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Ouroboros Part Eight

Chatoya looked at her watch and sighed. Outside, the sky began to dull to a twining of dusky purple and fire-shot pink as the sun glided towards the horizon for her night slumber. “I’d better go,” she said ruefully. “I heard the ‘wolves are having a Pack hunt tonight. And Iry’s out hunting alone, again. I don’t want to hear them.” Something reminded her as she glanced over at Alisha. “Oh!” She dug around in a small bag that was by her. “Here, the key to Zara’s place.”

Alisha decided not to mention that she had already picked the lock and slept there last night. After all, she had reasoned, they had already said she could have the place. Luckily for her, no awkward questions were asked about her lodgings the previous night.

“Alisha’s place, now,” Ruby Luthman said softly. Alisha wasn’t sure if there was hostility in her remark or not.

“You’ve had an interesting couple of days,” Jepar said dryly. “It’s not everyone who gets assassins and dragons chasing them.” In more ways than he knew, Alisha thought to herself.

Alisha smiled at them all, and was happy when people smiled back. “It’s been nice meeting you all,” she said lightly.

“Does this mean we get the pleasure of your company tonight?” Cern Akafren said. The mahogany haired witch boy winked at her. His eyes were an extraordinary shade of purple, his face hopeful. There was a boyish cast to his features that belied the serious personality lying underneath.

“Tonight?”

“Coffee,” Cern explained helpfully. “Chatoya’ll explain.”

Jepar rolled his eyes expressively. “She’s stuck with us now.” He looked over at her and explained with a beatific smile, “Once you get seen with Circle Strange, you’re part of us.”

“That doesn’t sound so bad,” Alisha murmured.

Cern’s eyes widened, taking in the golden glow of the candles scattered and lightening to lavender. “You’re the first to say that.”

~*~

Chatoya walked back with her as far as her street, and they arranged to meet for coffee at the local witch club. The Black Dahlia. Chatoya told her that it used to be the haunt of a coven who had caused trouble, but after Dragon Tiamat and Matt Wolff had—

“Matt Wolff?” Alisha interrupted, “The Daybreak guy? Cute, fox hair—”

“—and these gorgeous eyes that just make you melt?” Chatoya finished. “The same. He and Dragon – actually a nickname but that’s how we know her– finished off a dragon called Anguis. Dragon and Matt are soulmates, much to their surprise.

“No one was using the Dahlia so we took it over. Usually we all meet there once a week. This week, it’s today. In…oh, an hour.” The witch waved and walked down to her street. It was darkening rapidly, like desert nights did. And outside of the valley it was practically a desert. “See you there!”

“Wouldn’t miss it if the Apocalypse came!” Alisha yelled back cheerfully.

She went to pick up her bags from Jo and Sam, then made her way over to the house. It was small and a little strangely furnished. Whoever Zara was, she had wild taste. Alisha found the black velvet curtain a little too much and as for the glow in the dark stuff the girl had designed all over the wall, fantastic dragons and explosions of fire, that was going. As soon as she could buy some paint.

By the time she had unpacked and looked around, it was time for her to head for the Black Dahlia. As she left, Alisha heard keening howls on the breeze that made her skin break into gooseflesh and chilled her. The wolves were hunting.

And not far from here either, she thought nervously. Chatoya had given her directions for the Dahlia, and it involved walking along a side road that was right next to the woods. Shadows seemed to shiver and waver but the howls gradually got further away and Alisha began to relax.

That was when she first heard it. Soft giggles, bubbles of laughter. Child-like, but with a slight ringing quality that was almost mechanical. She stopped and listened. It was coming from the trees. Above it, she noticed dimly, an uncommonly large hawk hovered, still as if it were held by unseen strings. Forgettable.

The more she listened, the foggier her thoughts became. Slow and stupid. Almost, she thought sluggishly, as though someone had poured smoke into her head. Had she been able to follow that thought up, she would have realised that someone was manipulating her, but already she was too far in, like a walker caught in vines.

The woods called to her. In the leaves came the whisper of voices whose words just eluded her ears, soft and insistent. Voices caught in the glimmer of sundeath on a leaf, rushing past her in the scent of wild mint that floated up from within. And she was drawn nearer, ears straining to hear what they said, sure that she *had* to hear, that knowing what the earth spoke of was somehow desperately important.

