Cienna's Amulet, A Christmas Romance (Raymara Barwil Romance) (3 page)

Cienna was now outside Cataluna, the Spanish restaurant where her and her best friends had eaten earlier that day. The metal shutters were down and the shops surrounding it were all dark. Cienna had parked in the small car park behind the restaurant, which was accessible only by the narrow, unlit alleyway between the restaurant and a mini mart type grocery store. She turned off the music and put the earphones in her pocket, looked around her and began walking briskly down the alley. She could just about make out the outline of her car ahead, lit dimly by Cataluna’s back security light.

What was that? Cienna had seen a long shadow pass over her car. “Who’s there?” she called. No answer. Maybe it was a cat. Just keep going, get in the car and get the hell out of here.

She stepped into the car park and quick as a flash a black-cloaked figure appeared in front of her, at least seven feet tall, blocking her path. Cienna shrieked and turned around to run. There was another giant, black hooded figure blocking the exit back to the alleyway. The cloak opened to reveal an extraordinary long, skeletal, pure white arm which slowly stretched out towards Cienna, who stumbled and fell to the ground, scraping her face on the rough gravel. The fall winded her and she could not make a sound.

I’m going to die, right here and now, on Christmas Day! What is this?

Chapter 4

Cienna looked up and saw the gathered cloak of the first figure on the ground, where its feet should have been. Looking further up, all she could see was a hood at the top of the cloak, the material was covering the face but there was definitely something, human-shaped but taller underneath.

“Who are you? What do you want? I don’t have any money...please...”

Cienna heard the gravel behind her shifting; the second figure must be coming to her. She lay rigid, then suddenly jerked into a sitting position as she felt a sharp, burning sensation on her right hand as if someone had jabbed her with a red hot poker. Her right hand began to shake uncontrollably and she saw that the ring was glowing. This time there was no mistaking it.

Her head was roughly yanked backwards; something was pulling her hair. Cienna began to struggle frantically. She had to fight; she couldn’t just let this happen to her. In her peripheral vision, she saw that the first figure was leaning forward, getting closer and closer to her. She felt the hold on her hair tighten behind her and she began to feel heat in her body, like earlier in the day, but stronger. As if she was in a sauna, turned up to a dangerous temperature.

The first figure’s hood was now directly in front of her face. A putrid smell emitted from its folds as it reached out a hand that looked the same as that of the creature that was holding Cienna’s hair in a death grip. This hand, which was topped with long curling black nails reached around her neck, massaging it slowly, and then beginning to squeeze harder and harder as it rubbed.

Cienna had stopped fighting; all her senses were focused on the heat that enveloped her from the inside out. Her hand with the ring spasmed and her ring finger now glowed as one with the ring. She reached with that hand and hit the hooded figure’s hand that was throttling her; then quickly reached behind her head and did the same to the hand that gripped her hair.

There was an orange burst of light as the strangling figure burst into flame in front of Cienna’s eyes. The hand around her neck fell away and she felt the grip on her hair release. She sprang up, heat burning the air around her and saw two hooded balls of flame that hovered before her for an instant -- lighting up the whole car park -- before suddenly disappearing, plunging her into darkness once more.

Looking down, she saw the sleeves of her jacket and the red top underneath had been completely burned away to her shoulders but her skin was intact, with no burns to be seen. The ring still glowed faintly but the heat had gone. Only the sound of her jagged breathing penetrated the stillness. She reached a hand to her face and felt the wetness of what must have been blood from her fall.

Oh my goodness....did that just happen? Did I just burn those things? I’m going crazy. I’ve lost my mind.... All thoughts of her car completely gone, Cienna turned and began to run back down the alleyway, tears streaming down her bloodied face.

###

Miguel quickly pulled on a pair of shorts and tee shirt. He couldn’t answer the door naked. It was eleven o’clock at night and he had been lying on his bed, meditating and practising his power mantras. When he heard a loud, insistent knocking coming from downstairs, he was not surprised in the slightest.

She’s called the police on me. I’ll have to use a spell to get them off my back and it had better work this time. Maybe I shouldn’t have entered her house without permission.  He pulled the door open and was horrified to see Cienna standing on the doorstep, her hands crossed in front of her, shivering, her black curls dishevelled, small cuts on her forehead and cheeks. The sleeves of her blouse appeared to have been ripped off.

“Damn, Cienna -- what happened?” he exclaimed, putting a muscular arm around her and ushering her into the house. He could now see clearly that her face was tear-streaked and blackened with what looked like soot.

“I was attacked... by... creatures...Miguel...” she stuttered, before breaking down into tears. He lightly placed his hand on the small of her back and led her to his living room and onto his two-seater sofa where he sat beside her, rubbing her shoulders as she cried, deep body shaking sobs.
  

Cienna was feeling the emotion of all the grief from her Damawyn’s death, all the anger at her father and all the fear at what she had just experienced, and she couldn't stop the tears. Miguel was deeply moved by her sorrow and caressed her tenderly, wishing he could wipe away all her pain.  

For almost an hour, they remained on the sofa as she cried her heart out. Not a word was spoken, but within that hour Miguel was sure that Cienna had revealed the deepest, hidden places in her soul. For a strong woman like her to cry like that around anyone felt somehow intimate. Within that hour, Miguel knew he was completely in love with her; he had admired her from afar for months, but now he was willing to die for her.

