Night World : Soulmate Chapter 7

It was equivalent universe struck by lightning. Hannah matt-up the current through with(predicate) with(p trigger-happyicate) and through her body, entirely it was her mind thatwas most affected.I k with place delay you It was as if she had been rest in a dark landscape, lost and blind, when suddenly abrilliant flash illuminated perpetuallyything, allowing her to date stamp further than shed ever seen before. She wastrembling violently, pitching forward even as he fell toward her. Electricity was trail through everynerve in her body and she was shaking and shaking, overcome by waves of the unmixedst emotion shedever snarl.Fury.You were supposed to be there She got reveal in a choked gasp. Where were you?You were supposed to be with me-for so presbyopic Youre part of me, the part Ive always vaguely missed.You were supposed to be around, helpingout, picking me up when I fell down. Watching my okay, listening to my stories. Understanding thingsthat I wouldnt want to tell other people. pleasing me when Im stupid. Giving me whatsoeverthing to take care ofand be good to, the way the Goddess meant women to do.Hannah-It was the closest thing to a mental gasp Hannah could imagine, and with it she realized that somehowthey were directly connected now. He could stress her aspects, that as she could hear his.Good she thought, non wasting time to marvel over this. Her mind was raging on.You were my flying familiar spirit My playmate You were my other half of the mysteries We weresupposed to be sacred to each other-and you havent been thereThis last thought she sent squarely toward him. And she tangle it hit him, and felt his reaction.Ive triedHe was horrified guilt-stricken. unless then, Hannah could adept that this was pretty much the usualstate for him, so it didnt affect him quite as much as it might have some atomic number 53 else. And beneath the horrorwas an astonishment and burgeoning joy that sent a incompatible kind of tingle through her .You do know me, dont you? he said quietly. He pushed her gage to determine at her, as if he still couldntbelieve it. You face upon Hannah, how much do you remember?Hannah was spirit at him, studying him. Yes, I know that bone structure. And the eye, especiallythe eyes. It was interchangeable an adopted child discovering a brother or sister and seeing familiar features in anunfamiliar face, tracing each one with wonder and recognition. I remember that we were meant for each other. That were-she came up with the word slowly-soulmates.Yes, he whispered. Awe was softening his features, changing his eyes. The desperate sadness thatseemed so much a part of them was lightening. Soulmates. We were destined for each other. We shouldhave been together down the ages.They were supporting each other now, Hannah kneeling on the porch and Thierry holding her with oneknee on a step. Their faces were inches apart. Hannah put in herself check overing his mouth.So what happened? she whisper ed.In the same tone, without moving stern, he whispered, I screwed up.Oh.Her initial fury had faded. She could thumb him, feel his emotions, sense his thoughts. He was as anguishedat their separation as she was. He cherished her. He loved her adored her. He thought of her the waypoets regain of the bootleg and the stars-in ridiculous hyperbole. He actually saw her surrounded by a sortof silvery halo.Which was totally silly, but if he wanted to think of her that way-well, Hannah wouldnt object. Itmade her want to be very gentle with him.And amend now she could feel his warm breath. If she leaned forward just an inch her top lip would touchhis bottom of the inning lip.Hannah leaned forward.Wait- he said.That was a mistake, takeing it out loud. It movedhis lips once morest hers, crook it from a touch into a kiss.And then, for a while, n each of them could resist. They needed each other so desperately, and the kisswas warm and sweet. Hannah was flooded with love and comforter and joy.This was meant to be.Hannah was dizzy but still capable of thought. I knew life history had something wonderful and mysterious to mete out me. Something I could sense but not see, something that was always just out of reach.And here it is. Im one of the lucky ones-Ive found it.Thierry wasnt as articulate. All she could hear him think was, Yes.Hannah had never been so filled with gratitude. Love spilled from her and into Thierry and back again.The much she gave, the more she got back. It was a cycle, taking them higher and higher.Like flying, Hannah thought. She wasnt dizzy anymore. She was strangely dear and calm, as if she were standing on a mountaintop. Infinite tenderness infinite belonging. It was so good it hurt.And it made her want to give more.She knew what she wanted. It was what shed tried to give him the first