32. Awaken.

32. Awaken.
Catherine

I slowly become aware of my existence again, it is like I am slipping once more into my body from a hidden place far away; filling my limbs with consciousness as I begin to breathe with a new awareness. The burning has stopped, and my pain is now completely gone. Even my ankle no longers hurts.

In fact I am surprised to he able to recognise, that I feel good.

My eyes softly flutter open, just enough to allow my blurred vision to find some kind of focus. The light ripples around me and reflects on a dark wall I do not recognise. There must be water near by, and I find the thought comforting to no end.

As I come more into my senses, I realise I am in a ridiculously soft bed, nestled perfectly within the warm sheets. Even though I seem to be weighted down, trapped against a pleasant heat source at my back.

However, when I wriggle slightly, the weight lying across me shifts, and I realise it is not a heavy blanket weighing me down, there is a man's arm holding me securely in place.

It is at this moment I stiffen and a new sense of dread takes over my limbs, for now I remember.

I remember it all.

In my gut I knew who it was before I turned, but still I cautiously glanced behind my back to confirm my first instincts. I freeze at the sight, Caspian Varun is sound asleep, his eyelids gently fluttering as he dreams. The sight would be sweet, if he hadn't tried to kill me twice.

I have to still my mind abruptly from spiraling in a panic. I must be pragmatic. For I can only imagine why he has me in bed with him, but I must escape while he is unconscious and I have the opportunity. I can save my break down over the loss of my virtue for another time, a time where I am safe.

With stiff limbs, I manage to slowly manoeuvre myself out of his grasp, and slide free of the bed. Tentatively stretching when my bare feet touch the smooth polished floor.

I glance down when my achy legs make me wobble on my feet. How long have I slept for? But, more importantly, who dressed me in the blue night gown? The silk feels like butter against my skin, and the realisation of how helpless I have been shakes me to my core despite myself, and causes my shaking legs to walk me backwards towards the first door I see.

I have to fight the urge to turn and run, if I wake him I may never escape. Thus, my eyes stay locked on his sleeping form as I try the doors in the room. The first is some kind of closet, but thankfully the second leads to a large outer room. I gently close the strange door, before turning my attention to the outer chamber. There are more ripples dancing on the walls, and the strangest looking furniture I have ever seen dotted about the place. However, I do not have time to ponder and my focus narrows swiftly to the only other door present. I sigh in contentment when I see it leads to an outer corridor. I slip out without a sound, gently closing the door with a light click.

Then, I am running, everything is brighter out here, a bright light pouring in from above. The halls are brightly coloured and the floor is some kind of polished material I have never seen before, but I do not dare stop to admire it. My bare feet slapping the floor makes me cringe as the sound echoes, travelling back towards the rooms where Caspian Varun is sleeping inside, hopefully unaware of my escape.

I mildly curse myself for once feeling so comfortable in his presence. The man is a monster, like so many others of his kind.

Rounding my fourth corner, I discover I am completely lost. Everything looks so similar, the green and blue swirls in the floor, stretch up the ornate columns at each side of the walls and the colourful veins reappear in the white and red domed ceilings high above me. I must slow my pace, and try to figure out how I can leave, how I can find my way free of this labyrinth. That is when it happens, I walk around the next corner to see two guards.

I freeze.

Yet they only offer me a puzzled look, and do not make any comment or attempt to approach me. For some reason this emboldens me and I head towards the large ornate double doors they are beside. If they are guarded, then they must lead somewhere important; hopefully to an exit.

Silenty they nod in my direction and pull the doors open for me.

There is a shimmering opaque curtain covering the space, the light reflecting from it stings my weary eyes, the guard on my left suddenly clears his throat, as if he is now questioning my decision. I offer a tense smile and proceed, nervous that if I hesitate any longer they will close the doors and begin to question me more fully.

The moment I move through the door I am suspended weightlessly, the taste of salt coats my lips and I instantly understand I am still in underwater. I wish I had known to take a breath as I begin to float away from the archway that allowed my exit. I look up, my vision disturbingly clear as I take in my surroundings. I almost cry out with panic when and I see the surface so high above me, almost. I do not wish to lose any of the precious oxygen left in my lungs. I start kicking towards the surface, using my hands to help pull my body closer to my salvation. My lungs begin to burn again, and it dawns on me that I might not actually make it to the surface before they give out.

How could I come so far, only to be forced into a third drowning. Is fate so truly determined to see me end my days in a watery grave.

