The Guardian Crusade

Volume III

 Chapter 21

            She sat beside the tub, her arm draped over the side, and her fingers slightly dipped into the water.  Her eyes were locked on his even though his were closed.  Rayne sat up a little and looked towards the entrance, the room was a little bit brighter so she knew the sun was starting to rise. 

“Still not awake?” Dyn asked as he stood in the door way.

“No” She replied. “What are you doing here?”

“Came to check on you, I heard the night maids talking, they said you were not in your room.” He said as he walked in further.

“I was here” She replied looking back to AJ.

“Have you had anything to eat?” He asked.

“I am fine Dyn.” She replied a little annoyed.  Her mind drifted back to a couple of days ago, when she had gone running off with him.  She wondered if it was actually her decision to take him with her, or was it Pixca.  The more she thought about it the more she realized it must have been Pixca.  When she looked at Dyn she saw the man on the boat. Pinning her down, forcing himself onto her, kissing her and there is no way she would have asked him for help.

“Do you need anything-“ Dyn was cut off.

“No I do not, now please leave.” She snapped. 

He said nothing as he looked at her in shock and then walked out of the room.  She sighed to herself and put her head in her hand.  She didn’t mean to snap at him, it was just the thought, the thought of her not being in control, and the fact she let Pixca use her like she did.  Every time Alex said she couldn’t be trusted Rayne stood up for her. Every time Alex said she was hiding something, this was it or at least one of the things.  Rayne took a deep breath trying to push everything away.

There were so many emotions going through her.  She was so angry at herself for letting it happened, for being controlled. There were also feelings of confusion wondering what would be in store for her now that Pixca was gone.  What if something happened? There would be no one to help them.  They had no one to help them with the knowledge of the Drak’nor.  She started to feel alone and scared, what was going to happen now?  Tucking her legs against her chest she laid her chin on the top of her knees.  Still crying, still thinking, and still waiting for him to wake up.

“Sad little Dryad” A voice broke through out the cave and Rayne recognized it immediately.  Her head snapped up and she quickly looked around.  “I don’t know why you try and fight me.” His voice spoke as she still looked in every corner for him.  “You are life and I am death and no matter what you do, you can’t out run me…” And then he grabbed her from behind, out of now where he came and she yelled in fright. “I will sneak up from behind you. Sneak up when you least expect it.”
 He said as he started to squeeze her arms tighter.  “You can try and fight me but you’d only be prolonging the inevitable…” His hands started to glow purple and she felt them get warm.  “What kind of death do you wish for Rayne?” He asked and she began to feel the spell slither up and down her arms, and then across her chest.  She began to become tired and found it hard to concentrate. His voice echoed in her ears.  “A quick death, a cowards death, or would you prefer a slow death, fight until the very end?”  He asked as he pulled more from her.  Her mind wondered if this was it, would he do to her what he did to Dyn.  Would Alex wake up and find her here in a shriveled heap.

His grip let go and as he did she immediately felt the spell release as well but the momentum sent her crashing to the ground.  She was able to get her hands out and break her fall. Staring at the ground she wondered what had happened and let a moment pass so she could replay her thoughts.  Then she heard a commotion from behind her, she saw four feet shuffling across the floor and when she looked up she saw Nick and AJ wrestling.  AJ slammed Nick into the wall hard but the Warlocks reaction wasn’t what she thought it would have been.  He laughed with each punch, he laughed with each slam into the wall and when AJ had had enough and slammed Nick’s face off the stone tub, he laughed. As AJ backed away Avit and some guards came running in but as they approached Nick he slipped back into the corner shadows and disappeared.

“King Alexander are you alright?” Avit asked and Rayne saw that he was as shocked as she was.  AJ didn’t answer him instead he turned and looked at her as she sat on the ground.

He walked over to her and knelt down.  “Are you-“ He started to ask but she cut him off as she wrapped her arms around his neck and held him tightly.  With a small whimper her feelings started to come out.  Her whimpers turned to cries but as they did his grip around her tightened.