The last of the sun’s light was slipping away, putting in her mind old fairy stories that the othermind controlling her used; the mythical became mystery and wonder. A need to know, a lure that was enhanced by the othermind guiding her that she wasn’t even aware of.

Her mind slipped into a subtle slumber state that she might have recognised as a sort of hypnosis had she even been aware of anything outside the place which lured her closer. A mind, winding round her own and blending with it in places, gently pushing her thoughts to hear what was nothing more than the breeze, enhanced by the preternatural hearing of a dragon. David wound his perceptions into her mind until Alisha was submerged in another state of consciousness altogether.

She was seeing the world differently, as he saw it but her own ideals applied to it. What for David would have been the irritating hiss of a brooks became soft laughter to her and he nurtured that idea. Planted his own suggestions.

“Go on,” he whispered from high above in hawk shape, floating on the thermals with an ease born of centuries, enhancing the thought with a mental tug. “Go and see who is causing this.” His mind was snaked into her deepest thoughts now and David rifled through them casually.

Always her soulmate, the memory of his smile, the green eyes that held what to David seemed aloofness, to Alisha, mystery. Then the event that haunted her waking dreams; the night when she had watched Ieran die and he saw her guilt at it. The blond boy rising in a thousand memories. And then, her memories of himself, coloured only by a kind of horror that made his claws clutch at air and a hawk’s angry shriek split the air above her.

His anger flowed into her mind and for a moment he saw Alisha’s face contort horribly before he controlled himself. So he could affect her. Well, this was unexpected.

David wondered a moment how to use this knowledge before carefully, he began to replace her guilt with a careless abandon. Soothed her grief with practicality in the hope that she would begin to forget about her soulmate. Not that *he* would be around for much longer.

Had David known the good turn he was doing Alisha, he would have been disappointed. Cougar Redfern would have told him that Alisha saw herself to blame for everything. It was a specialised kind of egomania, the vampire had thought privately; that every coincidence and every moment leading up to Ieran’s eventual death was her fault. She laid none of the blame on the fact Ieran had been away so often and perhaps paid less attention to his betrothed than he should have; nor to the strength of David’s will that had made him hunt Talisa. But Cougar Redfern was not there to speak those words, so David y Pelathas continued his inadvertent healing.

Below, as David left her memories, he felt the human girl’s subconscious mind begin to awake from the trance he had set on her, resisting even now. Quickly, he reinforced the idea of voices calling her, planting the suggestion of lights deep within, soft orange flickers and exerting all his strength, ushered her into the trees. Away from where anyone would seek her and into the heart of the wood, where he needed her.

He was amazed at the force within Alisha’s mind. Even though her conscious mind was still as it might be in deep sleep or coma, her subconscious mind thrashed about under his grip and David soon realised he couldn’t hold her mind and the hawk shape. He folded his wings and plummeted through the leaves, landing lightly on two human feet. Now his mind was completely focused on pulling Alisha to him.

Her steps were slow, even and in an almost thoughtless glide that showed how little control she had over her body as gradually she drifted from the main path and into the inviting shadow of trees. Her face sent a frisson of fear through him; the emptiness of it reminded her of how Talisa had been when insanity took her. A wraith. She was a few hundred metres away as he dragged her body towards him, and it was some minutes before her silhouette showed through the trees, slender as an elf, but with none of their rumoured intelligence.

Her eyes were wide and blank as her mind was locked away beneath. He detested the vacuity of her stare, unable to meet her eyes and as she came within feet of him, released his grasp on her mind. At once, she seemed to awake and looked about her wildly.

Her face was soft, open and very lost as she turned around, obviously trying to work out how she had moved from the open path into the gentle darkness here. The setting sun made the shadows long, as though night had already fallen in the trees. Another world.

Then her eyes fixed on him and the lost look vanished, replaced with scorn. “I should have known,” she said, her voice hard. “You must always use force where tact would serve you better. An apology in this case.”

He was confused, before David remembered that he had hit her two days ago; a slip of his temper, nothing more. “Then you have my apologies,” he replied smoothly. “But would you have come here if I had asked you?”

“No.” A flat denial that matched the dissent in her stance. She was leaning away from him slightly, her hands clenched into fists, her knuckles tight and white. His night vision showed him every inch of her face, where all she could probably see was a formless blur.

“Well then,” he shrugged.

