Timeless (Timeless Book 1)

7

Genovefa was locked in a nightmare. Shadows chased her as she ran through a forest that was lit with blood red light. She was covered in scratches and her dress was torn from stumbling through the forest, trying her hardest to escape the evil that chased her. She saw white light outlining a boulder she came across. With a surge of hope, she picked up her pace and sprinted toward it. She tensed, timing her jump. When she reached the point she'd set in her mind, she leaped, clearing the boulder as if she'd been a cat. She landed on the other side and found herself in a field of black lumps. 

She looked around in bewilderment as she tried to figure out what the strong stench in her nose was. She gagged at the awful stench and almost threw up whatever she'd eaten for dinner. She covered her nose and mouth with her hand and walked forward, confused as to where she was. What is this place? she thought, wishing she were somewhere else. 

She didn't recognize the field. There was snow everywhere and yet she didn't feel cold. She could only feel a dread that wriggled in her body and refused to go away. She gasped in shock when a boy suddenly ran by her. Terrified, she froze and watched him run over to another boy that had lifted off the ground. The two laughed as they played, ignoring the bodies as if they weren't there. Bodies. She looked at one of the black lumps near her and looked closely. It was a dead warrior. 

It was then that every lump came into clear visualization.

Her heart stopped beating as she stared in horror at the bodies. The boys were gone now. "What is going on?" she stammered, wishing she could wake up from this awful dream. A dark laugh sounded from every direction. "You're mine now, Genovefa," the voice said before laughing again. "This is the future of your child! He will suffer for your idiocy!"

"No...no!" She felt a hand wrap around her throat from behind. 

"You resist? You can't fight the future you have written for your future son. Did you really think you could love Balor without consequences? He is the demon king! My father~!" he sang. "You have really screwed everything for me, you know that? I was supposed to be next in line but then you had to go and jump in! You had to court him! Now, you're with his child! I will be forced to serve my half-brother!"

She shook with fear. "I'm sorry!" she quickly apologized. "I love him and he loves me! You can't destroy what has been made!" She shook but her voice was strong and she wondered where this courage was coming from. The grip on her throat tightened threateningly. He hissed in her ear, his breath smelling of blood. "I will make your son--my brother--my servant. I will make him do things such as destroy your entire village and kill everyone you ever loved."

"You will do no such thing!" she snapped, finding her courage was burning brighter. "My son will do no such thing! He will grow to be kind and loving!"

"Do you really think it's possible for a demon to love?"

"Balor loves me," she stated with a huff. "Do you really think they can't? Your father and I will marry and there is nothing you can do to stop it. We will forever love each other."

He let her go and pushed her to the ground. As she got up, she turned to face him. She saw a tall man with twisted black horns coming out of his temples. He had blood red eyes and wore a strange black outfit of a material she did not know. He lifted a long sharp nailed hand to her, pointing at her with a nail that was painted black with glittering blood red intricate designs. "You stupid woman! You can't force what has been predicted ahead of time to be something different!" 

She glared at him, her green eyes blazing with the fire within. "Everyone can change their fate!" she snapped at him. "I dare you to try and fight me!"

"You're lucky I can't kill you yet! I need him to be born! I will make sure he goes on the path of darkness where he belongs!"

"Never! He belongs in the light! In the human world!" 

He snickered. "Really? You think he'll have a place with your kind? After everyone found out who you're pining after?"

Her eyes went wide, remembering her father's reaction. 

He smirked. "See? Your father went and told the whole village to fight Balor as soon as they saw him. You've been locked away in your room and there's no escaping any more. As soon as your child is born, they are going to try and kill him. I won't let them," he said in a voice that was smooth as honey but bitter like poison. "I will protect him when he is born. I can't promise he won't be tortured, though."

She felt her heart breaking. "You will never have my son! He is my child and I won't let you have him! I will make sure he always walks in the light!"

"You're very annoying. I don't see how anyone could love you," he growled, baring his teeth in disdain. "I should put a mark on you but....that would only make my plan that much harder to complete." He sighed with annoyance at that thought. "Go now. I am done with you." He slashed a line through the air and her dream shattered like glass. She woke with a start in her bedroom, wondering how she'd fight him. She was also wondering why she felt someone holding her. She looked up and saw Balor asleep beside her. 

Seeing his face brought a smile to her face. He always seemed to calm her. How could she not love him? He was sweet to her, defying all the stories her mother tried to tell her when she got home. She kissed his soft lips and got out of his arms so she could go to breakfast. Her belly felt empty and it was making her feel sick. Her body ached as if she had really been running for her life in the forest. Maybe she had. She wasn't sure anymore. Maybe it was from her night with Balor. 

She looked down at her dress and found it was tattered. Confused, she picked up her torn skirt. "But how?" she murmured. "This is impossible." Her dress had mainly been fine when she returned home and now....

Maybe her dream had been more real than she thought.

Thinking of it caused a shiver of fear. "I have a long path ahead," she breathed to herself, closing her eyes as she felt dizzy with worry. How would she go about this? She was new to being a mother and telling her mother was out of the question. They would try and kill her, right? She looked over her shoulder at Balor. But she would tell him. He was the father, after all. He deserved to know and he would probably be happier than the village about it. She felt a trickle of excitement. Maybe they could raise it to be in both worlds. Yeah. That could work. She would have to move, first. A place no one knew them. They could start over.

And no one could stop them if they didn't know about her situation. She smiled. She would talk to Balor when she had the chance. First, she had to face the day's obstacles. Obstacle one: getting past the guard outside her door.