The Mountains Rise

  Chapter 12

  Spring flowed easily into summer, and Daniel made regular trips into Colne every week as the months passed. He visited Fiona several times and Alice once, but he didn’t limit himself to just those two.

  Instead he let chance and fate carry him along, planning nothing but never missing an opportunity. As the months passed, the list of his illicit encounters grew too long for him to keep track of them all. He picked and chose among the women of Colne as some people choose apples from a tree, looking for smooth skin and a healthy glow.

  With each tryst he found himself emptier than before, and subconsciously he developed a self-loathing that he never quite allowed to see the light of his conscious thoughts. The only thing that eased the pain was the thrill of the next assignation, the next conquest.

  Some of them became obsessed, even going to far as to try to ambush him whenever he was alone. In general he lost interest after the second or third ‘meeting’ but his special skill always left them wanting more. He had discovered that he could drive a woman to the height of passion with barely more than a glance, even if he decided not to indulge himself personally.

  On one day he had tested the limit of his ability, teasing Emily Banks, Ronnie’s sister, into the deepest throes of passion after fifteen minutes of nothing more than kissing. He had left her twitching and moaning under a tree behind her parents’ home, without ever bothering to lift her dress. He had already sampled her wares the week before anyway, so he no longer felt any curiosity about what she kept hidden there.

  With each passing dalliance, his soul died a bit more, growing steadily greyer and emptier. He cared less about others, and not at all for himself. Rumors began to spread through town, but he couldn’t muster the energy to care.

  Through it all his thoughts inevitably returned to Kate, much the same way one can’t keep from probing a sore tooth. On the occasions that he encountered her, a fresh blaze of pain would sear its way through his heart, reminding him that perhaps he wasn’t as dead as he thought, but he refused to go near her.

  She tried to talk to him one day, as he drove past her, but he refused to speak. The only gift he could give her was to keep her from being tainted any further by his acquaintance.

  Eventually, he heard, through one of the women he was meeting, that Kate had begun seeing Seth Tolburn. The news wasn’t unexpected, but it hurt anyway.

  Today he was watching his father’s sheep, playing music while the sun made its way languidly through the summer sky. Days like this one were a balm to him. Away from people, his sins and transgressions seemed distant. Here he felt the peace of a simple shepherd’s life, and he tried to express it through the strings of his cittern.

  His mind was open, feeling and sampling the world for what was probably a mile in every direction. He had learned to be careful. A few days prior he had encountered a presence that he knew must be the warden, hunting again for him. The other man’s aura was brilliant, shining with a powerful light that Daniel never saw in his parents or the townspeople of Colne.

  The light was the key. He knew that he must give off some similar sign and over the past months he had refined his ability to control his own power. In the beginning he had closed his mind, making himself appear to be nothing more than an ordinary person, but now he was able to work in more subtle ways, damping his own light while keeping his mind open, allowing him to see the world around him in his special way.

  He also suspected that perhaps the warden was unable to sense him at the same distance which he could sense the warden. Otherwise his first experiments would have gotten him caught.

  The forest gods will have to send more than one servant if they wish to catch me, he thought smugly.

  The warden was currently heading toward Colne, having already passed the Sayer house. He never suspected that his prey had watched him the entire time.

  Passing lightly over that area, Daniel noticed Kate on the hillside behind her home. She sat on a rock overlooking the river. He kept playing, wondering what she might be thinking about. On days like this, he had often noticed her there, still and silent on her perch. He imagined she must be thinking, but he couldn’t guess at what. He only hoped it wasn’t him.

  That’s what he told himself anyway.

  He suspected she could hear his music from there, and despite himself, he always played when she came out. Secretly he felt as if the music somehow bridged the distance between them, forging a bond that could transcend even the darkness of his soul, but he never looked at those feelings directly. He kept them hidden, even from himself, focusing always on the music itself.

  A new figure appeared, moving from the direction of Seth Tolburn’s house. It took the new arrival nearly half an hour to cover the distance, but as he passed closer to Daniel’s hill he recognized his former-friend. It was Seth himself.

