Chapter 7
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Zalantha
As we drove down the street, the sight of Lyra in the passenger seat made my heart race. The rain had left her top slightly damp, accentuating the contours of her figure. Her jeans clung to her supple legs, the fabric molding to every curve. Despite the tension of the recent encounter, I couldn”t help but appreciate how the wetness highlighted her natural allure. The subtle glisten added an air of vulnerability. She looked undeniably captivating.
Lyra glanced at me, confused and dazed but more at ease than when pinned against her car. I felt a sense of accomplishment. I was relieved I had reached Lyra in time to save her from those vicious thugs, and a swell of pride filled me.
The memory of the confrontation with the fools replayed in my mind. As they closed in, I couldn”t stand idly by. A surge of determination compelled me to act. With a swift force, I retrieved her purse and cell, yanking them from the thieves” grasp.
”Get the fuck out of here, leave her,” I declared, my voice carrying authority.
They hesitated, bewildered, then hastily retreated, muttering about Lyra being a witch. It was a moment of satisfaction, knowing I had protected her from harm and left her attackers baffled.
That was just the start, though. I knew I had plenty left to give Lyra. Her life was about to transform. Unfortunately, though, it would get worse before better.
As I continued driving, a sense of urgency pricked me; I couldn”t afford to stay in one place for too long. I didn”t know how long I had before Mesothraxius and his army of Mesothraxians caught up with me.
”Are you going to say anything?” asked Lyra, folding her arms over her chest.
”What do you want me to say?” I asked playfully.
”Oh, I don”t know,” she replied, throwing her hands about. ”Maybe explain why I”m sitting in the passenger seat of my own car while an invisible man drives me along. I don”t even know what you look like. I”m losing my mind here.”
”Don”t worry,” I chuckled. ”I”m not going to hurt you. Actually, I”ve come to save you.”
”So you said,” she retorted, fidgeting in her seat as a mix of anxiety and curiosity played on her features.
The air inside the car held a tension that mirrored her internal struggle, leaving me with the challenge of guiding her through this mysterious situation.
”What the hell are you?”
”The only way for you to believe me is by showing you.”
”Then show me,” she said, shrugging.
”Not yet, not here.”
”Then where?”
”Just be patient, Lyra.”
”Patient, Lyra?” she muttered, tutting in frustration. ”Great, so you know my name too. How about you tell me yours?” I hesitated as I took a right off the street. I was heading to a quiet place in the woods where no one would see us, and I could reveal myself to her. ”Hello? Earth to Mr Invisible,” she said, waving her hand by my face.
”Zalantha.”
”Zalantha?” she said, frowning. ”What sort of name is that? Are you a God or something?”
”Not quite,” I laughed.
”Then what are you?” she asked, smirking as if content she had entertained me.
”I”m not from around here.”
”No shit. Then where?”
”Look, let”s get somewhere quieter and safe without the risk of anyone seeing me, and then all will be revealed.”
”Fine, Mr Mysterious. But in the meantime, I need to make a call and cancel an appointment, or I”ll get my ass sacked.”
”Do what you need to do.”
As Lyra called into her office, I drove on, focusing on the road ahead. I noticed people looking into the car, their curious glances revealing a growing realization that no one was behind the wheel. The passing pedestrians and fellow drivers seemed puzzled, their eyes lingering on the unusual sight, questioning the laws of physics and defying logic.
Lyra hung up and gazed outside in shock.
”Oh God, that couple just noticed there was no one driving. What if they call the cops?”
”You have a thing about them, don”t you?”
”How do you know that?”
”I know a lot about you.”
She went to speak but paused and frowned. I studied her face, lips, and how her mouth was shaped, and wondered how she would taste.
”Are you some kind of perv?”
”On the contrary, Lyra, I”ve come to save you.”
”So you keep saying. From what, though?”
”I think you know already.”
She reached for a bottle of water and took a sip, a conflicted expression on her face. It was as if a mix of relief and tension wrestled within her, knowing that I was aware of her struggles yet uncertain about the implications of my knowledge. The atmosphere in the car became a blend of emotions, with a delicate balance hanging in the air, waiting to tip one way or the other.
”How do you know so much about me? Like how I shouldn”t be driving.”
I took a deep breath; I had to tell her sometime.
”I was watching you at your mom”s.”
”What, but how, why?”
”Like I said, I”ve come to help.”
”I don”t need help.”
”I think you might.”
She seemed to get angry and went quiet. I could tell she was getting upset.
”Look, how about you calm down, Lyra? I”m not going to hurt you.”
”But I feel like you”re kidnapping me, and now, you”re driving me down to a place I used to go as a kid. I have a lot of bad memories down here.”
”Perhaps you need to face them so you can move on.”
”Move on from what?”
I hesitated, unsure whether to open up now, but then I remembered I had a limited time.
”From your addiction.”
She stopped, and her eyes filled with tears.
”What addiction?”
”Be honest with yourself, Lyra. I know about your father, mother, and that unwanted gin and Coke at eleven am.”
”Holy fuck,” she said, but also seemed relieved. ”Fine, okay, so that cat”s out the bag, now, are you going to show yourself or not?”
”Am I right in saying that speaking with a stranger is helping?”
”Well, you can”t be more of a stranger, especially as I still haven”t seen you.”
”All in good time.”
We drove on, and my heart was racing. The muted hum of the engine ceased as I pulled off the road, parking by a clump of trees.
Nervousness crept over me. I had never revealed my actual form to a human before. I turned to face Lyra, unsure of how she would react to the unveiling that was about to occur.
”Ready?”
”As I”ll ever be.”