As the thudding drew closer, Claire retreated back down the hallway. Her bare feet moved soundlessly against the smooth, polished wood floor but her heart was hammering so loudly in her chest she was certain who ever it was could hear it. Just when it seemed certain that the the intruder was going to begin their ascent up the stairs, the footsteps ceased. It was quiet save for the sound of thunder rumbling overhead and the wind and rain lashing violently at the windows.
Perhaps she had simply let her nerves get the better of her. Being in this old house all by herself was bound to make her a bit paranoid. Maybe what had sounded like footsteps was likely nothing more than a branch knocking against the side of the house. It wouldn't be the first time a branch had come partially dislodged, especially during a storm such as this.
With that thought in mind, Claire waited with baited breath to see if the sound would resume. When it didn't and all she heard was the howl of the wind, she felt the tension easing from her shoulders which slowly slumped forward.
She would have laughed had she still not felt so uneasy.
After several minutes, Claire decided to go and investigate. If a branch had broken through one of the windows, which she was growing more and more convinced was the case, than she needed to get the mess cleaned up before the water potentially caused permanent damage. The last thing she wanted was to have to replace hundred year old floor boards because they had been warped by rain water.
With a new found sense of confidence, and the unspoken promise to laugh at herself when it became evident that she had spooked herself needlessly, Claire started towards the stairs again.
She didn't make it more than a few steps when she felt a hand clamp down over her mouth, muffling the cry of surprise that attempted to escape when an arm snaked around her waist and pulled her backwards into the shadows.
Feet slipping on the slick floor, Claire found it impossible to regain her footing. Panic swelled up in her chest and she rammed her elbow as hard as she could into her captor's abdomen. She heard a grunt and for a brief moment the grip on her went slack. Before she could pull free, however, the hands tightened again before pulling her back so abruptly she lost her balance and fell against the stranger.
Feeling both scared and angry, Claire lifted her arm again, preparing to drill her elbow repeatedly into whatever part of the stranger she could reach. Before she could land the next blow she heard a voice, low and amused, in her ear.
"Claire, stop," the voice insisted, the tone filled with mirth.
It was a voice Claire knew well but one she had not expected to hear.
She jerked free, this time the hands did not try to pull her back or restrain her. She turned sharply on her heel to face the intruder.
"Draz, what the hell?"
He was smirking at her, while one hand rubbed absently at the spot where her elbow had rammed into his stomach. She didn't know whether to smack him or hug him."Nice to see you too, Claire," he replied, lifting his other hand to sweep long, disheveled strands of blond from before his eyes. "Glad to see you're doing well."
"What are you doing here?" Claire asked, finally giving into impulse and pulling him into a tight hug. Mostly because she had missed him, but partly to ensure that he was physically there and not some strange figment of her imagination. His presence there served to validate that her experiences had been real, that Oria was real, that Alek was real.
Alek.
"Is Alek with you?"
"Later," Draz said, his tone suddenly grave. He extracted himself from the embrace and moved to step around her. "You have a visitor."
A visitor? "What? I don't-" Claire's words stopped short when she turned and saw a hooded figure leaning casually against the banister at the top of the stairs. The stranger's face was shroud in the deep shadows cast by the hooded cowl, the rest of the attire was black, loose but not baggy, and made discerning gender difficult at just a glance.
"I suggest you leave now, while I'm still in a good mood," Draz called out in his usual, casual drawl that Claire had come to know all too well. "Whatever business you have here will have to wait until, well, let's just say I wouldn't hold my breath if I were you."
A low chuckle drifted from the darkness. "I must admit, I'm somewhat perturbed to find Claire here in the company of one such as yourself, but rest assured I will be not dissuaded from my task."
The voice was undeniably male and Claire couldn't shake the feeling of familiarity that swept over her.
"Of course not," Draz replied with a heavy sigh. He tilted his head to the side, shifting his eyes towards her. "Sorry about this, Claire."
Sorry for what?
Before Claire could ask, Draz lifted his hand towards the intruder, fire already dancing between his fingers in elegant, deadly arcs. Thin threads of flame shot outwards, swirling around one another in an amazing display of synchronicity as they neared their target. At the same moment the entwined flames would have made contact, the figure leaped backwards, disappearing back down into the darkness of the stairwell.
The flames, unable to be diverted, slammed into the floor, the sound of wood splintering caused Claire to grimace. "Draz!" She shouted, her eyes growing wide at the sight of the smoldering hole and shattered floorboards left in the wake of the attack. Draz wasn't listening, he was already on the move.
"Stay here," he ordered as he started down the stairs, the orange glow of fire rippling to life once again within the confines of his fingers.
