Beneath the whispers

Chapter 14

The whispers grew even louder as we got closer, stepping over the line of darkness from the hotel building, violent wind blew against the burning coal and with our hands we tried to block the wind from getting to the burning coal lamp

Walking slowly through the front door, the Whispering tugged in our ears and the heavy wind slammed at the coal tin almost tripping it from my hands. Tony grabs on the tin's handle and we circle the tin with our bodies staggering blindly through the dark reception. The darkness poured on us like a heavy wind and the whispers grew to loud deafening wailings surging through the hotel building and echoing as far off.

The heat from the tin gets too close to my body and wounds the flesh of my stomach sending excruciating pain purging through my veins and with a whimper I throw the tin and grab on Tony's arm.

The shock in his face over ridden by the shabby dark clouds pulling us away from each other, I pant heavily grabbing on his arm tightly, but my hand slides to his elbow and then to his wrist. Panic rushes through me and with all the little strength left in my aching fingers I fist on his finger tight enough and I can fell his tighten around mine.

My heart pounds violently within me, so rapidly that my ears almost pop out from its pounding, my lungs aching for air, my head starts to feel light and I struggle to pull him closer but the moment I jerk my hands – he is gone.

I gasp, struggling to tilt my head against the wind, I could feel my lips break open and my tongue make way for the words but I couldn’t hear myself scream his name.

Then I grabbed his palms again, fisting it tight enough but instead of a relief my fingers froze from the cold emitting from the dry bony stiff fingers – something familiar about it, its long nails piercing my wrist, its bones squeezing tight enough to leave a fracture, the cold from it like I was holding ice. The same palm from earlier! Maybe I need to let the shadows take me. so I can figure out where they would take me to, maybe this was how we solve the puzzle

“Bella” Tony's voice grew from the dark clouds, he definitely was shouting but I could only hear him like he was a million miles away.

My heart's pounding grew stronger that my whole body felt it, the goose bumps on my skin fades slowly to the heat, I watched the yellow light from the aggressive fire soar through the dark clouds but I keep holding the cold hands tight so it doesn’t leave, it tried to move wiggling its fingers from my tight grip but I don't let go

it pierces some long nails into my wrist. The pain from the piercing burst through me and with a scream I let it go, Shrieking in the atmosphere as the clouds disappeared.

I fell to the floor with a thud and my bones shivered within me sending pain through my body. I didn’t realize I was in the air till the clouds disappeared – and again was the question, what the hell was that? Groaning, I squeeze on my bleeding wrist. If there is one thing that would remind me that this isn't some kind of dream or some drug induced hallucination like the first one felt, It was the fact that my wrist is still bleeding after the clouds had left.

I look up and around the dark reception. Tony is nowhere to be found. I force myself to my feet scanning the reception with staggering gait "Tony!" My voice echoes in throughout the hotel building and yet nothing in response. Gasping I stagger to the reception desk “Tony!” I yell again, this time my voice shook and I could barely hold back the tears, panic growing within me

"I thought I lost you" His deep calm voice grew behind me – I should be the one saying that, I wanted to say but instead I find my head buried in his huge chest

“ I thought I lost you too" I whisper, rubbing my head on his chest and squeezing him tighter

"that was reckless though" he whispers back stroking my hair

"yet you followed me in" I say. He chuckled, his chest pressing against my face to give way for the laughter he suppressed

"I cannot let anything happen to you" he finally say

I lower my face further "why?" As obvious as the answer was, I still wanted to hear something from him, breathing with desperation as he professed

"I like you" he says. I expected something poetic. Definitely not the reply I got, not now! Not this way. I raise my head from his chest – a little bit disappointed though but all that fades the moment I looked at him, the gold strands on his crown sleeked backwards and was black at the roots extending to the sides of his head which was cut a lot lower.

The messy strands that fell around his face didn't stop his dark grey eyes from making my heart race and pound against my chest. His gaze rest on my lips and for some reason I could barely hold my breath, gasping softly I slide my hands up and lock them on his neck taking in his lips with a long lost look

Thanks to effective circulation his lips is full and red – he slowly breaks them open leaning towards me and with a smirk I pull away

"we should check the rooms, someone might be in" I say. He forced a grin, his gaze piercing through me that I could barely breath

"I already checked, the rooms are empty"

"what? I was going to be taken by the shadows and you had time to check the rooms?" I asked. His chortle sends rage streaming through my veins – I had hoped he was laughing because I reacted funny at the prank he just played

"I was going to look for what to use and ignite the gust, Bella - to save you" he says calmly, squeezing my cheeks at the last words. A wonderful breath of relief – I glare at his amused face and look at the sofa, it had been lit in flames submitting to the violent cracking of yellow fire.

Speaking of, the flames was bright enough in the dark clouds to almost blind me so I couldn't see whoever that had the hand I grabbed. Wait a minute - why am I not feeling anything? I look at my wrist and gasp, the wound is gone, there is no bleeding and my skin glowing as it always have

"what's wrong?" I look up at Tony's confused face and then back at my hands

"what the hell is going on here?" I rush to the floor where I fell and still no sign of blood. I know what I felt, the piercing pain from the nails, blood oozing out from the deep cut in my vein.

Fisting strands of my hair in my palms I look at Tony in confusion. "What in the actual hell just happened?"