  He wondered briefly what errand Seth might be on, but he quickly realized that it wasn’t anything he wanted to know about. Seth stopped and left the trail near Kate’s perch, making his way over to sit beside her.

  Daniel closed his mind. He didn’t want to see them. Anger warred with grief inside him. Removing his hands from the cittern he quit playing. He’d be damned before he would serenade them while they kissed or shared love tokens.

  You’re already damned, he thought to himself again. A sudden impulse came to him then, the desire to send a flash of the strange light toward the heavens, to create a beacon. Such a thing would most assuredly alert the warden to his location. It would be so easy to do.

  He resisted the urge, keeping himself still and silent instead. Closing his eyes as well as his mind, he listened to the soft susurration of the wind over the grass, punctuated by the occasional bleats from one of the sheep. Blue sat close to him, lending him the comfort of his presence.

  No matter what sins he committed, Blue was absolutely loyal. His values were simple, and Daniel could do no wrong in his eyes.

  If only people were like dogs.

  A sharp cry cut through the silence of his thoughts. Kate was yelling.

  Curious but not quite alarmed, Daniel opened his mind again and was surprised to see that Kate and Seth were no longer alone. Three of his least favorite people had joined them; Ronnie Banks, Aston Hayes, and Billy Hedger. They must have come from the direction of Colne, otherwise he would have detected them before he had shut his mind.

  The three young men were spread out, standing in a small circle around Kate and Seth. Their stances were tense, and they moved constantly, edging from side to side. A fight was brewing.

  “Shit,” said Daniel. None of it was his problem. He and Seth were no longer technically even friends, and Kate was most certainly not his.

  They’ll probably just harass them a bit. Rough Seth up and embarrass him in front of her, like they did with me. Even as he thought it, though, he wondered if it was true. That had been two years ago, and they were older now. Grown men had no business behaving like hooligans.

  What if they did something worse?

  He saw Seth’s fists come up, signaling his readiness to fight. Ronnie had moved closer to him, grinning as he came on. Ronnie was the largest of the three, nearly as large as Daniel, and he was two years older than Seth. There would be nothing fair about the fight.

  Laughing he danced aside as Seth swung at him, and as he did Billy stepped up from the side, swinging a heavy branch. It struck Seth across the temple and he fell, dropping limply to the ground. It had been an ugly blow, with no mercy or fairness in it. It was the sort of blow that might kill a man.

  Daniel was already running, and this time he didn’t bother telling Blue to stay behind. He heard Kate’s yelling again as he flew down the hillside. She was swearing at them, something she never did. Ronnie had her by the throat now, shaking her like a doll, as if that might shut her up.

  It would take him several minutes to reach the bottom of the hill, assuming he didn’t trip and dash his brains out on a rock on the way down. Crossing the river w
ould be quick at the shallow ford where the trail met it. From there it would be several minutes more running up the opposite side to reach Kate. He tried not to think what might happen in that time.

  In his mind’s eye he watched them as he ran.

  Ronnie gave up on the shaking; instead he drew one arm back and drove his fist into Kate’s stomach. She crumpled to the ground in front of him, gagging and choking. Laughing now, Ronnie pulled her up by her long red hair, forcing her face toward his groin, even as he fumbled with his trousers with the other hand.

  Daniel flew across the river as if it didn’t exist. He was running so hard it felt as if his feet never sank into the water. Dashing up the trail he ran as though his life depended upon it. His own life was worthless, though, he wouldn’t have run for it. He ran for the last thing that mattered to him, he ran for the only part of his soul that still held any value, the part that remained with her.

  Ronnie yelled, shoving her back now. Daniel could only assume she had bitten him.

  Good for her. I hope she bit it off. Kate was no shrinking violet, she wouldn’t surrender easily.

  Then Ronnie kicked her, driving the heel of his boot into the side of her head. She hit the ground hard and while her arms were struggling to lift her again, she couldn’t seem to find the ground. Disoriented and bleeding she fell repeatedly as her hands clawed at the earth.

