Unchained Instinct ( Complete)

Chapter 35

Relief washed over Cassie like a gentle waterfall. If anyone could find her, it was Charles.

Why hadn’t she thought to reach out to him sooner? Why had she waited until these last desperate moments?

Because she hadn’t believed anyone could hear her mental cries...not even Charles. Only when all seemed lost and she feared she’d truly die here in this dank and dreary hell had she been compelled to do what she had thought impossible.

Cassie rolled to get comfortable while she cradled her arm against her side. Now her ankle and knees ached as well and felt swollen from her most recent fall. The rest of her pains were no less, still throbbing through her body and the rock floor beneath didn’t help. She put her good arm under her head and closed her eyes to the darkness, listening for rescue.

Fatigue must have overcome her for Cassie started awake, listening again to the dripping of water somewhere not so far away and the rustle of wings high above her. Bats. She’d heard them before and thought perhaps she might be close to an entrance. Yet, for all she knew she’d been crawling and stumbling around in circles, lucky not to have fallen into some abyss never to be found.

Again, fatigue pulled her down, the cold saturating her body no longer a discomfort, just a cool embrace on her sweat drenched body.

Was she ill? Had she succumbed to some infection? How much time had passed since Charles had last touched her mind?

Her mouth felt parched and the dripping of moisture around her taunted her with her inability to quench her thirst.

‘Cassie.’ Charles’ voice rang clear inside her mind.

A sob escaped her. ‘Oh god, Charles. Please...hurry.’

‘Soon, Cassandra. Call out. Let us hear your voice.’

“Hello,” she croaked out and swallowed hard. “I’m here.” She pushed up with her good hand and tried again to see into the unfathomable darkness. “Help! Please...someone hear me!” Cassie listened, but heard only the silence of her tomb.

Exhaustion forced her back to a supine position, eyes fluttering closed. Colors danced behind her eyelids, a full spectrum defying the black ink of sight.

Searching for a favorite song, she began to hum the second movement from Vivaldi’s Violin Concerto No. 6 in A minor, uncaring of her meager tonal quality. The beauty of the music in her head comforted her, lulling her fears.

Still humming, Cassie’s mind drifted, her soul tugging for release. Behind her closed lids she imagined light, wishing she could see the sun once more before she died.

A gentle touch stroked her arm but even that sent a shock of agony through the tortured limb. Cassie moaned with the pain. She felt a presence, felt the heat of another close beside her and a musky scent reminded her of the earth. She stirred and tried to open her eyes, but fingers touched her lids and held them closed.

“Rest now and be comforted my dear, Eurydice,” the rumbling deep voice said. “For I, your Orpheus is here to take you up out of this underworld. And I shall not make the same mistake as the Orpheus of the long ago tale. We shall not look back when we leave and the sun shall caress you with its warm embrace. I shall not lose you to this darkness again.”

Tears escaped down Cassie’s face, a sob caught in her throat. “Hank?” she choked out.

“Indeed, sweet Cassandra. Hush now. I’m here. I’ll take care of you.”

Cassie felt Hank’s arms slide under her, his strength unhindered by her slight weight. He lifted her into his arms and Cassie clung, her good arm wrapping around his massive neck. She pressed her cheek against his soft fur, her pains somehow diminished by this man’s comforting embrace.

Hank cradled her close against him, but the pain came slamming back with each step he took. Cassie whimpered, loathing her weakness, loathing her helplessness.

“Hold on tight, my dear,” Hank said. “I must climb some boulders to get us out of here.”

Cassie nodded against his chest and clung tighter.

A light-headed feeling washed over Cassie, threatening to steal her consciousness. But then a faint light fell on her face and Cassie slitted open her eyes to see a cascade of brilliance dancing all around them. Sunlight pierced her deprived eyes and she cried out, squeezing her eyes closed again.

“Easy, dear Cassandra. Keep your face turned to my chest. It’s too soon to open your eyes.” Hank’s gentle voice soothed Cassie, another wash of light-headed dizziness sweeping over her. The light faded and this time, Cassie didn’t fight the pull of the gentle darkness of unconsciousness.