CHAPTER 19:
Once again Alex found herself in the basement standing opposite Kane waiting for him to make the first move. She did not forget her earlier experience with him, and did not forget his agility. They stared at each other waiting, he was letting the tension build. She was becoming nervous and he could feel it. Finally he made his move, but it was not what she expected he turned around and walked away. This let her guard down, she slowly started after him.
"Kane? Is there something wrong?" She said. He turned quickly and reached out and grabbed her by the arm. She twisted away from him and broke his grip. A smile crept onto her face.
"Oh is that how you're going to play? Oh okay then." She turned and ran away into the far end of the room and the dark. Kane slowly followed her, he was smiling, even though he could not see her he had a mental fix on her and knew right where she was and what she planned to do. He did note that he needed to teach her how to protect her mind. If he could read it this easily, anyone else could as well. He slowly approached her, he could hear her heart beating fast, he stopped and looked down at her.
"Alex, I found you." He said trying not to laugh. She stood up, and looked at him. She placed her hands on her hips hoping to look angry. But instead she knew she was beaten.
"Okay Kane, tell me how you did it." She said to him. He looked at her and his mask lifted in a smile.
"We will practice that little trick later." He replied. He motioned for her to exit the room, she lead the way back up to the main room. They climbed the stairs and said their goodnights and made thier way to thier rooms. Alex still uneasy about sleeping, pulled a chair over to the window she watched out over the lake through most of the night.
Jamie was just getting into bed after a hot bath when a knock came at the door.
"Come in," She said as she faced the door. Taker opened the door and came in. He walked up to her and looked down at her.
"Just wanted to say goodnight," he took her to the doorway, "If you have any problems in the night, my room is right down there, okay?"
"Okay Taker, and thank you for all that you and your brother have done." Jamie replied. Then she was shocked as Taker bent down and kissed her cheek, he turned and left her room heading for his own. Jamie gently touched her cheek, smiling she went to bed and had a dreamless sleep.
Kane's room was next to Alex's he could hear her moving furniture and he let his mind look for her. He could see her looking out the window, her thoughts were very frightening. He shook his head as his vision of her faded, slowly he removed his mask and clothes. He went to the shower and turned the water on. He studied his scarred face in the mirror. Turning away from himself he stepped in the shower. Once he was in bed he again thought of Alex, and decided he'd sit with her if she wasn't going to sleep. He went to her room and knocked on the door.
CHAPTER 20:
Alex was awake and heard the knock but chose to ignore it. Something had caught her eye outside and she was afraid to move, she was afraid it might see her if she did. She hoped that whoever it was on the otherside of the door would just come in. Kane knocked again, wondering if she'd gone to sleep, he tried reading her thoughts and felt her panic, and terror. He opened the door and saw her still in the chair staring out the window. Slowly he walked up to her, tears were streaming down her face, but she made no sound. He looked out the window but saw nothing. She watched as the figure looked up at the window and waved, then faded into the trees, in her mind she heard it.
"I am yours and you are mine." Rang through her head like a siren. Kane also heard it and he shook his head to clear the cold voice from his mind. She looked up at Kane and stared crying.
"Why does this keep happening, I think I'm going insane. Kane I really think that." She buried her face in her hands. He tilted his head and looked at her. After a minute, he reached down and lifted her out of the chair, he carried her downstairs and brought her to the sitting room. He lit the fireplace with a wave of his hand and laid her down on the couch. He sat next to her and cradled her there until she fell asleep. When she woke up the next morning Kane still was holding her, when she moved he opened his eyes and looked down at her.
"Thank you Kane." She said as she placed a hand on the side of his face. His mask was hard to the touch but he didn't pull away.
"Your welcome." He replied and moved her so he could stand up and stretch. Alex looked at her watch.
"Oh my, it's late, I need to get dressed and get going here." She stood and took the blanket and ran up the stairs. Kane sat back down he was slightly puzzled by her words. Taker came out of his room to see Alex reach the top of the stairs. He looked at her, and smiled crookedly.
"Mornin' Alex, what are you doing?"
"Hi Taker, Actually I'm not quite sure, I'd ask your brother if I were you maybe he knows better than I do." With that she went in her room and closed the door. Taker shook his head but continued smiling, he made a mental note to talk to Kane very soon. He went to Jamies door wanting to knock on it, but also wanting to let her sleep. He decided to look for Kane and get some breakfast. Taker made his way to the kitchen and saw Kane sitting at the table with a cup of coffee.
"Well, mornin' brother, what were you up to last night?" Taker said slightly chuckling. Kane cast him a slightly annoyed look from under the mask and Taker seemed to recoil from it.
"Hey don't get angry with me. What happened?" Taker asked sitting down next to Kane and waited for his brother to respond. Quietly Kane told Taker what transpired last night. Taker was mad that Kane didn't wake him up.
"Well she seemed okay this morning, only I'm not quite sure what she meant about 'getting going'." He said.
