Forsaken (book 3) (The Charmer series) (16 page)

"Don't you fucking dare!!!" I reply feeling like I could rip her heart out on the spot.

"Why don't I take you home?" Angus asks, cutting in as he laces an arm around my waist lovingly, to draw me away from the situation.

"What the fuck is going on with you lot?" Mickey asks looking at us all in turn.

"Nothing man, leave it!" Den speaks harshly, knowing that questions are too hard to answer.

"What got into you?" Mickey replies standoffish.

"Just drop it.
She aint the problem here!" He growls looking directly at Ruk and Mary.

"How is it our fault she is jealous?" Mary asks with a grin.

"Ruk man, sort it out," Den tells him pointing at Mary.

"What has she done?" Ruk speaks surprisingly calmly, as if he really hasn't noticed her real personality coming out.

"You know, when I was ten years old I fell from a tree bumped my head hard and subsequently lost my memory," Richard States.

"So?" Den asks thrown off by his comment.

"Well, I was hit in the face pretty hard, and it came back," he shrugs, and before I can stop him, Angus has hit Ruk so hard in the face that he fly’s several feet in the air and comes to a crash landing on his back, growling viciously whilst holding the back of his head in pain.

"Richard!" I hiss at him when he starts to laugh aloud, "You are such a prick!"

"Well I was getting bored. Here we go!" He says with excitement.

Looking back towards Ruk, he is now in his wolf form, heckles raised and ready for war.

"Angus!!!" I yell with everything I have.

As I watch Ruk in slow motion, as I do every one of them. Time slows to a snail’s pace for just a moment, giving me time to push Angus to the floor. The slow motion movements suddenly speed up and I'm lying on the floor with Ruk's wolf on me, snapping his canines in my face.

Faster than any other man, Richard throws Ruk's wolf of off me and pulls me to me feet, only I cannot stand. Without knowing it, Ruk has bitten me savagely, covering my chest and belly. Weary with blood loss, my vision goes blurry and my legs lose the will to stand as the cruelness of my reality hits me and everything goes black.

Sitting up in bed, I have bandages covering my upper body, and searing pain in my stomach. Looking around the room, I'm not surprised when I see Dallah, Sallack, Den, Angus and Richard.

"Fuck! What happened?" I ask in a sigh, not really wanting to know, but needing to.

When I somehow made time move slowly, that time soon caught up with me, leaving me with no memory of them few precious seconds.

"After Angus hit Ruk, he went feral, wanted to kill Angus, just as he got near, you appeared in his place," Dallah wipes her tear away, "then Angus was on the floor, and suddenly you were under Ruk and he was tearing into you. How did...?" She loses the will to speak, so Angus carries on, "how did you make time move like that?
Why did you do that sweet!?" He asks with sorrow, but also anger.

"Shit!" I curse, then look back at them, "time just slowed,
then went so quickly that I didn't know what had happened," I tell them confused.

"Why are you taking this so well?" Sallack asks sounding confused.

"Because this is how it is now. I need to get up, I have things to do," I say as I painfully get up from bed.

Den rushes to me and holds me in his arms, but I push him away.

"I'm ok. Do I look like I need help?" I ask, full of anger.

"I care about you?"

"Well you shouldn't."

"Sweetie, what is so important?"

"Just stuff," I tell her whilst looking for my top, as I only wear the bandages and my bloody bra, "throw me a top?" I ask Sallack who’s standing next to my wardrobe.

"No. Sit down, you need to recover. We wanted to get you healed, but letting anyone near you is too dangerous.

"What do you have to say?" I ask Richard with a raised brow, and amazingly I actually want to hear him.

"It's happened now; she has had worse things happen. Get up, put cloths on and we will head to your father
’s house. We need to come up with a plan for the ceremony," he says with authority.

"Let's go then," I tell him and hold my hand out to him, he looks at me startled, so I
explain, "I have no energy to transport," I tell him with an eye roll.

"Yeah sure you don't," he replies sarcastically and takes hold of my hand.

"You can't go! You need to be cared for!" Dallah states in a hurt tone.

"Not anymore," I shake my head, and as tears swell in my eyes, Richard transports us back to my father’s house.

"Lay down. I'll be back in 10. I need to shower this blood of me," he says looking down at his blood stained clothes.

