Onyx Dreams

Onyx Dreams 8: Checking In

>>Summer 1995<<

Kennice looked in the mirror and sighed. Three long years of training. Three long years of missing Cyrus and wondering how he was. Three very long years of dodging Rhys and his attempts to force her into his bed. He was enough to make any sane woman scream. It wasn't like he was ugly or something. Far from it. He was handsome as sin and charismatic as well. The only person he wasn't charismatic to was her.

She heard the knock on her door and tensed. "Who is it?"

"It's me. Open the door Kennice."

Kennice tensed further. "Not right now. I'll be down in five minutes," she promised. She didn't feel like dealing with him. Not now, not ever.

Rhys stood outside the door frowning. He looked over at High Priestess Erykia who pursed her lips angrily and with a flick of her wrist made the door open.

Kennice spun around in fright, her eyes wide. She backed up a step when both Rhys and Erykia entered. Kennice dropped into a curtsy. "High Priestess," she said softly, her heart thudding in her chest.

"You refuse your intended entrance?" Erykia demanded coldly.

Kennice swallowed hard. If she answered she would be punished. If she failed to respond she would be punished for that too. She decided honesty was the better policy. "Yes," she replied simply.

"Why you," Rhys said angrily taking a step toward her but was brought up short by Erykia who held up her hand imperiously.

"Are you intentionally provoking me or are you being stupid?" Erykia demanded.

"Neither, High Priestess." And it was true. Kennice had no issue with Erykia.

"Move girl. It is time for you and Rhys to began the trek to visit the neighboring towns and make contact with the druids living there. You will do your part or feel my cane across your ass."

"Yes, High Priestess." Kennice felt her face settling into its now almost familiar neutral mask she had developed after that fateful day in February 1992 when Cyrus had left her.

Rhys' cold gaze was on Kennice. He would bring her to heel.

"Come, the car is waiting," Erykia told them as she swept from the room.

Kennice came up from the curtsy and started to follow but Rhys grabbed her arm in a bruising grip. "Don't disappoint me. The High Priestess isn't the only one who has the power to punish."

Kennice jerked her arm free and fled the room.

* * *

Cyrus sat down beside Brenna, his head and back resting upon her large black claw. Softly he sighed and looked up at Brenna. "I think it's time I visited Kennice, you know just to check up on her?"

Brenna gave him a look and spoke in his mind. ~Cyrus you know that I can't take you there, the people wouldn't understand.~

Cyrus gave a whining look. "Oh come on Brenna, I promise I'll dress to blend in and I won't make myself known to anyone but Kennice I promise!"

Brenna rolled her eyes and stretched her wings before giving in; she knew that she couldn't stop him leaving even if she wanted to. He was just too fast. ~Alright but don't get caught. I don't want to have to make another scary entrance.~

Cyrus grinned and patted her claw before winking his thanks. "I'll be fast as sound." Cyrus chuckled and whooshed away across the landscape.

* * *

Kennice was in the front seat and grateful for the reprieve. Her upper arm was sporting a bruise, courtesy of Rhys. She had to find a way to escape this madness or she was going to lose herself. The car stopped and they exited, entering into the hotel. The place was nice enough and Kennice couldn't help but smile at the grinning young man who was running the front desk. They checked in and headed for the elevator. Once the doors closed, Rhys rounded on her. "You're such a whore! What did you think you were doing flirting with him?"

Kennice gasped and gave him an angry look. "Don't call me that! I was being polite not flirting. You're upset because I don't like you or your advances," she snapped.

Rhys was furious as he stepped up to her and slapped her hard, twice.

Kennice backed up and hit the wall. She felt the blood run down her lip. "STAY AWAY FROM ME!" she said coldly but firmly as the door opened and she ran out and to her room. She got in it and slid the bolts home. She locked the connecting door as well, before walking over to the bed. She curled into a ball on it and started crying softly.

* * *

Cyrus zipped across the land from town to town, searching for Kennice, moving fast enough for people not to notice other than a swift breeze. Cyrus skidded to a halt near a hotel as he heard Kennice shouting then a door slamming with soft sobbing heard. Looking up at the wall Cyrus moved quickly up the fire escape and quietly opened the window. Slowly he stepped inside and listened for anyone else trying to enter. Slowly he made his way over to Kennice and gently stroked his hand over her hair and whispered in her ear. "Happiness is just a tear drop away..."

Kennice froze. She felt her breath catch. Could it be? She slowly raised her head up and then rolled away and came to her feet. "Cyrus?" she whispered, not quite believing her eyes.

Cyrus waggled his eyebrows and grinned, straightening up before frowning slightly and walking over to Kennice. He gently wiped a spot of blood from her lip and sighed softly. "If I wasn't afraid of causing you even more trouble I'd beat the hell out of Rhys right now."

"Oh Cyrus," Kennice said then threw herself into his arms, sobbing anew.

Cyrus held Kennice close in his arms, gently nuzzling her neck and sighed once more, taking in her scent. "I've missed you Kennice."

