Possessing Andley Part 1

Chapter 4 continued

"We should get rid of her." Leadanah said.
"What! no!"
"Too many people know our secret. She is one too many on our enemies side. We need to get rid of her".
"Leadanah! I'm shocked with you. We can't go around killing people because we are afraid of them. Don't Talk like that." I countered.
"Andley you can't stop me if I decide to do a thing". Leadanah said, growing menacingly.
"I forbid you from using this body we share to hurt her or anyone! I shall never speak to you again if you hurt her. She won't tell, she doesn't know anyways. Even if she thinks something is off, how can she know?"
Leadanah left such a silence that I began to squirm.
"For the love we have and the body we share. I won't hurt her. Unless she becomes a real threat". She said resolutely.
I knew the argument was over just as I knew she would honor her promise.
"I want to see the other one." Leadanah said. "I want to see what he did."
I thought to argue against it for a moment but I was also curious. I should know what this man is capable of.
I let Leadanah through so we could both look with our eyes and drew the curtain back slightly.
Kandrah was laying naked on her back with her eyes closed, she seemed to have passed out. Tears had pooled in the well of her eyes and spilled down the side of her face, soaking her hair. I could see why she lay exposed as she was, indeed to have anything touch her bruised and ripped body at all looked as though it would be unbearable. black markings ringed her throat and spread like a disease up to her chin and down her chest. Red and blue bite marks covered her breasts. There was dried blood forming a scab in streaks along her ribcage. My breath caught as I took in the injuries down her body. Leadanah was eerily silent as she took in the scene.
"Like a cat with a little mouse. The more she struggled, the more he hurt her. She whispered.
"Are there men like this in the world?" I asked Leadanah.
"Many." She said in a final tone.
I let the curtain drop back into place, covering Kandeah from view and we began walking back to our room.
"how do you know this? have you met them before?" I asked. "How have you come to meet men like this?"
"I meet many men. Some are like this. They like how big their hands look holding something small. Some still, like how it feels when something fragile breaks in those hands." Leadanah explained.
"Has this happened to you? I gasped inwardly
Leadanah barked a short laugh.
"No." She said.
"What? How do you escape when one wants to hurt you?" I asked.
Leadanhas voice held measured amusement.
"Andley, it is they who cannot escape."
My back shivered like bugs were crawling down it. I looked at my hands, my heart racing.
"Sylvie is right Andley, Marston won't hurt us like that. Don't be afraid." Leadanah said as she retreated back.
I stared at my hands in wonder. I thought,
It is impossible to see all of myself when Leadanah is present just as she cannot see all of me. The closer I get to her the further I am from myself. the less aware of my surroundings, until there is nothing. We tell eachother everything. Don't we? Leadanah has said our body is a weapon. I thought she only meant that we have claws and teeth. We have wings and it gives us an advantage. But a weapon? A body that could fight a man like Marston? Impossible. One that can kill?
I cringed as I thought of committing my own hands to the force of violence needed to kill. Suddenly, like turning on a light, I realized that I had no idea where'd they'd ever been or what they'd done when I was not looking.
Leadanah kills with our body? I wondered privately.
A wave of dread and sorrow surged through me. I imagined Marston's hands around poor Kendrah's body squeezing and tearing until she could only squeak like a mouse.
Has Rathon done these things?
I remembered his hands in my hair. Every bit as strong as Marston's. I'd seen Rathon fight. I knew he killed people, he's a warrior. I've seen him sparing with the little boys in training. Holding flowers. Baring his claws. Building homes for our people. He once threw a man against a wall when he had insulted his Father. Have Rathon's hands done such things as Matston's though?
Breakfast with Sylvie was sweet and sunny. She seemed to be in her full disposition and she chatted about how excited she was to go riding with the Prince. Once he came out and asked after Kandrah.
"Oh darling, you really tired her out, let's let her rest. Besides, I'd like you to myself while I have the chance." She didn't skip a beat.
Maston scratched his cheek absent mindedly.
"I suppose I was a little rough on her." He said.
He reached for Sylvie and wrapped her into himself gently. The two left smiling as he asked her how the trip was going for all and he requested some gossip of the court for his amusement.
"What's that weirdo Savan been up to? haven't seen them slinking about the castle for some weeks"
"My lord!" Sylvie exclaimed.
They chattered on the way out and I was left to spend the day in silent solitude. The next day I saw Sylvie coming from Kandrah's room with a shadow across her face.
"How is Kandrah?"
"oh." was all she said as she passed me by.
Soon Sylvie was leading two men back to Kandrah's room. The shadow from Sylvies eyes seemed to have spread to theirs. Hours later I met Sylvie again in the main cabin for dinner. She sat staring pensively out the window, She wore a yellow dress and had her auburn hair flowing loose down her back. The sun, it seemed to be in love with her, was once again lighting her hair up like a halo.
"How is Kandrah?" I asked again.
Prince Marston entered the room at the moment I asked. He did not look at us but sat at the table across from us.
"Well, I'm afraid she's flown the coop love." she said smiling sadly.
Marston held his cup out for a servant to pour his wine and he bared into his bread and soup still not looking up.
"Please sit with me Andley." she said. "We will be home soon, you should come with me to the front of the carriage to watch the approach! I am sure you've never seen anything like..." her voice cracked ever so slightly and she paused. "Anything like it." She finished with glittering eyes.