Beneath the Vail

Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven

My mind is poisoned with darkness, my body brimming with exhaustion, burning in my pits of hatred. I walk through inky black mud, obsidian like my thoughts, I am stuck; trapped. I feel nothing but the wet thickness surrounding my legs, quicksand, I am sinking, further and further into it.

It's the same outcome, always, no one pulls me out, I suffocate.

Today was different, he was there calling my name, wading into the depths of my own despair to retrieve me. Every syllable of my name that crossed his lips and rolled from his tongue was a breath of life forcing its way into my hollowed body. Until finally, I saw him, his eyes a forest deeper than the sorrow I had allowed to consume me; they called me home.

"Saana?" A voice called my name again.

Coughing and sputtering I forced myself to call for him, "Vulkan?" I looked around the foreign room, fluorescent lights assaulted my eyes as I blinked rapidly trying to adjust to my new sterile environment. The infirmary, the cabinetry, and deep-seated sinks gave it away, I had been here a time or two before.

"What was that Saana?" A woman's voice sounded to the right of me. He didn't seem to be anywhere in my vicinity, I don't know why I expected any different. Professor Freling sat in a small uncomfortable brown chair, notepad and pen at the ready; she was always at the ready.

"How did I get here?" Sitting forward I realized none of my belongings were in the room, and my previous attire had been replaced with a drab blue hospital gown. Seeing the professor felt like a repeat of this morning's session.

"You don't remember?" She jotted something down.

I moved my legs to the side of the bed, each one feeling like a thousand pounds, "I remember I was talking, there was a pounding in my head."

Freling raised her light colored eyebrows, placing one hand on my knee gently patting it, "Oh, honey no. You had another one of your fits, you took too much of your anti-anxiety medication and— "vigorously I shook my head back and forth, what is she talking about?

She nodded solemnly, "—I am afraid you overdosed Saana, you were put into a coma after becoming violent."

"A coma!" I leapt from my position, my bare feet hitting the cold floors, numbness left pins and needles sort of sensation in my legs. Overdose? I hadn't taken that medication in more than a month, every time I did the dreams would stop. The memories I did have would cease to exist as I stayed in a permanent state of sedation. Though Freling didn't know that. I feverishly moved the mouse around on the pad bringing life to the computer monitor in the room, "Four days!"

Four days I had been unconscious, unaware of the world moving on around me, unconcerned. When I touched that dagger, my dagger, floods of memories poured over me, a tidal wave of olden times. Sarah and I as children running without a care in the world, free of treachery, free of loss, even free of love's scorn. I remember all the arguments, the hateful words my father flung at us, his punishments, his cruelty.

The day we joined the slayers as vivid as the lies Freling has been telling me. But why? Maybe she didn't know, perhaps Vulkan lied, where was he anyway? The professor stood by the door speaking on the phone, her voice low, inaudible. "If you'll excuse me a moment Saana, it seems I have another emergency." As soon as the door clicked, I began my search, finding my clothes neatly folded in one of the cupboards by the bathroom. As quickly as I could, I pulled them on abandoning the hospital gown in the bin.

I remember it all, each Umbra I killed, each night creature I slew, the offerings to Hecate, our creator. The coven rituals of the slayers, even Vittoria and her many 'playthings', as Sarah and I, would often joke. I am a Slayer; however, I still cannot recollect that night. How I came to the Asylum or how they died, only the photo remained from that horrid night. I shoved my hand in my back pocket only to find it empty. The picture was gone.

I glanced down the hall each way, finding it empty, the students should all have left by now. I began making my way to the obscure office that Vulkan had led me four days prior. Freling was lying to me about the overdose, and it seems that he holds the answers I seek. After a series of twists and turns, I crossed the grand hall without incident though a few staff were lingering there. I found the bizarrely narrow hall and came to the opening, voices sounded on the other side of the door, the wood conducting them, but it was indiscernible nonsense.

A male's voice, low and deep, I didn't have to hear words clearly to know that it belonged to Vulkan. Even now, hearing him sent a shiver down my spine, bumps formed over my skin like goose flesh. How he had this effect over me, I do not know, and the familiar feeling gnawed at me again. I flung the door open with aplomb to my surprise only he stood in the room. I zeroed in on a letter opener, grabbing it I brandished the makeshift weapon, pushing it into Vulkan's throat.

"Brave of you to leave the door unlocked. Or cocky."

A chuckle emanated from his chest, "So you remember now?"

"That I'm a slayer?" He swiped at my hand grabbing my wrist firmly. I blinked a bit, our eyes locked, I kicked the side of his knee causing him to drop my hand. "You'll have to forgive me. Seems I'm a little bit rusty— "

The letter opener had clattered to the ground, I threw a punch with my left hand connecting with my target. He grunted a bit before grabbing at the false knife, I stepped on it sliding it back behind me. "—I'm sure you understand."

The leather tie that usually kept his hair away fell to the floor as he came to an erect stance. His dark hair fell to his shoulders, the old bruise that once decorated his cheek had healed, though it was now replaced. His figure loomed over my slight frame, I was tall for a woman, but he was above average for a man. I twisted into a back kick, but he caught my ankle winking at me as he did so; he pulled me closer locking my thigh in place with his arm.

I struggled against him trying to maneuver my leg away, I went to throw another punch, but he deflected it. My position was too compromised, so I did the next best thing; I pushed into him, locking my lips with his. His hold loosened completely, I brought my now free knee up into his groin, backing away as he doubled over.

Panting, I gripped his shirt on his shoulder, "You're going to tell me everything."

He looked up at me, his eyes gold, beads of sweat gathering on his forehead. "Oh, am I interrupting?" A woman's voice broke the tension.

Vulkan stood as I spun around to face the intruder, he positioned himself slightly in front of me. If it weren't for what had just transpired, I would've sworn he was aiming to protect me. "Hmm. I had a feeling it would pose an issue, the two of you working together. It was foreseen." Beatrix de Wintoure stood at the entrance, adorned in a tight white pencil dress, a wide-brimmed hat sat atop her perfectly styled waves. Her eyes filled with a mischievous glint as they peaked over her dark sunglasses. She lifted a gloved hand taking a puff of her clove cigarette hanging daintily from a cigarette holder.