"It's been such a long time. Many times I wanted to leave and come find you but I couldn't bring shame to my mother and father. They are counting on me," she whispered, her eyes closed as she imprinted on her memory the smell of him, the new feel of his muscular body.

Cyrus drew back a little and looked into Kennice's eyes before leaning in and kissing her, her lips as soft as he remembered them. "For the way they treated you your leaving should be little surprise to them. People shouldn't have their own thoughts chastised."

"You don't understand," she said after a moment of relishing the kiss. She pulled away from him. "You've never had the pressure of family and history weighing you down. I wish I could just cast it off, but I can't."

Cyrus watched Kennice, his hands gently gripping hers. "I can't say I know what it feels like to have that. But I do know it tears me up inside to see you being treated like this just to become a high priestess."

"High priestesses have to be tough. We have to make right and wrong choices and cannot hesitate," Kennice dutiful replied but her heart wasn't in it.

Cyrus gently stroked Kennice's cheek as his eyes focused on hers. "And end up like Erykia? A cold heartless spinster with no love in her life and no friends?"

Kennice gasped. "Sh, Cyrus!" she pleaded, her eyes looking about.

Cyrus raised an eyebrow. "What? Kennice I'm not going to willingly stand by and let her do this to you...if it were up to me I'd have had Brenna eat her as a snack and probably feel guilty only because it would most likely give Brenna indigestion."

"Brenna? Eat? Huh?" Kennice asked giving him a wary look.

Cyrus cocked his head to the side. "The big assed black gemmed dragon I left with, her name is Brenna. And she can eat quiet a lot." Cyrus smiled a bit.

It took Kennice a moment then she remembered the dragon. "Oh," she said softly and sat down in the chair.

Cyrus kneeled down beside Kennice, still holding her hand before gently nuzzling it against his cheek. "I love you Kennice."

"Cyrus, I love you too but you can't stay. Though I want you to, you can't."

Softly Cyrus sighed and nodded. "I know my love but...can't you come with me? We could start afresh, really, just leave all our troubles behind...no one would ever hurt you again my love."

"If I leave it will cause chaos and my father will suffer. I...I can't do that to him." Her face was one of abject misery. If only Rhys didn't hold that one secret over her...

Cyrus frowned and looked up at Kennice. "Why would your father suffer Kennice?"

"You, you have to go now," Kennice said as she got up and began to agitatedly pace.

Cyrus stood where he was and continued to look at Kennice, the pieces falling into place slowly. "Kennice...what does Rhys have on you?"

She whirled on him, suddenly furious at his questions. "I SAID LET IT GO! Just let it go," she whispered at last.

Cyrus was taken aback a moment by Kennice's sudden fury but stepped forwards anyway and gently took her shoulder into his hands. "Kennice I love you and only want to protect you...why won't you tell me?" Cyrus kept his voice soft and loving, not wanting to seem a threat.

"You will hate me for it. Just like father and mother will hate me for it."

Cyrus's eyes became soft and he gently pulled Kennice into a genuine loving hug. "Oh, Kennice, I swear I could never hate you, no matter what you've done. I love you too much to even think about hating you."

"Even if it meant I had taken a life?" she whispered, tears sliding down her cheeks.

Cyrus held Kennice closer and whispered softly. "Even if it meant you had taken a life."

"I didn't want to. It was so stupid. It didn't have to end in death but Rhys couldn't let it go. And neither could Davis. But I couldn't let him hurt Rhys or me..."

Cyrus gently wiped away a stray tear from Kennice's face. "I'm sure if you could go back in time you would've encouraged Davis to beat the life out of Rhys. Maybe fate sent me as revenge against Rhys. I did score some pretty nasty hits on him after all...and I did TRY to kill him so…. Your secret isn't any worse than mine."

"Davis shouldn't have died. He was trying to save me from Rhys. But the High Priestess didn't see it that way. She passed judgment and I, I had to execute it," Kennice whispered, feeling sick to her stomach as she remembered that horrible day.

Cyrus held Kennice close and softly cooed to her. "You have a mightier weapon Kennice. You have physical evidence that the high priestess is corrupt. Your parents witnessed it also. You have the weapon of exposing them to the real world. They'd throw her in a hole so deep she'd never see daylight again. And Rhys...well he'd spend the rest of his short days in a research facility."

"But I was the one who killed the innocent, not she. And the witnesses will all back her and Rhys. I will be the one condemned for I have steadfastly refused to marry Rhys. For that I suffer."

Cyrus leaned back a bit and smiled brightly. "She passed judgment remember? And Rhys, just accusing him of being a woman beater will turn his life into liquid shit. Plus, as I said, you can tell the real world about their powers. You're killing will disappear in the paper work of the media frenzy that will ensue over them."

Kennice stroked his face. Her brave Cyrus. He just didn't understand that long ago, the druids had helped create the technological era they were all in now. The High Council had their hands in EVERYTHING. She would get no help. No, if she tried to fight she would pay and pay dearly.

A larger smile crept across Cyrus' face. "In fact I know a journalist friend of my father's who is just itching to find proof of mutant existence. She's the nut who works for the New York Times."

