Blind Faith (Book 1)

Chapter 26

Ash

Ash awoke in fright. His heart was in his throat. As his vision cleared and he stared into the surrounding gloom. The sun must have been overwhelmed by the storm again and what little light the skylights had given earlier was lost. The barn's atmosphere darkened and the air was ice, his breath misted and floated upwards away from him.

He didn't know if he had passed out or fallen asleep, nor for how long. But he now lay on the floor and his entire body tingled as if he had been dunked into ice-cold water. His long damp hair, which hung past his eyes, dripped water upon his lap. His gym gear soaked through as if he had been outside.

He moved his arms and his legs and they responded, though a little clumsily at first. He eased up to a sitting position and his hand brushed a smooth cold metallic item next to him. He picked it up and frowned at half of a white dull collar or ring. The item Aimee had put around his neck. He chucked it away in horror and wiped his hand on his top, not wanting to touch such an evil object.

The crystal throbbed like a welcoming friend and tried to ease him, pulsing warm calming sensations through his body, but Ash was beyond all that now, even past reality, he didn't understand how he freed himself, but he didn't care. All that mattered was he was free. Oddly he felt revived, a deep heavy calm had settled on his mind and body. He could feel the cold creeping into his bones as the crystal fought against it, a slow dull tingling as he clenched his hands and opened them again.

I'm fine, no permanent damage...

The stone suddenly ignited and Ash flinched from the sudden pain and looked up towards the scaffolding and saw the eyes, staring back at him, from the shadows. Blood-red feline eyes, a gaze to chill you to your very core, a gaze of pure evil, he could not forget those eyes. A part of him wanted to laugh, the eyes in his dreams, in his visions, always there, images and memories. Today, the red-eyed gaze gave him strength, reminding Ash that he was alive and all was real.

"So you have moved from my dreams to reality. I am getting the impression you are my little stalker. Have you come to haunt me like a ghost? Or are you here to finally finish the job the holy order keeps failing to do!" He said it in anger, the despair oozing from his voice.

No more...I will not be weak...enough is enough...

The feline eyes blinked but no sound or movement came from whatever it was.

"Why hide in the shadows? Come out and reveal yourself, show me who you are, I'm not frightened of you, not anymore." He climb to his feet and stepped towards the shadows, the crystal torching his skin in a warning. He ignored it and focused on the eyes.

"Please, don't be afraid, I just want answers-"

The hidden figure snapped its feline gaze from him to the door behind and slipped back into the shadows. Ash remained still, listening, watching, he thought he caught movement towards his left, in the opposite direction, a movement slipping under the scaffolding and into the darkness. He made chase and dashed towards it. Slipping past the table of weapons and into a back room.

He skidded to a halt on the stone floor and quickly scanned the room. It was better lit in here because of a large bay window over a sink opposite him. A kitchen, with a workbench and cupboards, surrounds a metal basin and a pair of taps.

He leaned forwards placed his weight on a large farmers' table in the middle and frowned at a wooden door, swinging. Without hesitation, he dashed over and pushed it open and stepped out into the rain. He took one step onto the soft earth and tripped over something lying on the soaked ground. Wet through and covered in mud and gravel, Ash turned over and stared into the vacant blue eyes of death. One of his guards, their head lying at a very odd angle compared to its body.