time, when she knew he woulddie without her. Shed wanted to give him what all women could give.Life.She was that a girl now, not ready for the responsib ilities that would come with making new life from herbody. But she could give Thierry life another way.She pulled back to expect at him, to see bruised darkeyes filled with aching tenderness. indeed she touched his mouth with her fingertips.He kissed them. Hannah ignored the kiss and poked a finger in.Shock flared in Thierrys eyes.There. That was it. The long canine in additionth, just barely sharp. Not yet the tooth of a predator, of a fox ora lynx or wolf. She ran her finger against it.The shock saturnine to something else. A glazed look. Need mixed with pure terror.Thierry whispered, Dont-Hannah, please. You dont know-Hannah tested the tip of the tooth with her thumb. Yes, it was sharper now. Longer, more delicate. Itwould look like the tooth of an arctic fox in her palm-milky-white, translucent, elegantly curved.Thierrys chest was heaving. Please tarry. I-I cant-Hannah was enthralled. I dont know why people are afraid of vampires, she thought. A tender couldtease or tortur e a vampire this way, driving him insane-if she were cruel.Or she could choose to be kind. very gently, Hannah reached with her other hand. She touched the back of Thierrys neck, bringing justthe slightest pressure to bear. But he was so gentle to her touch-it was easy to guide his mouth to herthroat.HannahShe could feel him trembling.Dont be afraid, she told him silently. And she pulled him closer.He grabbed her shoulders to push her away-and then just hung on. Clinging desperately, helplessly. caressing her neck over and over. She felt his control break and then felt the sharpness of teeth. It wasnt like pain. It was like the tenderness, a hurting that was good.And then devastating bliss.Not a physical aspect. It was emotional. They were completely together, and light poured through them.How many lives together have we missed? How many quantify have I had to say, Maybe in the next life?How did we ever manage to come apart?It was as if her question went searching through both th eir minds, soaring and diving, looking for ananswer on its own. And Thierry didnt put up any resistance. She knew that he couldnt he was as caughtup as she was in what was happening between them, as overwhelmed.There was nothing to allow her from finding the answer.This revelation didnt come all in one blinding illumination. Instead it came in smooth flashes, each aroundtoo brief to understand.Flash. Thierrys face above her. Not the gentle face she had seen by the porch. A savage face with ananimal light in the eyes. A snarling mouth and teeth red with family.No Flash. Pain. Teeth that tore her throat. The feel of her blood spilling warm over her neck. Darknesscoming.Oh, God, noFlash. A different face. A fair sex with black hair and eyes full of concern. Dont you know? Hes evil.How many times does he have to kill you before you realize that?No, no, no, noBut saying no didnt qualify anything.It was the truth. She was seeing her own memories-seeing things that had real happene d. She knewthat.Hed killed her.Hannah, no-It was a cry of anguish. Hannah wrenched herself away. She could see the shock in Thierrys eyes, shecould feel him shaking.You really did it, she whispered.Hannah-Thats why you woke me up from the hypnosis You didnt want me to remember You knew Id find out the truth Hannah was beside herself with grief and anger. If she hadnt trusted him, if everythinghadnt been so perfect, she wouldnt have felt so betrayed. As it was, it was the greatest betrayal of herlife-of all her lives.It had all been a lie-everything shed just been feeling. The togetherness, the love, the joy all false.Hannah, that wasnt the reason.Youre evil Youre a killer She told me, Hannah thought. The woman with black hair she told me thetruth. wherefore didnt I remember her? Why didnt I listen this time?She could remember other things now, other things the woman had said. Hes unbelievably cunninghell try to trick you. Hell try to consumption mind control Mind control. Influen cing her. Hed admitted that. And what shed been feeling tonight was some sort of trick. Hed managed to play on her emotions God, hed even gotten her to offer him her blood. Shed let him bite her, drinkable from her like someparasite.I hate you, she whispered.She saw how that hurt him he flinched and looked away, stricken. Then he gripped her shoulders again,his voice soft. Hannah, I wanted to explainto you. Please. You dont understand everything Yes, I do I do I remember everything And I understand what you really are. Her voice was as quietas his, but much more intense. She shruggedher shoulders and shifted backward to get away from him. She didnt want to feel his hands on her.He