"You are brave," Kennice said but yelped when they were suddenly surrounded by shadows and she was jerked from his arms. "Cyrus, run!" she screamed.

Cyrus's eyes narrowed and he held his hand out to the side. In less than a moment a long razor sharp blade formed in his palm. "I suggest you let her go before you lose some limbs."

"Hard to lose limbs when shadows have none," Rhys' voice mocked him. "And if you swipe wrong you will cut her."

Cyrus smirked, his eyes centering on Rhys. "So you play in the shadows, like a coward I see. You do realize that this is a bass blade yes? It's energies work similar to magic. In other words, your shadows are prime meat."

"Come near my future wife again and you will regret breathing," Rhys snarled and then suddenly the shadows were gone and so was Kennice.

Cyrus' eyes narrowed as he listened and spoke softly. "Some day Rhys, you will regret the night you crossed me." With that Cyrus was gone, racing back to Brenna.

* * *

Cyrus skidded to a halt beside Brenna in the Scottish highlands and put the visit out of his mind. "I'm back, everything was uhh...fine?" He smiled innocently up at Brenna before sitting down on the grass again. "Learned a few things, met a couple old acquaintances..."

Brenna blew warm air at him. ~You know you cannot hide your thoughts from me. I see what happened. And you are angered by it~

Cyrus looked down at the ground and dropped the act, scuffing the ground like a child. "Yeah well...where the hell did he get shadow powers from huh? Couldn't exactly slice and dice him coz you would barbeque my ass if I even thought of trying it."

~That's right I would. And he has probably always had them he just hasn't shown them off like you have~ Brenna reasoned.

Cyrus scuffed at the ground again. "Why can't I kill him? It's the least he deserves." Cyrus sat down beside Brenna's large claw and put his head on her scales. "He treats her like shit."

~True but if you kill you violate draconic law and this is something you must not do. I would hate to have to find another rider.~

Cyrus nodded and mumbled in agreement before his face lit up a bit. "There's nothing that says YOU can't eat him for assaulting a rider."

~Cyrus~ Brenna said warningly as she shifted slightly and lay her head down on the ground so that he could scratch her muzzle.

Cyrus sighed softly and gently scratched Brenna's large muzzle. "Sorry, I just hate to see him get away with that"

~I know. Come, there is someone you should meet~ Brenna said firmly as she came to her feet.

Cyrus raised an eyebrow and shrugged. "Alright, who is it?" Cyrus began walking beside Brenna, easily keeping pace with her. "Is it your boyfriend finally?" Cyrus lightly teased.

Brenna gave a haughty sniff and stomped hard enough to knock Cyrus down on his butt. She lowered her face down to his. ~Dragons do not have boyfriends. No, it is time for you to meet our teacher~

Cyrus oofed as he landed on his butt. "Easy there big girl, besides what else would you call that big dragon I saw you gliding with the other night? And what teacher?" Cyrus raised an eyebrow in question. "I thought you were my teacher?"

~I can teach you something things but one of the older ones teaches us both. There are many things I do not know~ Brenna admitted as she resumed walking.

"Would some of those things include making someone sterile using only your mind?" Cyrus smirked mischievously. "What else exactly is there that I need to know?"

~I don't know. You are my first rider and my only. That is why we go to a teacher after we bond~ Brenna patiently explained.

Cyrus nodded and he walked beside Brenna, running his hand slowly down her side, a spot he knew that was ticklish upon her. "I see, well hopefully we'll learn something fun."

Brenna snorted and a giggle was heard before she scooped him up in her claws and took to the air, flying toward Romania.

Cyrus gripped tightly onto Brenna's claw. "Whoa, whoa, hey, hey. Where are we going? France or something?"

~Romania. Maybe the cool air will chill your temper and clear your head~ Brenna replied slyly.

Cyrus groaned and sat back in Brenna's grasp, confident that he was safe here. "Why Romania? If I wanted to freeze to death I'd go to Finland."

~Our teacher, Henry is there. So is Hayden~ Brenna said and her tone was considerably warmer when she mentioned Hayden's name.

Cyrus grinned as he noticed the tone. "Ahhh, the boyfriend eh?" Cyrus chuckled and rubbed Brenna's scales. "Going for a mini Brenna, are we?" Cyrus new he was pushing his luck but it was always fun to tease.

Brenna opened her claws and let Cyrus drop. She was only going to scare him a little bit before catching him.

"OH SSHHHIIIIITTTT!!" Cyrus plummeted, the wing screaming past him as the ground came hurtling towards him. "BRENNA, YOU NASTY REPTILE!"

~What was that? I didn't quite catch what you said?~ Brenna teased. She had altered her course and would catch him but he didn't know that.

Cyrus cringed as he passed through the clouds, the chill making him shiver. "I said you wonderful flying angel!"

~That's what I thought~ Brenna said as she suddenly appeared above him and caught him in her claws.

Cyrus clung to her for dear life. "Never, EVER do that again...or a'll be forced to tickle you all night!" Cyrus chuckled and grinned in relief.

Brenna snorted her opinion of that as she changed direction one more time and headed for Romania.