Haunting Shadows (Book 2)

Chapter 2

Raphael and Eric were locked in argument, neither able to gain the upper hand. Eric was convinced Raphael was wrong for keeping Lana, but the latter wouldn’t hear of it. He couldn’t very much tell Eric about Almahalc’s price for the prophecy, so they were left with a dispute going nowhere.

“She doesn’t deserve to be caged up like this, Raph. You know it isn’t right, so why are you still keeping her here?” Eric demanded, his eyebrows furrowed into worry lines. He had always gone with his leader’s choices, usually without question, but this time was different.

“I can’t let her go yet. I still need her.”

“But she’s not the girl from the prophecy! How could you still need her?”

Raphael pulled his rough fingers through his messy white-blond hair. “I do not have to justify myself to you, Eric.”

Eric closed his eyes in an attempt to keep his temper at bay. “You asked me to help you save her! The very least you owe me is an explanation!”

Raphael walked passed Eric and put his hand on his shoulder. “Go home, Eric, be with your family. They will want to know you are okay after everything that has happened.” Eric shrugged off Raphael’s hand and left without further world. Raphael exhaled in relief.

He knew Eric was right; Lana didn’t deserve to be caged up like this. But what other choice did he have? If he didn’t somehow find a way to make her stop loving Andreas, he was done for. He didn’t exactly know the mechanics of the blood curse, but he knew there was no way he would survive if he was infected by it. Almahalc had warned him not to be too hasty in making his decisions, and he now finally understood why. His only choice at this point was to try and get Lana to fall for him. But for that to happen, she must never find out he had lied to her about Andreas. He doubted she would ever forgive him for that.

Mustering up his courage, he knocked on Lana’s door. No reply came from within the room, so he figured she was still sleeping. However, when he unlatched the door, he found her sitting up-right, her eyes rimmed with red. She was rocking back and forth, bags under her eyes. It appeared she hadn’t slept yet. This was the second day Raphael had gone into her room to find her in such a restless state.

“Lana, how are you doing?” he asked, his concern evident in his voice. She turned her gaze to him and something within her seemed to relax, at least for the time being.

“I’m… fine I guess. But it’s going to take a while for me to become normal again I suppose,” she said, all emotion detached from her voice. Was it possible that this incident affected her more severely than he had anticipated?

Raphael extended his hand toward her and she took it hesitantly. “You look tired, have you gotten any sleep since last night?”

She fervently shook her head. “No, I won’t sleep… I can’t.”

“Why is that?” Raphael inquired, his eyebrow raised.

Her big eyes locked with his. “Because when I sleep, I dream. And when I dream, I experience it all over again. The flames, the pain… my death. It’s too real and too much. I can’t go through that every night. Not again.”

Raphael squeezed her hand tightly to try and give her some of his strength. He had no idea what it must have been like for her to burn on the stake. He didn’t know the spell he had Eric put on her would still make her feel everything that was happening to her. He had hoped that it would act as a shield to protect her and only make her appear dead to everyone. Little did he know that it would make the experience as lifelike as possible. The spell had saved her, but now he wondered at what cost.