She sputtered and gasped for breath. She blinked aggressively, fear consuming her.
"Now is not the time to be in shock or be sad Kara." The woman shaking her said to her.
She would know the face anywhere even if this was the first time she was seeing it physically.
"Anastasia…" Mother, she had meant to say.
"This is not a reunion. Listen to me. Reginald is dead and you saw it but no one must know."
"What? They saw me…" Her heart was beating too fast.
"No they did not. Reginald covered you. You saw what they did but they didn't see you. Now is not the time to dwell on that." Anastasia said hurriedly and she pulled the water off Kara, drying her. "Get an alibi, tell no one what you saw. You didn't see me. This night did not happen."
"What? Why? They killed your brother! Who are they?" Kara pushed her away and stood up.
Something in Anastasia's eyes screamed urgency. "Now is not the time. Kara I beg of you, listen to me. Heed my words. It is for your safety. They'll suspect you probably but you have to dispute it no matter what."
Kara wanted to argue but the fight in her was gone. She felt drained.
"Run back. Go wolf or something but make sure no one sees you. Trust no one except your mate. I'm with you… I'm always with you. We'll meet again." Anastasia retreated into the forest, opposite the school. "Run!"
And she did. Kara didn't know why but she found herself running like her life depended on it. She tried not to think but to move only with instinct. She knew these woods enough to know where to place her feet. All her senses were alert and she tried to detect anyone or anything around her. She went through a door at the dungeon and almost hesitated in front of Griffin's door but at the last minute, she decided it wouldn't be good enough.
"Kara…"
She found Ryker in front of her door and stopped in shock. She could hear her own heartbeat. Without thinking she pulled him into her room and kissed him.
He pushed her away.
"As much as I want that, what is wrong with you? You seem shaken." He bent his head and studied her.
"I thought you wanted me to fall in love with you…"
"Drop the act Kara."
She took a deep breath and tears came out as she released it. She was having palpitations. Her mind was racing but she didn't know what to think. She couldn't help seeing it over and over again. The spear through his heart and the sword through his neck.
Ryker stepped forward and pulled her into a hug. She bawled. He rubbed her back. She collapsed against him and he let them slide to the floor.
"You don't have to tell me what, just tell me what you need. How you want me to be there for you." He whispered into her hair, his voice soothing.
After a while, she pulled away and sat on her bed. Pulling her knees to her chest, she raised her head and smiled at him, her lips quivering.
"It is you lying, I don't want to make you but I need you to." She said to him.
"I don't mind."
"Why?"
He sat beside her and encouraged her to lay down.
"I've spent most of my life preparing my heart for you, so I'm willing to be there for you no matter what." He pulled her blanket over her and smiled at her. "What do you need me to do?
"Sweet guys rarely get the girl."
"I'll take my chances."
"If anyone asks, we were together. Here. Just the two of us." She squeezed his hand, her eyes pleading.
He nodded. "Sleep."
….
She was running, she didn't know what was chasing her but she knew she had to keep running. They mustn't find her. She stopped in her tracks when she found the dark clothed people in front of her, they were behind her also. A spear to the heart and a sword to the neck…
Kara jolted up with a gasp, clutching her chest and her neck.
"Hey hey, it's just a nightmare." Ryker pulled her hand from her neck.
"I'm- it's- I-"
"Sshhh, you don't have to say anything." He rubbed her hair and laid his forehead on hers.
She closed her eyes and tried to calm her heart.
"In and out, Love." He said quietly.
She stiffened a bit and pulled away. Ryker praised himself for keeping a poker face. Her eyes focused on him and she narrowed them. Tipping her head up, he smiled mischievously, staring pointedly at her lips.
"You look better. About that kiss…"
She pushed him away and got up.
"I'm fine, you can leave now."
Ryker laughed and ruffled her hair. "I like this side of you."
"I'm not a puppy." She said, swatting his hand.
He laughed again and left. Deep down, they both knew she needed to be alone. Kara sat on the floor and closed her eyes, her hand going to the locket and the ring.
Had her uncle known he was going to die? She clenched her fist and gritted her teeth. She couldn't help thinking how beautiful her mother was. Would she go for revenge? Kara wanted to hurt the people that killed her uncle. Funny how now that he was gone, she could only think of him as her uncle.
What did he mean by she? She has found you, Uncle Regi had said. Who is she?
Kara stripped her clothes, changing into cleaner ones. She looked around for signs of wet footprints and cleaned them. Walking out of her room, she kept her eyes open and her mind closed. She couldn't afford to have anyone slip into her mind.
She felt him before she saw him. She knew Ezra would be with him.
"Coming out of the shadows, nice." She chuckled.
Ryker said nothing but moved a little closer, their arms meeting.
"How was home Ezra?" She asked, feeling comforted by Ryker's presence.
Ezra shrugged. "Not bad. I mean things have taken a darker turn obviously but eh, nothing we can't survive."
I hope. They heard it.
"Who is your shadow prince?" She asked all of a sudden.
They stopped abruptly behind her, looking at each other. She raised an eyebrow.
"Is he that bad?"
"Well, I wouldn't say he is bad-" Ezra laughed nervously.
Kara folded her arms and narrowed her eyes. "Well what WILL you say?"
"Kara!"
They all turned to Destiny. She was running with worry in her eyes.
"We can't find Reginald. Hartridge has sent out a search team. Weren't you supposed to be with him?" She asked.
"She was with me." Ryker replied, standing protectively beside Kara.
Kara let worry come over her face. "I was supposed to meet him and I forgot. Could he have been waiting for me in the forest? Should we check there?"
The urgency she felt was genuine. She didn't sense anything off but she kept wondering if those people were still on the school ground. She couldn't let herself feel the hurt till they found him. If they found him.
Destiny ran her hands through her short hair. "Okay okay okay. I'll let them know-"
"No. We'll all search. It'll be faster that way. Come on."
She took off running, knowing they were behind her. She couldn't go straight to the place it had happened so she went to the opposite side of the forest. They looked around, calling his name. Ryker gave her questioning looks but she shook her head. They found Frederick covering a body when they got to the river.
Dimitri and Hartridge turned to her with worry. Frederick shook his head when their eyes met. Sword to the head, a spear through the heart. Somehow, she'd been hoping it would all be a dream and they'd actually find him alive. But she had also known that was impossible.
She approached them slowly, like a zombie.
"What happened?" She asked.
"We don't know. He was probably ambushed." Hartridge replied.
Ryker nodded to Ezra and he took off. Dimitri patted her shoulder solemnly before taking off also. They were going to search the perimeter for clues.
Kara knelt beside the body. Frederick had been kind enough to put the head where it should be.
"We have to bury him." She said.
She placed her hands on the floor and her hair turned totally white. Ice formed around the body like a glass coffin. A Deville burial, Bobalus had told her. Devilles were buried close to the water, close to the forest. They were one with the earth.
The men dug her a hole by the tree and placed the coffin in it. Rain began to fall and Kara moved in slow motions, she knew it even though she had never seen it. Knew what it was. The dance of the rain. At the end, she knelt to the ground, lightening striking above their heads.
"May the rain help you find peace, Reginald Karan Deville." She whispered and stepped back to allow them close the hole.
In her mind, she could hear another door closing. She could see many doors, forming a circle around her.
Kara dreaded the day the doors would open up.