The Covenant of Shadows Collection Page 2

  Maybe my mind is hinting that I need a change of some kind, or maybe I am losing it. While some people are naturals at adapting to change, others like me seem to fight it all the way, even if it is a good thing.

  A voice crackles through the intercom, quickly bursting Gabrian’s tiny bubble of serenity with its sharp tinny sound as she scribbles her thoughts down within the pages of her personal journal.

  “Dr. Shadwell, your first client is here to see you.”

  “Ah yes, thank you, Rachael,” she says, pressing the intercom button then releases it. “Back to reality,” Gabrian mumbles out loud, and her eyes drop to the pencil still firmly gripped in her fingers. She exhales as she slides it into the wire binding on her notepad then opens her bottom drawer and drops them in. “I suppose I can ponder my life dilemmas later.”

  A few moments later, she hears a light tapping at her door just before it swings open. Her assistant, friend, and volunteer sounding board, Rachael, escorts her first client of the day into her office from the waiting room. Gabrian swivels to the side in her chair and rises to greet them. As her eyes meet the stranger’s stare, her whole world flares with the image of a large raven against a bright backdrop like a badly executed hologram—then is gone again as quickly as it had appeared.

  Umm, what the heck was that? Gabrian thinks, forcing her face to hold its pleasantry. She tries to maintain her composure as best she can for her first-time client and continues on to politely introduce herself. Gabrian stretches out her hand to greet the woman and notices the wrinkled skin wrapped tightly around boney fingers even though the woman in front of her seems no more aged than she is. Gabrian’s eyes shoot upward to analyze the face of her client once more. Their gaze locks awkwardly. Gabrian becomes transfixed with the way her eyes sparkle in the rarest shade of grey, that of polished silver.

  How extraordinary! Gabrian thinks, captivated by an odd sensation that she has met this stranger before.

  Her mind settles as her thoughts become foggy and deluged by sensory images that invoke comfort and warmth. Gabrian herself often induces these enhanced feelings of safety with her clients during a hypnotic session. But this mesmerized state is being brought on without the use of tools or words. She feels the manipulative pull on her emotions, gently drawing her in like the way the movement of the river calls to your soul and subliminally urges you to jump in without caution.

  A moment of lucidness washes through her, and she shakes her head quickly in an attempt to break the mental embrace she has succumbed to. Her eyes dart around the room as she completely resurfaces then lands on Rachael who looks at her, open-jawed and wide-eyed, like she has lost her mind.

  “Dr. Shadwell, is everything alright?” Rachael says, continuing to stare.

  How much time was I absent? She realizes she must have looked like a crazed person to her new client by standing there in a stupefied haze. She apologizes quickly.

  “I am so sorry. Mrs. Argryis, please excuse me. I was up late reading and clearly I did not get enough rest,” she lies, hoping to sound believable. “Please, come and take a seat.”

  Rachael raises her eyebrows and tilts her head to the side, questioning her friend’s odd behaviour. Gabrian cannot blame her. She is a bit perplexed about what just happened herself. Mrs. Argryis’ face brightens with a slight smile, almost one of knowing as she turns toward the chaise situated by the large oak desk, showing no signs of concern to her doctor’s oddity.

  Pivoting left to follow her client, Gabrian glances back over her shoulder at Rachael who continues to stare at her. Her face twists with a raised brow, and she shrugs her shoulders while Rachael idles cautiously toward the exit and closes the door behind her.

  Gabrian inhales deeply in an effort to gather her thoughts as best she can. Get it together, Gabrian, she scolds herself under her breath.

  “Please sit, make yourself comfortable.” Gabrian sweeps her arm toward the long oversize-lounge chaise to the right of them.

  A strange wave of nausea washes over her, and she immediately rushes to her left, taking her assumed position within her trusty leather chair. Feeling its burly dark arms wrapped securely around her, she smells the Earthy scent of its smooth covering and nestles herself back against its strong familiar embrace, wanting desperately for this unsettling feeling in her innards to pass. She grips at both sides of the chair and rests all her faith in the fact her chair has been a trusted friend to her for as long as she has owned it and hopes it can make things right again. She has used its unyielding support through many sessions—some good and some, well…not so much.