Nodding my head to him, I painfully crawl onto my bed.

Letting out a yelp of pain as I throw my back against the pillow, I see stars in my vision. Breathing heavily, and shutting my eyes to the pain, I concentrate on being brave, biting my lip until it bleeds I get myself comfortable.

"What are you doing?" Richard asks from the door way.

"Why are you still standing there?" I question back.

"Watching you," he tells me plainly.

"Well shows over. Hurry up!" I tell him annoyed with his lingering.

Walking out of the room with a small sigh, he returns 30 minutes later, clean and dressed, and unluckily for me, I'm half on the bed on my hands and knees, butt in the air.

"What are you doing
now?" He laughs.

Unable to answer him through the tears of excruciating pain, I hang my head in shame, and hiss at him with a tremble, "Leave me!"

But he doesn't, he does the opposite. Quicker then lightening, I am on my feet, and he has me by the arms.

Wiping my tears away quickly with my arm out of embarrassment, I take the painful step away from him.

"Where are you going," he asks gently.

"I'll be back in a Minute!" I screech though gritted teeth.

I only need the toilet, but I have a feeling this is going to be seriously painful.

When returning from the bathroom at a snail’s pace, Richard is standing at the door with his arms crossed and a small smirk.

"What?" I ask confrontational.

"I'll get you in bed," he laughs at me, and just like that, I'm lying in my bed, and he is lying beside me.

"How did you so that?"

"You will learn to do it one day, you just need to practice."

"Ok. So what is the plan for the ceremony?"

"We will speak tonight. You need to get rest, otherwise you will not heal, then you are no use to anyone," he states with authority.

"Fine. Wake me no later than 7," I tell him back and watch him closely, silently telling him to go. The savagely painful walk to the bathroom has taken the last of my energy, and I can feel my body begging for time to heal.

"I have to stay at your side, I promised your father," he says simply.

"We are safe here," I say in wonder.

"I don't trust that Albert."

"Jeez Richard, I have never met such a lovely man," I say with a Laugh.

"That's your problem," is all he says before he laces his arms behind his head and closes his eyes.

Giving into exhaustion, I let my eyes fall, and with a sad sigh I am in a deep sleep.

After my long needed sleep, I wake to see Richard to my side, flipping the pages of my treasured book.

"You are awake, good," he sighs moodily.

"Um hum. What are you doing?"

"I got bored. Listen, now you are up and feeling better, we need to come up with a plan for this ceremony," he tells me whilst handing me the book.

Lifting myself into a sitting position, I take the book from his hands and hold it open in my palms.

"Send Mary back to hell," I speak with anger and watch the pages flapping left to right and finally falling on a page that has a sign of a potion bottle.

Scanning over the first page, I get to the second paragraph when I lay the book on the bed and look at Richard with a raised brow.

"What is it?" He asks concerned, which make me take a second look at him.

"I need to get a potion to feed Mary on the day of the ceremony."

"Right, what is then?"

"It has to be made by the witches of Barker Hill."

"Fuck! You sure it says Barker Hill?" He asks sounding anxious whilst trying to take the book from my hands, not that he can read from it.

"You know where it is?" I ask with excitement.

"I'm afraid I do, but I will not take you there," he spits, getting noticeably angry.

"Why, what are you scared off?"

"HA! I'm scared of no one, but you, you should close the book and forget about this, its better this way, trust me."

"NO! Tell me what's so bad about Barker Hill?"

"It isn't Barker Hill; it's the Witches that live there. They are two sisters, the Barker sisters, sick, twisted sisters that are so gruesome; their looks alone can bring any man a fever."

"Oh don't be so dramatic. I will go alone, so you don't have to see them and get yourself a nasty cold," I joke.

Rolling onto me, he holds his body weight up on his arms, his body demanding me to look at him.

"They will be struck with jealousy when seeing you, they can make you relive every terrible moment if your life, even past life's. Even if you do get out alive, it will be at the cost of something dear to you. If you mess with these Witches, they will curse us both for eternity. I'm not joking Zara, this is deadly series."

"You have seen them before," I ask with a small frown, not taking my eyes from his.

Closing his eyes for a few seconds, he sighs, and I feel his breath on my face, he then speaks with fear in his eyes.

