The Bane of the Empire

Chapter 23

A dark figure stood at the edge of the clearing. His face was hidden except for the small tug of a smile on his face. Her breath hitched as she staggered back. Whipping her head around she started for the city. There would be vendors and people milling about. Where he would never venture. But the awful scent transformed to a weight in her heart and her feet froze.

The tears began to appear in her eyes.

Was it even a man? 

The figure did not move but she could feel him engulfing her. Wrapping his fingers around her heart and squeezing. Phantom hands pulled her to him, trying to drag her down into his pit of despair.

She felt his grip loosen. Just enough for her to escape his clutches. But the escape never came. He had lured her into his trap because as she stepped back she met freezing water. A gasp left her lips and his tiny smirk grew to an evil grin, black teeth emerging as his lips curled over them.

With a crash, she was pulled under. The water was hellbent on dragging her down. Bubbles rose as her screams fell on deaf ears. Those phantom hands slithering back. Cold fingers wrapped around her ankle and her eyes grew wide as the hand began pulling her down.

The burning in her lungs rose to a new high as she desperately tried to keep the dark waters out of her lungs. Her limbs began to feel heavy and her vision started to fade.

Fight. I need to fight!

But as she repeated those words, the current swept her deeper into the depts of the lake.

And closer to oblivion.

Death greeted her as the cold waters vanished and a warmth spread from inside her. As it grew, she felt a force pushing her up. Her limbs were weightless and opening her eyes, she saw the sun through the rippling water.

She gazed at the burning ball of fire and thought it peculiar that even in death, the material world was the same. Would she see her parents? Her sister?

"Dawn!" 

Someone was calling her name and as she neared the surface of the water, she saw a hand stretched toward her. The weightlessness vanished, the warmth subsided, and she began to fall deeper into the water. She extended her arm, her hand breaking through the surface and meeting a firm grip.

She clung to her saviour, coughing as she tightened her hold. Water spluttered out of her mouth and shivers racked her body as she felt herself being pulled to shore. The tears running down her face mixed with the lake water as each burning breath entered her lungs.

"It's okay. You're safe now. Dawn, you're safe with me." She pulled away and through wet lashes she saw the familiar blue eyes and black hair that had been haunting her dreams.

"Hunt!" She said and threw her arms around him. Only this time it wasn't of fear or her primitive instincts to cling onto her saviour. Seeing him in person made her realize how much she had missed him. His scent, his arms around her. Everything felt as if a weight lifted from her and she could bare her soul to this man.

Sitting down, he positioned her over his lap and draped his cloak over them.

"You're safe." He said and she felt his lips move against her temple. He repeated the words, a breath against her skin, spoken so quietly that they were more for him to say than for her to hear. Pulling back she took in his appearance. Reaching out she rested her hand against his cheek, his skin warm under her cold palm. She felt him tense beneath her before leaning into her touch.

"Why are you here?" Dawn whispered.

He ran his hand along her back, soothing her. "I was passing by when I heard a sound by the lake. I saw someone fall in. Turned out to be you."