Bound By Destiny (book 1)

Chapter 3

Silver eyes locked onto gold and she blinked, how had her found her? She frowned when she realized he had asked her a question. "A striga....I know of them." She shudders. "Foul loathsome disgusting creatures, they feast on human flesh, organs, whatever they can get their hands on." She went silent as she realized she rambled.

He nods. "Fuck." He puts his hands on the top of his head. "I know what I have to do. Triss and the whole kingdom could really use some help, and pay is excellent " he was trying to convince her to help without directly saying that he wanted her help.

Selene watched him carefully....before she finally spoke in her gentle voice. "I....could possibly help you.." she held herself trying to avoid the ever growing crowd of people that were slowly making there way towards the alley that both she and geralt were hiding in.

Geralt listened to what she had to say before he nodded in agreement, "Yeah, come. Let's discuss this in a more secluded area. We can get Triss. I have figured it out." He guides her through the back alley all the way back to triss' cottage. "Its got to be a striga, and that bastard guard commander is the father. I can still smell him all over her room. That and, it smells current." He explains to both of them.

Selene was oddly silent as she listened to Geralt speak and Triss sighed weakly. "Okay, but if that's true, he won't admit it..." Selene frowned as the two spoke and decided to wandered down the hall before she found the man. "I'm sorry...I'm a bit lost can you help me?" Her silver eyes usually made people believe she was blind and in this situation it could be of help.

Triss blinked "where is the girl?" She was startled she wasn't even aware that the silver eyed woman had disappeared. Geralts eyes widened slightly before he let out a sigh and spoke "Let's go, we need to find her." And with that the two took off down the halls to find Her.

As he neared the end of the Hallway he stopped as he heard a gentle voice speaking in an almost sheepish tone. So he stepped back to see how she handled the situation and urged Triss to do the same.

Triss was silent as she watched the entire situation and as the man carefully but slowly went to help Selene he had stiffened at the unusual eye color and Selene had to bite back a smirk as she thanked the man for his help. She somehow managed to coax out the truth from the man before she scowled and knocked him out before she finally turned and looked at Geralt. "Well, does that give you what you needed?"

A sly smirk appeared on his lips as he watched her carefully. However after a moment he nodded. "I approve. Now, that will make it a lot easier to get to the king. Hes coming with us though." And with that he drags the now unconscious man to the feast hall where they began to question the king.

After finding out the Striga was his child, and that the commander had cursed this poor girl or well the former princess, Geralt looked to Selene before he spoke to her in a whisper that only she could hear. "Can you help me tie him up?" "Tie him up where?" Was the whispered response. "The abandoned castle." Selene nodded and with that geralt picked up the unconscious man and carried him to the abandoned castle right into the princesses old room where he proceeded to start trying him to the beds poles.

Selene simply helped him secure the bindings before she turned to look at him with those haunting silver eyes. With a sigh he walked over to her before he places his hands on Selene's shoulders. "You and Triss need to get out of here. Go with her. I will meet you all back there in the morning. I'm going to have to fight it all night. And I don't....I can't have you or Triss getting hurt."

Silver eyes looked at him and she stiffened under his touch, not use to direct contact with anyone, yet she forced herself to relax before she spoke to him. "I don't feel right.....leaving you to fight the striga alone." She also knew however that if she left while he was fighting the striga it would give her plenty of time to run as far away as as possible. The longer she was around him the stronger the pull became.

The corner of his lips twitched up in a slight smile before he shook his head. He simply decided to look at the both of them. "I may need you both after this. I'm not exactly sure how to fight it just yet, i know silver will possibly work...but, I can't take any chances. So, go. You will be perfectly safe with Triss I promise you that. That and Triss can pay you for your help."

She weakly sighed "and how do you know I won't just run off again?" She crossed her arms at his comment about being paid. She didn't deserve any of that coin, all she had done was trick a man for information, told him what a striga looked like and helped him tie the man to the bed, so she tried to politely refuse the coin. "I don't.....the coin is yours.."

A single eyebrow arched before He shakes his head, "No, you get your cut. If you run off however....or well again, I, suppose we will just find each other again. It keeps happening for some reason."

"Destiny?" Triss asked as she decided to cut into conversation that was currently happening between the two.

Geralt shook his head at that form of logic and Selene was ready to disagree about it being destiny until he spoke, "That's not real Triss. Now both of you, go. Its going to be dark soon, and i don't want you two hurt." However just before Selene could leave did he grab her arm and held her back while Triss left the castle. Selene turned to look at him oddly confused by the sudden movement and she looked at him with a raised eyebrow. His golden eyes locked on hers and she shivered slightly, those eyes...it was like his eyes could see all of her secrets and it left her uncomfortable, yet before she could say anything he spoke to her and her alone.

"thank you for all of your help." Her eyes widened as she watched him turn back to the abandoned room and she finally decided, she would hang around until morning came, he at least deserved that, especially since he was sincere, with a sigh the raven haired woman soon left the castle heading for Triss who waited for her by the road.

Meanwhile as he waited for nightfalls he drank one of his elixirs and prepared some of his weapons before he started going through a few papers that had been left in the old princesses room.

As the sun finally set he looked over at the still bound man and smirked, he was now waking up and beginning to panic yet Geralt couldn't afford that. So he walked over to the side of him, staying out of his sight. "I know what you did....and I know how to save the girl from your curse."

The man stiffened and went to scream only to tremble at the unusual high pitch scream that was far from human. "Let me go! Please let me go! You can't just leave me here."

Geralt smiled this time, an ugly terrifying smile that would send any sane person running. "I will....after the third cry of the rooster." That's when it dawned on the man. "You are using me...." Geralt said nothing he only smirked. "You intend to use me as bait." Geralt shrugged as he started to walk out of the room. "If you can keep yourself alive until morning then I'll release you, until then shut up."

And with that he left the room, he had a striga to fight after all, and that man was perfect bait, he was just glad the girls were now out of harms way as the inhuman scream was heard again and then the sounds of the bound guards man's screams soon followed only to be suddenly cut off and the sounds of flesh being ripped apart was heard, it didn't help he could also smell the putrid blood.

Stepping into the shadows he watched as the striga slowly descended the stairs howling and shrieking. And gods was it the ugliest fucking thing he had seen to date.

The striga was barely 4 feet tall, an umbilical cord still hung from her stomach, her eyes were bright red, and talon like claws, sharp serrated teeth lined the beasts mouth and he shrugged. It would seem what the woman said was true, they were horribly ugly creatures who simply devoured its pray. Swinging his silver chain he watched as the striga continued her way down stopping occasionally to shriek, yet he wouldn't let that deter him, no, instead he swung the chain and watched as it wrapped around the striga.

Said creature let out the most horrifying of screams before it started to struggle. Not even 10 minutes had passed before it managed to break the silver chain and let out one last roar. "Fuck." Was all he got out before the striga released a bone chilling shriek and lunged right at him.