"I went there as a child, they did unthinkable things to me. I will not let you go. Your father would never allow it," he speaks quietly, and with need for my full concentration.

"Ok, I get it. But...I have to, you know I do, I have come too far," I tell him apologetically, "Tell me where it is and I will go, I don't need you to be there," I try to convince.

"You are a stubborn fool. I have given the warning, and you shall sleep on it. If you still wish to go we will leave in the morning," he speaks though his gritted teeth.

"Thank you." I tell him sincerely.

"That will soon be an apology," he says with a sigh.

Closing his eyes and shaking his head in thought, his eyes spring open and he gazes down at me with a look I have never seen on him. Whatever the look is, it's making me feel self-conscious.

I have never been so close to Richard, and neither do I want to be, but my body refuses to fight him off.

"They won't like you Zara."

"I will make them. I just need to ask them, I have to ask for them to make me the potion."

"What if they trick you, it has been known that they have a sick imagination."

"Are they your sisters?" I ask with a laugh.

"Damn it Zara! Take this seriously!"

"Are you for real. Look at me Richard, do I look naive! Look at my life in the last 6 months, and I'm here still pretending to be happy! I'm fucking losing it! I want this over and done with so that I can finally let go of Ruk!" I tell him bravely.

"I will not let you put your life at risk for that man. If they refuse you, we will leave without looking back, or we do not go at all."

"I agree. You need to get up now, you are heavy," I say pretending as though I can't breathe, when really I don't trust his closeness.

"I have no weight on you," he smiles evilly.

"You are wasting your time on flirting with me Richard, it will not work."

"That isn't flirting," he laughs, "If I were to flirt with you, you would b
e on your knees begging for me," he says, his voice thick in desire.

"Ha, okay. Does this really work on women?" I say pushing him to the side so that he is no longer hovering above me.

"I don't know, I have never had to try. I normally have them naked on the bed, legs open touching themselves, screaming my name before getting to know their name."

"You are unbelievable."

"So I've been told," he smirks.

Rolling my eyes, I get up from bed, and walk to the bathroom, standing at the door I say to him,

"I’ll meet you down stairs."

"What are you doing now?
" he asks with that smirk.

Raising a brow and giving him an I-don't-think-so look, he gets up from the bed and walks through my bedroom door, letting it shut gently behind him.

Chapter 14

Dressed in jeans, boots and a big warm parker coat with a huge fur hood. Richard stands before me in almost the same clothes, jeans, boots and a big chunky coat.

"You sure about this?"

"Yeah, let's do it," I nod my head, holding it up high; I look him in the eye without fear and hold my hand out to him. Taking my hand in his big warm one, a small mischievous smile forms on his lips, followed by us transporting to North West, Alaska.

It is 11am here; however the sun is setting, which makes this seem even the more eerie. While Richard walks on, I follow behind him, lost in my own thoughts.

I'm not sure what to think about these Witches, but no matter what awaits us, I will do my utmost best to come back with the potion.

"Are they royalty?" I ask him.

"No, why?"

"Well, I thought that the strongest are born to royalty?"

"It is the case for most, but these are different Witches, some think they are the first Witches."

"What do you believe?"

Turning to face me, he steps up to me, slips back the hood of my coat and holds my shoulders.

"They are creatures, nasty, spiteful creatures. They will play with your emotions, twist your words, even you bones. You best know what you’re doing," he tells me, then turning back to the trail.

Pulling m
y hood back over my head, I try to hide my fear from Richard.

I sat up all night thinking about this, what I'd say, what I'd do if this back-fired on me, us.

"There we are," Richard calls, pulling me from my thoughts.

Pointing to a house on the top of a hill, I nod my head and walk to stand at his side.

"Ready?"

"As ever," I reply and walk ahead of him.

We could have transported to the top of the hill, but we didn't want to catch the Witches of guard.

Standing at the foot of the door, whispers from the cracks of the old house start to call 'Charmer' repeatedly. To say its freaking me out is an understatement, the coldness in the tone is making my skin crawl.

Feeling a hand on my back, I jump forward and bang into the door.

"No fear!" Richard hisses at me, and removes his hand from my back.

Fuck it! So much for being strong!
Come on Zara, keep it together, this is for Ruk.

