Bound Angel Bound Demon (40 page)

Chapter
Twenty Five

Alex and Ryan slept. Fi
nally Ryan had found his soul mate, and could sleep easy knowing he could protect her and be there for her whenever she needed him. He knew this war was far from over, evil was out there and threatened their kind, but as long they were together he knew he would be happy.

Alex
was in a deep slumber, at first it was blank and deep, but then the dreams came. She couldn’t work out where she was, the place seemed dark, she didn’t recognise anything about the room, she could hear someone breathing. She saw someone curled up in the corner, he was crying, this boy or young man hid his face from her. He looked like he’d lived here in this dirty room for a while. Alex felt sorry for this boy, why would anyone choose to live like this, was he homeless? The boy lifted his head, Alex recognised him, the boy was Gary but this was Gary aged about eighteen. Where were they? He looked straight at Alex as if he could see her, “Help me please,” he begged. She noticed needles discarded on the floor around him, he had been shooting up, “Help me, it hurts, he’s in my head he won’t leave me alone, make it go away.” Alex went closer, and tried to reach out to hold him. Then another figure appeared, an older woman came in and helped him up and wrapped him in a blanket, “Gary, come now let’s get you cleaned up, I think you have been in here long enough, maybe next time you will do as you’re told, or your punishment will be worse the next time.” Alex tried to shout out, what was this woman doing to him? Alex watched as the woman led him out of the door. Alex went towards the door to see where they’d gone but they’d disappeared. She went through another door, as she went inside this room it felt different like it wasn’t part of the other place, it was cleaner and smelled better. It was like she’d travelled through time. This room was bright red, there was a large wooden cross on one wall, again she saw Gary, now a bit older, and he was strapped to it, screaming out in pain, there were strap marks across his chest and legs, tears rolling down his face. Why were all these dreams showing her Gary in so much pain?

Alex
approached and she reached out and touched his face. Gary looked up and his grey eyes were lifeless, the flesh around them was swollen and bruised. Someone had tied him up and had beaten and tortured him. A sadist.

“
Leave Alex, please get away from me, he is after you, he wants to kill you,” he said. “What happened to you?” asked Alex. “You’re in a memory, my memory, it’s the only way I can contact you. I can’t come to your physically, so I’m reaching out through your dreams, please Alex leave now, he’s waking up.”

Alex tried to undo his restraints
and help him, then she noticed something dark in his eyes, he began to laugh at her, his skin started to change colour, it was as though his flesh was burning off, Gary began to scream.

“
Get away quick Alex please, he’s coming he will see, I’m trying to connect to you without him knowing, please I can’t hold him off much longer, please Alex wake up.” His voice echoed through her, Alex cried out, calling to him.

Alex sat up in her bed
, eyes wide open, unable to stop screaming. Ryan wrapped his arms around her, “Alex, please, it’s ok it was a dream, please I’m here, please wake up.”

Alex
focussed on Ryan’s voice, it brought her back, freeing her from her nightmare.

She looked at Ryan and fell into his arms
crying. Ryan embraced her tightly.

“
It’s ok it's over, it was just a dream,” he said.

Alex looked at Ryan and shook her head,
“It wasn’t, he was trying to warn me of something, he was in agony, something was hurting him, ripping his skin burning it, or something, he was trying to warn me something is coming after me.”

A shiver ran down Ryan’s spine, “
Who was trying to warn you Alex?”

Alex
was still shaking, “It was Gary, he was in so much pain, but he was fighting to keep it away, he wanted to warn me, get me away. I tried to help him, but then I woke up. How is he able to do this? How did he manage to contact me through my dreams? Has he got magical powers?”

Ryan looked at Alex,
he wondered if it was just a dream, or was it because she was still upset over Gary. “Alex, I just think you’ve had a lot happen, the split up from Gary is perhaps still upsetting you, and it’s playing on your mind. You haven’t really given yourself time to get over it.”

It pained Ryan to say this, but he was thinking maybe they had moved
too fast, not given her time to get over Gary.

“No Ryan, it’s not that,
it felt too real, I know there is no way back for me and Gary. I’m with you, I love you, it was a warning, he was trying to warn me, please Ryan believe me, I’m over Gary, you are the only one I want.”

Ryan held her tight in his arms while she softly cried into his chest.
“It’s ok, Alex, nothing can harm you in a dream, you’re tired you just need to sleep, I will hold you till you fall back to sleep.”

Alex lay quiet
ly in Ryan’s sturdy arms, she was too scared to close her eyes but something was pulling her back into her dreams. Alex fought it off. She couldn’t take any more.

