Chapter 18: Chapter 18

Lilitha staggered backward, gripping at her throat. Could it be? It must be. What else could it be? Somehow, they had come full circle, arriving at the very place they were so desperately trying to escape.

Lilitha’s heart iced over. Damon had lied. He’d been steering them in the wrong direction this whole time, directly into the heart of danger.

It had never been his intention to take them to Mainstry. He had betrayed them. Clara was right!

~Clara. ~

Clara!

It was after midday. ~They only consume at night~…

Lilitha hobbled away as fast as she could, trying to ignore the pain, trying to ignore her misgivings toward herself.

The branches seemed to deliberately get in her way, leaves slapping her face, sticks tangling in her hair. The rocks kept tripping her up.

It was as though the forest itself was trying to prevent her from leaving.

Lilitha reached their little spot. Clara stood, wide-eyed.

“Must leave!” she gasped. “Damon—betrayed us—monster—here!”

Clara’s face turned ashen.

“I found the shackles,” Lilitha told her as they stumbled along. “Damon hasn’t been taking us to Mainstry at all, but directly into the monster’s nest.”

“But why?”

“To feed us to them. I don’t know! Does it matter? You were right, Clara. We should never have trusted him.”

Lilitha was dragging, slowing Clara down. The pain, the heat, the weakness—she couldn’t keep up. Finally, she was forced to stop, bent over her knees as she gasped for breath. “Go. Go without me.”

“Not a chance. Keep going!” Clara grabbed her arm and dragged her ahead.

They hadn’t gone far when Lilitha yanked away her arm. “I’m sorry.” She clutched at her chest. “I’m sorry.”

Clara’s cheeks were flushed, her eyes bright with fear. “We’ll stay here. Hide.”

“They come at night.”

“What else can we do?”

Lilitha dropped to the ground. Flopping onto her back, she threw out her arms as she gazed up at the branches. “You need to go.”

“Stop saying that,” Clara snapped.

“You’re the one in danger. Not me.”

“You don’t know that.”

“You said it yourself. He likes me.”

“I was angry. I was wrong.”

“I don’t think so…” There was so much she wanted to say, to explain. But how could she when she couldn’t even explain it to herself? “I know… I know… I’m sorry.” Her voice was a croak.

“Stop apologizing.”

They found a place to hide within the hollow of a large tree. And there they waited, sitting hip to hip, gripping each other’s hands.

At least Damon had given them enough time to make up, Lilitha thought bitterly. Now, all they had to do was survive the night and find their way to Mainstry.

Lilitha tried to stay awake, but her head kept nodding and her eyes kept sliding shut. At some point, she woke to Clara hissing in her ear

“Lilitha! Wake up! It’s here. It’s here!”

Lilitha lurched into awareness. Clara was gripping Lilitha’s arm with both her hands. It was very dark within the hollow, but she could still see the shine of Clara’s eyes.

Lilitha’s ears were ringing as she listened.

“I don’t…”

A low growl. Lilitha gripped Clara back. She could feel her friend’s pulse pounding in her wrist. They both sucked in a breath at the sound of rustling leaves.

A stick snapped. Another low growl. Then snuffling. It was getting closer and Lilitha knew it was tracking their scent.

They needed to go. They needed to run. Remembering the dead man with the missing face, Lilitha grimaced.

Would that be Clara? Not to forget the innards in the trees. And what about Laymond? What had happened to him?

“You need to go,” Lilitha told her. “Quietly. Quickly. It’ll be your only chance.”

Clara shook her head.

“You must. At least one of us can—can get away then. I don’t have the strength.”

Clara tightened her grip on her arm, her face as pale as moonlight. She looked oddly clear in the darkness, more so than usual.

“~Go~,” Lilitha hissed, and she shoved her. Clara pushed back but Lilitha shoved her again. “~Go~. And quietly!”

Clara gave her an agonizing look before finally slipping through the gap and hurrying away. Lilitha could hear the light padding of her friend’s footsteps, and no doubt the monster could too.

The snuffling stopped. A second growl vibrated through the air.

“Here, monster! Here I am!” Lilitha shouted, kicking against the inside of the trunk.

Heart pounding, dizzy and sick, she crawled outside. How could one little choice make the world seem so surreal? It felt like a dream as she slowly stood, the world tilting one way, then the other.

That telltale itch at the back of her neck made her shrug. Her hairs were like prickles on her forearms. Her legs were like logs.

The bushes parted and Lilitha sucked in a breath.

It was a great hulking thing, so enormous it had to stoop beneath the branches. Oddly, it wore a cloak, looking far too much like a human as it stood on its two legs.

It approached slowly, its footsteps heavy against the earth. Lilitha squeezed her eyes shut. Cold fingers were running down her spine. It was so close she could hear its slow, deep breaths.

Its heat seemed to radiate right through her cloak. And then it sniffed. She could feel its hot breath on her neck.

“What have we here?” it growled in its deep voice. It sniffed again, so close now that its cloak brushed against her. “Where have you come from?”

It pressed something warm and wet into her neck. Lilitha reeled back with a gasp.

“You smell as good as you look. Do you taste so fine as well?” There came the sound of rustling as it removed its cloak. “Open your eyes and look at me.”