“It’s okay Beautiful.” He whispered.

“No it is not” She replied and lightly shook her head. Her eyes went to his when he pulled them apart and looked at her confused.  When he looked away and told Avit to give them a moment, she gave the room a quick scan wondering if Nick was still around. 

“I know you are upset about Pixca…”

She cut him off.  “I could careless about that-that demon.”

AJ’s face fell in confusion.  “Did I miss something?” Her eyes were still locked on his and as his hand touched the side of her face, she knew he saw the anger in hers.  “Nick was right, wasn’t he?”  Her eyes fell in confusion.  “Nick said you could feel the loss of your Master. She was controlling you wasn’t she?”  And now she saw the anger in his eyes. She nodded her head so lightly she wondered if she actually was nodding.  AJ let out a furious huff and looked around the room. 

“I thought it was me, I thought they were my thoughts, my choices but they were not.” She said as she looked down at her hands.  “And now I am second guessing everything.” Her eyes went back to his, he was all blurry so she blinked and let the tears fall.  “Has Dyn really changed? Did she bring him back? She lied about so many things.  I do not know what was real and what was her.” She took a deep breath.  “The time we spent together when I had come back, was that me or was that…” Her words stopped as she broke down crying again and he pulled her into his arms. “Did she want me to go after Nick? Did she change me into the Dryad and sent me into to get him? Did she want Rossi and everyone to find out about me?”  She took a deep breath.  “I am so confused Alex.” She cried.

Nalia slowly walked down the streets of Winnol. After she was given the okay to leave the Springs, she went to check on Rayne and AJ.  He was still out of it and she was there sitting by his side.  Nalia told her AJ would want her to get some rest but she wouldn’t move.  Knowing she wasn’t going to change Rayne’s mind she left and decided she wanted to go for a walk.  She wasn’t sure how long she walked down the Elvaan City streets, it was early in the morning and the city was almost a blue as they sun began to lighten the dark night sky but to her time was standing still.  A cry jerked her from her thoughts and she stopped as she looked around.  An uneasy feeling came over her when she realized she was outside of the park.  She placed her hand on the hilt of her sword and slowly made her way under the entrance. 

Following the stone path she walked towards the sounds and the closer she got, the more she started to realize they were coming from where Nick had killed Pixca.  Carefully she walked past the rows of bushes and came to a stop when she heard a thud in front of her.  Harder she listened and made sure she had a tight grip on her sword and even though she wasn’t a hundred percent sure she called out to him. “Nick?”

The voice was faint, perhaps tired, weak, and there was another tone to it but she couldn’t quite put her finger on it.  “Nali?”

She adjusted her grip on her sword.  “Come to try again?”  Nalia waited for a smart ass answer but she didn’t get one, she didn’t get an answer at all.  “What games are you playing now?” As she spoke the words something touched her foot and she jumped back, pulling her sword out.

“Don’t” Nick gasped out and something in the tired, weak, faint voice made her stop. Her head titled a little and she felt his hand on her foot, and then it gripped her leg.  She tensed up ready for him to pull her feet out from under her but he didn’t.  Instead she heard his whimpers and she had also realized his grip wasn’t very strong.  “Nali, please.” His voice was no different and that’s when it hit her, the missing piece to the voice, it was his voice.

“I will not fall for this trick” She spoke as she snapped her feelings back into place.

“No trick” Nick gasped out again.  She stood there for a moment not sure what to do.  This man that had turned their backs on them, the man who killed Pixca, tried to kill her, Alex and Rayne, was now sitting at her feet.  Slowly she knelt down but did not let go of her sword as she did.  Even though she had somewhat gotten use to not being able to see, it was times like this she missed it more than ever.  “I was dreaming…” He started to speak.  “I was dreaming about us.” Her face fell with confusion.  “I was in Tokia, I…” He stopped and gapsed out in pain.  Nalia reached out to him, it was a habit that was hard to break.

