FOREVER KNIGHTS: #16 To Keep Her

Sabine was haunted by the emotion she read in those bleak eyes. No longer able to resist, she entered his chamber. Approaching the bedside table and opened the drawer. Shocked to find it empty.

His journal wasn’t there. As she turned to leave, something caught her eye.

There was the volume. Lying open on the bed. The bottom line drawing her eye.

Good morning, Sabine.

Eyes wide, her shoulders slumped guiltily. The only thing worse than being caught nosing into something, is someone expecting you would be. Sighing she collected the book and sat on the edge of his bed to place it in her lap. Noticing the brown ribbon dangling from the pages, she opened to those and read of Chavias overhearing Radix considering a Winter Dread he intended to bait out.

Serdephe. But the villagers called her ‘The Huntress’. Some called her a Dread.

Radix didn’t wish to bend her to his will as he’d desired to do to those before her. This woman he wanted to kill.

She’d appear under the cloak of darkness. Intent on destroying his minions. She and her dogs saw through Radix’s deceptions and hunted the demonlings.

Radix, the demon, despised the woman. So, he sent some of his most vicious creatures after her. Those that could hunt under the light of day. Firoque.

Radix figured she’d be weaker than. As most night creatures are.

But he was wrong about her. The journal spoke of Chavias talking through the dreams of one he called Tev, a Forever Knight.

Chavias wrote of his belief that Tev and the others considered him traitor. So, he only dared talk to them by insinuating in their dreams to guide them.

The more Sabine read, the more she understood Chavias.

More pages spoke of another knight, Raese Merlinus, who’d begun teaching Chavias how to Spirit-Run to check on loved ones while he rested. Lapsing into a form of meditation to project his spirit over extreme distances. He’d just been learning when Radix took him prisoner. Since then he’d developed the skill to be able to aim his direction and strengthen his appearance to be nearly as substantial as when he was in flesh and blood.

Which was how he appeared when he visited Night Manor. Leaving his physical body back in the lair. Only able to visit her when he was allotted a rare rest or being tortured. Which was often.

But the worst kind was When Radix came to the torture room to inject evil. Contaminating Chavias’ spirit with Cimmerii taint. It took days for Chavias’ body to force it out.

It took days for Chavias’ body to fight against the change and gradually force it out. A dark filthy feeling he couldn’t wash off. Making his thoughts dark and twisted. But by focusing on his brothers, on his true desires, his own heart was able to filter through the toxic contaminants burning inside him.

Sabine grimaced. Looking up from the book to stare out thoughtfully. Grip on the volume white knuckled. “You could be being tortured right now. Or while having dinner with me?”

Lifting her feet from the cold floor she tucked them under the warm coverlet. Inserting herself in the bed of the Lord of the Manor. She read until blinking blearily in the early hours of first light. She read as long as she could, wanting to know more...