  Regaining some of her composure, she begins the session.

  “Are you comfortable?”

  “Yes, thank you.”

  “Wonderful...then shall we start?”

  The woman nods as she removes her coat, revealing her slender frame beneath, and lays it down carefully between the two oversized pillows beside her. She is enchanting indeed. Gabrian watches her, in awe of her graceful and smooth mannerisms as she takes her seat. She is certain that she has never laid eyes on her before, but Gabrian’s senses are cooing and whispering to her that there is something very familiar about her long black hair, her caramel-coloured skin, and her intoxicating silvery eyes. What is it about those eyes?

  Gabrian plunges deep within her conscious mind, searching for the professionalism that exists within her, and tries to continue.

  “So, Mrs. Argryis, how are you today?”

  Her eyes shimmer as the soft edges of her mouth raise delightfully upward. “I am well, but more importantly, how are you my dear?”

  A surge of electricity rushes across Gabrian’s skin at the reversed and off-guard question. The tension in the air thickens as she begins to wonder who is actually in the client seat here. Her skin flushes—spreading a rose hue across her face and neck. She shifts in her chair and fidgets with a strand of hair that has come loose as the focus of the conversation tilts toward her.

  “I am fine, despite the lack of sleep that I mentioned earlier.”

  “Yes, you did mention that.” She chuckles and leans back against the pillows, resting her head on her hand.

  “Shall we begin?”

  “Of course, dear.” Mrs. Argryis stares steadily at Gabrian then waves her fingers at her to continue.

  “Since this is your first session with me, I thought that maybe we should discuss what it is that you would like to accomplish or touch upon in our time together.”

  Mrs. Argryis leans forward, shifting her body to mirror Gabrian’s, and begins to speak. As the words musically roll off of her tongue, the woman’s appearance alters. The alluring draw she has on Gabrian seems to try to reveal itself. Her skin takes on a more supple texture as its edges disappear and melds into the subtle glow that manifests like a halo all around her.

  Gabrian wonders if this strange display is what some would consider to be an “aura.” She has seen fragments of light emit off of people before, sometimes even in different colours, but always dismissed it as some sort of illusion of light. What she is witnessing now would definitely be hard to dismiss as just an illusion. Whatever transformation is taking place within Mrs. Argryis, it is pulling at Gabrian and oddly urging her to get closer, creating a yearning within her to be near the light.

  “My dear Gabrian, you have grown up so quickly and into such a beautiful, intelligent woman. I have been keeping watch on you, and it seems that your essence is reaching out, breaking free, and the dissolution of the spell has sent for me.”

  Gabrian’s face contorts against her will. “Excuse me? Sent for you? I don’t even know you. Why would I, in any shape or form, be looking for you?” Gabrian voice squeaks, trying to maintain diplomacy. There has been many a nut job come through her doors in her few years, but today she is certain that the owner of the huge bag of marbles on her desk with “LOST” in bold letters printed across it has just been found.

  Mrs. Argryis remains statuesque in her seat but raises her hand to tuck awa
y her free flowing ebony locks behind her ear. Gabrian’s mouth falls slightly ajar as she watches the faint glow follow the movements of her hand.

  The woman’s eyes dance around Gabrian’s office, taking inventory of who she is, then jumps to rest upon Gabrian. Her head tilts slightly as if noticing some discomfort in Gabrian. “Please do not be upset. Your true self will be revealed in due time.”

  Gabrian can feel her heartrate jump through the roof.

  What the...? My true self…am I missing something? I have to be misunderstanding something. Because the only alternative is that I have lost my mind. She inhales slowly, summoning her calmness in hopes of discovering some rational understanding of what her client is talking about.

  I am the professional here, fully equipped to deal with situations like this. I have the paperwork to prove it, Gabrian continues her internal debate, eyeing the framed degree on the wall as she tries to convince herself.

