The Two Kings (Afterlife Saga) (126 page)

The sound of an
engine behind me, made me try
to focus enough of my dwindling energy to turn. When I did I was quickly blinded by high beamed headlights. I shielded myself using my arm over my face to hide the light. I moved over so as I wouldn’t get run over, at least I had enough mental power left over for that idea. I felt my foot catch on some uneven surface beneath the snow and lifted my eyes just in time to see the world differently. I must have been flying because the icy wind whipped out my hair and cut into my face.

“Draven?” I asked just before my dream ended and I discovered that I wasn’t flying at all. I was falling....

Then darkness invaded me.

Chapter 56

Yes, It Could Get Worse.

“Keira!” A voice brought me to
and only then did I realize I had
fallen down in the snow and pass
ed out. Arms pulled my head up and the snow clung to the side of my face.

“Keira! Open your eyes girl!” A male voice sounded so strained speaking over me. It was so angry and upset. 

“Oh come Kazzy, please...” Now a female voice mixed with heavy breathing spoke from a distance. I forced my eyes to open but they didn’t want to focus on the figure now standing over me.

“Come on Frank, just get her in the car and we will take her to hospital
.
” At that point my eyes made the distinction between shapes and faces. Frank was stood over me and forcing his arms under me. He lifted me with care and hitched me up a few times to get better grip. It felt strange to be carried by someone other than Draven and the differences between the two were easy to distinguish. It had always seemed effortless to Draven and now that was not the same case with Frank. Although he was strong, he struggled at being graceful about it. At that moment I missed Draven so much it was like having
a
jagged edge
ripped down my chest that allowed for my heart to coming spilling out.

“My God, she’s like ice!” Frank complained getting closer to my sister who was stood anxiously by the car door, holding it wide open, ready for Frank to place me.

“We need to hurry and get her to the ER
.
” My sister’s voice told me she was giving way to panic and I needed to put a stop to it before I ended up strapped to a hospital bed with a familiar beeping next to my head for the night. I knew how this worked, I had been there and didn’t wish to
ever
go back. Besides I knew there was nothing really wrong with me that a hot bath and a good night’s sleep couldn’t cure. And
some food wouldn’t have gone a
miss, I was starving.

“Li..Lib..by I’mm...ooo..kk” I couldn’t speak for my teeth chattering that sounded like pebbles rolling around in a tin can.

“NO, you’re not!” She sounded angry and who could blame her. I grabbed her hand as Frank put me in the car and she screamed at the icy touch.

“Jesus! You
’
r
e
freezing Kaz!
What the hell were you thinking
?” She was shouting at me now and as crazy as it sounds, I felt like laughing. It was just the absurdity of it all. If only she actually knew what I had been thinking! What horrors lay there fo
r her to find. She would have ru
n a long time ago and I would have her now scolding me for not running fast
er
, further...sooner!

“Pl
eeaase nno hosspiiital” I stammered
out and her eyes filled with tears. The last thing I saw before she slammed the door closed was her shaking her head. I must have closed my eyes for a few seconds because they flew open when we hit a bump in the road. Can you really do that? Sleep for seconds and have it feel like a small lifetime. My eyes just made out the cross roads that we had stopped at, the red light making me squint in the darkness of the backseat.

“Well which is it Lib’s, home or hospital?” Frank asked flashing me a look in his rear view mirror, catching my deathly, white face pleading.

“Please Lib’s, take me home
,
” I whispered without a hiccup thanks to the heating in the car bringing some life back to my numb lips.

“It’s just one night
.
” She looked down, avoiding my painful memories.

“Olivia, I’m begging you,
please
don’t take me there. They will see my scars, they will ask questions...they will see me a suicide and think that’s what I was trying to do again. I can’t...I can’t answer their questions...I won’t!” It felt like my night for begging but if that was what it would take then I would face hell’s fire to avoid those memories! I was afraid I would never make it through it all again, I couldn’t relive it all and survive. Thankfully I didn’t have to wait to find out.

Frank turned left and started driving towards home without waiting for Libby’s response. It was the nicest thing Frank had ever done for me and I would forever be eternally grateful for a gesture I doubt he knew the full meaning of. It had been a lifeline and I mentally thanked God for him. Neither of us said another word.

By the time we pulled up outside the house, my strength had come back to me and my body had started to thaw. Frank opened my side door and reach inside for me. I was about to protest when he abruptly spoke. Whi
ch coming from Frank sounded un
natural.

“Don’t!” I knew that emotion well enough, he was worried, upset and pained at seeing someone he considered as a sister in this situation. Th
e brotherly love I felt from him
was staggering. See
, all the time through my break
down he had been the one to remain the same. There was no putting on a soft voice and handling me with velvet gloves. There had been no fake smiles and whispered concerns behind my back. No wincing at the sight of my bloody bandages and broken body. He had just been him. The only one that had remained the same. And one look at a man like Frank made you realize that no matter what evil lived among us, no matter what pain they inflicted and no matter what nightmares they created, there was still good in the world because men like Frank existed. It was that simple. And so was letting him put his arms under me and carry me in the house like I was something dear to him. Because I was. I was his sister.