The door swings open, and there stand
’s the sister’s, crippled, twisted limbs, and hideous faces. One has dirty grey hair running down to her waist, the other has midnight black hair loosely tied back, showing her missing eye.

Taking a deep breath and holding my head high, I introduce myself and Richard.

"Hello, my name is Zara, this is Richard. I have come to..."

"Richarrrrrd," she sings out in a husky creepy voice.

"How are you," he nods his head to them, not meeting their glare.

"Missing our sister," the other sister spits though her toothless mouth.

"Yes. I'm sure. Sorry about that," he says coolly.

Shooting my eyes to him, I look on at him in shock. How could he not have told me he killed their sister!

"So why do you come Charmer, you are busy, no?" The one eyed sister asks with a growl, obviously not liking me.

As I start to speak, they shuffle towards me, giving me goose bumps all over my body.

"I have come to ask for your help, I need a potion..." She stops me speaking again.

"Let him live the life he has chosen."

"He did not choose this life," I try to convince.

"No, but he would have, if you hadn't come in and messed with their hearts and life's, with your shinning beauty," the other sister barks.

"I ask for a favour," I ask full of need.

Ignoring my cry for help, their eyes fall on Richard.

"You like her," they sing cheekily to him.

"I'm sorry to have come without warning, but if you just let me..."

This time I stop myself from talking as I watch in discomfort as their hands come out to him and caress his body. Seeing the disgust in his face, I walk to them, place myself in front of Richard and look at them closely, "please, will you listen to me?" I ask gently, not wanting to anger them.

"The Charmer, beauty, full heart, full soul, only you’re not. You are empty!" They laugh.

"I'm not asking for your opinion," I shot back.

"We know what you want. Sing for us?"

"For the potion?"

"No!" The sister with grey hair yells in my face.

They really are hideous creatures, it’s as if they were created with the sole purpose to scare away everyone and thing.

"The Prince and the Charmer visiting us, how lovely sister," she says to her sister with mischief laced in her tone.

"Shall we play?" She states, shaking with excitement.

"Women, we came to talk, we bring no battle," Richard tells them, moving closer to my side.

"Really, if I remember rightly, that is what you said last time."

"True, but you have my word. I am here purely for Zara."

Spinning to face me, they watch me carefully for what feels like minutes before speaking.

"Your father was good to us once, but your mother took my eye! I neither like nor trust you. Go now with your life's!"

"No. I am neither one of them. You don't know me, you can't trust me!"

"Let's see shall we?"

Suddenly the four of us are in my bedroom in England, me at the age of 10, sitting playing with my dolls, and Den on my bed at the age of 13.

"Are you my brother Den?" The younger me asks.

"No, not really. I'll look after you like a brother does, but no Zara, we will be mates,"

He tells me with a shrug of his shoulders.

"Mates? Do you mean friends? Cos I think we should get married instead of being friends," the younger me tells him, not even knowing of marriage.

"Um maybe, see how it goes," he says coolly.

Suddenly the vision sucks away and we are surrounded by dozens of girls, outside of my high school in England.

I'm remembering this scene unlike the last. This is the day I never again returned to school, I'm 16 years old. The girls push me up again a wall and circle me, laughing and pointing, I want to close my eyes, but I can’t.

"All the boys say you’re a whore, but we think you are ugly, not even your parents wanted you!" One of the girls spits her venom.

"How can I be a whore when I'm a virgin?"

"Watch your mouth Carter," she yells angrily, using my second name, "Den and me are going out now, so you need to back off. Move out of the house, run away, kill yourself, whatever."

"I don't care about you and Den, you are just another girl to him," I spit back in rage, and I know why, it's because as I stand there, my heart breaks.

We go to the next image, leaving the younger me to be beaten to an inch if my life by the group of girls.

Next, is when I tried to kiss Den, I think it was a month after the beating I received.

Walking into his bedroom, I close the door quietly and sit on the edge of his bed, waiting for him to finish in the shower.

Walking out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist, he stops and watches me with a raised brow.

Not speaking a word, and pushing my nerves down to the pit of my stomach, I step up to him, place my hands on his dripping chest, and tiptoe.

This is when I have to look away, even though it is an old memory, it still hurts terribly to see it so vividly.

"I can't Zara," Den speaks, his voice laced with hurt, and I remember thinking he had no right to be hurt when he was the one breaking my heart.