By the time she grew still, she was enclosed in Miguel's arms, her head resting on his chest. His heart beat was steady and reassuring and sitting there, they both felt at peace. 

“Thank you,” she said, her voice husky and low. “I’m so sorry I doubted you, but now I need to know more... I have so many questions that I need you to answer.”
 

“Cienna, you’ve been through a lot tonight; let’s get you home and in a hot bath -- we don’t have much time, but you’ve had a shock.”
 

“Don’t leave me alone! Please,” exclaimed Cienna.
 

“Of course not, never. Let me grab some things. I’ll stay with you tonight... If you agree, once you hear me out, then we’ll leave at dawn.”
 

“To go where?” 

“Sennen, near Lands End. Your father is now there... At Castylly Sprig-gan, the Faery Palace at Caer Sen Senana.” These latter names were unfamiliar to Cienna, but she was now willing to follow Miguel to the ends of the Earth, if needs be… 

Chapter 5

She’s been upstairs way too long... She’s not answering when I call her name. Surely she’s finished taking her bath after an hour... Oh no, what if the attack hurt her more than we thought? From what she told me earlier it sounded like pestriors... They could have cursed her or… 

Miguel got up, ran to the hall and up the stairs, taking two at a time. His heart was in his mouth as he approached the closed bathroom door. Opening it, he saw the steamy room was empty. 

He walked a few steps and opened the door to his right.  Cienna lay on the bed, sleeping soundly. There was a tub of body moisturiser next to her right hand. She must have fallen asleep before she applied it. She was wearing a pastel pink belted bathrobe that gaped tantalisingly in the chest area revealing just a hint of the firm mounds of Cienna’s breasts. Her raven waves of hair cascaded over the side of the bed, almost touching the floor. 

Miguel moved to her and gently moved her damp hair onto the bed. He reached for her blanket to cover her. Cienna jerked awake, opening her eyes in fright. When she saw it was Miguel she was relieved and hugged him tight. He felt himself begin to harden at her touch.

Cienna knew the effect she was having and now she did not care. She let her bathrobe fall open a little wider, so that she exposed the hint of one pink nipple.

I want him...I need him now...I have to have him…

“Cienna...this isn’t right. I’m here to look after you,” Miguel murmured under his breath, before he gave into his desires and kissed Cienna’s rosy lips. She kissed him back passionately and pulled him to her until they were lying on her bed.

The heat began to rise within Cienna, all over her body, but this time it was deliciously concentrated in her most intimate areas. Miguel felt the power of the heat; he began to sweat and could not continue until he had removed his clothes, with Cienna’s encouragement. At the sight of his strong, muscular body in its full glory, Cienna was overcome and knew she wanted to go all the way tonight... It would be her first time. She had come close with men in the past, but had never been able to relax enough to take the final step.

Tonight, this heat was compelling her towards Miguel; he was everything she wanted in this moment. She looked at him and nodded solemnly as he untied her bathrobe, slowly took it off her and gasped at the sight of Cienna’s nude body. Her femininity was amplified, her breasts high and firm with virginal pink nipples, her waist tiny, her hips gracefully curved and her skin a light olive colour. He took her right hand and kissed each finger, his lips lingering over the opal ring.

“You’re beautiful,” he whispered in her ear.

“Miguel, I’ll go with you...anywhere you want to take me...anywhere...” Cienna whispered back and they began to kiss again, slowly this time as they explored each other’s bodies in the soft light of the bedroom lamp.

###

“There’s no turning back now, is there?”

Cienna looked over at Miguel as he drove along the main road, early Boxing Day morning.  They had each packed small bags and collected her car earlier that morning. They thought it safer to be driving on main roads where it was more likely that there would be other
vehicles; they were less likely to be attacked by pestriors if there were other motorists about as witnesses.

“Cienna, Caer Sen Senana is beautiful. You will love it there...the place I’m taking you to is in a remote area, by the sea. Our kind like to gather there in the winter...it’s not accessible to full humans...you’ll see. You’ll adore living in the Castylly Sprig-gan.”

Miguel’s eyelids were feeling slightly heavy, so, even though they had only about half an hour’s journey left to do, he turned off the road onto the Loggans Moor services and rest area at Hayle. He needed to stretch his legs and get some air on his face, as well as find a snack or liquid refreshment. They both got out the car and Cienna took Miguel’s hand, not wanting to be the slightest distance away from him. Her head was still spinning with everything that had happened over the past twenty-four hours or so.

The love her and Miguel had made was passionate beyond anything she had ever dared imagine. He made her whole body come alive and she felt like he had taken her to Heaven and back. He felt exactly the same, but also slightly guilty that he was indulging in physical acts with this woman whose father had entrusted him to protect her. They had stopped the car several times to make frantic, heated love to each other. They shared their life-stories with each other while they made their way to meet up with her long lost father.

“I’m descended from air faeries. I can move through any substance if I need to, which is how I got into your house...I can manipulate the thoughts and feelings of other beings,” Miguel had said to her earlier in the day, as they had lain in each other’s arms in the grass of a knoll off a motorway after another passionate interlude. Although the December weather was bitterly cold, they had stripped naked every time; Cienna realised she could generate heat at will by focusing on her ring, or just touching Miguel. “So, being a fire faery definitely has its perks!” she had smiled to herself.

“So have you been manipulating me?” Cienna had felt anger rising up within her, “Are you using your powers to take advantage of me?”