Dark Knight [A Wattpad Featured Story]

Chapter 8: Dusk to Dawn (Part 1)

The night air whipped around them as Aaryan masterfully controlled his steed, their way lit only by moonlight and the stars sprinkled across the night sky. Siya stared ahead blankly; Aaryan was an oddly solid presence behind her, as if cognisant of the maelstrom churning inside her. Siya saw an endless reel of images flash past her vacuous eyes and discordant voices rang inside her head. She saw herself and her family when they had arrived at Shikharpur, and her first sight of that broodingly compelling presence at the window, she saw herself playing catch with an addled Aaryan, him clapping his hands as she got drenched in the fountain jets. She recalled the maid bearing the note from her sister summoning her immediately to Aaryan's room, as he was not there but Keerti needed to show her something that would help reveal the recent odd happenings, remembered the maid walking with her to the door before she scrambled away. She recalled the night she was accosted by the terrifying masked man and the stranger, whose eyes radiated so much concern, leaning over her. That image was tangled with the sight of a rapier-eyed Aaryan, as far from mad as could be, holding a knife to her, and the soldier with the dart sticking from him. Finally, there was her sister; pretty, soft Keerti, but it wasn't her anymore- she was as much a stranger as the man on the horse behind her, but only her eyes were worse. Acid pouring from them would have felt less caustic, the intensity and ferocity of hate in them unforgettable. Keerti wanted her dead? And Aaryan was to have killed her? But he did not?

Her head reeled, and a sudden gust of wind blew her hair into even more disarray, as she suddenly felt his hand touch the tresses, only to smooth them away from his face but jerking her from her reverie, and making her jump almost out of her skin. The horse shied with the sudden force of her movements, and she yelped in alarm. He controlled the beast in seconds, his voice asking for calm, both from her, and the animal. Siya took her hair to her side, shuddering in delayed shock and reaction, registering the bite of the wind against her rather thin garments. With both reins in one hand, Aaryan extended the flowing edges of his cloak to her, but pursed his lips as she flinched away, and dug his heels into the flanks of the horse.

They rode for what seemed like hours until fronds of soft pink and pale gold began to wash away the vestiges of the night. In the distance, the sun's emerging rays fell on a remote settlement, which seemed forsaken and pitiable. Aaryan reined the horse in under a clump of sparsely stumped trees. He dismounted, but Siya sat looking into the distance, entirely unmindful of him and her surroundings. Aaryan almost automatically extended his hand to try to recall her to the present, but withheld the gesture. His voice was infused with an undercurrent of subtle understanding as he called to her.

"Siya."

She turned to him from her gracefully mounted sidesaddle position. As her unresponsive eyes met his searching gaze, panic unfurled in them, clouding their usually clear depths. He stepped closer as if to help her descend, but spurred into nervous action, she realised she was still horsed and could make a run for it. However, he was too quick for her, and she was instantly relieved of the reins she scrabbled for, as he placed an arm on each side of her dangling legs. His jaw rigid and his eyes filled with warning, he indicated for her to alight. He tried to take her arm to help her, at the same time as she jumped to prevent him. The very contact she sought to avoid was thrust upon her, as she partly fell against him, sliding off the suddenly skittish horse. Steadying her instantly, he swiftly moved back as soon as he ensured that she would not fall, as if he saw her locking knees and shaking limbs, and understood her reactions.  Her voice shrill even to her, Siya burst out,

"Please, let me leave! We are far enough from the Palace. I can't have you stopped anymore. Ride away and you will be too far to be caught."

He looked at her with the same expression she had seen on his face when she had tried to protect her sister from him. It was pity, and for some reason, it made Siya angry, although she squelched down on the spurt of rage as fear diluted her responses.