“
I need to go for a walk or something I can’t go back to sleep.”

She
got out of bed and began to dress, Ryan did the same, he was agitated. Maybe something
was
trying to warn her, he knew Gary’s true self, did this mean the beast had woken? Either way he wasn’t going to leave her alone in this state.

Chapter
Twenty Six

The beast was
resting, it was still adjusting to being alive again. Gary had managed to wrest control from it for the time being. For some reason Gary had control of some of the beast’s powers, so he used them to try to contact Alex through her dreams.

He knew he couldn’t go tell her in person, the prote
ction spell wouldn’t let him set foot anywhere near her, now this inner demon had been wakened.

He
thought he’d got through but he wasn’t sure. He tried again to pull her back once the demon had settled down, but she’d closed herself off. He would have to wait and hope he could reach her again before the beast confronted her.

He knew this wouldn’t end well either way for him, he knew deep down he wasn’t going to live, either the demon
would be killed taking him with it, or the beast would vanquish his mind and body for good. If these were his last days on earth he needed to resolve loose ends quickly, he owed a lot of people in this life.

Ray came into Gary’s room, looking
pissed off. “What the fuck were you playing at last night?”

“
What you talking about?” said Gary.

“
Look, Gary, I know you breaking up with Alex and everything has upset you, even though I am sure you won’t admit it, but the way you were with the new girls during their training was uncalled for.”

“
I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“
Your choice of punishment is what I’m talking about, the girls are covered in bruises, and one of them even has strap marks all over her chest and legs.”

Gary looked at him,
“I don’t remember any of this Ray, you know I wouldn’t hurt anyone, that is not what training is about, and you know better than anyone how much I hate violence like that.”

“
Gary, I was there remember, when you went through that pain yourself, this is why I cannot understand why you would do something like this, you hurt them pretty bad. I’ve given them a couple of days off, and will use them elsewhere until the bruising disappears.”

“
Ray, I really don’t know what happened last night, and I’m sorry.” Gary had tears in his eyes.

“We’ve
been friends since forever, you know if you’re back on something again I will understand, you have had a difficult time of late and I think it’s messing with your head. But the last thing you need is to go down that road again.”

“
I’m not back on the smack, Ray. You won’t understand, but you’re right I need to get away, I wish I could explain but I just think everyone would be better off if I stay away, and Ray please keep Tracey away from me too, I’m just not a safe person to be around now.”

“
Gary, now you're scaring me, what’s going on?”

“
Ray, I love you and you have helped me all my life, you got me away from that woman, showed me there was a better way of living, got me clean helped me stay off the drugs, but now I need to take control of things on my own, don’t worry I will be fine in a few days. I just need time away.”

Gary got dressed, he hadn’t got long before the beast
woke again, and he needed to get away from people he cared about. He took hold of Ray’s hand and then pulled him close, he hugged him. “Thank you, Ray, for everything.”

Gary left before Ray had chance to question him
further or try to stop him leaving. His first call was on his lawyer, to get his affairs in order.

Chapter
Twenty Seven

Alex didn’t get very far, she went to the kitchen, the dream still playing on her mind,
she needed coffee and lots of it. Ryan went to wake Nick, it was early morning and the last day of the Alignment so there would be no need for him to be chained up like a wild animal anymore.

Ryan was worried
about Alex, she seemed unwell and worried, something wasn’t right, he could feel it, something bad was coming.

Alex
was drinking her coffee waiting for Ryan and Nick to return when she heard a shout. It was Marie who had come up to the house to find Nick.

“I’m in the kitchen,” hollered Alex.

Marie came into the kitchen, “God Alex, the place is lovely, some parts are still how I remember them, you did good, girl,” Marie said before she noticed how pale Alex looked.

“
What’s going on? You look messed up.”

“
I had a terrible dream,” Alex wasn’t in the mood to reply with some witty remark.

“
It must have been bad, you don’t seem yourself,” Marie came over and poured herself a cup of coffee.

“
I don’t want to talk about it Marie,” said Alex still staring into her cup. Just then Nick and Ryan came in from the cellars.

“
Well I’m glad that’s the last time I have to sleep down there, I now have full control of myself again and I like it, it’s good to feel like me again,” Nick went over to Marie and gave her a kiss. “Morning beautiful,” he said cheerily to her.

Nick turned to Alex,
“Oh, I would say the same to you but I’m worried you might rip my head off, what happened to you?”

“She had a nightmare,”
said Marie.

“
I think it was more than a dream,” said Ryan and went over to Alex, taking her cold cup from her limp grasp.