She stared at him, no affection there at all. David could practically feel the hatred ebbing from her in ice-blue waves. But that would change, he told himself. After tonight, that would all be changed.

“I have an offer for you,” he said smoothly, pretending not to notice her lip curl.

“I’ll bet you do.” Grim words. Steel in her voice and her eyes.

He laughed, trying not to show how disconcerted he was by her attitude. It was like talking to a statue, one with a heart of ice and a mind honed as a blade. One that didn’t attempt to hide her loathing for him. “It’s very simple, really. I’ll give you immortality and power beyond what your human mind can comprehend, and eternity with me and in return…well, that’s it. I require nothing from you.” Except her affection, he added silently, but David had sense enough to keep that desire to himself.

Her eyebrows had shot up and there had been a look of sheer shock on her face before Alisha recovered. “Good. Because you’ll get nothing from me. No thanks, David. Eternity with you is too high a price to pay.” She began to walk away. As though she thought she could just swan off anytime she wanted. His anger flared, but he held it in check.

His voice was silky and stopped her dead. “I require nothing from you, beloved…not even your consent.”

* * * *

Chatoya walked into the Black Dahlia a little late. It was a hunter’s night outside all right; a strong breeze that carried the scents of the dark on it, enough light to enhance the night vision, a few clouds but none that threatened rain. She had heard the Pack calling from far away, and then closer, in the woods along the path, the call of a lone wolf. Iry Lupine was hunting tonight.

Of all the ‘wolves in town that made up the Pack, none had the respect or the reputation of Iry Lupine. He was fierce, a loner and about as sociable as a rattlesnake. Looked like one too, with a thin, whip-quick body and sharp eyes. Iry was unusual in that his looks weren’t Nightworld handsome and he didn't have the charm that most Nightpeople used to persuade the Elders around here – he just did what he wanted. He was mean, didn’t stop to ask questions and lethal. That was why he didn’t run with the Pack. Sometimes he clashed with them and then you heard barks and snarls echoing.

But inside the Dahlia, it was quieter, only the faint sounds of the hunt floating through thin walls. The place was improved from when the coven had met here. It had been a wooden shack then. Now, it was repainted, refurbished, and slowly repaired. The Elders were planning to make it into a nightclub eventually, to shut up the voices of the younger Nightpeople, but for now it was Circle Strange’s haunt.

Everyone was there, with two notable exceptions; Ria and Alisha. Ria wasn’t such a surprise – she had been getting more and more distant from the group and there was nothing they could do. Calling her did no good – Cougar and Ria left their phone off the hook now after a series of calls from neighbours telling them to shut up screaming and go to sleep. They tended to have their fights late at night and on occasion, early in the morning.

Chatoya just wished they would sort out whatever the problem was, so everyone could get a little peace.

She didn’t know where Alisha was – she had said she’d be here, but maybe she got delayed.

“Hi Toya!” Ruby said with a grin. She wasn’t usually this chirpy. Chatoya wondered if had something to do with the fact that she was curled against Jepar like a cat and he was paying her more attention than he had for the past few hours. In fact, Chatoya thought in quiet realisation that turned her eyes a shade lighter, he had been focused on Alisha.

It was a given among Circle Strange that Ruby and Jepar were an item. Or at least Ruby intended that they would be and everyone else kept out of it. For someone who was so perceptive about his friends moods, Jepar could be unusually blind when it came to what was staring him in the face. Although Ruby intended a lot more than merely looking.

Cougar frowned at her. She could read the unhappiness in his face that came from Ria’s estrangement, but like everyone else, made no comment. They were there for Cougar if he needed them, but he pretended that he didn’t need anyone and they all played along. “Where’s Alisha?”

Chatoya shrugged, feeling a tinge of worry. “She said she’d be here. She’s probably just unpacking.” But she heard the doubt in her own voice and began to wonder. Chatoya was a healer, but she paid attention to her intuition. All witches did and Chatoya’s intuition was telling her that something was wrong.

Stupid, she told herself. She’s got a good excuse and besides…what? Chatoya had lost that thought, but she had the feeling it had something to do with Jepar. The gap irked her. She noticed Cougar staring at her with a furtive look on his face, the one that usually appeared when he had been meddling with people’s minds again. She wondered whose.

“Probably,” Cougar agreed, but he didn’t sound convinced either.

