Sickened by his loss of control in the hospital cellar, Vanadine swept through the night towards one of the thins, an area where his world met the human world. There were a few such places he knew of but the closest was in a park a mile or so away. Few people were out at this hour so he risked taking the streets, running along at an inhuman pace and pausing as soon as he saw someone. He hopped over the fence and headed into the darkness again, taking comfort and solace in the shadows.
Tearing himself away from Carine had been the hardest thing he had been forced to do in years and Vanadine was surprised at the hollow that grew in his chest when he thought of her face.
So small and helpless. He thought. Maybe I should go and see if she is all right.
No! another part of his snapped. You know what you are and that is a threat to her. Stay away, stick to the shadows and remain alone for her sake.
Vanadine knew his conscience was correct. Carine would be at risk if he was near her and staying away, no matter how hard, was best for her survival.
He stepped closer to the thin, feeling the subtle vibrations it put out. Humans could sense these and avoid them, getting a sense of impending doom if they strayed too close. Parents would snatch up children and drag them away without knowing why, putting it down to some sixth sense. It kept them safe. It kept them out of Elaris.
The buzzing hum grew in his ears as he approached and Vanadine started to feel the effects of the thin just before it snatched him, pulling him in. It was like falling but falling so far and fast while knowing there was no bottom to stop your plummet. The first time he had ventured into a thin, he had screamed the entire trip, only stopping when he had been spewed out onto the wet grass of Earth.
The trip seemed endless but Vanadine knew from past experience it was only a matter of seconds. When his feet took his weight again he was in a completely different world.
Elaris. He thought with a calmness he felt deeply in his being. This ought to be my home. He thought then, with sadness and something like grief hollowed a cavern in his chest.
Sun shone brightly down on fields of wild grasses, knee heigh and nodding in the gentle breeze. Vanadine sucked in clean, pure air, swilling the stench and pollution of the human city from his lungs. A few miles to his right began a vast forest, green and untouched, the boles never tasting the bite of axe or saw. Interspersed with the greens, Vanadine saw the occasional coppery-red and even rarer blue of different trees. Hills, green gems in the sunlight, stretched away from him and something like serenity washed over him before he recalled he had been exiled from here by his heritage.
A flock of pink birds flew towards the forest, wings whistling in the air while their cries echoed his feelings of loneliness and despair.
Vanadine closed his eyes and gathered himself, turning towards the vast city which was his destination. When he opened them again, the world around him became a blur for two seconds, the greens blending together as he snapped through the air. A building appeared before him, squat and brown, wooden slats over a stone base with a thatched roof to keep the elements out. Separated from the main city of Denant by quite some distance, Vanadine looked at the lowly structure and felt a pang of pity for its lone inhabitant.
The door opened when he knocked, revealing a squat creature that had once been his friend.
“Vanadine,” she growled, her voice cracked and low. “What a pleasant surprise.”
“Hello, Horann,” Vanadine said, stepping inside without invitation.
He looked at the changes her choices had made; the wizened skin and humped back, the legs that threatened to give way at any moment. Yet it was Horann’s face that had suffered the worst of the damage. Her skin sagged as if she was ancient, pulling her lower eyelids down to reveal the moist flesh within. Her eyes held his with hate and longing at the same time and the hair had almost vanished from her head, just a few wisps remaining.
“What has happened, Horann?” He asked her. “You were beautiful once.”
“I remain so, Vanadine,” Horann growled. “Spare me your unwelcome pity and state your business.”
“Merely to see you, my old friend,” Vanadine said as he lowered himself into a chair.
“Friend?” Horann hissed a laugh. “Were we ever friends? I cannot recall that being the case.”
“I can,” Vanadine told her. “Before you succumbed to your darker half and your humanity fled.”
“I embraced the darkness,” Horann insisted. “And cast my humanity aside for a better future.”
