Queen of the Tempest

ARIA

The smell of blood infiltrated my nostrils causing me to wake up abruptly without even a hint of drowsiness as my mind went into overdrive.

Where was it coming from? In the darkness of my apartment, I could make out an unfamiliar shadow slumped against the wall in the hallway leading to my bedroom. I had fallen asleep on the couch while watching a movie that for sure had finished hours ago leaving the dull light of the TV the only light in illuminating my immediate surroundings.

The shadow wasn’t moving and from what I could see there was a dark pool around it, probably blood. I looked vaguely like a sleeping dog from the angle I was looking at it. Unable to make out exactly what the shadow was from this distance I contemplated what to do. My fear keeping me glued to the couch, my eyes refusing to look away from the shadow in the hall.

For what felt like hours, but it was only about a minute, I sat there unsure of what was going on, maybe I was dreaming. The only exit was a few feet away from me and I wanted nothing more than to bolt for the door and get out of here, but where would I go? To the police? Or to the neighbour to ask them to call the police?

I had left my phone on the bed before coming to watch the movie, and there was no way I would be walking down that hall to get it with that thing.... whatever it was in the way.

As my mind went through all the possible ways to get out of this situation, I felt the hairs on the back of my neck raise. My eyes darted to the left and I saw a man sitting cross legged next to me. How had I not noticed him until now?

He looked completely relaxed as he stared at me. Panic set in and I jumped into action no longer thinking of what to do next. I bolted for the door grabbing my keys off the coffee table in front of me as I went. With my back to the door so that I could keep both the strange man and the shadow in the hall within my line of sight I fumbled with the keys trying to get out as quickly as possible.

The man just stared at me cocking his head to the right slightly as though he was intrigued, but made no moves towards me. Who is that? Something about him felt familiar but I pushed that thought aside and focused on getting out.

As soon as the door was open, I ran out as fast as my legs would take me making my way down the winding staircase of my apartment building. Barging through the front doors of the building carelessly not looking at my surroundings I collided with a firm warm mass. A person. I abruptly started to apologize before looking up and realizing it was the same man who was in my home.

“Who are you? How did you get here so fast?” I gasped while moving backwards pressing into the already closed door behind me. The stranger was tall. Well taller than me which isn’t saying much I was quite short. At just a few inches above 5 feet I barely reached his shoulders. He was looming over me his muscular body blocking my path. He reached for my hand without saying anything.

Maybe he hadn’t heard my question. I tried to avoid his grasp but to no avail. His had gently clutched my wrist and he pulled me firmly against his chest.

Confused I asked again a little louder this time, “Who are you?”

“Relax,” he said barely a whisper. I felt his response through the vibrations in his chest more than I heard him. His voice came out like a deep purr that somehow did manage to melt away a bit of my fear and confusion.

“It’s not safe outside at night,” he continued quietly. “We have to go back inside.”

With that he lifted me into his arms pressing me against his chest. He turned back to the door I had just came through and opened it, but it wasn’t the lobby I had just come from on the other side instead it was just swirling darkness.

He stepped forward and I started to protest and struggle in his arms, but he shot me a look that made me freeze and before I knew what was going on we were back in my apartment the TV still on and glowing in the darkness.

The stranger set me down in front of the couch I was asleep on just minutes before, and he settled into the seat next to me where I had first seen him. Glancing between him and the shadow in the hallway I wasn’t sure what to think.

I had so many questions it was starting to make my head hurt. Outside the rain started to fall, gently at first then it came pounding at the windows like the water wanted to be let in.

My fear was replaced with anger as I stood over the man on my couch and began bombarding him with questions.

“Who the fuck are you and why are you in my apartment?!” I basically yelled at him as I tried to not get too loud and potentially wake the neighbours and get them mixed up in whatever this is.

“What is that thing on the floor over there? It looks like an animal, and it hasn’t moved. Is it dead.... did you do that? What do you want from me... are you here to kill me?!”

He stared up at me his face an expressionless mask. I would have thought he couldn’t understand me if he hadn’t told me to relax before. A streak of lightning illuminated the room as the downpour continued outside. In that moment his expression seemed a bit concerned maybe even scared. What was he scared of? The rain? Lightning?

“Please relax,” he said calmly and gestured for me to sit on the couch with him.

I didn’t want to be anywhere near this man, but I was sure if I tried to get away again, he would just appear and take me back like he did a minute ago. Feeling a little defeated I let out an angry huff and took a seat on the couch as far away from him as possible, my eyes still glued to him.

He had brown eyes but the seemed an unnatural shade, with reddish undertones making them almost to glow in the darkness of the room. His dark brown skin was probably a shade or two darker than mine and his hair was so black it looked like he had been using box dye. He wore his hair curly, and it flopped a bit over his forehead and stopped just above his ears. If I had met him any other way, I would have probably found him attractive.

