by her shirt.

Sims smiled a warm comforting smile.

"Yes, I'm Sims, you don't need to worry, everything will be ok, you're safe no one will hurt you." He said a bit too quickly.

"What happened, how long have I been unconscious, this... ," she said motioning down with her eyes, " ... should have killed me, but now it's healed, how long?"

A cloud came over Sims' eyes; he knew that she should be dead, at the very least in ICU for a few weeks recovering from the wound. He took a deep breath.

"Four hours, you were wounded four hours ago"

His voice was calm, soft, it helped take the edge off what she knew to be impossible, made it believable.

"Four hours." She said in a hoarse voice.

Sims stood and poured water from a pitcher by the table into a glass and handed it to her.

She took it gratefully, her fingers brushing his for a moment as he passed her the glass. His skin was warm, much warmer than she expected, and rough, the skin of a man who works with his hand.

She smiled at him gratefully from behind the glass as she took a long drink. The water feeling wonderful to her dry throat.

Diffuse sangria toned light spilled through the window in front of her. Evening was coming, it hadn't tightened its grip on the light but it was clear night would be arriving and it was heralded by this rich deep redness, which bathed the room in an ethereal glow.

Swinging her feet off the bed Elise stood. A small wobble brought Sims to her side, his hand gently curling around her forearm to steady her.

"Thank you," she said. Looking up into his clear blue eyes, feeling safe for the first time in ... forever.

"It feels like I have been indoors for days." Elise said running her fingers through her hair.

"Any chance we could go for a walk, I would like to stretch my legs if that's allowed."

Her shy soft voice disarmed Sims. A smile curled his lips.

"Yes, I think we can manage a walk, lets get you properly kitted out and take a stroll." Sims' enthusiasm and energy were not lost on Elise as she watched him walk towards the lockers on the other end of the room.

'Four hours, ' the number played through her head, how or more importantly who could have healed her this quickly.

The question lay unresolved as took the clothes from Sims and walked towards the bathroom. The answer would have to wait. For now the sunset beckoned.

...

Tera and Valerie had taken Michael up to their room. He had been drained by the incident with Elise and slipped into a deep sleep almost as soon as they laid him on the bed. Each placing a light kiss on his cheek before they walked out onto the small balcony.

Mid afternoon had brought thick white clouds to the sky. They seemed to race each other on the wind as they passed over the castle, their reckless paths leading them to the horizon.

Valerie slipped her hand into Tera's as they looked out over rolling hills beyond the castle. Something was coming, building. Something that neither of them were prepared for or could give voice to, but both knew none the less that it approached.