Page 40 of The General's Captive
The General.
He was even taller than I remembered now making me feel so small and insignificant. His dark armor covered parts of him with his cloak covering the rest. Black leather that molded over his large frame infused with plated metal. All of it looked as if it had been dipped in ink giving it an otherworldly appearance like some hellish warrior that had risen from the Rift with only one purpose.
To Conquer.
The most frightening of them all.
It was like staring your own death in the face just waiting for the last seconds of life before they were taken from you. A life he had the power to take you from with just a whispered word, a nightmare, a fabled dark knight. The dream I couldn’t ever seem to escape from.
One who for the first time finally said my name,
“Alexandra.” The second my name left his lips my fight or flight response kicked in and I turned to run. I didn’t get far as like a lightning strike his arm was through the hole in the fence grabbing me. His gauntleted fist twisted in my t-shirt making me wonder how it didn’t just tear straight from me with the force.
Then again, doing so would only mean allowing me to escape his grasp and that wasn’t what he wanted as he pulled me closer. I swallowed hard with the sounds of Riley trying desperately to get to me secondary to the pounding of my own heart. Thosedark eyes narrowing slightly on the one calling my name in desperation before they then lowered to me.
“You wish this to end Little Warrior?” he asked, his voice like a warm blanket luring me under with a promise of safety before I suffocated beneath it. I could barely move as I looked down at that metal hand that had me in his clutches. Those interlocking plates were each etched in beautiful swirls and intricate patterns, that held symbols I didn’t understand. Each finger tipped with a deadly claw that could have cut my skin to ribbons.
“Open up the gates and let in my army.” He told me making my eyes snap to his dark eyes that showed a moment of shock before narrowing in question. He had seemed surprised by what he found in my eyes as if they had just changed colour or something.
“No…never.”I told him vehemently, finally giving him my voice.
“Then they all die.” He threatened.
“We all die if I do.” I retaliated. He released a sigh and told me,
“Remember that I gave you the choice Alexandra.” The way he said my name, Christ but it felt like a weapon he used against me. I wanted to shake myself or have someone slap me just to wake me from the spell it put me under. I could barely think but it was the sound of my name coming from Riley once more that had its desired effect as I tried to fight free of his hold on me.
His eyes raised from mine to Riley’s once more and hardened.
“How touching.” He sneered making me shout,
“Let go of me!”
“I think not.” He said now pulling me closer until only the fence was between us, my hands had lifted to push back and hiskeen eyes snapped to my wrists. This time the shock in his face was far more obvious.
“What is this?” he questioned, one spoken more to himself as he reached through with his other hand and tried to grab them, something that quickly made me pull my hands out of reach. His hard expression looked set in stone as he frowned down at me, his dark eyes flashing in anger.
“Give me your hand, Alexandra.”He demanded making me shake my head but at this he was quick to threaten,
“Give me your hand or I will have my Gryphon fly down here and snatch away your friend.” I gasped, now looking back over my shoulder to see Riley being pushed further back as the last of the soldiers who hadn’t run were trying to hold them off.
“Be quick or I will let them kill him.” He said, now holding out his large hand with the skin at his fingertips looking naturally darker. I closed my eyes before nodding asking him,
“Please save them.” At this his eyes glowed a strange smokey white before I heard the stronger Gryphon of his cry out. I looked up just as I saw it soar directly over us before swooping down and doing as he said he would.
It picked up the dark creatures that were driving them back taking them all in its clutches. Then it dropped them off on the other side of the wall so as the rest of the Generals army could deal with them.
“ALEX!” Riley screamed and after seeing this as his opportunity to save me he started running towards us. I looked back just in time to see him suddenly come up against the Gryphon as it landed directly in front of him, doing so with a pounding echo against the Earth. Its large form now putting a barrier between us stopping him from getting to me.
“Don’t doubt me Alexandra it will attack him at my command should you not give me what I want, now give me your hand girl.” He demanded making me flinch.
But fearing what he would have his Gryphon do to him I did as the General asked. I placed my hand in his, one he yanked through the second hole that was close to the one he still held me through so as I couldn’t escape. Then he turned it over so as he could look at my scars his eyes widening the second he saw them more closely.
“Impossible.”He uttered making me tense but then he ran his thumb across it and the whisper of a touch became something so powerful, it felt like it lit up my soul! I cried out as something deep within me ignited making my scars all glow a bright white. The burn I was used too and had affected me since the fight began now long gone. Gone and replaced by a feeling of sheer ecstasy. Like nothing I had ever experienced before, as if this single touch had connected to every part of me. One that injected me with a feeling of power, of warmth, of a sense of belonging. It wrapped itself around me like the gods of fate were embracing me.
A thought I knew wasn’t my own.
No…it was his.
