And What I Found There - Book Two

37. The Walls We Crashed Through

Again, I wake up feeling different. Urgh, that son of -

Oh wait. He Healed me, I realize. I smile with relief as I sit up, looking my limbs over. Whoa! And -most amazingly- my skin and hair have returned to their natural color which tells me that my powers have returned to me.

Yay!

This is how everyone should start their day.

Of course, I'm still in the bottom of a ditch in the middle of Ghost Hills...but hey, today I am determined to be a ray of sunshine. I hop to my feet, body full of energy, and look around for Vyndren. 

He is -unsurprisingly- not here. Typical. Jeez. It's called a note for crying out loud! Leave me one! But whatever.

Staying positive today, I remind myself.

I test my magic by summoning a few sparks to my fingertips and to my joy my fingers dazzle with white light. With a flourish, I begin to change out of my ripped and tattered dress and decided I'm going to look like a knock-out today. I've been through a lot of hell lately so forgive me if some self-indulgences are in order. 

I remember a foxy lil' red dress in my wardrobe back at the Palace so I channel that memory as I change clothes. The velvet dress is candy apple red and sleeveless with a sweeping, scooped neckline. Two red leather sashes cross over my chest and back and form a belt cinched around my waist with a dark golden buckle. The skirt is a high-low and seems to be made entirely from ribbons so it swishes and ripples like dark flames at my slightest movement. I pair this with knee-high dark brown felt riding boots laced up with gold buckles. I add black lacy fingerless gloves and finish this look off with a bright red lipstick and black eyeliner. For once, I look like a million bucks, I think.

Now it's time to get the hell out of here and I -still- have to regroup with my Knights and collect venom from a certain Vampire.

I begin the long climb up. I'm panting by the time I reach the top and crawl out of the ditch. Of all the places I've been... I think with a scowl and a shake of my head. I look around as I try to catch my breath.

There's a dense fog twisting its way between the trees, it hides the ground from view like a blanket of snow. I frown. There is absolutely no sound whatsoever, the wind isn't even howling like it usually does. The air is heavy and damp with moisture and at once my dress and hair is soaked. Great.

I quickly try to do a count of how many days I have left before my Labors...fourteen. Two weeks. I shudder. I gotta hurry up and make my cure so I can get back to the Palace on time! But I'm no closer to finding my Dark Rider or my Knight Whites now than I was days ago!

"Staying positive," I keep repeating to myself. "We're staying positive." I try to take a deep, calming breath and now shake off my nerves.

I just take another step forward, prepared to take off in a run, when a jet-black shadow leaps from the treetops and dives to the ground just before me. I yelp and frantically bring up my fists, ready to throw a punch when I suddenly register what -or rather who- stands before me. "Vyndren!" I yelp, now I punch his shoulder. "Where the hell were you, man?"

"Hunting," he flashes a brief smile, his fangs are stained red.

"In the trees?" I stare as he runs his tongue over his teeth.

Suddenly a huge corpse falls from the tree he just came from and lands heavily to the ground beside him.

"No, I just dragged it up there so as not to be caught on unawares, but I'm good now," he insists and steps over what's left of the burly beast he drained dry. I make a face as I pick my way around it. "You look...incredible," he comments now as he looks me over as if for the first time.