Twilight Embrace (Completed)

Chapter 69

 Alexandria ran her hands gently over the ice cold body that lay on the floor in front of her. There was no movement or sign of life. As her hands felt for signs of life she realized it was a woman. She felt for a pulse but there was none. She pressed her ear to her chest but could not hear a heart-beat. She leant her cheek against the woman’s nose to see if there was the remotest sign of breath, but nothing. 

Emotions overwhelmed Alexandria. Who was so cruel to leave a woman to die all alone in this cold, dark place? Tears welled up in her eyes and ran down her cheeks as she pressed her forehead to the woman’s forehead. “May your soul find the light.” She whispered as her tears ran freely down onto the woman’s face.

Alexandria’s forehead was still resting on the woman’s forehead when she heard the faintest thought. She lifted her head and looked at the woman. Her eyes had grown accustomed to the dark and she could make out the outline of a woman her age, but there was still no sign of life. She instinctively pressed her forehead against the woman’s again. Yes, there it was, a telepathic thought so soft she could barely make it out.

She stilled her mind to listen but the thought was so deep and faint she could not make it out. Alexandria cleared her mind of all negative thoughts, of all pain and sorrow she felt for this woman and reached down deep using all her telepathic powers. ‘Your voice is too faint I can’t hear you. How can I help you?’ Alexandria waited patiently for a response. When it came she was confused.

‘Save the child, she is the key.’

‘What child? Where is she? What key?’

‘No time to waste. If her heart turns cold we will cease to exist.’

‘I don’t understand. Who are you?’

‘Arianna, High Priestess of the Wicca World.’

‘Arianna you’re so cold, you’re dying. How can I help?’

‘No, do not fear for me. In frozen animation to kill the potion. The cold will eliminate it from my blood. I must stay cold. He must think I am dead.’

‘Who?’

‘DaggerDarkStar, Warlock of Evil.’

‘The child you speak of, where is she?’

‘He has her and going to turn her heart to ice. You must stop him, save her.’

Alexandria had kept her forehead pressed against Arianna’s. It was the only way she could communicate telepathically with her. She lifted her head briefly and scanned the room for something soft to place under Arianna’s head, but as far as her eye could see there was nothing.

Alexandria pressed her forehead against Arianna’s again. ‘I need to get you somewhere safe.’

Arianna reached into Alexandria’s mind and she knew her plea to the Earth’s Elements had been answered. Mother Earth had heard her. ‘No… Alexandria…leave me…save your daughter.’

Alexandria drew back immediately and stared at the lifeless woman. “Annjelica is here. I’ve found her. If she is a prisoner how am I going to release her? Dammit Wolfe where are you?”

She pulled off the coat she was wearing and rolled it up. Lifting Arianna’s head she placed it underneath and gently let her head rest on the coat. She got up and slowly felt her way around the room feeling for an exit. The walls were rough, cold and damp. How was she supposed to get out? She would not be able to climb back up the chute. Moments later her hands brushed over what appeared to be a door.

“Damn! It’s locked. What did I expect?” She stood staring at the door for a moment before walking back to Arianna. Placing her forehead against hers she reached into the cold recess of her mind.

‘Arianna, the door is locked. Is there another way out?’ Alexandria felt as cold as ice, there was no answer, no response. She stood up and walked back to the door. The cold sensation she felt while connected to Arianna still clung to her body and she shivered. With her back leaning against the door she sank to the floor and brought her knees up to her chin, cradling herself to keep warm and eyed her coat she’d put under Arianna’s head. She crawled over and gently pulled the coat out. ‘Sorry Arianna but if you’re in a state of frozen animation then you won’t be needing this as much as I do right now.’ Wrapping the coat tightly round her body she returned to her seating place, hoping someone would open the door soon and she could escape this cold dungeon.

‘Wolfe where are you? I need your help.’ In desperation she called out to him, hoping by some miracle he would hear her. Her lips trembled as the cold seeped through her bones and she thought she was going to freeze to death in this dark chamber.

How long she sat huddled like that she could not tell, time seemed endless down here. She did not hear the key turn in the door and was only vaguely aware of it being pushed open blocking her view of Arianna. She sat perfectly still behind the door and bit down on her lip to stop her teeth from chattering. A tall dark figure walked up to Arianna and nudged her with his foot. When there was no response he nudged again and pushed her over onto her back. He knelt down and leant over her.

Alexandria could not see what he was doing but knew this was the only chance she had to escape. She willed her frozen limbs to move and crawled silently round the door out into the dark hallway. A dim light glowed in the distance giving the hallway an eerie appearance. She stood up slowly, backed against the wall and tiptoed down towards the light. There were so many dark passages leading off the one she was going down, but she decided to stay on her path towards the light and only venture down one if someone came.

With her eyes on the flickering light she hurried forward only glancing behind her once to see if she was being followed. She never heard the footsteps behind her.

“What are you doing down here.” DaggerDarkStar latched onto her shoulder, thinking it was one of his staff creeping around theses forbidden hallways. The surprise on his face when he turned her around was reflected in the horror in Alexandria’s eyes.

“Diago!”

“Alexandria, what a lovely surprise.”