shadows don't lie

Chapter Two

She awoke with a start. Her eyes flew open and she took in her surroundings with much confusion. Beneath her fingertips she could feel the soft cream sheets and the heavy yet comforting quilt that kept her warm. Her eyebrows furrowed as she realized that someone had replaced her rags of clothes with real ones that were made of the softest material yet.

She slowly moved to sit up, wincing at the sharp pains in her body that protested against it. Minutes later she was sitting up over her legs hunched forwards and looking around. 

She sat in the middle of a bed big enough for at least 10 people covered in a large cream quilt with throw pillows and blankets for days. Over to her right there was an open wall that led straight into open air, no windows or any barrier that she could see. Sheer curtains floated around on a soft breeze but she felt comfortably warm.

The sky was dark, millions of stars creating their own sort of clouds across the inky black. The moon hung overhead casting a soft glow on the surrounding mountains and the cool stone that the room seemed to be made of. There was just enough light to make o a wooden armoire against the far wall in front of her and a door that possibly led to the bathroom.

The room was lavishly and yet tastefully decorated with plush chairs and beautiful paintings on the walls, and was fine enough to house a queen. 

Throwing the blanket off of her, which took more effort than she was willing to admit, the female swung her legs until she was dangling off the edge of the bed. As she sat there trying to catch her breath, she felt a tickling sensation on her neck. Looking to the side she just barely glimpsed what seemed to be a tendril of pure shadow before it disappeared. 

“What-” She started, jumping away from it. She fell to the floor in a tangle of limbs, groaning at the pains all over her body.

With her head against the ground she tensed as she heard light and quick footsteps coming towards her room. Someone burst into the room but she was helpless as they came around the bed to look at her.

Gathering what little energy she had left, she came to a painful realization. This was probably all some illusion spun by the Daemati in Hybern to trick her into feeling safe. This wasn’t even real.

The Male that stood behind her was breathing softly as if not to scare her.  He took a step towards her and the female flinched, causing him to stop.

“I’m only here to help, let me get you back in be-” She growled and pulled herself against the wall the best that she could, turning to at least look at who he was.

A large male stood towering over her, giant batlike wings tucked tightly against his back. He wore some dark lounge clothes, and for some reason his hair was damp like he had just been out in the rain.

She finally brought her eyes up to his face to find one of the most handsome males she had seen in her life, with elegant planes of tanned skin, and a pair of the most beautiful eyes she had ever seen.

He looked to her with a mixture of sadness and concern, which would have comforted her had she not already figured out that this was all just some scenario in her head.

He moved to take another step when he froze, staring at the air around her. 

“What.” She hissed at him before glancing at where his eyes had been focused on.

Shadows curled around her head in a seemingly perfect halo around her head, constantly shifting around and in her peripheral she could see what looked like whole clouds of darkness billowing around her.

A startled cry tore itself from her lips and she once again fell forwards to get away from what was sure to be some new form of torture.

She began crawling forward until she stopped and looked up at the male that still stood over her. Tears appeared in her eyes as the pain from all the movement as well as the utter exhaustion from years of abuse hit her, and she crumpled into a ball and passed out.