Darkness & Light: Book 2: Shatter Our Hope

19 - Hayley

Donovan takes Aldrea and I from our home, but where we go isn't anywhere we have been before.

"Welcome to your new home," says Donovan as he shoves us into a cold, dark cell. I stumble, landing on my hands and knees as my cane skitters out of my reach.  Aldrea picks it up and hands it to me, her red eyes full of fear and sadness.

The cell door slams shut, locking behind us, and Donovan laughs. "Have fun, girls!" He chuckles as he turns and walks off, vanishing.

Aldrea looks around, before she helps me to one of the two cots in here. I feel a surge of pain in my legs, and I rub them to try and stop the pain. Aldrea looks concerned as she kneels before me, looking up at me.

"You okay, Hayley?"

I shake my head. "Forgot my tonic..."

"Ah, shit," she whispers. "What can I do to help?"

I shake my head. "I'm not sure."

We sit there for a while, both of us cold and tired and scared. I'm not sure how much time has passed, but when I start to fall asleep, I just lay on my side, curling my wings around myself, and close my eyes. I drift into a strange kind of half-nightmare and half-dream.

Images flash through my mind. I see bloody hands. Aldrea screaming, her face contorted in pain.  Tiber's hands glowing green with his fire, as he fights a shadowy creature. Drecca impaled on a sword.

I snap awake, and I'm panting hard. Aldrea is there, her hands on my shoulders as she studies my face, her intense gaze wild.

"You okay? You were screaming in your sleep," she says.

I shake my head. "I had a weird dream...."

She nods solemnly.  "What was it about?"

I tell her, and when I'm done, she sighs and steps back from me. She rubs her hands on her pants. Then she turns back to me, her face paler than normal.

"What?" I ask her, feeling icy dread in my gut.

She shakes her head, then begins to pace.  "You have a connection to Drecca, right?" I nod, and she continues. "Maybe you're sensing something from him. He's bound to be upset that you and I disappeared. So, we'd better find a way to contact him. Like how you and I spoke to each other, maybe there's a way you two can."

"Hm, well.... we did very briefly speak through telepathy before. So maybe I could try that again? But the thing is, I don't know how we did it before."

"Maybe you just focus on him and think about what you want to say," she suggests.  "Try that."

I close my eyes, focusing on Drecca. On how much love I felt from him when we were blood-bound. How much love I feel for him, regardless. I take a deep breath and sigh.

Drecca, are you there? Donovan took us somewhere, but I don't know where we are. He took Aldrea and I to a cell in a dark place.

"Hayley? You okay? Is Aldrea okay?"

"We are fine, for now. But where are we?"

"Can you maybe try to send me mental images of this place? Like, focus on the place you were brought to."

I concentrate, picturing the halls and the dark cell. I imagine the cold air, the darkness. The smells, the fear.

"You're a natural at this, Hayley. You are powerful. I'll find you two, I promise. But Hayley.... I love you. And I am glad that you're okay. Just please, don't keep sacrificing yourself for me. You don't need to do that. I love you, please don't keep putting yourself in danger. I can handle myself. I love you so much, I don't want you to get hurt."

The connection flickers, then his emotions fade from the forefront of my mind. I open my eyes and lift my gaze to Aldrea, who's still pacing. She looks at me, her worried expression making her paler.

"Hayley, are you okay? Is ... he okay?"

I nod. "He's gonna find us."

Her face twists in horror. "And that's what he wants. That's what Donovan wants. It's a trick. A trap! He wants you to summon him here, and do gods-know-what to him, to hurt him, and by extension, you."

"So what do we do, Aldrea?" I whisper, feeling hopeless.

"We will figure this out," she says. "Just ... let me think things through first. Okay?"

I nod again and lower my head. "I'm gonna .... try to rest, okay?"

Aldrea smirks and nods. "Alright, yeah.  I'll just.... try and figure things out. Get some rest."