  Ronnie’s knife was out now, and he began cutting her dress away. He wasn’t laughing anymore.

  Daniel wouldn’t make it in time. The steep incline had forced him to slow down, and his breath was coming in great heaving gasps. Blue paced him, waiting for his master to catch up.

  “Go Blue! Go! Help Kate!” he shouted at his only remaining friend.

  Blue was uncommonly smart, even for a sheep dog, and he responded immediately, running up the trail as though gravity had no hold on him. Daniel followed as fast as he could, but the dog outpaced him with ease.

  By now Ronnie had cut most of Kate’s dress away, leaving her naked before them. Aston was leaning over Seth’s still form while Billy watched what Ronnie was doing, one hand rubbing at his own crotch.

  Pulling her by the ankles across the rough ground, Ronnie started to lift Kate’s legs. Still weak she fought him, twisting and jerking, but she was losing. Her assailant was drawing them apart, steadily working to get his hips between her knees. He never heard the sound of soft paws behind him.

  A bolt of furred lightning struck him hard, sending him tumbling sideways. Before he could recover, Blue was on him again, savaging his arm and then releasing him. The dog leapt in and out, trying to get at the young man’s throat. Terrified, Ronnie hid behind his arms, preventing the furious dog from reaching his vitals.

  Aston jumped in then, kicking at Blue to force him back. Even so, they had no hope of getting to Kate, not while her four-legged guardian was there. Billy solved the problem with the heavy tree limb he had used on Seth, though. He clubbed Blue hard as the valiant dog dodged away from another of Aston’s kicks. A second swing sent the shaky canine flying from the stony outcropping, to tumble down the steep incline.

  Daniel was a blind mass of rage by now, but his mind still worked. Before the three young men had recovered from their battle with the dog, he was among them. They saw him coming, but with only seconds to spare they weren’t ready. He went for Billy first, marking him as the most dangerous with his wooden club. Dodging the boy’s first tentative swipe, he closed and drove his fist into Billy’s midsection. A second blow sent his opponent reeling back, and then he turned to face Ronnie.

  Movement from his right forced him to turn. Aston wasn’t staying out of the fight. He caught the blonde’s shirt as he struck him with an ineffective punch and dragged him forward, bringing his knee up in a brutal strike to the other boy’s more sensitive region. Using his elbow, he sent Aston hard into the ground, but he was too slow to avoid Ronnie’s attack.

  The oldest of Kate’s assailants had used the time to grab up Billy’s weapon, and with a mighty swing he floored Daniel. The branch caught him in the throat and sent him flying backward. His head struck the rocks as he landed, and the world went dark for a moment.

  He regained his awareness only seconds later, choking and spitting. He couldn’t breathe and the world his eyes showed him was a horror of blurs and smeared colors. His other sight worked fine though and he could clearly see Ronnie leering at Kate.

  “I think he’s dead,” said Aston, looking concerned as he examined Seth once more.

  “Who cares!” declared Billy.

  Aston was the smartest of the three by far. “We should! Nobody cares about a scuffle, but if he dies there’ll be hell to pay.”

  “It doesn’t matter,” said Ronnie, his voice carrying evil undertones. “If he’s dead, we’ll just throw his body in the river. By the time he fetches up against one of the shores he’ll be out of the valley and in the deep woods. No one will find him there.”

  “What about her?” Aston said, reminding them there was more than one victim present.

  “Same thing,” announced their ringleader. “After we have some fun, of course.”

  “Him too, eh?” added Billy, indicating Daniel.

  “You learn fast,” agreed Ronnie. “Is he awake?”

  “I think so,” said Billy. “His eyes are rolling around, but he might be able to hear us.”

  “Good, prop him up a bit. I want him to see this.” Ronnie was removing his trousers now.

  Daniel’s vision cleared as Billy lifted his head, and he could see Kate watching him. Her green eyes were wet with tears, but he could tell by her aura that she was more worried about him than she was herself.

