Ancient Darkness (On HOLD)

Chapter Seventeen - Northern Storm

The roar of the coming wind blanketed against the men who had positioned themselves in front of the lit up house; the fading sun was hidden behind the snow clouds but still their skin tingled in warning. For Immortals, the touch of sunlight slowly burnt away at the top layers of their dermis until it finally affected the bloodstream, effectively corroding their bodies and making them seem even more like the vampiric creatures that legend had painted them as.

It had always been a weakness since it meant that they could not physically defend themselves as their forms lay resting and rejuvenating beneath the Earth.

For Owen, this meant that he had had to expend energy whilst still lethargic to ensure that none of his brothers suffered overmuch while they crawled from their sleep spaces to stand with him while they all waited for North to return with Sang.

Of course, they had all known the moment that she exited the house since even the slightest movements from her had disturbed them in their sleep state but as they lay drained none of them could prevent her from leaving. For Lucian and Owen, they had lain there with gnashing teeth whilst the others had simply tried to quell an arising sense of unease and unfamiliar panic.

"Why would she do this?" Lucian snapped, seeming to have no control over the fierceness of his anger. "We have yet to offer her harm, why did she run?"

Gabriel snorted and slapped his friend on the back, attempting to hide the roiling of his stomach, "She's human, brother. Put in her position I would also force myself away."

"It also doesn't help that she knows we are suspicious and will use violent means if necessary to prove her sincerity," Sean tipped his head from side to side in an attempt to ease the stiffening of his muscles.

"No one will be allowed to harm her," Owen's voice held the full force of the oncoming storm as his eyes strayed to the horizon.

"Then other means will need to be employed to unveil her purpose," Silas' thick accent deepened as he began to feel something similar to worry. If they were going to make the girl trust them, sending North had perhaps been the wrong decision. Although he held much respect for his brother and fellow warrior, Silas knew that North was so very close to walking the dark path; something that would cost him his soul and force the rest of them to take his life. Any one of them were dangerous but to give into that madness would see the world plunged into unending bloodshed.   

"North won't harm her," Lucian insisted, trying to reach out to his brother. He trusted him with his life but the thought that North would take matters into his own hands still lingered. They were all warriors and each of them had taken a blood oath to protect Owen and the others of their species but North's entire existence revolved around that duty - he would do anything to ensure that they all remained safe.

The wind whipped faster and eight sets of eyes locked onto the darkening clouds, knowing that North was encased within the thickness of them as he flew with the human girl. Each was slowly relaxing as the sun finally gave way, their strength returning even as it was accompanied by hunger. None of them had hunted the night before, making the situation direr; emotions became darker as their cravings grew, leading to a point where they would begin to drain and kill their donors instead of just siphoning a portion.

The earth-shaking roar of oncoming snows cut through the dusk right before the eight brothers blanched at the sound of an accompanying female scream.

... ...

Sang slammed a fist into the hard male chest as it rumbled with amused laughter; the one who had finally introduced himself as North had flown them to above the roiling dark clouds before he snapped his teeth at her and opened his arms.

Her scream had ripped up through her chest as she fell, arms stretched in the futile hope that she could grab onto him before she moved too far away.

The wind had buffered her clothing, stolen the breath from her lungs and whipped her hair into a frenzy as she tumbled, knowing that she was going to die.

Until a dark form had come up from beneath and she was once against swept into cocooning arms. North had dragged her close and pushed onward in what she guessed was the direction to reach his lair.

"You bastard,"  She screamed directly into his mind, not caring that she left herself wide open for him to invade her own thoughts. Her heart was beating madly as she curled her fingernails into his covered body. Admittedly he had warned her quite viciously not to refer to him as a creature or monster anymore but when he mentioned the fact that Owen had created the storm as an outlet for his anger, she couldn't help the label slipping out once more. It wasn't natural, in her thinking, that someone should be able to control such forces.

His punishment had been to prove to her what kind of monster he could be by terrifying her.

"I would neither say nor think of such things whilst in the presence of myself of my brothers,"  His voice remained infuriatingly calm while she was on the verge of a complete breakdown, "unless you wish for another demonstration."

"No,"  She shook her head, tears filling her voice, "Please don't do that again."

The sound of her fear and pain made something deep within him clench even as his arms tightened protectively. He couldn't understand what it was about her but a small glance at her fragile body had him reacting in ways that left him highly uncomfortable. The blood in his veins surged hotly while his mind filled with a red haze at the thought of her trying to escape them.

When he had retired for the night, his thoughts had been consumed with how he would use any means necessary to ensure either her innocence or guilt, but after having spent a large portion of the day sharing in his brothers' worried and confused thoughts, he was enraged to find that all he wanted to do was deposit her back within their home and perhaps turn her over his knee in punishment for once again putting herself at risk.

He cupped her head gruffly as he used his power to wrap them in a bubble of warmth - the house was hundreds of feet below them and they would have to descend through the ice laden clouds. He knew for a fact that none of his family would be happy if he endangered her health by exposing her to such extreme elements.

"Hold tight, sweet one,"  He crooned, not recognising his own voice.

The drop was quick and smooth as she peeked over his bicep and saw glimpses between the falling frost and eight men standing within the shadow of a warmly hit cabin.