“
I was drinking that!” she said, then seeing his anxious expression, “Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to snap.”

Ryan put his arms around her and gave her a kiss.
“It’s ok I understand, but I think we need to talk.”

“
There’s nothing to talk about, I’m just tired and need some sleep, but...” Alex’s mind drifted, she didn’t want to go back to sleep, but she felt the pull was growing stronger.

“
What is it?” asked Marie.

“There’s something
, a force trying to pull me back under, I don’t know what to do, I don’t know how to keep fighting it, it’s overpowering me,” answered Alex.

“
Then don’t fight it, it must be important,” said Marie.

“
Come on, Marie, there has to be a spell we can do, to help her sleep without this dream, or whatever it is, getting hold of her,” said Ryan, he couldn’t stand for Alex to go through this any longer.

“
No Marie’s right, she needs to face this. It’s obviously important,” said Nick.

“She can’t do this alone.
I don’t like this one bit, I just about managed to wake her before,” Ryan worried that he couldn’t help her when she was unconscious.

Alex sat listening to them argue
, she was drifting into a trance. This was getting no one anywhere she was scaring Ryan and causing everyone to fall out. One thing made sense, she needed to go back to Gary in her dreams, it was important, why else would she keep getting this sense of being dragged back under, her eyelids felt heavy. But perhaps Ryan was right, what if it’s a trap? What if she couldn’t wake up from this nightmare. Alex needed help, must be some way to take someone into your dream with you. She remembered the book. Her family book would help.

Everyone stopped talking
as the family’s book of lore appeared on the kitchen table in front of Alex. They just watched as Alex concentrated on the book asking it with her mind for help.

The pages began to turn slow
ly at first, then they flicked through quickly, showing Alex what she needed. Marie read through the page, it explained how two people could merge so they could enter the dream world together.

Alex looked at Ryan and smiled, she was finding it harder
and harder to stay awake, and this lethargy was getting too strong to fight. “We need to do this now. I don’t know how much more I can take.”

Mar
ie agreed to help Ryan go under. They went up to the bedroom, so they could lie down. Alex looked at Ryan. “Are you sure about this?” she asked.

Ryan smiled
, “I told you I will always protect you, you’re not doing this alone, and this isn’t just your fight.”

Alex leaned over and gave him a kiss.
“Thank you”.

Marie began to
intone the words from the book which would Ryan into a trance so he could join Alex in the nether world. Alex watched as Ryan began to fall into a deep slumber.

“
Ok your turn now, now concentrate on my voice Alex, I need you to sleep, but I need to make sure you end up in the same place as Ryan,” Marie told her.

Alex nodded
, she was dead tired now. She could hear Marie softly talking to her, giving instructions. Soon both Alex and Ryan were in the land of nod.

“
It’s up to them now, and we just have to wait and hope it will be ok,” Marie said to Nick who put his arm around her. They both down and watched the sleeping couple.

Deep inside Alex’s dream, Ryan was searching for Alex. He was worried at first it hadn’t worked, then the darkness lightened, he was on the cliff edge, it was the place where he’d taken Alex, the first time he’d shown her his wolf form. He looked around and saw Alex waiting for him. She was sitting on an old log.

Ryan
went over to her, “I was worried then, I thought it hadn’t worked, why did you chose this place?” asked Ryan.

“
It’s our special place, where you took me the first time remember, I love it, it will always hold happy memories.”

Ryan kissed her.

“Ok what now?” she asked.

“
We have to wait to see where your dream takes us,” said Ryan, he took her hand and they waited.

It wasn’t long before the wood surrounding them began to
mutate. They were on a beach. At first Alex didn’t recognise where she was, then she saw the archway covered in flowers at the edge of the beach and saw a figure standing waiting, she knew it was Gary.

“You go. I will wait here
, any problem and I will be right there don’t worry,” said Ryan who felt a bit awkward, he knew this was something from both Gary and Alex’s past and he felt like he was intruding.

Alex
went up to Gary. Gary smiled, “Thank God you came, I wasn’t sure if I would be able to contact you again, before it was too late,” he looked weak.

“
It’s ok Alex, it’s sleeping at the moment, but I’m not sure how long for.”

“
What’s sleeping, I don’t understand, how are you doing this?”

“
Alex, I needed to warn you, it’s inside me, this beast, it’s strong and getting stronger. It wants to kill you, it has been dormant inside me but all of a sudden it has revived, and it’s eating away at me, but I was not going to go without seeing you one last time, and warning you. I’m not sure if it will help, but I couldn’t let it fully make me disappear without trying my best to protect you.”