  “I am sorry, but I am not sure that I understand what is going on. Have we met before?” Gabrian lays out her dilemma politely. The remains of her confidence are holding steady, but for how long she is not sure as her sanity teeters on slight hysteria. And to make things worse, all she can think of is how she would love to have a drink to calm her nerves.

  The delicate folds in the center of Mrs. Argryis’s cheeks surface as her lips press impishly upward at the corners.

  It is as if she had heard me. Gabrian takes note of her client’s change in expression. But that would be impossible…would it not? Her uncertainties rush to her legs as they begin hammering against the bottom rung of her chair.

  She wishes she could just flip a coin to make the judgement call—very professional, she knows. If it turned up heads, she would try to figure out whether or not there is any need to be worried that this woman might snap, taking down Gabrian along with her, or tails—she would just play this one out to see if there is any validation in her client’s sociopathic yet confusing performance.

  Ah, frig it. Here goes nothing. She holds her breath for a moment waiting for her near flawless intuition to kick in to help her decide.

  Tails! Great!

  For a crazy person, the woman seems extremely calm, so Gabrian resolves to play this one out. Her curiosity has many times outweighed her logic, and at this point, the scale had tipped heavily in its favour—which she knew it would anyway. It has always been Gabrian’s Achilles heel.

  Once Gabrian flips the mental switch to go forward with this conversation, her skin begins to tingle. The strange sensation that had consumed her moments ago seeps through her again. The steel grip she uses to rein over her emotions is lost and a forced calmness slithers its way through her veins. The pull on her is stronger than before, demanding every muscle in her body to refuse her commands. The logical being trapped inside of her useless form screams relentlessly as she tries to will her limbs to move, but she is prisoner within her own skin, unable to escape her invisible restraints.

  A cold chill creeps up the back of her skull like someone has wrapped it in a towel of ice. Soft, incoherent words hum melodically around her and her fight-or-flight reflex submits to its suitor, accepting its reassurance that she is in no real danger.

  Is it possible that this woman is doing this somehow? Logically, this cannot be happening. Can it? Gabrian claws desperately at her sanity.

  Unable to do anything but breathe, her chest lifts and deflates in a slow rhythmic dance with the ticking of the clock on the wall. Gabrian’s eyes reach for the woman as she begins to speak.

  “You and I have met before, and so shall we meet again. Today is the day your essence awakens and you begin to see.” She closes her eyes for a moment, searching for something within.

  All colour drains from the woman’s face as she glances into the distance like she suddenly has seen a ghost. A loud rapping at the window breaks her from her trance. On the other side, a large Raven frantically tries to get some attention. Mrs. Argryis switches her focus to the bird momentarily and nods as if to appease its actions. Her eyes rush back to Gabrian, noticeably rattled.

  “I cannot stay any longer, but I needed to see you. I needed you to know that even though your path has been chosen, how you walk upon it is still up to you. Be cautious of gifts and friends that feel like foe. Know that the shadows do not always mean Darkness and listen to the black feathers’ warning as there is wisdom in their call. They will see when you cannot.”

  With her words at an end, the woman glides upward from the chaise and gathers her coat quickly. She turns to rest her gaze on Gabrian—her silvery eyes reach through with great intensity. Gabrian’s heart flutters with the strange sensation that this woman is somehow speaking directly to her soul. Mrs. Argryis’ face softens, and her eyes glisten, dampened with mixed emotions locked deep inside. It was a look of hope, yet it carried the weight of the world.

  The woman’s lips move with silent words and the vaporous chains that held Gabrian still are no more. Her muscles, still engaged in their strife, react with the sudden release of her binds and eject her from the chair, throwing her violently to the floor.

  Now in control of her body once more, Gabrian looks away from the woman, still in shock of their bizarre encounter, but when she returns to look upon her again, she is gone. Not gone as in walked across the room, opened the door, and left, but gone…vanished into thin air.

  “What the hell just happened?”

