Blood and Apples: An Annora Park Novel: Book One

Chapter Forty-Six: Running From Ruination

   "I am almost disappointed that I must suck you down, and absorb you...I had no idea that you would be soooooo willing...sooooo soft...sooooo purrrrfect in the bedroom, pretty, pretty..."
   What the hell? I'm still in Walker's bed, and I'm still naked, but I can't move.  I'm frozen, shocked still, unable to move.  I open my eyes and HE'S there, straddling my prone, unmoving body, G'harna.
   I scream, but then I realize I can't even do that.  No sound comes out of my mouth.
"Oh I suppose I could give you back your vocal chords, but I find that I enjoy this silence from you, pretty.  When you speak your words are like a million blades cutting the air, then again, that too has its advantages.  I do so like my blades."
   I was back in one of his stupid dreams.  I had to fight this.  I had to move, wake up, anything, something.  I had to do something.  This wasn't okay.  I wasn't okay. 
   God.  Okay, think Annora, think.  You're not helpless, not like the last time.  You know more.  You know that this isn't real.
   "I can see the wheels in your head turning, pretty.  I can see you trying to escape, but you see, there's no way to escape.  There's no way to extricate yourself from my web, I've caught you.  And I plan on catching you out of this reality as well.  Even now I grow stronger, more powerful.  And you...ohhhhh sucking you down will give me my immortality back, it will make me invincible.  And as sad as it will be to see each part of that oh-so-lovely body of yours cut to pieces and absorbed...the end...oh the end will be worth it.  The curse will be no more.  I will not need Fairy and her stupid Goddess to bless me.  Hell. I was damned long ago.  I will have my immortal coil back, and be the king of this realm.  I find I like this realm.  The human flock are soooo amenable and willing...so easily persuaded and taken over.  I will be their king."
   I glare at him and continue to try to break free.
"I will give you back your voice as I see there is something you wish to say quite badly." G'harna says.
   "Asshole we haven't had a king in over two hundred years, and we sure as hell aren't starting again with you, you self-important jackass."
"Oh why, oh why, did I forget how horribly you speak...how crude..."
   "That's me, crude and rude," I bite out, still fighting the hold of the dream web, desperate to wake.
   "But so much more than that, are you not?" G'harna asks, leaning down into me.
   I try to move away from him.  But I'm still fucking stuck.  Struck immobile.  "I have no idea what you're talking about.  Now get the fuck off of me, asshole."
   G'harna laughs.  "I almost believe you.  I almost...almost believe you have no idea how important you are..."
   "I'm not important," I grind out.
"Ohhhh Annora Gun Samhail Park, you are everything.  You are the key, don't you see?  Bonds that connect you to each realm, and through you I shall have dominance over each one."
   "You're seriously cuckoo for Cocoa-Puffs, you realize that, right?"
"I don't know this Cuckoo for Cocoa-Puffs you speak of."
   It be almost funny...well if I wasn't unable to move and stuck in this horror dream by a serial killer Fairy.  "Well, that's you, buddy."
"You're a strange one, Annora Gun Samhail Park."
   "Stop saying my name," I spit out.
"No, I shall say it as many times as I wish.  Names are powerful, or don't you know, Annora Gun Samhail Park.  Names hold power, and the more often I say yours the more power I will hold over you."
   "You have no power over me." I say.  Trying to calm my racing heart.  And almost laughing when I realize I'd just quoted Labyrinth.
"Ach, but I shall, I shall.  I shall soon have power over everyone.  This last one was no fun.  Your junkie human sheep led me to prey that was no fun.  I barely had time to play before she gave in.  No...no...she didn't bring me as much as I wished, however it was enough to weave this dream.  And enough to take you to my web.  And soon...with you...I will have everything I've ever dreamed of."
   "Buddy, you seriously need medical help.  Depressed that mommy and daddy were meanies, take a fucking Prozac with a Valium chaser and get the fuck over it.  We all have sob stories, we don't all go around and eat brains because of them."
   G'harna smiles widely.  "But the brain is the best part, don't you know that, Annora Gun Samhail Park?  And I know that yours will be particularly sweet, and juicy."
   "Yeah, yeah, whatever..." I swallow and suddenly I feel it, the throbbing in my shoulder from where Walker had bitten me.  Oh my God.  I can feel it.  I can feel the bond.  If I could feel the bond I could pull from it.  I know I could.  I begin to do just that, and slowly ever so slowly I feel my toes and and then my legs. I kick up and dislodge a stunned G'harna.
"NO NO NO! It's not fair!" G'harna shrieks like a spoiled little boy whose had his toy taken away.  "You were mine.  I was playing.  I wasn't done!"
   I narrow my eyes and scoot back.  "Get the fuck outta here.  You're not welcome here, in my mind, G'harna Or De A'lanuel!" And the moment I use his name he disappears with a roar of fury from my mind, and I'm left panting on the bed.
   "Annora, baby girl!" Walker's beautiful face lays over mine worried.
