Diamond in the Sky

Chapter 14

My skin chilled as I was lifted from the water. My body ached which each thud of footsteps. My legs hit the ground as I was held upright by my waist. It felt like my body was being ripped in two and I felt my toes being dragged through the shingle. Then I was dropped with a thud. My body colliding with the hard stones on the beach and I heard the crunch as someone dropped beside me. I opened my eyes to see a blanket of black broken by tiny pin pricks of starlight. A full moon lit shone done on us and I liked the way the night felt.

"Thank you," Mariah whispered.

"Shouldn't I be thanking you?" My throat felt dry from when I had almost drowned and gasped for air.

Suddenly, Mariah's face was blocking my view of the moon. A big smile was plastered across her face as her red hair dripped all sea water all over me. She scrambled onto her legs, looking unsteady. I figured she must be exhausted from swimming and hauling my body out the sea. She held at a hand which I accepted and pulled me up onto my feet. Mariah began walking up the shore to the promenade and I followed.

"Why were you out so late?" Mariah asked.

The way she spoke felt judgemental. She was prying into my life like she cared when we aren't even friends. It instantly got my hackles up. She may have saved my life but there was too much history between us, "Getting some air."

"Whatever." She answered showing her true colours. I knew she didn't care.

I need to make it clear that I didn't owe her anything, "I thanked you for saving my life. What more do you want? We're not going to be friends. You stole my boyfriend. Never forget that!"

"You're Murray's sister, you matter to me but your lack of gratitude... I don't know why I bothered?"

"Well, you can stop bothering. Have a good night!" I quickly created distance between us by passing her and hurried across the road. I had enough of this night and was heading home to bed.

"What if the crows come back?" Mariah called after me sounding desperate.

I wasn't desperate anymore and I certainly wasn't scared of the crows. I welcomed them. I stopped and turned, looking Mariah straight in her pale blue ice queen eyes, "Maybe, I don't want saving." Anger rose inside me as I looked at her pathetic face. I couldn't stand the sight of her and dismissed her by continuing on my way.

I was half way up the hill when I realised she wasn't following me. I was finally able to relax and let out a tight breathe I hadn't realised I had been holding onto. I needed to find the crows and wished there was a way I could call them to me.

I felt I had died several times already tonight, what was one my time to enable me to be reborn. The werewolf in me was already healing the wounds my body had encounted and with every step I felt stronger. The fight was almost a distant memory, only the blurred blood stains and torn cotton night dress stood as a stark reminder of what had happened earlier. It was soaked from the sea and clung to my body, making me appear almost naked. If anyone saw me they would be concerned, possibly call the emergency services. I made sure that I walked in the shadows to keep myself as hidden as possible.

I was almost back to where the fight had taken place. The grassy field at the top of the cliff tops was now mud. I could see pieces of broken wood and debris from the destruction of the fight. It was evident that the sea had risen and this must have been how I had got swept up in it.

He waited for me with a group of other figures. I was drawn to the inky darkness that cast down around their bodies, almost as if they were wearing cloaks of shadows. His dark brown eyes met mine and I felt drawn to him. I made my way over ready to try again if he would let me.

"I'm ready," I said in way of greeting.

"Let's do this," he placed his hands on my shoulders. The shadowy figures began to move around me, creating a circle. When the man touched me, I felt the darkness enterming me, like a chilling embrace, numbing all the pain that had plagued me, physically, mentally and emotionally.

The shadowy figures reached out their hands as if they were trying to grab me but they stood too far back. The man held me still but my body felt like it was being pulled in every direction. I closed my eyes to shut out the light. I understood now that the darkness was soothing me and I needed to go into it deeper to escape the pain if I was to survive the surrender of my soul. My body wanted to fight and I gritted my teeth as I tried to stay steady and not give into my urge to fight or run. It was exhausting and I leant my head against his shoulder. His arm wrapped around my waist pulling my close against my body.

"I'm not strong enough," I sobbed and whispered into his neck.

"You are almost there," his voice was warm and loving and filled my soul with hope. I wanted this. Fire blasted through my body and I screamed with a severe pain like nothing I'd ever experienced before. The blackness turned into a searing white as I crumbled, my legs giving way, my body dropping but I was held upright by this man. He scooped me up into his arms and the agony was swept away in a wave of darkness, "You are mine."

There was utter silence. Everything was gone. As the world gradually returned, I heard the distant whooshing of the sea and the seagulls calling to each other. I felt well rested like a spa day with my mum. I was warm and safe and my worries felt like a distant dream. I felt so far removed from everything that had happened that when I opened my eyes I was startled to meet dark brown eyes looking down into my blue eyes. He was real.

I looked around to see the shadowy people watching us and I was overcome with embarrassment. I wriggled to escape his arms and he gently placed me down on the ground.

"How do you feel?" He asked.

I thought for a moment and I smiled, "Good."

"It is time for you to find your wings chick," His deep bass voice had a melody to it that almost sounded like he was cooing to me. I looked up at him with wonder. His eyes were full of promise. I noticed the people to the side disappeared into shadows that fell over their bodies like smoke and out of the black emerged a crow like bird that flapped its wings as it rose up into the sky. The shadow fading away as if it never existed. "You can control the shadows and your shift. Pull the darkness and see with your mind your body change and take shape as a crow."

I closed my eyes and bit my lip as I concentrated. I delved back to the place in my mind where I had retreated during the fight to feel safe. The place where his voice had taken me when the crows had attacked my skin. I went there and I envisioned what I had seen the others do. I imagined a cloak of darkness dropping around me, encircling my body and transforming me flesh and bones to feathers and wings. I pictured myself shrinking and taking shape, my body lifting from the floor in my new form. I felt an icy cold shower my body almost like the wave but I was bone dry. I opened my eyes and flapped my wings, I was now a crow.

I fluttered about getting my bearings and squaked with joy. I can fly. I can really fly. I beat my wings and rose up to meet the others. Now what?

"Kya?" His deep voice echoed in my mind and I knew it was him, my saviour. The man who brought me back to life when I was ready to die. I felt powerful and strong and like I could take on the world.

"Yes," I answered. "Can you hear me?"

I heard him chuckle. It was a glorious sound that made my heart flutter faster than my wings.

"We have a long flight ahead. You must keep up." With that I saw a large crow rise up and the other crows begin to follow. I joined the murder. We were like a mighty black cloud soaring above the houses.

I saw my own home vanishing beneath me, becoming one of many rooftops, blending into a town of houses and fields and the grey blue of the sea. I had to keep up but my heart was full of excitement as I set off on an adventure of a new life, a fresh start.