“Nick?” She said.  “A-Are you ok?”

“It hurts…” His weak voice spoke.  “Everything hurts”

“What happened?” She asked.  Her heart fluttered, did he break through it? Is he fighting it and getting stronger?  “Tell me Nick, what happened?”

“I was dreaming. I was in Tokia, in a Gem store.  I was buying you a ring…” He said and his voice trailed off, almost like he got caught up in another thought. “When I was leaving he stopped me.”

“He?” Nalia replied. “Who Nick, who stopped you?”

“Loki, he, he stopped me, trapped me, and I couldn’t move.” He told her. “I tried Nali, I tried with everything I had to fight him but I couldn’t.” Again Nick moaned in pain and he clung to Nalia tighter. “It felt like he stabbed me, it hurt so much…” He moaned in more pain.

“It’s ok Nick” She said as she held him.

“No no” He said quickly and she felt his head shake.  Then he did something that shocked her, he pushed her back.  As she hit the ground she heard Nick scurry away from her.

“Nick?” She said confused.

“Go Nalia” He said and it had an eerie déjà vu tone.  “Get outta here!”

“What is happening Nickolas tell me please.” Nalia replied.  She waited and listened for an answer but she got nothing.  “Nick?” She repeated.  There was silence an eerie silence and then there was a laugh.  She knew that laugh and she gripped the hilt of her sword.

“I will find a way.” She spoke trying to show her strength as she took a step back but she bumped into something.  Spinning around with her sword out, she shoved the thing standing behind her. “I will find a way to break this hold Loki has on you, I will not give up on you.”

Nick laughed.  “Come with me, I’ll get Loki to hook you up, we can rule this place together.” He said as he tried to get closer to her but she drew her sword in front of her.  “That’s my girl, always did like it when we played rough huh?”

“I will not hesitate to run you through.” Nalia snapped at him.

“Awe but baby what about the I will find a way speech.” He replied and she felt him touch the tip of her sword.  She gave him a shove and kicked her leg out tripping him as he stumbled back.  When she heard his body hit the ground she took off running out of the park. As fast as her legs would carry her she ran, ran down the streets and the citizens starting their day stared at her.  She ran down the road to the Springs and didn’t stop until she reached AJ’s room hoping Rayne was still sitting with him.

“Rayne?” Nalia said as she entered the cave not realizing the two were on the floor.

“Nalia is everything alright?” AJ asked and it shocked her for a moment.

“Alex you are awake?” She replied still a little confused.

“Yeah and not a second to soon either.” He sighed.

“What do you mean?” She asked and then she heard a whimper.  “What happened? Is Rayne alright?”

“She’s fine, she’s just really upset.” AJ told her.  “I’m going to go take her too our room.”

“Wait I need to tell you something.” She said as she reached out for one of them.  “It’s about Nick.”

“What about him?” AJ asked and she heard distaste in his voice.

Nalia told him about her walk, about leaving the Springs and ending up at the park.  She told him about the cries she heard and what she came upon when she entered the park. She explained how it didn’t sound like this new Nick, that he sounded like Nick, and what Nick had told her, about the dream and about Loki.  Then she told them about how he changed again, like he was fighting this thing Loki was doing to him.

“He must have gone to the park after he came here than.” AJ replied.

“He was here?” Nalia asked.

“Yeah he tried to attack Rayne, luckily I woke up.” AJ told her.

“Is she alright, she has not said a word.” Nalia spoke as they walked out of the cave.

“I am fine.” Rayne spoke up but Nalia could tell by her voice she was not.

“So what’s with this good Nick bad Nick than?” AJ asked.

“It is his aura” Rayne said and Nalia turned to where her voice was coming from.  “We need to find out what exactly Mela did to him.”

“How?” AJ asked.

“One of the prisoners from the battle, we must be able to get one of them to talk.” Nalia said with some excitement and then she remembered holding him in the park, the way he cried, the dream he had and she gripped her sword tighter.  “I will make them talk.”