   I wave him off.  "Get off, get off me!" I roll to my side and try to keep the bile from erupting.
   "Dearheart, what happened...was it...was it..." He can't even finish.
   I nod my head.  "Yeah, yeah it was.  Stronger this time, too."
Walker swears. "I wasn't there. I couldn't help you. I'd promised to help you. And I could do nothing!" He roars.
I take lungful of deep, fresh, air, needing it badly. I shake my head. "You...you did help me, Walker," I whisper. "Our bond helped me. I couldn't seem to find a way out of the web until I felt our bond tethering me to you...to this reality. I was able to break free because of it. So you see, you did help me."
"Oh baby girl," Walker tries to put his arms around me, but I shake my head.
"No...no...not yet, Walker, please, not yet. I...I...need my clothes...I...I..." I begin to search for my clothes and Walker quickly hands me a pile that I don't recognize. "What's this?"
"Clothes."
"Did you just make these?"
Walker shrugs. "Yeah."
"What did you use?"
Walker shrugs me off. "Nothing important, some little crystal on the side of the bed. No big deal."
"Walker, you can't just go taking your things and changing them for me."
"Why can't I? They're mine. I can do what I want with my stuff." He says.
Well, I couldn't fight that logic now, could I? "Okay, well, thanks. I pull on the leggings and top and give him a quick look, "No panties? No bra?"
Walker has the grace to look abashed. "Uhmmm, well, nope."
I chuckle a little. "Okay. Okay then." I run a hand through my disheveled hair and sigh. "I...I need my stuff, Walker. My own things.  I need my weapons."  I narrow my eyes.  I'm not a meek human sheep.  I'm not waiting for this asshole.  I'm going to find him.  If it takes a hundred, no a million Treads, I'll do it.  I'm not sitting back on my ass, or sleeping my way through another possible rape scene.  Do you understand."
   "Annora, baby girl," Walker does put his arms around me, then.  He pulls me close.  "Baby girl, you can't keep Treading.  You heard Birdie, you're letting Death in every time."
   "Yeah, but death doesn't scare me, Walker.  I've faced death down every day since I was fucking born.  Now that I've completed the bond with Chamuel, I can't die, so what's the worst that Death can do? Taunt me? Hurt me? Well, guess what, I've been hurt worse before.  And I'm likely to be hurt again.  I can fucking take it.  Now let me go, I need to go."
   "Annora..."
   "No!" I pull out of his embrace and turn to face him and hold up my hand.  "Listen, I need you to go to the Coven, to your mom.  I need you to ask if there is anything The Third Eye has seen..." I gulp, "...Please..." I add, "For me."
   Walker swears heartily and slams his fist down on the bed.  "Fuck! Fuck! You know exactly where to fucking hit me, don't you, baby girl?"
   I sigh.  "I just know what I need from you, Walker." I say.  "Please, I really need you to do this for me."
   "I don't want to let you out of my sight, do you understand that, Annora baby girl?"  He pulls me back into his arms and nuzzles my hair.  "God, I'm petrified that if I take my eyes off of you, you'll disappear like a puff of smoke in the wind."
   I shake my head against him.  "I won't." I pull away.  "I'm going straight to my apartment.  And I'll even call Garrett." I ignore his snarl.  "Don't get your panties in a twist.  He needs to know what's going on anyway.  But I'll be okay.  Go to the Coven Walker, for me, please.  Talk to Leanore, please.  I need to know if she sees anything.  G'harna made mention of another one...we had no notice of another victim.  I'm...I'm...I'm batting in the wind here, and I'm freaking the fuck out.  Even though I'm trying to hold my shit together, I'm really starting to freak the fuck out.  Listen, do this for me, okay?"
   "You're going straight to your apartment?" Walker says solemnly.
   I nod.  "Straight to my apartment.  I'm going to load up and then head out." When I see he wants to speak I continue, "But I won't go anywhere without notifying you, okay?"
   "Annora..."
   "I promise, okay, Walker, I promise.  I won't go anywhere but my apartment without letting you know first."
   "You promise."
   I nod.  "I promise."
   "Promises are binding, my love." Walker says eyes solemn and sober. 
   I nod a little harder this time,  "I know, Walker." I hold out my hand (which is a little ridiculous considering everything we've been through) but still, it felt right.
   Walker pull me into a deep kiss, sweeping his tongue into my mouth.  He bites my lower lip, drawing blood.  "That is a way to seal a promise, my love."
   I'm gobsmacked.  "I...I...uhhh...ughhhh..."
  Walker laughs.  "I'm happy to see you're so completely done away."
   I shove him a little.  "Ohhh shut up."
   "Go then, Annora baby girl, before I don't have the strength to let you go."
   I nod my head and get off the bed.  "I'll see you a Minute Maid minute, Walker Sergei Romanoff."
   Walker smiles at me, almost shyly and acknowledges me with a tip of his head.  I blow him a kiss and then I'm rushing out of the door towards the possible unknown.