Lisa was sipping at her cappuccino, but she stared at them over the mug and lowered it to the table. “Hello? Reality check, please? You two are getting worried about Alisha and she’s what? Ten minutes late? She’s moving in, probably gaping at Zara’s colour schemes and ringing a decorator.”

Chatoya shifted uneasily. Everything Lisa was saying made perfect sense, but something in her just knew. “I don’t know, Lise…I have a bad feeling.”

Lisa rolled her eyes and flashed perfect teeth in an amused smile to the rest of the circle. All of them looked sceptical, except for Cern. He was a witch and understood about it, but just shrugged and shook his head to show he hadn’t seen anything. But then, visioning tended to run down the female lines.

The dark-skinned vampire leaned across the table. “People, you’re paranoid. If Alisha’s not here in half an hour, then maybe I’ll feel a little concerned. Until then, enjoy yourself.”

Half an hour passed. Slowly. Less talk than usual and too many solicitous glances flying her way. The vague feeling Chatoya had grew with every second until she was almost frantic. Everything was screaming at her that Alisha was not okay. She opened her mouth to say so and Lisa gave her a quelling glance.

“Okay,” said the vampire. “She’s not here.”

“Well, what do you want to do?” Jepar said, faintly irritated. “Send out a search party?” He shook his head, eyes almost black in the light and smiled at her. “Relax, okay?”

“I think you’re forgetting something,” Cougar said quietly. His face was thoughtful, one hand drumming a fast tattoo on the table. “Those assassins. Not to mention the dragon. It can’t hurt to check her house.”

There was silence for a moment. Then Lisa sighed and pushed back her chair. “I could use a walk. But I think Thom, Cern and Chatoya, you’d better stay here. With the Pack around, you don’t want to take any chances.”

They sank back down, looking mostly relieved as the four Nightpeople strode out. There had been some nasty accidents on hunt nights.

* * * *

“You wouldn’t dare.” Alisha snapped around to face him.

David stared at her, smiling although he knew she couldn’t see it. “I would.” He moved towards her with what was a run for him, but to Alisha it would have seemed that he appeared by her as though he had teleported. His hands clamped down on her shoulders with just enough strength to show her that he meant every word.

She was silent for a moment, thinking. She needed some way to stop him. “So you won’t even give me a chance? You’ve changed, David, you used to fight fair.”

He looked at her and was so close that she could se his face, grey in the dim light, his eyes showing black. “How true.” He paused, grip easing. She waited, hoping that his infernal aristocratic sense of ‘fair play’ – or the hunt – was still around. “I don’t play fair.” He smiled at her. Very much in control and knowing that she was totally at his mercy. “I’m going to need more persuading than that, Talisa.”

She remembered that David had always liked to gamble. He had often been lucky, but sometimes he had taken risks. She needed to change the odds; make him take that risk. Make him unlucky.

“Then let’s make a deal,” she said colourlessly. Her mind was working fast, drawing on the lifetimes of experience. “If you change me now David, I’ll hate you. Nothing you can say or do will change that.” She looked at him. “I don’t know if dragons can be Old Souls, do you?”

Her threat was obvious. Alisha had died enough that she had no fear of it any longer. But David had done all he could to avoid death, and for her to disappear would be to lose his life’s purpose.

“What is it that you want?” he demanded lightly. “Shall I cover my eyes and count to ten?” He shrugged. “What are you offering exactly, my dear?” he said, letting his eyes run up and down insultingly.

“My co-operation.” She met his gaze without horror, saw that she was interesting him. “Give me a chance. That’s all I’m asking and if I lose, then I’m yours. No complaints. No resistance. One willing—” she hoped he didn’t notice her slight wince at that, “—woman.”

“Very well,” he said with a small smile. “We’ll play a game. I’ll give you five minutes to run, Alisha. And then…I’ll chase you. I catch you, you’re mine. You escape…” He stopped. He didn’t bother finishing; it was obvious he knew she wouldn’t. “Take it or leave it.”

“Taken,” she said jubilantly, pleased that she had managed to persuade him, wondering just how she was supposed to get out of this alive. Or at least, human.

He stepped back and watched her. “You’d better get going. The clock is ticking, Talisa.”

She didn’t argue and started to run back to the road. There was no way she could get back in ten minutes, let alone five, but she had to play for time.

Because she didn’t have much of it.

* * * *