“I will answer all your questions if you in time. For now, all you need to know is that you’re in danger and I’m here to help. My name is Ember and it’s my job now to keep you alive.” He reached out to shake my hand when he said his name which seemed a bit weird considering he broke into my house and there’s what I can only imagine is dead body a few feet away.

Ignoring his hand I bluntly stated, “I’m guessing you already know my name then if you’re here to protect me or whatever.”

“Yes, Aria.”

Something about the way he said my name made my heart skip a beat. What a strange reaction for someone who might kill me no matter who sexy this Ember guy is he still broke into my apartment in the dead of night and who knows if what he’s saying is the truth.

The rain outside started to ease up and I could tell he was starting to seem a bit more relaxed as well. Maybe he just doesn’t like the rain.

As Ember moved to get up, he said, “You’re going to need to pack a bag,” and reached over for my hand to help me up. “We’re leaving when the sun comes up.”

“Leaving to go where?” I responded ignoring his hand I crossed my arms and continued to sit.

He dropped his hand letting out an exasperated sigh and went to my bedroom completely disregarding the dead thing on the floor leaving me alone with my thoughts and the glowing black screen of the TV.

EMBER

Aria will definitely be a handful. She seemed so peaceful while she slept on the couch but once she woke up, she was either trying to get away from me or asking questions.

I suppose this may all be a bit much for her, but if I answered all her questions, we would be here for longer than I would feel comfortable with. I should have taken her away while she was asleep, but I didn’t want to wake her since that will probably be the last good sleep she will ever get for a while.

It didn’t take long to kill the thing the hound that was lurking in her apartment. It was probably for the best that she fell asleep in front of the TV and not in her bed. She might have woken up while I was killing it and that would probably been a worst first impression than finding a stranger sitting on the couch with you, watching you sleep.

Both options were bad but one was worse than the other, although, I guess it might depend on who you ask. I ran a hand through my hair as I looked around her bedroom for a bag so I could pack her things and get us out of here.

The sound of glass shattering rang through the tiny apartment and in seconds I was back at Aria’s side shielding her body with my own as a dark figure burst through the window closest to the couch. Another hound had found us.

The creatures looked like dogs, which made sense since they were called hounds, but they were far more grotesque. Their head was almost split in two down the middle like each half wanted to be a head on its own.

They were large almost the same size as Aria with their mouth set in a permanent scowl. Large, razor-sharp teeth jut out almost resembling shark’s teeth, which constantly cut into their own flesh making them drool spit and blood.

The hound lunged forward as I drew the blades that were concealed at my ankles. A sharp pain blossomed in my left arm as it bit down hard. Taking advantage of the closeness I buried the blade in my right hand deep into its head at the seam of the split and dragged the blade downward cleaving it in two. It let out a one last snarl and went limp against my arm, teeth still imbedded in my flesh.

Carefully I opened its jaw and removed my arm to avoid further damage then turned to Aria to make sure she wasn’t hurt before assessing my own injuries. She was cowering behind me with her hands over her mouth eyes wide with shock. There were a few cuts on her arms from the shattered glass but other than that she was unharmed.

“Are you okay?” I asked crouching in front of her to inspect her arms and make sure the scratches weren’t too deep.

She seemed too shocked to answer, her eyes brimming with tears as I took her hands in mine to get a closer look. The scratches weren’t serious so I got up with her hands still in mine and led her to the bedroom so we could pack up and leave before another hound decided to make an appearance.

Aria was mumbling to herself too quiet for me to make out clearly what she was saying. I felt a twinge of sadness knowing that things were only going to get worse. Quickly I found a bag and began packing a few things that I thought might be essential as she sat on the bed still muttering to herself.

When I was done, I turned back to Aria to find that she was clutching a little, yellow cat plushie. Although we were roughly the same age, she looked so young and so scared in that moment.

It hurt my heart. I wish I didn’t have to be here. That she could just go back to her regular life, but I knew Orion would never stop hunting her, not until either she was dead, or he was. The thought of that filled anger and regret.

How could he try to kill someone so innocent? When did he stop being the man I knew and start being this monster? Orion was hell bent on getting rid of anyone who could contest the throne that he usurped. I wish I had known the power would have changed him. If I did, I wouldn’t have helped him and maybe I wouldn’t have lost my best friend.

My arm still hurt but the injury would have to wait a bit longer before I tended to it. I was used to working through pain, so it was just a mild inconvenience to me at this point.

I reached out to Aria to help her up half expecting her to ignore my hand as she had done before. This time though she just looked up at me, her eyes bloodshot and her cheeks tear-stained and silently took my hand.

Walking over to the bedroom door I closed it, then opened it again to create a portal. With one arm around Aria’s waist as she still held on tightly to her plushie we stepped through the doorway, into the darkness. Hopefully to a place the hounds would have a harder time finding.