A Rose in the Rain
Chapter Four
Deeper and deeper the blackness grew as I waited, until I could see nothing but the dim stars overhead. It was a new moon, my favorite night, where I could escape into the dark. Even though I gathered my power from the full moon, I’d rather be powerless at that time.
I sat on the railing of my balcony, my eyes shutting as I listened to the sounds of the night. I could hear the stream that ran through the forest , the rustling of the leaves in the trees. I could hear the whisper of the curtains that covered the doorway from my bedroom as the wind made them dance. And then I heard the most horrifying sound I’d ever witnessed. I heard Illusion’s muffled scream.
I slid from the rail and ran to her room, which was next to mine. “Illusion!” I called, opening the door and walking in. “Illusion?” I questioned, barely able to make out the figure holding a mass in its arms, half of it still on the bed, by the one lit candle on the sconce in the wall.
“Murder?” A weak voice called to me from the direction I was looking at.
That’s when I realized that the mass in the figure’s arms was Illusion. “Let her go, creature.” I said, taking a step forward.
“Stay where you are. You cannot help her.” The figure stated, his voice deep and seductive.
I stopped. I knew that voice. I had heard it only hours earlier. “M’sieur Valo.” I stated. “You will unhand my cousin or deal with the power of the Night Coven.” I told him, raising my hand to him.
That’s when a second figure grabbed my wrist and pulled me to it. “There is no help for her anymore.” It whispered to me.
My eyes widened, and then filled with tears. “M’sieur… You will unhand me, or you will pay for your treachery.” I told him, my voice cold.
He chuckled, enraging me. “I would think that by letting you go, I would pay greater for it.”
The darkness seemed to grow thick, almost corporeal, as we stood there, the only sounds were my erratic breathing and the pained sounds coming from my cousin.
“I thought you meant what you said, m’sieur… That you intended on taking me away.” I said to the figure holding me.
“I did… I do… I will explain later.” He told me.
I laughed hollowly. “Oh? You expect me to believe you now? After you’ve only come to steal the life from my friend? My cousin? Tell me, are you assassins from a rival Coven? Or are you under Zachary’s orders because Illusion did not accept his affections for she loved Frank?”
“We are under no one’s orders but our own, dear Lotus.” He whispered, loosening his hold on me slightly. “I will explain everything in time, but now you have to follow me.”
I scoffed, pushing him away and taking a defensive stance. “I will do no such thing. You will not take me anywhere. I should have known better than to trust someone who seemed so interested in me.”
He sighed, exasperated. “You are so difficult, kulta.” He muttered, grabbing me again.
“Let me go!” I cried, struggling against him.
“Please don’t make me restrain you.” He pleaded.
I pushed against him. “Let me go or you will pay dearly!” I screamed.
He made an annoyed sound and pierced my neck with something sharp, making me scream, but go limp. “I’m sorry, my Lotus… You gave me no choice.” He whispered to me as I lay paralyzed in his arms. “I had hoped I would have been able to give you the choice.” He whispered as we started to move. “Sleep now, love.” He whispered.
And I did so involuntarily.
I sat on the railing of my balcony, my eyes shutting as I listened to the sounds of the night. I could hear the stream that ran through the forest , the rustling of the leaves in the trees. I could hear the whisper of the curtains that covered the doorway from my bedroom as the wind made them dance. And then I heard the most horrifying sound I’d ever witnessed. I heard Illusion’s muffled scream.
I slid from the rail and ran to her room, which was next to mine. “Illusion!” I called, opening the door and walking in. “Illusion?” I questioned, barely able to make out the figure holding a mass in its arms, half of it still on the bed, by the one lit candle on the sconce in the wall.
“Murder?” A weak voice called to me from the direction I was looking at.
That’s when I realized that the mass in the figure’s arms was Illusion. “Let her go, creature.” I said, taking a step forward.
“Stay where you are. You cannot help her.” The figure stated, his voice deep and seductive.
I stopped. I knew that voice. I had heard it only hours earlier. “M’sieur Valo.” I stated. “You will unhand my cousin or deal with the power of the Night Coven.” I told him, raising my hand to him.
That’s when a second figure grabbed my wrist and pulled me to it. “There is no help for her anymore.” It whispered to me.
My eyes widened, and then filled with tears. “M’sieur… You will unhand me, or you will pay for your treachery.” I told him, my voice cold.
He chuckled, enraging me. “I would think that by letting you go, I would pay greater for it.”
The darkness seemed to grow thick, almost corporeal, as we stood there, the only sounds were my erratic breathing and the pained sounds coming from my cousin.
“I thought you meant what you said, m’sieur… That you intended on taking me away.” I said to the figure holding me.
“I did… I do… I will explain later.” He told me.
I laughed hollowly. “Oh? You expect me to believe you now? After you’ve only come to steal the life from my friend? My cousin? Tell me, are you assassins from a rival Coven? Or are you under Zachary’s orders because Illusion did not accept his affections for she loved Frank?”
“We are under no one’s orders but our own, dear Lotus.” He whispered, loosening his hold on me slightly. “I will explain everything in time, but now you have to follow me.”
I scoffed, pushing him away and taking a defensive stance. “I will do no such thing. You will not take me anywhere. I should have known better than to trust someone who seemed so interested in me.”
He sighed, exasperated. “You are so difficult, kulta.” He muttered, grabbing me again.
“Let me go!” I cried, struggling against him.
“Please don’t make me restrain you.” He pleaded.
I pushed against him. “Let me go or you will pay dearly!” I screamed.
He made an annoyed sound and pierced my neck with something sharp, making me scream, but go limp. “I’m sorry, my Lotus… You gave me no choice.” He whispered to me as I lay paralyzed in his arms. “I had hoped I would have been able to give you the choice.” He whispered as we started to move. “Sleep now, love.” He whispered.
And I did so involuntarily.