CHAPTER 1
Twilight. It was that annoying time of day when it was just dark enough to require the use of headlights, but still a bit too bright out for the headlights to make a noticeable difference. She leaned forward in her car, uneasy about both the inadequate lighting, and the purpose of her untimely trip.
As she drove further and further into the clutches of the forest, the trickle of light began to wane, taking all signs of civilization with it. Despite the relief of having her headlights function to their maximum potential, her unease intensified with the knowledge that she was so close to that place again—so close to him again.
She pulled over near the riverbank. It had been years since she'd been here—more time still until she'd ever expected to come back. It had once been her haven—the one place that she'd felt absolutely and undeniably at home. With the beautiful, crystalline river; the abundance of trees that glowed a comforting jade green when hit by sunlight, and the ever-present chirping of gleeful birds, it was where she had spent most of her time. Where they had spent most of their time.
But now, as she stared at the dirty, muddy-brown water of the river and the leafless trees, she felt sick to her stomach. She'd sworn to herself that she would never step foot here again. Not after what had happened. There was no sense of home-coming—no feeling of peace and serenity in this place that was now void of life—only a reminder that it had lost its appeal as soon as he had lost his.
She heard the crunch of dry leaves as someone approached, and her heart rate increased drastically. Fear surged through her, and despite the cool night air, tiny beads of sweat formed above her brow. Wiping it away, she ordered herself to remain calm. He wouldn't hurt her. She had no reason to be afraid. But she was a lousy liar—even to herself.
"Liza," a voice spoke to her out of the darkness. The word seemed loud in the deafening silence of the forest. A surge of anger erupted within her at the sound of that voice. What was once tender and melodious had become cold and laced with malice.
Slowly, she turned around. Isaak's daunting form stood in front of her, his silhouette vaguely outlined by the faint moonlight that trickled through the spaces left by the absence of leaves on the claw-like tree branches. She couldn't distinguish any of his features, but she knew what she would see: those dark, dark eyes she'd loved so much, now cold and calculating; the soft, full lips, hardened now into a thin, unsmiling line. The one thing that hadn't changed was his dark, curly hair—the hair she'd run her hands through so many times.
"Ah, Liza," he sighed, his voice amused but underscored with that perpetual coldness. "It's been too long. I see you're just as beautiful as ever."
Something broke inside of her, driving away all of her fear and uncertainty. When she spoke, she was surprised at how bold and confident she sounded. "I didn't come here to reconcile a relationship that was doomed since before it even began, Isaak. You called me here for a reason, and I want to know what it is."
He chuckled, but it sounded more vindictive than anything else. "The years have hardened you, Aliza. What happened to the kind, loving girl that I fell in love with?"
"She died the night you did," she said bluntly, her voice sounding detached even to her own ears.
"What a shame," he murmured, shaking his head in mock remorse. "She used to be fun."
She was beginning to grow angry again. Every second this conversation progressed was like fanning the flames of an already precarious situation. "That's irrelevant," she persisted. "What do you want?"
As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she saw his amusement dry up and change to something that actually resembled concern. For a second, just a fleeting second, Aliza was reminded of the man Isaak had been before everything had happened—When they'd been together and he'd held her in his strong embrace. When he was always quick to smile and laugh, even in times of difficulty. She remembered when he'd gotten down on one knee and asked her to marry him . . .
The great orange ball was just setting over the western horizon as they walked, hand in hand, along the riverbank. They didn't speak, not needing words to know what the other was thinking. They shared an understanding so perfect and complete—something that required nothing other than simply being in each other's presence. It was a kind of love that was only found in fairytales and movies.
Isaak stopped walking suddenly, and turned to face her. "Aliza," he said, in a rare moment of seriousness. "This past year with you has been the best of my life. You're fun, and kind, loving, beautiful—so, so, beautiful. You're the most incredible woman I've ever met. You're an unexplainable creature—one I have full intentions of trying to comprehend for the rest of my life." He looked into her eyes with more warmth and passion than she'd thought any man capable of. Then, he lowered himself to one knee, pulling a velvet-covered box from his coat pocket as he did, and opened it to reveal the most beautiful ring she'd ever seen: a gold band that housed a small, glittering diamond—one that was intricately cut so that it shimmered and twinkled at every angle. "But will you grant me that opportunity?"
She was speechless, both due to happiness and utter astonishment. The uncharacteristic nervousness in Isaak's eyes was what eventually brought the half-choked response to her lips. "Yes," she whispered, tears of joy brimming in her eyes.
His lips parted into a smile as he stood and wrapped his arms around her, lifting her easily off the ground to spin her in a circle. Aliza felt those gleeful tears trickle down her cheeks as their lips met in a warm, electrifying kiss. This, she thought, is the definition of pure bliss.
Aliza mentally kicked herself as she snapped back to the present. Letting her mind wander back to those painful times was something she fought against every day. She would never have that again. The man she loved was gone, and he wasn't coming back. She had to always remember that.
She returned her attention to Isaak, noticing that the cold and calculating expression that had haunted her dreams was back in place. His dark eyes watched her intently. "The others are coming. Nikolai and the rest. Soon."
She went rigid as a mixture of terror and hatred coursed through her body. Nikolai was coming back. Nikolai, the man who had so brutally taken her fiancé's life. The man who had snatched her happiness and watched with vindictive appreciation as the warmth and goodness of Isaak's life had been consumed by the irreversible blackness of an unnatural existence. It was the man she loathed—the man she feared.
Her earlier bravado turned to dust in an instant. "Why?" she asked in a small voice, doing an awful job at hiding her fright.
He shrugged, projecting an unconcerned air. "The hunting options here are quite good this time of year." His lips quirked into a chilling smile. "Of course, he may simply want to satisfy his need for vengeance. You slipped through his fingers once before. He won't allow that a second time."
Aliza shivered, though it had nothing to do with the chill air. Images from that night sprung into her mind with perfect clarity—Nikolai's white face, twisted into an expression too gruesome to be human; Isaak's protective stance in front of her; and the excruciatingly vivid image of Isaak's misshapen body just before she'd run.
She fought against tears as she wrestled for control. "Why did you want to tell me this?"
"Maybe I was hoping it would draw out your fear." His eyes glinted in the darkness. "Or maybe it's a warning for you to stay out of those woods near the cemetery."
"How did you—"
He cut her off abruptly with a flat repetition of his previous words. "Stay out of those woods." He turned in one swift motion and strode away from her until his figure was swallowed whole by the blackness of the night.
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I'm just posting this to see if anyone's interested in reading more. If you are, then I'll continue with it. Well, even if you're not I'll still continue, but if you like it, then I'll be more motivated :D
