Chapter 14

‘I should be the one who was pissed off. How the heck could I know how he felt. He didn’t tell me. Not even an inkling. Typical male!’

She fumed and fretted, all the while waiting for him. By the time she went to bed, he was still absent.

But she couldn’t sleep. Restless, uneasy, she tossed and turned. The wheels of her brain couldn’t stop turning. Giving up, she got up to walk out onto the balcony. Sitting down on one of the loungers, she took to watching the waves. They crested in a silvery line on the reef, then came in to crash in lines of white froth on the beach. The moonlight gave the trees a bright sparkle against the darkness of the night.

It all looked so peaceful.

Unaware of the lurking dangers within the darkness surrounding them.

She shivered.

‘Oh hell. Someone just walked over my grave.’

She shivered again, at the morbid turn her thoughts had taken.

She became aware of a figure on the beach.

The distance from where she sat wasn’t that far. The figure was clearly outlined against the waves, and the sky. It looked eerie standing there, silhouetted by the moonlight, and the glistening waves as it’s background.

For a minute she thought it was Brett.

‘Oh, thank God. He’s back.’

Her hope crashed to earth when the figure turned.

‘Oh shit.’

She scrambled off the chair in haste.

But it was too late!

She knew that the instant her feet hit the wooden deck.

He had seen her!

And she had seen his eyes.

Those black merciless orbs had clamped on her. The intensity in them quite frightening.

From that brief glimpse, she knew he had known, she had been there all along.

‘How could he have found me this fast? Hell. Maybe word traveled in the paranormal realm, just like the human world operates.’

She didn’t know how that realm worked.

It was just a guess. But by how fast he had found her, she knew there must be some form of communication that had alerted him.

The sibilant whisper drifted on the breeze. Just as the smell she associated with him came. A sort of sandalwood aroma mixed with undertones of uci (the fragrant leaves Fijians used in their traditional leis, called salusalu)

“You cannot hide from me. I will always know where you are. You are mine.”

She shuddered at the possessiveness in that voice.

But it drew her.

She resisted.

“Fuck off. I will never be yours.”

She didn’t know where she found the strength to withstand him.

But she did.

Then he stood before her.

He was still outside the range of the lights from the balcony.

But she saw him clearly.

She gasped.

Her head reeled.

‘Was that his true form?’

She could not believe what she beheld.

‘No, that can’t be. He was…Magnificent?’

Words could not describe his allure.

Nina had a fixed image of her version of him.

Monsters in movies were horrendous, terrifying things, sometimes with horns.

But this. Him.

He was beyond her expectations. Hearing his voice, never seeing his form, she had never expected what she beheld now.

It staggered her mind.

She gaped, speechless.

‘Surreal.’

The blackness of his eyes glittered in the dimness surrounding him.

Nina was repelled but fascinated.

‘How can I find him gorgeous? Especially when he’s done what he has to me and my family. But I can’t stop…No. Nina. Look away…Think…Think of Aunty Seni, and Semi…’

That steadying thought snapped her out of his temptation.

A sense of self-preservation took over.

‘Oh God.’

Fleeing crossed her mind.

She tried to turn.

But she couldn’t move.

“Too late…”

His deep voice, no longer sibilant, was filled with an unholy glee.

“Come, Nina…” He cajoled, as he held out a hand.

A compunction to run to him, not away, took over.

Without volition, she stepped towards him. She was sweating from the effort of trying to withstand his compelling command. Her sweaty palms slipped off the chair she tried to grasp to keep her from walking towards him.

He was dangerous, but her feet didn’t listen.

Not even to save her from him.

She grew desperate!

“Nc. Please.” She pleaded.

His eyes never left her face.

It didn’t look gleeful now.

He looked almost agonized.

‘What does he have to be anguished about? Asshole!’

Her thoughts were jumbled, confused.

Except one emotion rose from out of the chaos.

Anger.

Hot molten anger.

The ferocious anger bubbling inside her, cleared the fog in her mind.

He was still gorgeous, but she saw his true nature shine through those eyes.

Nina’s mind cleared a bit.

‘This is unbelievable! He is compelling me.’

The instant she realized that, it broke his hold on her.

She stood immobile and watched him warily.

‘Too close…’ She thought, just before he grabbed her.

It happened so fast; she didn’t have time to scream.

