Chapter 31

Rowan, blinked her eyes a few times, trying to get them to open against the sluggishness she felt. They felt like rusty steel shutters. Her brain cells rushing around her mind trying to wake her up. What happened? Where was Xavier? Why did she feel like she was trudging through tar?

She sat bolt upright in bed. Jesus, Xavier. They were beating three shades of shit out of him.

Although she was up, she couldn’t move anything. Her arms flopped at her sides; her head felt like an elephant was sitting on it, her neck straining to keep it upright.  Her eye lids wanted to close again. For fuck sake, what had they drugged her with?

The only thing working was her brain, and it was going into meltdown right now.

Fear so profound, so intense she wanted to scream. Xavier’s life force was so slight, so dull that she could feel it slipping from her.  

She had to move, she just had to. Xavier needed her and now, not later. There wouldn’t be a later unless she got her god damn muscles going.

She focused on her toes, concentrated on trying to get them to wiggle against the tar that held her unmoving. Nothing.

 Come on Rowan he needs you, you have to get up.

Heat built inside her, turning the tar molten as if flowed through her, allowing her to move. Her toes wiggled first then her legs, until she was able to get out of bed.

She still felt slightly sluggish as she stumbled across the room. Her legs still feeling like lead weights attached to her hips. How was she going to help anyone like this?

She groaned out loud. Completely frustrated with herself. Xavier had saved her how many times, and here she was unable to get dressed. “Argg.”

A light buzzed around her head before landing on her shoulder. HUH!

“Majesty, I can help if you’ll let me?” Rowan couldn’t see anything, only hear it. What was going on here? Wasn’t her life bizarre enough, without hearing things too. She didn’t have time for a meltdown now and ignored the voice.

Hoping up and down she tried to get the see though trousers on. For god’s sake, she groaned, sick of these clothes. In the week she had been here, she hadn’t managed to find any, and her parents refused to let her out of their sight.

“It's to dangerous for you to go to earth right now.” he father had said.

“We will send someone to get information on this friend of yours, but you are not going.” He had also said.

She let out her breath, I'm so sick of being treated like a child, it's time everyone learned I'm not some fragile creature.

“Please Majesty, let me help you.” The squeaky voice said again.

Rowan stopped hoping and fell on her arse. Very un-majesty like.

“Ahhh,” she screeched, her legs in the air, one in the trousers the other not. You can't even get dressed, you’re a fucking joke, and you’re letting Xavier die.

The light had buzzed from her as she fell and was hovering in front of her.

“Majesty, are you hurt?”

Rowan ignored the thing, it was probably due to her tar like state and her sub consciousness trying to get her to keep going. Yep that all it was. She told herself.

“I know you don't believe in me Majesty, but I believe in you, I'm here to give you what’s yours.” The voice said “My name is Bellaneeze.” She said transforming into a beautiful woman, too beautiful to be real.

Rowan rubbed her face, and blinked her eyes against the light emanating from the woman. Oh why not, everything was so fucked up, why not have Fairies popping in on me? she thought as the light faded to a baby blue. The porcelain features of Bellaneeze where perfect, symmetrical, not a flaw anywhere. Rowan felt like a dog dinner next to her, but everything in her wanted to touch Bellaneeze. Stroke her skin and.....

She shook her head, to stop from imagining making love to this woman, feeling her skin to skin. Was she a lesbian now? “Oh god” she said.

“No My dear, you’re not anything of the sort. This is why we don't show ourselves. You are attracted to us, it's not your fault.” Bellaneeze smiled and her whole face lit up.

Rowan felt the urge to drink from her, wanted to be close to her, have Bellaneeze’s arms around her. “Argg. Turn back, turn back. I can't deal with this as well as everything else. I'm going to bit you if you don't turn now.” She ground out between clenched teeth, holding her hand over her mouth.

“It what you need to do Majesty.”

“NO.” She shouted. “Please, I don't want this. Turn back, I beg you.”

“Majesty, I am yours, what I have is yours. You must take it.” Bellaneeze stepped closer, exposing her neck .

