Shadow Rider (Vampire Academy Fanfic)

Chapter 35 - Thanatia

I headed straight to bed after the evening advance training session. I'd been working out literally all day, with Casimir, Rose, Trey, and the advanced guardians, and was completely burned out.

But I couldn't sleep that night. I tossed and turned, unease making my chest feel hollow. I forced myself to think calming thoughts, but worries creeped unbidden into my mind. I felt troubled over a number of things, as I always did, but Ash had struck new fear into my heart. The fear that I wasn't entirely in control, not over myself, not over my urges. And as wonderful as it had been to make out with him yesterday, curse his soul, it left me leaving more confused than ever.

After two hours of struggle, sleeplessness won, and I rose out of bed. I decided I might as well do something useful, and headed towards the gates. There was a guard patrolling there, and I approached him.

'Guardian Thanatia,' he acknowledged me, with a respectful nod in my direction.

I nodded back, startled by his behaviour. But when I was closer, I recognised him. It was the elder guardian from practice: Roger.

'I'll take this shift,' I offered.

His forehead creased. 'You sure?'

I nodded. 'Insomnia,' I said, by way of explanation.

Roger gave me a sympathetic smile. 'Ah. I see.' He straightened. 'I'll take my leave then. Thanks!'

'See you at practice,' I said, assuming a stiff position by the gates, hands folded behind my back. The sun shone brightly, and I closed my eyes, savouring the rare light and heat. Casimir and I had been out in the sun a lot on our travels, and it had given him a faint tan, but here we'd reverted back to the vampire schedule, and he was growing Moroi-pale again. In contrast, I had a natural tan complexion, but I lacked the gold glow I got when I was out in the sun.

I nudged Casimir's brain lightly, and discovered he was actually alone in his own room tonight, fast asleep. He was dreaming that he was on some wonderful beach somewhere, standing on a sharp, protruding cliff, like the one in the Pocahontas movie. He kept diving into the sea, trying to reach the treasures at the bottom; pearls, seashells, colourful stones, shiny as gems. He had added everything to his collection, kept in a little wooden box on the cliff. But as he checked his little treasures, he felt dissatisfied. There was a rare seashell further into the sea, where it was much deeper, and he was eager to get it. He'd tried once to reach it, but had been swept away by a current, forced to resurface for oxygen.

Now he tried again, performing a graceful dive, penetrating the water soundlessly. He swam with strong, powerful strokes, each shooting him several feet forward, but as he stared at the distant seashell, it seemed to be getting further and further away. He swam and swam, but there was no progress at all, and his lungs began to tighten. He glanced up, and started. He was so far down that he couldn't see the surface; he'd been so focused on the faint glimmer of the pale seashell, that he hadn't noticed darkness fall all around him.

He gave the seashell one last, longing look before turning around, ready to retreat. But even as he did so, he knew he wouldn't make it.

Still, he had to try, and he channeled the last of his strength, swimming less gracefully and more urgently now, desperate for a new intake of precious air. He kept going, but his lungs couldn't take it anymore. He felt weak and slurred, and he couldn't focus on his surroundings properly.

Just as he was about to give up, to just close his eyes and accept his fate, he saw the faint outline of a sea-creature approach him.

He couldn't make out what it was, but it seemed to have...tentacles? They were too many though, and swarmed around what appeared to be a head. The creature was so close now that it had to break, and pale arms spread out from the head - no, the body, he realised, as the creature turned. It was a mermaid! A long, shapely fishtail sprouted from a human torso, violet in colour. The mermaid gathered her tentacle-like hair back, and revealed her face.