Shimmering away, we enter the next memory; this is of Sallack and me in his room, making love.

"Enough, what is the poi
nt to this?" I ask in confusion and discomfort, but the scenes play out.

Next is Parrise and I at his house, when I told him we could not be.

Then Sallack's betrayal, which again, I cannot watch.

The following scene is of Richard and me kissing in the ball room of the dark coven.

I want to close my eyes to the vision, but I cannot, it's entrancing.

"Look at the passion, great sex would follow wouldn't you say?" The sister with one eye asks.

"This is useless," I tell them and turn on my heel, but instead of finding the door, I am forced to watch Ruk's head being wrongly removed from his body, then me in my white dress, covered in blood, watching my whole world fall apart in front of me.

Turning my head, w
ith tears running down my cheek. Richard surprises me by taking my hand in his.

I don't look at him, I can't. But I look at the two sisters, and just before I speak with anger for their cruelty, we are standing in a dimly lit room, surrounded by men, fierce looking warriors. Then a boy is pushed into the circle, he must be 12 maybe 14.

"Where is she?!" A man speaks, its Richards grandfather.

"Speak boy!" He screams fiercely, making the boy flinch.

But the young Richard stays quiet, speaks not a word, let's fall not a single tear.

The man steps forward and whips him across the back, the sound of it hitting his skin makes my stomach drop.

"Stop!" I scream at the sisters but they ignore me as the next memory comes quickly.

Richard removes his hand from mine, but I snatch it back and hold it tightly.

Sitting in a bright warm room is a beautiful woman in a stunning gown.

"Richard," she calls, and unlike her outside appearance, her tone is harsh and cruel.

Walking into the room is Richard at what I'd say is the age of 15 or 16.

"
Yes Mother," he asks gently.

"You have been dreaming of a girl?" she states in disgust.

"Yes, she is a beautiful woman, beauty so..."

Slapping him hard across the face, she pulls him down to the floor so that he is on his knees before her.

"No son! No one will ever truly love you, women will pretend to love you because you’re the Prince, they will deceive and destroy you!  Love no other, trust no one, prey on the weak and know thy enemy!"

And heartbreakingly he repeats the words, loud and with conviction, like he really believes the words that will become his mantra throughout his life.

The next scenes that play out are those of the words he had drilled into his mind and heart at a young age.

Standing back at the sister’s creepy house, Richard pulls his hand from mine, rage plastered on his face.

"Your tricks did nothing; now listen to Zara so that we can leave you in peace."

"It made you both sad," the sister with one eye says sarcastically.

"No it made us angry!" I answer for the both of us.

"Good! I will give you the potion if you give us a small gift in return?" She smiles grimly.

"Gift?" I ask watching them closely.

“
Yes nothing important, just a small vial of your blood.”

"What?
My blood, why would you want that?" I ask in disgust.

Richard steps close to my back and laces an arm around my waist.

"You ask for too much," He tells them.

“Surly a small price to pay to send a demon back to the depths of hell and save your love from
mating and becoming one with Lucifer’s servant.

“A Demon!
Richard did you know Mary’s a Demon.” I question him, fearful of his answer.

“
I feared as much as Lucifer doesn’t release a soul unless he has a purpose for them, and hers is to weaken you through your love of Ruk, in hopes of one day possessing your very soul. I should have seen it sooner.” He shakes his head in thought.

“My father trusts you, but how can I, knowing you had that suspicion but kept it to yourself all this time? God what should I do! It’s just a little blood for Ruk’s freedom.”

“That’s it my girl, very wise, Sister bring a vial.” The grey haired Witch beckons me to sit, but I refuse needing to remain standing encase something goes wrong. As the sisters whisper to each other in the corner, I get a really bad feeling.

Walking towards me with a dagger at the ready, I began to shake with fear
, but I keep telling myself that this is for Ruk.

The one eyed sister takes
my hand, places it in a bowl as the grey haired sister approach’s with the blade. I try to withdraw my hand, but the other sister has it in a vice like grip.

“Stop!”
Richard yells out, but it was too late, they have begun chanting and the air grows thick in the room.

I struggle
to breath, trying desperately to pull my hand free. Richard begins a chant of his own, and the sister about to draw blood struggles with the dagger as it turn away from me and aims at her scraggy throat.