  “Please, Ronnie,” she said softly. “Let him go. Just let him go, and I won’t tell anyone. I’ll do what you want.”

  Aston chuckled from where he watched, “She still loves the sheep-fucker.”

  Daniel’s body felt as if it had turned to jelly. He could move his legs but they were weak, and he knew they wouldn’t support him. He was helpless. Without knowing what else to do, he reached out toward Ronnie with his mind, touching his aura. The contact was gentle at first, a product of his practice with so many women, but he channeled his rage, and instead of manipulating the young man’s aura he gripped it, twisting and pulling with all of his strength.

  Ronnie turned at the first contact, staring at Daniel oddly, and then he began to scream. His face contorted and blood began to run from his nose. “What are you doing?” he cried, pain making his words nearly unintelligible.

  Daniel’s power surged as he began to get a better feel for what he was doing. The strange light that only he could see built and illuminated the world around him. He could feel his own power now, and he realized that the main limits on it had been created by his own fear. Unleashing the restraints, he seized Ronnie’s mind and twisted harder, ripping and tearing.

  Ronnie collapsed and his scream was cut off. Blood ran freely from his eyes and ears, as well as his nose and mouth, while his body twitched and convulsed spasmodically. He died in near silence, but for the grotesque sound of his limbs flopping against the hard earth.

  Billy and Aston watched in horror as their friend died. They couldn’t understand what was happening, but they felt intuitively that it was somehow Daniel’s doing. As they looked at him in terror, he threatened them. “Billy Hedger, I curse you for the rest of your life; you too, Aston. If either of you ever come near her again I’ll boil the blood in your veins and make you beg me to let you die.”

  They ran, not daring to look back even once.

  Kate was staring at him intently. Her tears were gone, but the expression on her face left him in no doubt. She knew him now. His evil had shown itself plainly. Now she understood.

  “I’m sorry, Cat,” he told her, trying to roll over so he could crawl closer. “I’m so sorry.” A wave of nausea swept over him, and his head grew dark as he lifted it. The world shrank into a cold tiny point and then he knew no more.

&n
bsp; Chapter 13

  Daniel woke to the feeling of what seemed to be the beginning of a summer rain. Large warm drops were falling to land heavily on his cheeks and forehead. Warm air caressed his face, bringing a sweet scent he knew but couldn’t name.

  If there’s a heaven this is what it should feel like, he mused. I would have died sooner if I had known it might be like this.

  “Please don’t let him die.” The voice that carried those words was Kate’s, and when he opened his eyes he could see her praying over him. The warm raindrops turned out to be her tears, and the breeze was a product of her heaving chest. Her eyes were squeezed tightly shut as she prayed, and as he opened his mouth to reassure her, a fresh tear landed on his upper lip. Tasting the salt of it brought a strange peace to his heart.

  “I’m still here, Kate,” he told her quietly.

  A flash of viridian impaled him as her eyes shot wide. Soft red curls cascaded down around him as she released her hair to put her hands on either side of his face. Leaning down she put her cheek against his and wept some more, letting the sorrow drain slowly out of her, until at last she was still.

  Daniel’s arms seemed to be working much more reliably now, and he used them to cradle her against him. Neither of them spoke. Not daring to interrupt that one perfect moment, he used his mind to silently explore their surroundings. Ronnie Banks laid not far away, his body utterly still. There was no movement in him, neither his lungs nor his heart moved. He was dead.

  Aston and Billy were nowhere to be found. Seth was close by, and to Daniel’s relief his heart still beat strongly. Seth’s eyes were closed and his breathing slow, so Daniel thought he must still be unconscious. His aura gave the appearance of someone who was sleeping.

  Blue? Anxiously he sought his dog. He found him not on the slope below but lying beside him. His first reaction was to think that Blue had returned to lie there, but a second later he knew that Blue was dead.

  Kate had gone to find him, and brought him back to lie beside his master. She was still naked and injured, but that had been her first action after checking on her two male companions. If Daniel had ever wondered at the reasons he loved her, those doubts disappeared then.