Prophecy

Chapter 5

"I believe the two of you have met before? Rafe, Your Majesty Cassandra." Garmir nods to them both and I try to hide behind Rafe's muscular form but he continues "I also believe you've had the delight of meeting Miss Arcana over there." I gulp and give a brief wave as Cassandra's sharp eyes focus on me with a glare. Rafe slides to the side and I see Cassandra in all her terrifying glory. Her eyes glisten red in the dash of sun stretching through the trees, long glowing black hair, dark as a raven's wing. She wears a long sleeved dress that clutched at her neck like it was choking her and the bodice glistens with a silver and gold that entwines and reaches towards the long skirt. "Hello again Rafe," she smiles surprisingly warmly at him and I catch Rafe blush slightly before his skin returns to its normal pallor, he coughs slightly and smiles his reply "And... to you."

She scrunches her noise up at me and I can tell she's reliving the memory of a slightly wrong timed prank I and Woodsy had gotten up to one long summer. She gestures towards the carriage and Rao hops in with a bark, Garmir patting my shoulder as he too steps in I scowl and follow after Rafe but she stops me before I can get in, sharp nails digg slightly into my skin "I will get you back for what you did to me, silly girl." She snarls and smiles at me menacingly pushing in front of me with a swish of her hair. I shiver, following behind entering a carriage that was definitely bigger on the inside than outside.

Cassandra instantly orientates herself around Rafe, which makes a jealousy rise in me that I never knew was there. I glare at her and sit in a corner near Rao who merely raises his brow at me but then returns to grooming his now growing back tail, Rafe looks over to me questioningly but turns to Cassandra as she begins to speak in mumbled whispers to him causing him to blush and shift uncomfortably in his seat. Garmir settles in front of me "It doesn't bode well to stare at them child." His voice removes the green jealousy monster that was rising within me; I sigh and turn away from him looking out of the carriage window. "I wasn't staring." I say stubbornly and he snorts at my response. Trees whiz by, some branches knocking against the window every now and again. "What's between them two anyway?" I glance back over at them as Rafe leans away from a persistent and desperate looking Cassandra. "The past, my dear girl." Rao growls and Garmir barks out a brief laugh with which he turns away settling his unnerving gaze out towards the landscape passing by.

After an hour or so Cassandra leaves, as he pretends to go to sleep, to what I assume is her own private quarters, with a snarl at me and a sorrowful, lustful glance at Rafe. I laugh as the door closes and he peeps over to me letting out a sigh of relief. He puts his fingers to his lips as I cautiously approach and sit next to him. "Well that was a bag of fun." I tease and jostle him jokingly as I sit down. He chuckles lowly and sighs "I can never escape the crazy ones." A darkness creeps into his eyes again and I edge slightly away from him, he notices and the darkness goes away as quick as it came, his gaze softens slightly. "Sorry." His sorry makes me angry, yet I can't fathom why. I find myself snapping and he looks at me as shocked as I feel when the words pour out of my mouth. "Stop saying sorry! Damn it. All you do is brood about your mysterious past and then apologise for nothing."

He continues to look at me as my vision starts to tint red and I hear Garmir mutters barely audible "Rafe I'd be careful; secrets only get you so far." I don't know where this anger comes from but it keeps me fuelled as I glare at Rafe "Raphael and your shadows and stupid golden secretive eyes." He jumps at the sound of his name and his eyebrows furrow, my steam running out I clutch angrily at straws.

"You and that stuck-up vampire queen. This stupid journey that the Oracle sent me on and now it turns out might be about my family. My mother an-and father." I finally choke and break down, dry angry sobs escape and I curl up putting my head in my knees. I can sense the stares on me as the events of the past couple of days' build into this eruption of emotions, I feel Rafe's questioning gaze jumping between me and Garmir unsure of what to do. Garmir coughs and mumbles something about finding the privy as he exits the cart, Raoul snores softly on his seat. Some time passes and Rafe stays quiet as sobs shake my body. I pull at my hair beating myself up for my silly and childish behaviour, when I feel a pair of strong arms grab my wrists to stop me, they pull me onto his lap cradling me like a baby as I continue to sob.

Rafe sighs, "You know I was waiting for you to break," he starts and my sobbing slows "My past is something that is dark and dangerous. I don't want to involve you in it Dahlia." He starts to stroke me hair and the same tingles come back. I pull myself together. "Sorry." I mutter and he chuckles pulling me against his chest "Stop saying sorry." he whispers into my ear and I sigh, confused, lifting my head up to see him looking down at me golden eyes melting mine. "Your eyes have silver flecks in them," he smiles "They're very pretty." He bends his head down towards mine and I gasp a thank you. I lift my chin up a fraction a tiny hope in the back of my mind hoping for a kiss, but it doesn't come. He sighs and just holds me. I rest my head against his chest, listening to his slow breaths and thumping heartbeat. "I suppose you can never see me as normal again?" I ask and he laughs.

"You were never normal Dahlia, as I said earlier I never escape the crazy ones." I blush and laugh quietly, my outburst behind me now. We sit that way for the rest of the journey until the carriage begins to slow and Garmir enters the room with his brow raised, Cassandra following behind speaking to him in hushed tones. I quickly jump off Rafe's lap and look out of the window to see the old Arcana house standing tall and crooked, porch paint cracking and shutters hanging off, though windows sparkling clean and flowers overflowing in the beds and plant pots. The Oracle stands old and looking deceptively frail on the porch looking directly at me through the tinted windows. "Hello again darling."

I get out of the carriage, slinging my bag over my shoulder taking a deep breath as I walk over to my Grams and give her an awkward hug. Rao pads up the porch steps hanging his head as Garmir follows close behind nodding his head in respect and holding out a hand "Delphine, great to see you again. I believe you met Rafe sometime ago." Her weather beaten face turns and looks towards Rafe appraising his appearance; her clouded eyes clear for a flash of a moment revealing pale, ice blue eyes piercing his, she frowns. "Hello dear, ah and Cassandra my favourite client." Her frown disappears and she smiles a tight grin at the vampire who happens to be glaring at me. I glare back equally as spiteful as Grams leads the way indoors, letting Cassandra enter before me out of 'courtesy' and totally not for the fear that she would stab me, or bite me while my back was turned. I notice Cassandra take a last longing look at Rafe before I lead the way into the old familiarity of the Arcana household.