The air sucked the scream from her as they shot into the air.

The wind whistled in her ear. A cold breeze blew against her face.

Her body trembled with shock.

Then they plummeted.

Down towards the ground.

Her brain shorted.

She couldn’t think but feel.

See.

She hurriedly snapped her eyes close.

“Oh God, I’m going to die. God, please help me.”

The frantic drumbeat of her heart thundered in her ear.

She heard him chuckle.

Her prayer cut short when the expected impact with the earth didn’t come.

Her heart steadied a bit. The corded muscles in his arms and shoulders flexed as he held her grounded tight to him.

The unexpectedness of his kidnapping kept her body stiff against him.

His scent drifted to her nose. It was now like woodsy smoke, mixed in with the sandalwood and uci.

‘Like a lovely evening around a campfire.’

Tears sprang into her eyes at the memories and emotions it wrought.

She sniffed it away.

Cautious, she opened one eye. They were traveling through a well-lighted tunnel. But still traveling fast downward.

Then it opened out into a world of stars.

And a moon.

“Where is this?”

“Your home now.” He sounded satisfied.

They landed on a street, surrounded by huge mansions, the street well lighted. As her feet touched ground, she gave a relieved sigh “Oh, solid ground. Thank you, God.”

Cagilaba still retained his grip, his fingers shackled around her wrist.

Then he led her to a gate in front of the mansion looming over their heads.

“Come…” His deep voice rasped.

The only good thing about this was he wasn’t using that whispering voice that had been preying insidiously on her, whether awake or asleep.

Without any resistance, Nina followed him. In unfamiliar surroundings she would definitely follow. She was on the brink of shattering, but she held herself in check. She was too scared to find out where that would leave her.

“Nina, Oh my dear. Why? Why did you come back?”

The cry came from a side room that led off the foyer they had entered.

‘Oh, that voice. that beloved voice.’

Tears spurted into her eyes. Her aunt looked just as she did before she died. Her tears spilled as she stepped towards her.

Cagilaba released her, as she strained against his hold. Nina ran into her aunt’s arms as soon as she was freed. Up until that moment she hadn’t thought she was real. That her body would be tangible. But as her aunt’s arms closed round her, she had proof, she was.

Her aunt was tangible down here. Not a ghost.

‘Oh God, does that mean I’m dead too? Will Brett find my body, cold and icy with death when he gets back?’

Her aunt seemed to guess her thoughts, for her next answer reassured Nina.

“No sweetheart, you are still flesh and bones. Down here we are tangible. Up there, we are not. We’re just rotting bones in a cemetery.”

“Thank God.” Seeing the look on her aunt’s face, she quickly apologized.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean your situation.”

Morose, she berated herself for her lack of tact.

Her aunt’s smile was sad.

“It’s okay, baby. This is what I deserve.”

Nina went to protest, but her aunt held up a finger to shush her.

She continued.

“I took on too much when I tried to fight this demon on my own. I took on more than I could chew. I was too proud to ask for help. He was too strong for me. Too strong for you too. I’m so glad you had angelic help. Although, I don’t know what can be done now, with you down here, where he wanted you all along.”

Her aunt didn’t seem to care Cagilaba was standing at her back within earshot. Her glare at him was filled with anger and bitterness.

He hadn’t spoken all this while. Not since he had bidden her to follow him.

She felt impatience seeping from him as he turned to leave.

“I will leave you here to have your little family reunion. I’ll come collect you in a couple of hours’ time.”

He turned to go, then changed his mind as he turned back.

“Sorry, down here there is no time.”

His smile was whimsical.

“I will collect you in a bit.”

Then he was gone.

She turned back to her aunt.

“Where is Semi?” She asked with some trepidation.

Is he…?”

She couldn’t finish her sentence.

“Yes, Nina. He’s here. But he has his own mansion. We’re all kept in luxury here.”

Nina looked around.

“You sure are. But why?”

“Because he wants you. He is so obsessed with you; he keeps us here in luxury to show you that he can be good. We are nothing but grand prisoners.”

Her humorous quip belied the grimness of her tone.

“We will find a way out of this, Aunty Seni. I promise.?

She had no idea her heartfelt vow would bring tears to her strong, no nonsense aunts’ eyes.

“I have no doubt you will try, my brave girl.”

Her aunt sniffed.