Claire hesitated for only a moment, considering her options, before finally giving into impulse. She followed after Draz, careful to hang back as to avoid any stray fireballs that might inadvertently swing her way. The last thing she wanted to do was fall victim to a wayward fireball.
She needn't have worried. As she descended the stairs, Claire was surprised at how quiet it was. It was an unsettling silence considering the fact that there was an intruder in her home and a reckless fire wielding man-child determined to burn the house to the ground.
Claire stopped at the last step and listened, straining to hear anything that indicated something was amiss.
Aside from the steady rain, occasional thunder and the heavy tick-tock of the clock in the kitchen, Claire heard nothing else to indicate that anyone else was even in the house with her, let alone engaged in some sort of epic struggle.
Had it all been some ultra vivid hallucination?
No, the lingering scent of burnt wood still hung in the air assuring her that the scorched, splintered wood was very real.
Frowning, Claire was about to step forward when she felt a cool rush of air sweep over her. In the next breath she found she couldn't move. It felt as though something heavy was pushing down on her making it nearly impossible to lift her foot more than an inch off the floor. As the pressure increased, she found herself buckling beneath the unseen weight. She slipped from the step and hit the floor on her hands and knees.
At the sound of approaching footsteps Claire tried to lift her head but found doing so to be impossible. A shadow fell over her and she felt warm, rough fingers curl around her chin. Her head was tilted upwards effortlessly, as though the intruder was unaffected by whatever force was keeping her pinned down.
"Where did your little magician friend go?" the intruder asked, his voice low as it floated from the seemingly impenetrable darkness of the hood. He was crouched in front of her and through the part in his short cloak, Claire could make out the silver glint of a dagger as well as some pouches whose contents were unknown. She also saw the emblem of a silver bear hanging from a thick silver chain.
"Go to hell," Claire hissed between gritted teeth.
The stranger chuckled before he patted her lightly on the cheek and rose. "Be a good girl and wait here, will you? You and I have much to discuss."
Claire was about to speak again when she saw a flicker of flame just above the intruder's left shoulder. No doubt noticing the way she looked past him, the intruder turned sharply, but it was too late. The stream of fire struck him square in the back and he staggered forward. Claire managed to shift just enough that the intruder tripped over her. He did not go sprawling across the floor as she expected. Instead he pitched forward into a roll and sprang to his feet at the far end of the hall.
Draz stepped out of his hiding place and smirked, fire still danced between his fingers, no doubt another burst of flame ready to erupt towards the stranger. "Tell me, what is a hunter such as yourself doing in a world where the only magic that exists, is that which we bring with us?"
"You're an ignorant fool if you think the reason I'm here is because of magic," the hooded figure sneered.
"I've been called worse," Draz replied, sounding bored. He ambled closer to Claire who was still caught beneath the oppressive, invisible weight, "but that doesn't mean it isn't true. Please, enlighten me, shine a light onto my ignorance, not much you can do to help the foolishness I'm afraid. My mum tried, and no one is as stubborn as she is, alas here we are. Why did you follow me?"
The intruder laughed and the whole hood shifted as he shook his head. Claire imagined a look of disdain on the stranger's face. "The Order thinks you're an idiot, and they want you and your reckless behavior contained," the intruder stated, striding purposefully towards them, "but me? I think you're smarter than you let on. All the talking, it's a distraction. I won't be taken in by it. Now, let me--"
He suddenly fell silent, frozen mid-stride as though he had suddenly been turned into stone. Draz leaped forward, placing a hand on Claire's shoulder he muttered something under his breath. The weight lifted so suddenly that Claire, who had been pushing back against the force, staggered forward unexpectedly. She would have toppled off that last step had Draz not reached out and caught hold of her shoulders.
"Careful," he said, smirking. "Alek would have my head if you got hurt on my watch."
Claire felt her heart squeeze in her chest at the mention of her wayward beau. Why wasn't he there? She didn't know whether to be worried or angered by his absence. If Draz could find the time to pay her a visit, why couldn't Alek?
"Did he come with you?" She asked, trying to sound casual.
"We'll talk later, we should really get moving, the spell on our friend there won't last long," Draz said, motioning with a cant of his head towards the still frozen figure.
"Who is he?" Claire asked quietly as she rose to her feet and turned to look at the man.
"No clue, I just know what he is," Draz replied with a scowl.
Frowning, Claire stepped towards the figure, her steps slow and cautious as though she worried he might come unfrozen at any moment..
"What are you doing?" Draz asked, "Didn't you hear me? We should go, like, now."
"I know," Claire said, waving a dismissive hand towards him, "I just want to see..."
She reached out and pushed the hood. It fell back to reveal the face of the intruder.
To her surprise it wasn't a stranger at all, but a face she recognized.