The Bewitching - Midsummer Aine - Book 2

Chapter 17 - Dreams and Reflections

The drive seemed to last forever, far longer than the time it actually took according to the clock. She found that her thoughts wandered between Dantes and the black book. She could still picture those dreadful red eyes of his when he had changed. That image had been haunting her dreams over the last few weeks.

She constantly would find herself waking during the night to a cool breeze and an odd sound, as if someone was pacing within her room. She’d sit up in bed to find the shadows dancing oddly across the walls of her room. That’s when a low voice would drift through the air whispering her name. There he would sit, brooding upon the edge of her bed as if troubled by some deep concern and unsure of how to proceed.

Dantes eyes would slowly drift towards hers, and a feeling of deep sadness would overtake her. There was a look of mourning on his face, far heavier than anything she had ever seen, as if he was utterly defeated. Carefully she’d reach out to him, placing her hand gently atop his. For several moments they’d sit in silence as she slowly scooted up next to him, and laid her head upon his shoulder.

He’d reach up and gently run the tips of his fingers along her face, his warm breath floating gently along the nap of her neck. His lips would move close to her ear and again he’d whisper to her.

“You’re in danger. You have to get out.”

Just as he’d whisper those words, a large wind would rip through the room from the open window, and the light from the moon shining into the room would suddenly dim. A movement near the wall would catch her eye, and she’d notice it was from a large mirror that hung from the wall.

In the mirror would be Dantes' face, yet it wasn’t him as his head still rested near her shoulder and faced away from what she was observing. The eyes of this so called reflection were dark pits, and the hands pressed up against the glass from the other side resembled claws similar, but not exactly the same, as Dantes' own when he would turn. There upon its face was the same evil grin she had seen before in the odd reflection.

It was as if it was some second version of Dantes, different in some ways and similar in others but with a far darker side, trapped behind the glass. It would run its fingers along the glass like it was taunting her to come closer, looking for a way out. Her eyes would close for a second, and when she looked again the image would be gone.

A feeling of foreboding would tickle her skin as she looked up to Dantes who held her in his arms. Her back felt a pinch as if something was digging deeply into her skin. When the pain became unbearable she’d look up to Dantes and be met with those demonic red eyes and pale white skin.

“I said get out!” he’d screech so loud it made her ears hurt. The black and gold speckled wings would rip from his back as he launched himself up towards the ceiling and hovered above her. Before she could let out a scream he’d be careening towards her, claws outstretched and ready to dismember anything in his way.

And then she’d wake up, covered in a cold sweat and heart still racing from the dream. Yet, the dream was almost always the same. There was also something odd about it. It seemed almost real, as if he had actually been there sitting on the bed with her. Even her back still felt the pain she had experienced in the dream. She had debated telling Annette and her mom about the ordeal but decided it was better not to.

It was likely her imagination, and the pain nothing more than her mind believing something that wasn’t there. At least that’s what she continued to tell herself. If anything, the others might think there was something wrong and try to limit her training. They were already worried about the dark circles that had been forming under her eyes from the lack of a peaceful nights rest. Elyssa didn’t want them to worry any more than they already were.