Rowan felt the air shift as bellaneeze encroached on her personal space, warmth enveloped her and she melted into it. Bellaneeze kneeled down and took her head in her hands.

“This will show you your powers and how to use them, without me your will flounder and make mistakes. You have a bright future Rowan, but only if you can control yourself and only if you learn what it is you are here for.”

Rowan stared into the violet eyes of Belaneeze and she saw things, things that made no sense. She closed her eyes and sank her teeth into her neck. As soon as the blood hit her she wanted to pull away, not because she didn’t want the blood, it was sweeter than anything she had ever tasted, No it was what came with it that she didn’t want. A rush of power far greater than anything she had felt so far. Bella held her head tight to her, stopping her from pulling away. Rowan graoned into her neck but continued to drink.

Bella pulled her neck from Rowan and stumbled back, before falling to the floor, her hand over her neck.

Rowan flew to her and lifted her head onto her knees. Stroking her face she thanked her for the gift. Even though she wasn’t sure she needed any more power, she barley understood the ones she already had.

“I will be fine in a minute, don't be scared Majesty.”

“Why do call me that?”

“Not now Majesty, you have somewhere else to be. Leave me now.”

“Will you be here when I get back?” She asked laying her head on the floor. How had she forgotten about Xavier.

“No, but I will return.”

“How do I control what you have given me?” Rowan panicked, she had already almost killed herself once, she didn’t want to overdo it.

“You will know when you need to know, it is ingrained in you, don't fear.”

Rowan stood up, looked down at herself and sighed. If only she had her jeans, trainers and her favourite sweater, she would feel more like her old self instead of this scared person.

She gasped as her clothes appeared, the very ones she had wished for. Good god. That was cool. She wished for her outfit to be black and it changed. Very cool.

Ok Rowan you can play with this later, you need to get to Xaveir. She searched for his life force, it was barely there but she found it and moved towards it.

Guards stepped out as she left her room.

“Princess, you should not be up. I'm afraid we are under orders to keep you in your room.”

Rowan froze, then stepped forward. Her hands itched. She held the up and the guards flew to the walls. WOW.

She walked passed them and focused again on Xavier, she heard the guards drop the floor with curses before their footsteps came towards her.

“Come any closer and you won’t be getting p again.” she said, without turning to look at them. She felt strong, invincible and nothing would stop her from getting to Xavier.

I'm coming baby, just hold on. She projected to him, hoping it would give him something to fight for until she got there, also hoping it would work, she had never done anything like that but it seemed like it would work, somehow she knew she could communicate with him.

As she approached the Dungeon, she felt a tiny prickle of fear. She held her hand to open the door, it shook slightly before it disintegrated.

What she saw turned her stomach. She held her hand over her mouth to stop from screaming. Dear god what had they done to him? Was it even him?

She stepped closer to identify the body. The smell of rotting flesh invaded her nose, bile rose up her throat, chocking her.

She couldn’t tell who it was, the body was hanging with his back to her and she couldn’t find anywhere to touch to turn it round. No skin was left on it, just a mass of bloody muscles, bone protruding in places. It was so grotesque that she didn’t want to touch it.

With a shaking hand she reached up and tied to undo the chains. The body gasped. Please. Please don't let it be Xavier. She groaned.

But she knew deep within her that it was. They had stripped all his skin. Her stomach turned again. She dashed from the room, braced her hand against the wall and threw up. Tears blinding her. What had they done? She could kill them all for this. Wiping her mouth she went back, determined to get him down.  

Again she reached for the chains and this time managed to unhook them. Xavier groaned, as his body fell into her arms. She held him up but knew it was killing him to be touched.

“I’ve got you babe.” She whispered.

“Rowan?” His voice cracked.

“Yes, it's me baby. Don't talk. Just rest, your safe now.”

“No...., Ro..., lea..ve m..e.” He pleaded, between gasps.

“Hell no. You’re not dying down here. Do you hear me? You’re not dying period.” She cried. And lifted his enormous body into her arms. How she had no idea, but she did it and woe betide anyone that got in her way, as she carried him back to her room. She needed to get him someplace clean, sanitary.

“S..t..o..r..m." He rasped.