Rhiannon

- Lost -

"What do you mean? They are right there, my Rhiannon. Take a look once again," James whispered to Rhiannon's ear, but she turned to him and his heart stopped. Two eyes vacantly stared into his own. She was hollow. Like a vessel without a life, broken doll ready to be burnt.

"Why can't I see the stars, Mr. Delaney?" she asked coldly, something vicious inside her voice told him, that this night is not the ordinary one. This night might decide whether she stays or leaves him forever.

"Because love makes us vulnerable," she suddenly said, her head tilted to the side. He knew this, she always did this with her head, when she was reading in his mind. But now, it wasn't her or his voice inside her head, it wasn't his mind she was exploring. It was malicious voice, which tried to get inside her head.

He felt like he was loosing her. Because everytime he tried to even touch her, she took a step back. It was like chasing a ghost in the middle of the night.

"Take a look at the sky and tell me, what can you see?" He stopped hunting her and spoke to her in a calm low voice.

She looked up and quickly closed her eyes, he saw a tears sliding over her cheek, like diamond falling on the grass under her feet.

"Why did you hide stars from me?" Rhiannon screamed at him, her voice echoed through the dark wood that was surrounding them and only her voice made ground to shake.

He understood in that moment. He knew,why did they try to get her so badly. He saw the power in her eyes, even through the whole mountain of desperation and confusion.

Just like that, she vanished, like with a snap of fingers, she was gone. Only her scent and smell of lavender oinment was left behind.

"I won't give up on you, my love," James whispered. "I won't let them take you. You taught me well, you tought me everything and if they want to play dirty, I will show them the worst of me. The worst of us. I will wake you up, my dark Rhiannon, I will let arise your twisted mind, the dark side, the murderer, the proud angry sorceress. The one who missed ravens, the one who coldly, with a smile watched her husband being eaten alive."

He walked home and didn't mind taunting sights of his maids, he didn't mind mocking wicked laugh coming from their filthy mouths.

"Laugh, all you want, witches," he stopped and took off his hat and heavy coat. "Let's see, if you can laugh, when the blood will run wild from veins and arteries on your throat. Will you be laughing, when you'll choke on your own blood? The question is, who will make the first mistake, witches?" His fingers pointed from one woman to another, then he turned and left.

The silence took over the room, the house, their minds. Lethal stare coming from his eyes and words filled with death omens, made them feel to be everything but brave.

"Mother," Sarah whispered taking her mother's hand.

"Worry not, my child. It's just few threats coming from a mouth of a desperate greedy man. We are protected, he can't hurt us," Anna caressed her daughter's hair.

Well, I can't, witch, but I know somebody who can and be sure, that she will.

James came to the window in his bedroom and watched full moon and night sky filled with stars.

"It's all in the past," he said closing his eyes. "All in the past."