looked jolted. Unbelieving. You remember . .. everything? eitherthing. Hannah was proud and cold now. So you can just go away, because whatever youve gotplanned wont work. Whatever-tricks-you were going to use She shook her head. exclusively go.For just a second, a strange expression crossed Thierrys fac e. An expression so tragic and lonely thatHannahs throat closed.But she couldnt let herself soften. She couldnt give him a chance to trick her again.Just stay away from me, she said. With all the confusion and turmoil inside her, that was the only thingshe could keep drop in her mind. I never want to see you again.He had gotten control of himself. He looked shell-shocked but his eyes were steady. Ive never wantedto hurt you, he said quietly. And all I want to donow is hold dear you. But if thats what you want, Ill go away.How could he claim hed never wanted to hurt her? Didnt killing her front? That is what I want. And I dont need your protection. You have it anyway, he said. And then he moved, faster than she couldever forecast to move, almost faster than thought. In an instant, he was close to her. His fingers touched herleft cheek, light as a moths wings. And then he was taking her hand, slipping something on her finger.Wear this, he said, no louder than a breath. It has spel ls to protect you. And even without the spells,there arent many Night People wholl harm you if they see it.Hannah opened her mouth to say she wasnt afraid of any Night People except him, but he was stillspeaking. Try not to go out alone, especially at night.And then he was gone.Like that. He was off her porch and out somewhere in the darkness, not even a shadow, just gone. Ifshe hadnt had a fleeting impression of action toward the prairie, she would have thought he had theability to become invisible at a moments notice. And her heart was pounding, hurting, plectron her throat soshe couldnt breathe.Why had he touched her cheek? Most people didnt touch the nevus they treated it like a bruise thatmight still hurt. But his fingers hadnt avoided it. The caress had been gentle, almost sad, but notfrightened.And why was she still standing here, staring into the darkness as if she expected him to reappear?Go inside, idiot.Hannah turned and fumbled with the back penetration, pulling at th e knob as if shed never opened it before.She shut the door and locked it, and again she found herself as clumsy as if shed never worked a lockor seen this one in her life.She was beyond screaming or crying, in a state of shock that was almost dreamlike. The house was toobright. The dock on the kitchen wall was too loud. She had the distracted feeling that it wasnt either nightor daytime.It was like coming out of a theater and being surprised to find that its still light outside. She felt that thiscouldnt be the same house shed left an hour ago. She wasnt the same person who had left. Everythingaround her seemed like some carefully staged movie set that was supposed to be real, but wasnt, andonly she could tell the difference.I feel like a antic here, she thought, putting one hand to her neck where she could just identify two littlepuncture marks. Oh, God, how am I ever going to know whats real again?But I should be happy I should be grateful. I probably just deliver my own life o ut there. I was alone witha vicious, evil, murderous monster, andSomehow the thought died away. She couldnt be happy and she didnt want to think about how evilThierry was. She felt hollow and aching.It wasnt until she stumbled into her own bedroom that she remembered to look down at her right hand.On the fourth finger was a ring. It was made of gold and either white gold or silver. It was shaped like arose, with the stem twining around the finger and back on itself in an intricate knot. The blossom was inset with tiny stones-black transparent stones. Black diamonds? Hannah wondered.It was beautiful. The craftsmanship was exquisite. Every delicate leaf and tiny thorn was perfect. But ablack flower?Its a symbolization of the Night World, her mind told her. A symbol of people whove been made intovampires.It was the cool wind voice back again. At least she understood what it was saying this time-the last time,when it had given her advice about silver and wolves, she had been completely confused.Thierry wanted her to wear the ring he claimed it would protect her. But knowing him, it was probablyanother trick. If it had any spells on it, they were probably spells to help him control her mind.It took nearly an hour to get the ring off. Hannah used soap and butter and Vaseline, pulling and twistinguntil her finger was red, aching, and swollen. She used a dental pick from her fossil-collecting kit to try to horn in the coils of the stem apart. Nothing worked, until at last the pick slipped and blood welled up from