“This is better?” Vanadine asked in disbelief, looking around at the meagre possessions and basic furniture she had. “Living in this, shunned by the people you sought to impress, exiled from the city whose streets we once walked. Ignored and scorned by everyone here. That is your better future?” He asked.
A sneer curled her lip as she looked at him.
“You are in exile too, Vanadine, did you forget that?” She asked. “For refusing to accept the dark Elf within you, for embracing your human side.”
“I am glad I made that choice,” Vanadine said without spite. “If this is the result of succumbing to my dark Elf side,” he gestured towards her.
“Ah, Vanadine, always so superior, always so Holy and pure. Yet when it comes down to it you are a bastard hybrid of Elf and human, as I am. Able to exist in either world but welcomed in neither. Come back to us,” she said. “I can be yours, to do with as you wish. There is nothing I would deny you, no depraved or deviant act if you would just embrace your dark half.”
“You have become depraved and deviant,” Vanadine observed quietly. “A sick and twisted parody of your former self and I would be insane to ever want to be anywhere near you.”
Vanadine stood and headed the few paces to the door but before he could reach for the handle he felt his muscles stiffen and found himself bound in place.
“Release me!” He commanded.
“I do not think that I will,” Horann said. “Either you will succumb to my will or I will inform the Council of your whereabouts and let them have you.”
Fear threatened to grip Vanadine at the thought of the three ancient, dark Elves and what they might do to him if he were caught.
Returning home she had showered and changed, throwing her torn and ruined clothes away but keeping Vanadine’s coat. She examined it, finding nothing in the pockets and not even a label to say where it had been made. Yet she could tell from the weave and stitching it was a quality garment and probably expensive. With Laura still out, Carine lay on her bed and covered herself with the coat, trying to get some sleep. Yet despite the comfort and safety she gained from his scent surrounding her and the soft touch of the cloth, every time she closed her eyes all she saw was the grinning, leering faces of Glenn and Hann, ready to grab her again.She woke with a start, a scream on her lips as something grabbed her leg. Thrashing and fighting against the bedclothes and coat, she kicked and grunted, mewling sounds escaping her throat as she tried to escape. When her eyes opened and she saw the lamp beside her bed was on, she looked down to see the bed was undisturbed and the coat lay over her l
Muscles straining against the invisible bonds that rooted him in place, Vanadine felt the darkness begin to creep in. Anger and rage at his captivity seemed to develop thoughts of their own, driving him to lash out and maim.Who does this mongrel halfbreed think she is to bind us like this? Burn her alive! Tear out her heart! Kill this bitch in the worst of ways and let all know we are not to be challenged.Vanadine closed his eyes, concentrating on his human side, embracing the lighter, more forgiving aspect of his psyche.This is why you can never be with someone like Carine. His mind said. One slip and she would be dead. One tiny misstep and you would be watching her life force drain out onto the ground.Thoughts of Carine, her beauty and vulnerability, pushed the darkness aside a little and his thinking cleared as he watched the twisted horror of his former friend come into view before him.“I will have you, Vanadine, willingly or under duress but either way you will be mine!”The
Knees up, with arms wrapped around them and her head buried in those, Carine had her back to the door as she sobbed.I’ve fucked it now! She berated herself. And I took it out on Paul. He’s not the type to rape and assault so why did I shout at him?“Uh...Carine?” A voice came through the door. “It’s Laura, can I come in? Are you all right?”No. I’m not all right. What do you think, I screamed at him for fun?Despite feeling safe, cocooned inside the office, Carine knew she could not stay there forever and would have to emerge at some point. Slowly she dragged herself up and peered through the glass panel in the door. Only Laura stood there and she was grateful no one else was rubbernecking behind her. She opened it a fraction before retreating like the abused dog had done earlier.Laura entered and shut the door again, turning to look at Carine.“Don’t,” Carine muttered as she wiped her eyes.“Don’t what?” Laura asked, puzzled.“Don’t look at me with that face,” Carine said.“Okay, t