"Me either, but we'll have to keep an eye on her, and we'll have to see if anythings happened to Jamie as well." Just then Jamie came into the kitchen and sat down.
"Happened to me what?" She asked.
"Did you see or hear anything last night?" Taker asked.
"Nope, slept just like a baby, why, what happened?" She eyed both of them. They exchanged glances and told her what happened. Jamie rose from the table and went to Alex's room.
She knocked on the door, but there was no answer. Jamie entered the room to find it empty. She looked into the bathroom also empty. Puzzled she went to the window and looked out, she saw Alex running towards the trees. Jamie threw the window open and screamed Alex's name; but she never slowed. Panicked Jamie ran down the stairs and burst into the kitchen.
"She's..... outside!!!! Please, she ran into the trees!" Jamie yelled at Taker and Kane. They both ran from the room and out the back door with Jamie close behind them.
"She went in over there." Jamie said, pointing to the small opening in the trees. Taker turned to Jamie and grabbed her by both arms.
"Go back into the house wait there." She stared into Takers eyes and nodded.
"Please just find her." Jamie pleaded. Taker nodded to her and moved into the trees. Kane was already in the forest, he began to search for Alex's mind. Although she seemed to be hiding from him he got a mental lock on her and headed towards her. He stopped and waited for Taker to catch up.
"She's over there brother." Kane said pointing off to their left. They made thier way through the dense brush. They found Alex at the base of a large oak tree her body limp. Kane was enraged, he lifted her and tried to wake her. Her eye's fluttered and had a glazed look to them. Barley she opened her mouth and whispered in Kanes ear. Alex passed out. Kane looked at Taker.
"It's going after Jamie," Taker didn't need to hear anymore he was at a full run when he broke through the lining of the trees. He burst through the back door and into the kitchen. His breathing was slightly heavy. He scanned the room and headed upstairs. Jamie was in the sitting room near tears when she got a cold chill. Shivering she stood planning to go to the kitchen and make some tea. A hand grabbed her from behind pulling her back down to the couch. All the blood drained from her face and terror gripped her soul.
"What do you want?" She asked her voice trembling. She felt the grip tighten on her then relax. She could feel it's hot breath on the back of her neck.
"I want you and your sister, of course. I am yours and you are mine." It whispered into her ear. It caressed her cheek then it's fingernail tore into the skin leaving a line of red in it's path. Jamie screamed in pain. Taker who was coming back down the stairs heard her scream and ran to the sitting room. Kane was just opening the back door to lead Alex in also heard the scream. He gently lifted Alex as he ran towards the origin of the echoing sound. Taker threw the door open to find Jamie huddled on the couch in tears holding the side of her face. Slowly he approached her and knelt down next to her.
"Jamie, Jamie what happened?" He asked. He reached out to grab her shoulder and she jumped away from him.
"NO!!," she stared then realised who it was, "Oh Taker, it was awful." She was still holding her face. He wanted to know what she was hiding it. He reached up and pulled her hand away. He inhaled deeply and stared at the mark on her face. His emerald eyes smoldered but his hand was gentle as he inspected the cut.
CHAPTER 21:
Kane entered the room, setting Alex down on one of the chairs. Alex stared at the exchange between Taker and Jamie. She smiled, but it's smile was evil in nature. She shook her head clearing the unnatural thoughts and look from her face. Concern replaced the look and she rose to help tend to Jamies wounds. Kane noticed the look that passed fleetingly over Alexs' face and was terribly worried. He tried to reach out to her mind and was met with blackness, and hate. His mind recoiled and he visibly shook. She glanced in Kane's direction barely acknowleging him.
"Oh Alex, I'm so sorry, it's all my fault, I am no use to anyone anymore." Jamies turned her tearstained face to stare at Alex who was shaking her head no, Taker laid his hand upon Alex's shoulder and he felt her tense up slightly. Alex looked up at taker and for a split second his mind registered that her eyes were black as night, then they were normal. He shook the image off as his mind playing tricks, he left the room to get the first aid kit to tend to Jamies wounds.
"No Jamie, nothing is your fault, I won't have you talking that way about yourself." Alex voice sounded cold as she stroked Jamie's hair. Kane, who had been watching Alex very closely from one of the chairs decided to speak.
"What were you doing outside anyway?" He asked. Alex's head turned to the sound of his voice.
"I'm tired of being a victim I was going to do whatever I needed to to end this for us." Her voice still had an icy edge to it, as though she couldn't believe that he'd ask such a question.
"But Alex you aren't ready for that kind of confrontation. You need more training in how to protect your mind and soul, more than you need to proctect your body." Her eyes narrowed at him, and a thin and pained smile crept across her face.
"oh and you and Taker can teach us that? Well why did we start with the physical training then?" She turned her attention back to Jamie as Taker returned to the room, he could feel the tension in the air but was more concered about Jamie at the moment. He cleaned Jamies wounds and dressed them. With that he stood up and motioned for Kane to follow him. Kane cast one more glance at Alex and Jamie and followed Taker out of the room.
To Be Continued.....