Frantically I begin to look around, my eyes hoping to find a solution. But, that was my next mistake, in the waters surrounding me I can see more and more water horses appearing, pausing briefly to take in my struggling form before continuing on their way. They are swimming around what looks to be a monumental palace made of strange looking polished corals and stone.

It spreads out below me, encompassing a vast area and then, periodically, there are these odd towers which spiral high above me, from the building, breaking the surface of the water and disappearing from my view.

It is truly an astounding sight, one I would think is quite pretty if I weren't fighting off nature's attempt to submerge me once again.

Unfortunately, the sudden sighting of a closer than comfortable horse causes me to scream. The sound is lost in the water, as is my remaining air, and I begin to choke as my body forces in water to replace it.

A flash of a memory tickles my mind as I fight my body. A book, with images of demonic horses that dwell under water and eat children.

Kelpies, I am surrounded by Kelpies.

My panic grows, despite their disinterest, and I begin clawing at my throat as tears begin to stream down my face, as I force my legs to push harder for the surface. I push my limbs past the point of burning, but it isn't enough. I will never make it.

On a despondent whimper, I inhale.

But my body's physical panic immediately retreats, at first I presume it is the acceptance of my fate replacing my emotional turmoil, until I realise I am not drowning. My chest no longer burns. I am simply breathing, but underwater.

The pain is gone.

A new hope builds inside, and I surge forward, my speed building now I am no longer hindered by the fear of drowning. I head towards one of the large spiralling towers, swimming up and around it, hoping to seek some cover from the stone from the carnivorous beasts that surround me.

Finally, after much exertion I break the surface, and my hope vanishes in its entirety. As I am lifted and dropped along with the softly swelling waters I discover there is no land anywhere around. There is only the tips of the towers, reaching skyward as they break from the ocean's surface.

There is nothing but a vast and encompassing ocean as I look all around.

It is of little wonder the palace was unguarded, there is no real chance of escape here anyway. Not without a ship at least, a salvation which is no where to be seen on the horizon.

My eyes look over the towering spires, desperate to find any kind of respite from my situation, and with luck, I do find it. The one closest to the centre, has what look like stone stairs spiralling up and around it, leading up to a high plaform of some kind on the top. Gently I make my way over, sighing in relief when I reach it undeterred or assaulted by the monsters lurking below.

The swell suddenly shifts around me, and I am lifted rather more swiftly than I anticipated; but I still manage to grab a hold of the roughly textured steps and pull myself free of the sea below. Unfortunately neither my hands nor my nightgown come away unscathed from the attempt, small tears appearing in both my skin and the fabric around my body.

I start to scramble up the steps, cursing each time I slip and the barnacles on the stone slice into my hands once again. I wipe the blood off on my gown, hoping none will drop into the water swirling below me. Predators can smell blood in the water and I believe that may be how Caspian found me once already.

Thankfully the barnacles disappear the higher I climb and then it is only the rough and slippery stone I have to contend with. The wind I notice is picking up and I endeavour to move all the faster to the top lest I am blown back into the depths below.

Mercifully, I do reach the top successfully, and find I have to roll onto my back immediately; I am gasping for air as my tired limbs finally refuse to move any further and I am given a moment's respite.

The wind is strong but the sun is also shining, I think of my mother as I realise I shall dry off quickly here. She always liked this weather for drying things out, whether it was sheets on the line or hay in the field, it was her favourite weather all year around.

But, the comfort of her memory brings little reprieve as I am forced back to reality by the sight before me. There is no where to go, I have no means of escape. Hiding up here, seems like my next best option for now. What else am I to do, even if I were to attempt and swim somewhere I have no knowledge of which direction to pick, nor what monsters of the deep may ensnare me further in my attempts.

I am truly stuck. I sit up and stare outwards at the never ending horizon. It is the same in all directions. I wonder if this is why the guards and other water horses paid me no attention, if I have no chance of escape, they have no need to intervene. No need to stop me prematurely from whatever their plan may be.

The thought sickens me, and I pulling my knees to my chest, I weep. Loudly. My fight is gone, I have no family to return to, and my fiance will likely spurn me having believed me capable of running off with another. I am utterly alone, and my sobbing only increases in volume as my desolate circumstances hammer down on me.

It doesn't matter who hears me now anyway, so I make no attempts to hide my woeful distress, and I sob till there are no more tears to cry, then I simply watch the horizon some more, I have seen the sky darken so much, at one point I believed a storm was headed my way, but it passed leaving me unaffected and I am once again left praying land, or even a boat will miraculously appear and somehow save me.