“
What’s trying to kill me Gary, and why? What have I done?”

“I don’t know for sure
, just that it is pure evil, it wants you dead, you are a threat to its kind. He wants to take you when the Alignment is over, he knows you’re new to your powers and still weak, he believes it will be an easy kill.”

Alex
wasn’t sure what to believe. “Tell me how you are doing this?” she asked.

“
I’m using his powers to contact you, I know if he finds out he will kill me. He won’t be happy, but either way I’m finished. I know that now, so I needed to do one last thing for you.”

Alex looked at Gary, his face
was wan, but his eyes were now glistening, those beautiful grey eyes.

“
Alex, do you recognise where we are?” Alex looked around then back at Gary.

“
Yes, this is where we got married, it’s our beach.”

Gary reached out and
stroked her face softly with his hand. “I wanted our last memory to be a happy one Alex, this was the happiest I have ever been, the day I married you. I messed up real bad with you, but at least I know you’ve found someone else to be happy with.” Gary looked at Ryan, who was trying not to watch.

“
Alex, please promise whatever happens, you will throw everything you can at this bastard, don’t you let it win, it will try to tear you part, don’t you stop until it’s destroyed, whatever happens, it needs to die.”

“
Doesn’t that mean . . .  if you’re part of it and connected to each other, won’t that mean...?”  Alex couldn’t bring herself to say it.

“
Don’t let that stop you. I’m dead already Alex, I will try to hold if off, for as long as I can, to give you chance, but do not let it play with your mind.”

Gary turned to Ryan.
“You look after her for me, I can see you love her, and I just wish she had met you early on, you’re good for her. A lot better than I could ever be.”

Ryan nodded
. Alex could feel tears forming in her eyes.

“
Now leave, he’s waking up, please be ready, he will be coming for you tonight at midnight, now go both of you!” Gary fell to his knees clutching his stomach.

Alex reached
out to him, “Gary?”

He looked up
, “Leave, now!” he shouted but his voice had changed into a horrible screech, his face was wracked with pain.

Ryan grabbed Alex and held her to his chest so she couldn’t watch, as
Gary ripped at his skin tearing scraps of his own flesh from his writhing body. Ryan closed his eyes. The sounds of Gary screams faded, he could still feel Alex clinging to him.

They were back in the room, Alex was shivering and crying, Ryan held her close while Marie and Nick looked anxiously over at them.

“
It’s happening! He’s coming for Alex tonight he knows who she is and he’s coming tonight!” said Ryan.

Marie
tried to calm her down with a hug.

“
Is it one of them or a night crawler?” Nick asked.

“
It’s one of them alright, look Nick we need to talk but not here. Alex has been through enough. She needs to rest to get some of her strength back, we need to prepare so we can protect Alex and Marie.”

Nick nodded and
glanced at Marie, he tried to look like it was nothing to worry about but she could read his mind too well.

“
This is bad, isn’t it?” asked Marie.

Nick kissed her,
then he looked into her eyes, “Marie, I will not let anything happen to you. We have been apart to long I’m not going to let this split us up, trust me, we will sort this.”

Nick and Ryan
hurried off to make plans.

“
Alex tell me what happened, what did you see in your dream? It’s important,” Marie said to Alex.

Alex wiped the tears away and began to
recount her dream. After she had told Marie everything, Marie got up and began to pace the room.

“
This is worse than I thought, Alex, we’re in real peril, you’re the one he wants, we are just people who might get in the way.”

“
Then you and Nick need to leave, I know it’s no use asking Ryan to leave, because he won’t, but you can’t risk yourself for me.”

“
Alex, we are friends, you are more like a sister to me, I will not let you see this through alone.”

“
Marie, it’s me it’s after, I just need to figure how to stop it without harming Gary,” said Alex.

Marie regarded Alex; she needed to make
her understand.

“
Alex, it’s too late for Gary now. This thing has lain dormant inside him for years, eating away at him until it was ready, now it will take him over until there is no more of Gary left. It may look like him on the outside but the inside is different, they use human form to hide in plain view. Alex they are pure evil, they are collectors.”

“I saw one remember.
I know what’s hiding inside him, but there must be a way of freeing Gary, he tried to warn me, save me, I owe him something.”

“
Seeing one in a vision and one in real life are two different things, they are very strong you saw what happened to your father.”

“
My father nearly killed it, if it the others hadn’t arrived, he would have done it I’m sure of it.”

“
Yes, but this thing has something over you, he’s using your feelings for Gary to weaken you.”