Stay away from her! His mind shouted as thoughts of Carine ran through him again.He had been in a world of pain and loss for a week, unable to concentrate on anything and with his already lonely existence, staying away from Carine was a torture he could no longer bear.I will just watch from afar. He told himself. No contact but I can at least see her, make sure she is safe.You are lying to yourself. Another part of him said. You will not be able to stay away once you see her.It was galling, Vanadine admitted to himself, that he felt so drawn to Carine. It had never happened before even though his human side was at the front of his personality. Maybe he had never let it happen before or maybe he was just so lonely his need for some kind of contact was overriding his common sense.I will forget her. He assured himself. I will keep clear for her own sake.Half an hour later Vanadine sat before a computer. It was an older model as the small office was part of a taxi company that was o
Guilt and misery had flooded her chest when Carine had tried to speak to Paul earlier that day. He had looked hurt and angry when she had gone to find him, cleaning the kennels outside.“Paul, I…”“Let’s just keep this professional, shall we?” He had said in a dead tone. “You made things perfectly clear yesterday. So you do your thing and I’ll do mine. Now if you don’t mind I’ve got loads of shit to clear up!”With that he had turned his back as Lucy and Brinn had pretended not to hear, the two girls harnessing several dogs each ready for their daily walk.Carine had left them, heading for the main building and the toilet where she had sobbed at hurting him and saying what she had. Paul was gentle and kind, even if she was not attracted to and did not have feelings for him. He had been a friend for a long time and they still had to work together. This was going to be awkward for a long time and not just for her, everyone would be able to feel the tension.Unless I leave. The thought t
Perched atop the roof of the Daniel Colefax rescue centre, his dark outline melding seamlessly with the night around him, Vanadine peered carefully in through the roof light, the slanted window offering him a view of the interior.Carine sat hunched over some paperwork she was writing something on, moving the occasional sheet to another stack. One hand braced her head, her delicate fingers cupping her chin as her ringlets of hair hung down like a curtain. Vanadine felt a smile cross his face as he saw her tapping one finger on her cheek occasionally as she concentrated. The sounds of some evening radio show filtered up to his sensitive ears. One of the dogs barked, setting off a flurry of yaps and barks that dissipated into the darkness. His eyes drifted to the back of her chair where he saw she had hung his coat and feeling of needy warmth spread through him at the thought of her small frame wrapped in his old coat.Desire crashed through Vanadine as he watched her processing the mun
Huddled in the toilet, Carine braced the door with her back as she relived the event that had forced her to hide here.In the middle of assessing some applicants who wanted to adopt dogs she had stretched, her aching back.Poor posture. She had thought.The face that had been staring down at her from the roof had terrified her, her intestines going cold as they seized up. Fingers of ice had trailed down the inside of her ribs, clamping around her heart and squeezing until she thought it would stop. Without looking again she had bolted for the toilet, slamming the door and locking it before sliding down it and hugging her knees.It’s Hann or Glenn come to finish the job! Her mind screamed.It can’t be. A more rational part told her. They don’t know where you work and Vanadine made sure they were out of action for a long time. How would they even get up there? You imagined it because of the stress and being here alone at night.Despite the soothing words her mind offered, Carine knew sh
Nerves jangled as he sat in the taxi. His proximity to her was driving him insane with the need to touch her, to hold her and never let go. Yet the more rational part of him still overrode his needs, constantly reminding him he was dangerous, his darker side just seconds from being free at any point. Even so he could feel the darkness had abated, retreated farther back into his psyche and a hope sprung up in him.Might it be because of her? He wondered as lights flashed into his eyes. Could it be that being near her forces the darkness back?Wishful thinking. Another part of him said. That is what you wish to believe, therefore that is why you feel the darkness has retreated.Vanadine tried to ignore the savage voice as they took the turn towards the centre, the darkness almost swallowing everything but what the headlights revealed.“Thirty quid, gov,” the driver said when they reached the building.Vanadine handed him some notes without counting and opened the door.“Hold up, mate, y