  Chapter Two

  Some Time to Ponder

  GABRIAN JUMPS UP out of her chair and searches frantically around her office. The woman is gone, vanished without a trace. Scratching her head in disbelief, Gabrian starts toward the door, thinking maybe Rachael saw her leave.

  Gabrian rushes across the floor and opens her office door. “Rachael, did you happen to see Mrs. Argryis leave? She exited rather quickly, and I did not have a chance to get all the information I need from her.”

  Her assistant, not sitting at her desk, stands in the waiting area engaged in conversation with a tall, dark-haired, man—Mr. Redmond, Gabrian’s ten o’clock appointment. From what Gabrian has learned of him, he has spent most of his life working within the walls of a sunless office but somehow, his skin reminds her of the colour of soft toffee. Gabrian loves working with him, and his gentle demeanor, but she is not sure why he still comes to see her. Any time they have spent together, Gabrian would classify her findings as normal or without any major issues that could validate his need to see her. Still, he insists on returning bi-weekly.

  Rachael smiles apologetically at Mr. Redmond and turns to rest her gaze on Gabrian. By the look on her face, Gabrian feels she must have morphed and grown two heads.

  “Mrs. Who?” Rachael questions, obviously confused.

  “Mrs. Argryis, the lady that just left my office,” Gabrian’s voice starts to shake, giving away the concern in clarifying her sanity. Rachael temporarily returns her attention to Mr. Redmond with a delicate smile and gestures for him to remain seated. “Will you excuse us for a moment? It will not be long.”

  Mr. Redmond agrees to wait. He glances over at Gabrian and nods in acknowledgement. She waves back and turns to meet Rachael who marches toward her. Rachael discreetly takes hold of Gabrian’s arm and nudges her back in the direction of her office door.

  She must think that I am losing it too and in dire need to have a talk in private, Gabrian tells herself. This is why Rachael is her assistant. She is good with the clientele and a wiz at keeping everything running smoothly even though she can clearly tell that Gabrian is distressed from her earlier answer—or rather, her question.

  She enters her office casually with Rachael following behind. Slowly, Rachael turns to close the door behind them. Hesitating for just a moment with her back still turned to Gabrian, she turns around. “Are you feeling alright, Gabrian?” Her face flashes a look of concern.

  “Yes, I am fine. I just need to know if you spoke with Mrs. Argryis before she left a few minutes ago,” Gabrian says, taking a deep breath and t
rying to put things into perspective.

  Rachael once again gives Gabrian an distressed look but remains silent, considering the correct means in addressing the subject.

  “Mrs. Argryis? Gabrian, I have no idea who you are talking about. There has not been any one in to see you yet. Your nine o’clock appointment cancelled last minute. I did not have time to book anyone else into this morning’s time slot,” Rachael admitted.

  “What do you mean no one was here to see me? I just had a session, a very strange session I might add...” Gabrian starts to mumble inaudibly and wanders around the room. “You escorted her in and introduced her to me in this very office about an hour ago! Long, black hair, silvery grey eyes...there is no way you could have forgotten her.”

  Rachael stands before Gabrian wearing a twisted brow and pursed lips. She reaches out her hand and touches her shoulder in a comforting gesture, giving her a look like a mother would to a child who has just told her that they have seen a monster in the closet or under the bed. Gabrian stops her rant.

  She lets out a loud sigh as she realizes Rachael believes her to be delusional.

  “Gabrian, you have been alone in here since early morning. Are you sure you did not fall asleep in your chair again while preparing for your day and dream this Mrs. Argryis? You have been working a lot of extra hours lately trying to plan for the upcoming holidays.” She tries to find a logical explanation as her instinct to protect Gabrian kicks in. “I have never heard that name before, and I am sure that I would remember scheduling it. It has quite an unusual sound to it—not your everyday Jane Doe kind of name.”

  “You have got to be joking…right? Listen, I just need you to book her for another session,” Gabrian orders, hoping Rachael will relent and admit that this is one of her crazy pranks.