Lilitha was trembling so hard it was difficult to keep control over her body. It seemed to cost her everything to simply shake her head. She was feeling hot again, burning up in her cloak.

She could smell it now. It smelled of ordinary things, of sweat and mud and wet grass, but also of something more, something which made her sweat even harder, that made the pulse pound in her throat.

“Open your eyes.”

She shook her head.

“Open them!” it roared, and Lilitha cried out when it seized her arms—with hands. Not hooves or claws or talons—but hands.

Ordinary hands. Massive and strong and ruthless, but a man’s hands all the same.

“No!” she shouted, and was startled by her own ferocity.

It fell silent. It rumbled deeply in its chest. “Have it your way.”

Her lungs filled with a scream, but its mouth stifled her before she could utter a sound. Its lips and tongue were a man’s, but its breath stank of a monster, of blood, of flesh and death.

She willed herself to fight, but it was hard enough just trying to keep her feet. It ran its huge hand down her throat. It kept kissing her as it tried to grab between her legs.

Lilitha jumped back with a cry, ripping her lips away as she swiped blindly at it, eyes still closed, unwilling to look, ~unable~ to look.

She hit something, making it grunt. Then it had her in its grip again. She squealed as it swept her feet from under her and lowered her to the ground.

It was oddly careful. Oddly tender. And Lilitha had no doubt as to why. Its hot skin pressed against hers. No fur. No fuzz.

Lilitha turned her head with a gasp as it tried to kiss her again. “~No~.”

It kissed her cheek. It nuzzled her neck. Then it reached for her tunic.

“No!” She screamed as the creature ripped it right down the middle. The cool night air turned her nipples hard. Screaming, she thrashed her head around.

She slammed her fists into its chest. She tried to buck him off, just like she’d tried with Mandalay, but he was much heavier and more powerful still.

Not again. ~Not again.~

~“No, no, no, NO, NO!” And then she was screaming continuously. Tears were streaming down her cheeks.

“Stop!” came a bellow, and Lilitha’s eyes sprang open. She glimpsed a dark mane and the glistening of smooth skin as the monster turned to look behind. “She’s mine!”

Miraculously, it let her go and Lilitha wriggled away.

She ran hard until her legs ached and the air wheezed in her lungs, running away from herself as much as from the monster. She tripped over a root and fell with a cry.

Gritting her teeth at the pain shooting down her bottom, she hauled herself back to her feet.

Too late. Too slow. She hadn’t even heard it following. But she felt it—hugging her around the waist as it heaved her off her feet. Lilitha screamed again.

“Be calm, Lilitha! It’s me!” Damon shouted.

For a moment, she felt a surge of relief. Then she remembered what he’d done. “Let go, let go!” She pushed and shoved at him. She managed to stumble out of his arms, but he seized her again.

“Let go!” she cried.

“Stop it, Lilitha! It’s not going to hurt you. Be calm. ~Be calm.~ It’s gone.”

Exhausted, Lilitha slumped in his grasp. What was the point? What was the point of ~anything~? She was always powerless.

Against her father, against Mandalay, and now against Damon and his monsters.

“You ready to listen?” Damon said, panting into the back of her neck. “I am sorry this happened, but you should have come with me earlier.”

“You’re a liar. You don’t care. You never meant to take us to Mainstry. Let me go!”

She thrashed in his arms and he released her. She spun around to face him. Damon stood motionless, low-slung branches reaching for his head.

Lilitha’s bare skin puckered in the cold. Quickly she pulled her ripped tunic shut.

“How did you find out?” Damon asked steadily.

“I found the shackles.”

“I was going to tell you.”

“Going to tell me what?”

His eyes were glimmering from within his hood. “There is so much you don’t know. I had to plan it so you would understand without fear.”

“Understand what?”

“All that you are.”

Lilitha shivered. “And what might that be?”

“Come with me, and you shall see.” He held out his hand.

“No.” She took a step back. “I don’t trust you.”

“Don’t you want to find out the answers to all those burning questions? Don’t you want to know why you’ve been feeling so different? Why you’re so special?”

“Special?” She gave a despairing laugh. “I’m nothing. I’m nobody. If I were, I wouldn’t be here in the first place.”

“You’re somebody. You’re everything.” He took a step toward her. “You’re everything to~ me~.”

Lilitha stepped back.

“Don’t you want that?” he continued. “Haven’t you wondered about so many things? Your eyes—you see at night like no one else, can’t you?

“Haven’t you ever wondered why? And what about that scar?” He pointed, indicating her backside. “Don’t you want to know its significance?

“And your mother—I bet we could find out about your mother. And then there’s me,” he continued. “You like me, don’t you? More than you should.

“More than is natural for some angry, dangerous stranger you hardly know.”

Lilitha took another step behind and found herself backed up against a tree. “My—my mother?”

He nodded. “That’s right. That’s why I’ve been gone—to get some answers.”

“Did you find any?”

“Some.”

Lilitha frowned. “How do you know so much?”

“I’ll tell you, but you need to come with me.” He held out his hand again. “Let me show you how wonderful and special and awesome you really are.”

Lilitha looked at it, heart pounding. What else could she do?

She took it.