That night there were
no more words between us, just deep meaningful gestures. Libby ran me a bath without a sound. She helped me shed my wet cloth
es and waited with me until I sa
nk into the comforting, most loveliest feeling ever. She got up and left me to soak myself in the warmth of the water until I felt my skin wrinkle. Well at least I was a healthier colour. I would have smiled if I didn’t feel so lost and empty inside. I was sat up, head rested on my knees and holding myself so tight I felt if were to let go I would break into pieces. I looked down the curve of my knees and watched little beads of liquid flow down them into the murky water that once held soapy bubbles on the surface. I didn’t think it possible for me to have any tears left to cry but there they were, flowing down my body and escaping my grievous situation.

Finally
,
I made my head move, my legs straighten and my arms
heave myself out of the bath like I was some dead weight. I found a steaming mug of tea outside the door and thought I would start crying again. I picked up the mug with one hand and held on to my towel with the other but as I made my way along the hall the sound of Frank
’
s voice made me stop. I made the decision to make myself listen to this and took a few steps down before sitting down.

“No, no, like I said, she seems to be alright
.
” It wasn’t his usual friendly, easy going tone, this was his serious voice that only came out
when ‘Pissed off Frank’
rarely showed. I could tell he was on the phone to someone and I could tell by his manner, thankfully it wasn’t my mother.

“Dom
,
I’m telling you she’s fine! But
what on earth did you do to her
? And why the fuck would you le
t her walk home in this weather?
” Frank was losing his cool and my mouth dropped at the sound of it being with Draven. I wished I had supernatural hearing at that point because Frank was only making a few acknowledged responses which gave very little away.

“Oh... Oh right, I see, No, no, I don’t think you had any other choice. She’s damn stubborn for sure.” He seemed a lot calmer now which made me wonder what had Draven told him?                 

“No
,
just half way until we found her and
of course
she refused to go to the hospital
.
” This was so frustrating only hearing one side and having it keep stopping for the questions I couldn’t hear.

“I couldn’t make her Dom, I’m not her father and you should know that by now, the girl has a will of iron! Besides I didn’t want to add to her...her... well her misery by bringing up shit with her past!”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea, she doesn’t want to see anyone at the moment, let alone any doctors! Look me and Lib’s will keep an eye on her tonight...yes, yes, we will keep checking for that but do you really think she will go that far? She’s not going to just get up and leave without saying anything to us
.
” So Draven thought that I was going to run. I wouldn’t be surprised if I looked out
of
the window and saw it surrounded w
ith guards! I would put money on
Ragnar being out there at the very least.

“We will lock the doors and hide the keys if you really think it’s an issue but to be honest Dom, the girl is exhausted and just needs rest. I think you will find once she’s had some sleep, she will see things differently in the morning
.
” I was in two minds t
o go down there and ask him out
right what Draven had told them because in no way could it have been the truth.

“No
,
you did the right thing calling us. I think you
’
r
e
right about her reactions to involving your family and like you said, I think you coming to get her, would have just made it worse.” So Draven had called them. Not only had he done as I asked by letting me go, he had also had a backup plan of seeing to my safety.

“Ok we will do and y
es I won’t forget, I will tell her now, before she goes to bed, I think she is still in the bath...”

“NO Dom she isn’t a child, she wouldn’t fall asleep in the bath!.... Ok, ok, we will go and check on her but honestly man stop worrying!” Frank was muttering the next bit and when I heard the phone being placed back in it
s
jack I gathered the muttering had been a goodbye.

“So, what did he say?” I heard Libby ask.

“He did nothing wrong Lib’s, this was Keira’s choice
.” Frank answered in a neutral
tone. Nothing wrong! I don’t bloody think so. I wanted to march right down there and
put them right but after a nano
seconds thought, I knew that wouldn’t be very productive. For starters it wasn’t like he could have told them the truth but come on, m
aking it out like it was all me
! Man
,
it was infuriating but what could I do? I did the only thing I could, I got up and went into my temporary room to hide myself away.

I quickly changed into some old sweat pants, a black vest and my dad’s old college sweater for added comfort. It was huge on
me but I liked that. I also loved
that no matter how many times it had been washed it seemed to smell like my dad. I brushed my hair with a lot more force than necessary, which was probably causing a year’s full of split ends. It was only when it started to squeak that I plaited it still damp and flung it back over my shoulder to hang down my back like a rope to nowhere.

My activities must have been heard downstairs as soon enough I heard a light tapping at my door. The mood I was in I just wanted to be left alone but I gathered my sister had hit her limit on being kept in the dark.

“Come in
,
” I whispered, half hoping she wouldn’t hear and think I was asleep already. That didn’t happen but neither did my sister. It was Frank.