ashallow cut. When the blood touched the ring it seemed to loosen, and Hannah quickly wrenched it off.Then she stood panting. The struggle with the little band of metal had left her washed-out and uneffective tofocus on anything else. She threw the ring in her bedroom wastebasket and stumbled toward bed.Im tired Im so tired. Ill think about everything tomorrow, try to sort out my life. But for nowplease just let me sleep.She could feel her body vibrating w ith adrenaline subsequently she lay in bed, and she was afraid that sleepwouldnt come. But tense as she was, her mind wastoo foggy to stay awake. She turned over once and let go of consciousness. Hannah century fell asleep.Hana of the Three Rivers opened her eyes. Cold and desolate, Hana stood by the rushing river and feltthe wind blow through her. So alone.That was when Arno burst out of the bushes on the riverbank.There were several hunters with him and they all had spears. They charged after the rum at fullspeed. Hana screamed a warning, but she knew he didnt have a chance.She could hear a some minutes of chaos far away in the dark. And then she saw the stranger being operateback, surrounded by Arnos hunters.Arno-dont hurt him Please Hana was speaking desperately, trying to block the mens way back.Dont you see? He could have hurt me and he didnt. He isnt a demon He cant help being the way heisArno shouldered her aside. Dont think youre going to get away without being punishe d, either. Hanafollowed them up to the cave, her venter churning with fear.By the time everyone whod been awakened by Arnos hunters understood what was happening, the skyoutside had turned gray. It was almost dawn. You said we should wait and see if the Earth Goddess would tell you something about the demon whileyou slept, Arno said to sexagenarian Mother. Has she? Old Mother glanced at Hana sorrowfully, then backat Arno. She shook her head. Then she started to speak, but Arno was already talking loudly.Then lets kill him and get it over with. Take him outside.No Hana screamed. It didnt do any good. She was caught and held back in strong hands. Thestranger gave her one look as he was driven outside in a circle of spears.That was when the real horror began.Because of something that Hana had never imagined, something she was sure even the shamans hadnever heard of.The stranger was a creature that wouldnt die.Arno was the first to jab with his spear. The whitish-gray flint spearhead went into the strangers side,drawing blood. Hana saw it she had run out of the cave, still trying to find a way to stop this.She also saw the blood stop flowing as the wound in the boys side closed.There were gasps from all around her. Arno, looking as if he couldnt believe his eyes, jabbed again.And watched, mouth falling open, as the second wound bled and then closed. He unplowed trying. Only thewounds where a spear was driven into the wooden shaft stayed open.One of the women whispered, He is a demon.Everyone was frightened. But nobody moved away from the stranger. He was too dangerous to let go.And there were lots of them, and only one of him.Hana saw something happening in the faces of her clan. Something new and horrible. Fear of theunknown was changing them, making them cruel. They were turning from basically good people, peoplewho would never torture an animal by prolonging its death, into people who would torture a man.He may be a demon, but he still bleeds, one of the hunt ers said breathlessly, after a jab. He feelspain.,Get a torch, somebody else said. See if he burnsAnd then it was terrible. Hana felt as if she were in the middle of a storm, able to see things but buffetedthis way and that, unable to do anything about it. People were running. People were getting torches,stone axes, different kinds of flint knives. The dam had turned into a huge entity feeding off its ownviolence. It was mindless and unstoppable.Hana cast a desperate look toward the cave, where Old Mother lay confined to her pallet. There wasno help from that direction.People were screaming, burning the stranger, throwing stones at him. The stranger was falling, bloody,smoke rising from his burns. He was lying on the ground, unable to fight back. But still, he didnt die. Hekept trying to crawl away. Hana was screaming herself, screaming and crying, beating at the shoulders of a hunter who pulled herback. And it went on and on. Even the young boys were brave enough now to run forward and throwstones at the stranger.And he still wouldnt die.Hana was in a nightmare. Her throat was raw from screaming. Her vision was going gray. She couldntstand to watch this anymore she couldnt stand the smell of blood and burning flesh or the sound ofblows. But there was nowhere to go. There was no way to get out. This was her life. She had to stayhere and go insane.