I am not sure how much time has passed, the sun doesn't seem to have moved here, But I am so numb to myself now, even the creaking sound behind me doesn't even pull my attention. It doesn't matter who or what is there anyway, although I already have my suspicions on who will be looking for me, just like I already know it is he who has found me. It's strange how can feel him, his need to find me. I don't understand why I can or how it works, but its almost as if his consciousness is merged with my own somehow. The thought of which brings me no comfort. How could it? To be linked to a child devouring demon in such a way.

"It seems I am tied to you, with or without your abhorrent tethering of me Lord Varun," I remark cruelly, my bitter mood souring my words as I realise I somehow knew his real name all along, scratching absent-mindedly at my ankle.

I feel his discomfort at my words, but he doesn't comment on them, I almost feel he has some kind of gentle understanding of them. Instead, he sits beside me.

"I was worried about you, my love. Wait, why are you bleeding?" He asks me, and I almost fold at how genuinely concerned he sounds.

I simply glance at my small cuts and abrasions then shrug without offering an answer, and in response he grabs my hands. I don't fight him as he studies my cuts, I'm not sure there is a point to. Besides, if I protest he may attempt to examine my feet and knees as well.

"You climbed the outside of the damn tower? Are you mad? You could have fallen." He scolds me, as realisation dawns on him.

His ire at my recklessness frustrates me, I can almost taste it, how displeased he is. His genuine nature doesn't make sense not after he hurt me so yesterday; after he left me in such pain. But, that wasn't yesterday, those thoughts do not feel right. Yet, I cannot deny they are there and my anger at a feeling of abandonment by someone who I sense such care from does nothing to settle my emotions.

I pull my hands away from him in disgust, "So, what? You are allowed to callously toss me away like I mean nothing, into the sea like unwanted and spoiled cargo, yet if I were to slip or fall in, then that would be an issue?"

"What?" He chokes trying to reach for me as I move away, "I would never throw you away, Catherine. I knew I would have to transform when I hit the water, if you were too close I could have hurt you!" Caspian objected.

I laughed, it sounded dry and hoarse from my throat, "That is indeed an incredibly hypocritical statement from the man who has attempted to slay me, twice, now," I throw at him.

"I have done no such thing," he states angrily, his voice seeming to cause the surrounding oceanic waters to tremble, and I notice the light surrounding us darkening again as clouds begin to roll across the endless sky.

"Sorry, does drowning me hold a different meaning to you?" I snap, standing to move away from him completely.

At this point I contemplate taking my chances with the sea and her monsters, her other monsters.

"Yes. It does," he confirms, rising to follow me without hesitation.

"Do not follow me," I snap, walking back towards the stone steps I came up.

I determine, that if I swim far enough, eventually I must find land. I have nothing to lose, I may as well try, because while I retain a spark of my previously extinguished fire, I will use it. Allow it to fuel my fight for survival.

"Catherine, stay away from those steps before you kill yourself on them!" He shouts at me.

"You may think you own me and that you may make decisions for me, but you are mistaken! I will go down those steps if I want, you are not my husband!" I shriek.

Caspian is in front of me in a split second, his speed making me jump, "Oh, but I am now! More so, I am your mate, and you will not be permitted to endanger yourself." He grinds out through his clenched teeth.

My mouth opens to respond, to tell him he can take a long walk off a short pier. But my confusion hinders me, how can he be my husband, I would remember a wedding?

Instead though, my anger spikes with the thunder that suddenly booms overhead and I end up voicing a different thought, "Is that why you saw fit to abuse me?"

"To what?" He asks aghast, looking as though I have slapped him.

"What else should I think? You take me against my will, I pass out while being drowned. When I wake, I am in your bed, in strange clothing, with your body draped a across my own! Having experienced only the Lord knows what, with you claiming to be my husband! Explain it to me then?" I demand, my voice rising with my frayed emotions.

"I.. I..." Caspian stuttered to begin, and I feel a flash of remorse as he tries to find his words.

"In fact, do not bother," I interrupt him, "I find I am not interested in your justifications. I just want to go home."

His face hardened at my dismissal, his body tensing as he moves towards me.

"You are home, Catherine, I suggest you get used to it," He stated coldly, before grabbing my wrist and pulling me harshly to the new opening in the floor he must have appeared from.