Dominated

Chapter 18 - The Visitor

"You look quite alive for a dead guy." I tried to keep the venom out of my voice.

"You don't look surprised to see me."

"Should I be? Why are you here and what business do you have with me?"

"Temper, temper brother."

"I am not, nor will I ever be your brother. Now tell me what the fuck you want or get out!"

"You know, I never understood what Alyssa saw in you."

"Likewise," I responded. "You're an asshole." He continued like I had never spoken.

"But it is obvious that she has feelings for you. Feelings that I can't understand nor want to understand. Now because I am a reasonable man and I've had time to think about things, I'm going to help you. In fact, I am here to help you my dear long lost brother."

This fool was making absolutely no sense.

"Maybe you should explain to me why the fuck you're not dead, why you're hiding from the world and Alyssa, and why you seem to have powers when you clearly aren't a witch? While you're at it, Dimitri, tell me how the fuck you managed to follow Alyssa to planet X, get her off the planet, and heal her injury within four days. Until you can give me the answers to those questions, we have nothing to talk about."

I turned my back on him. I had gotten dressed in a plain white T-shirt and dark blue jeans and my hair was now semi-dry, but still un-braided. He was still there.

"Why are you still here? I thought I told you to leave."

"Look, I don't like you, we've established that. And you don't like me. Now let's put our egos aside so we can discuss things like grown men."

He did have a point. After all, I was interested to know why he wasn't dead, but here standing in my room.

"Okay, let's hear it then."

"You want me to discuss matter here?"

"You didn't seem to have a problem coming in here while I was taking a shower, dressed only in a towel for that matter, so why the concern now?"

He moved from his position and started pacing. I waited.

"Let's clear the air with the answer to the most basic question. Did I die or didn't I? The answer is yes. I did die. I didn't fake my death or disappear for some ridiculously unrealistic reason. I died and I was buried."

"Clearly you're not dead anymore, so how are you alive?"

"Lexandra brought me back. Before you ask, I don't know how or why she did it. You'd have to ask her that."

"I have a pretty good idea why she did it. What I don't understand is why would she take that risk? It is forbidden to 1) share your powers and 2) bring someone back from the dead with your powers. These offences are punishable by death. They will come for her, they're just waiting."

"I don't follow."

"The witches' council. You're not a witch so you wouldn't know about them, but witches are required to know about their laws. As long as we don't break them, we are free to use our powers as we wish. Lexandra knows this, so why did she put all our lives in danger? They won't just come for her you know. They'll come for you too, and Alyssa and me. I'm sure Alyssa didn't know what she was doing when she power shared with me. I didn't even know what she was doing until it was already done, but Lexandra knew better."

“Yet still you don’t seem scared.”

“Let’s just say the witches’ council isn’t my top priority right now and leave it at that.”

“We have a lot of things to discuss, and I’d rather do it someplace where I can get a drink.”

**************

I was still reeling from all that I had heard. Never in a million years had I thought that I would once again be in this stupid triangle.

“I’m giving you a year. A year, from the moment you find her, to train her.”

Who the fuck does he think he is? But, I had to say, a year with Alyssa was better than none at all. What would happen after that year?

“As soon as I know she is safe I’m going to disappear. That will give you enough time and space to do what needs to be done.”

I kept on replaying the conversation in my head. Not only was he telling me to find his wife, he was telling me I could pretty much do whatever I wanted with her, and I have never despised anyone more than the way I despised him in that moment. She was not a possession to be handed over and that’s exactly what he did. I only agreed to his ridiculous proposal because he had information that I needed. He might not have any respect for her, but I damn well do. At the end of the day, I have a connection with Alyssa that he will never have, and it is because of that connection that I know what he is suggesting will not turn out well for him. Whatever his plans are, they are bound to backfire, but who am I to pass up a chance to be with the woman I love. Just this once I am allowed to be selfish. It was with that thought that I found myself agreeing to his ridiculous proposal and uttering those two little words.

“I agree.”

Everything was pretty much set in stone after that. I got the location of where she would be, but not the actual address. I was only given the area. It was up to me to find her. There was also Kai to deal with. I don’t know what I would do to him if I so much as see his face again. He had betrayed me, and that was something I didn’t take lightly. As far as I was concerned, he was already dead to me.

From time to time, I was able to brush Alyssa’s mind. I had kept that information from Dimitri. I did not trust the guy, brother or not. Now was one of those times. I could pretty much watch her memories and thoughts as they raced by. Sometimes I was able to pick up bits and pieces, other times I just couldn’t. It made me wonder, if she was somehow doing it on purpose; deliberately pushing thoughts my way, but leaving out information that would make it all make sense.

I got the impression that she was going somewhere, but it wasn’t clear where. I was getting frustrated, and was about to close the connection, when out of nowhere I heard my name. At first I thought I was imagining it, but then I heard it a second time. It took a minute for me to realize she was talking to me. All her thoughts seemed to stop and it was only me and her. Her walls were down, not completely, but just enough for me to talk to her.

“Where are you?” I asked. I thought she wasn’t going to answer at first but then her voice floated to me.

“Are you still looking for me?”

“Yes.”

“Stop.”

“Never.”

“Why?”

“Why what Princess?”

“Why are you still looking for me? I’m never going back.”

She sounded tired.

“You have to. You have a responsibility.”

There was a long pause, and I thought she had disappeared from my mind once again.

“I miss you.”

I smiled.

“I miss you too, Princess.”

“I know.”

And then she was gone, her mind closed off from me once again.