Changed

by Jean Booth

  Nicholas stared at me for a long while, considering his options. I knew he wasn’t certain if I’d be a willing subject in his avenues of torture or not, and for some reason, he wanted me compliant. What better way than to show me he could be reasonable than to remove the anklet? It still surprised me when he nodded.

  He came around the desk and bent toward my foot. I had to repress a shudder at his touch. Gently, he held the braid, whispering words I couldn’t understand under his breath as it stretched so he could guide it off my foot.

  “Thank you,” I whispered. He went back to the comfort of his desk, folding his hands in a steeple on the mahogany surface. I resisted the urge to wipe my ankle now that it was free.

  “Now, are you going back to your old life, or continuing with the torment of this one?”

  “Before I answer, I have a few questions.” He raised an eyebrow at my boldness, and I persisted. His answers wouldn’t change my mind, but I still wanted to know. “Have you ever done this before, how many times, and how successful was it?” I didn’t ask if it hurt. I had a feeling I already knew that answer.

  “Yes, we’ve attempted this procedure in order to be assured of its integrity.” He stuttered ever so slightly. “Every test has been successful.” He smoothed his thick fingers on the desk. Smiling benignly at me, he looked the part of the concerned citizen. I knew he was lying, but not certain as to which part he was lying about. I didn’t have any other way to delay the inevitable. With a pounding heart, I spoke.

  “I want to stay as I am. I chose to become mated. It wasn’t forced on me. Even if you’re right, Atlantis deserves to be in its proper position. My mate made the decision, knowing full well what it entailed. If he was agreeable to it, then I have to accept his decision. I appreciate your offer, but I would like to stay as I am.” I stood on shaking legs, ready to leave. If he really wanted me to believe I had a choice in the matter, he’d let me walk out the door. We both knew he wouldn’t.

  “Perhaps this will change your mind.” He reached below the desk and did something. One of the panels on the library wall slid to the side revealing a staircase that led down. I looked toward the staircase with trepidation. All I could see past the entryway was darkness.

  Out of the dark, I heard a painful groan. It sent shivers down my spine. The little hairs on the nape of my neck stood on end. I didn’t want to see what was in the darkness. I didn’t want to, but I knew I had to. My conscience wouldn’t let me ignore the small whimpers of pain I could hear coming out of the darkness.

  “Come, my dear.” Nicholas walked around his desk and held his hand out toward me. Tommy was a warm presence behind, eliminating any illusion of choice that I had. My throat was dry as I stepped forward. Ignoring Nicholas’s outstretched hand, I walked into the darkness.

  My nose was assaulted first with smells that reminded my belly that I hadn’t eaten adequately in a while. Knowing that the blood, fresh meat, and bone-jarring terror that permeated the room were caused from torturing someone I knew halted the grumbling of my stomach. The scents got thicker as we walked farther down the stairs, deeper into the black abyss beyond.

  Involuntarily, I inhaled deeply. For a split second, I enjoyed the way the scents tickled across my pallet; the thick, coppery scent of blood had me salivating. Once I got past the dinner smells of the tortured human, my mouth dried, and a growl echoed across the room. Underneath the raw meat was a faint scent that I would recognize anywhere. I’d smelled it every year of my life before leaving Nevada—the clearing of the summer fires to release the sweet scent of sagebrush in the fall. It was John.

  My steps faltered with the realization that they’d tortured John for my benefit. I couldn’t stop growling. I didn’t want to see what they’d done to him; the smell was bad enough. I glanced over at Nicholas. Through the dim light, I could barely make out his serene expression. I wanted to kill him in that moment. I’d never taken such immense pleasure in visualizing the brutal death of another person before.

  Deep into the cavern, someone was lighting torches. I wasn’t certain if that was due to lack of electricity, or if it helped with the creepy ambiance of Nicholas’s torture chamber. Either way, I was thoroughly unnerved. In between the lit torches, I could see various weapons. I couldn’t even imagine what some of them were used for. I shivered as I heard John moan again.

  In the middle of the room, now fully illuminated by the torchlight, was a large slab table with a naked man strapped to it. John was completely covered in cuts, bruises, and blood. I ran to his side only to be stopped by Tommy.

  “That’s quite close enough, my dear. Would you like to reconsider your decision, or do you need further persuasion?” Nicholas smiled at me, full of virtue and excitement. I knew he wanted me to give him a reason to inflict pain onto John. I wouldn’t give him one.

  “Please, just heal him and let him go. I’ll do anything you want.” I wouldn’t look at Nicholas. I forced myself to stare at the mess they’d made of John. I wanted to remember what they did to him and inflict every cut, every bruise, and every amount of torture onto Nicholas when I escaped.

  I would escape here, and he would know my wrath.

  “Very well. I knew we could come to an agreement. Tommy, help our guest to Madelyn’s room. Natasha, if you would follow me.” As Tommy picked John up to carry him away, I heard him whispering something.

  “Wait, please.” I walked over and gently touched John’s cheek. He winced. “I am so sorry they did this to you.” John’s voice came out strangled, hoarse from screaming so much. I had to lean very close to hear him.

  “Remember that which makes you special,” he whispered, coughing and groaning in agony when he was finished. My face was splattered with his blood. Nicholas better pray I die. If I didn’t, I vowed then and there to make him suffer for this.

  Nicholas led me through a passage hidden in the depths of the cavernous room, wisely not trying to touch me. I followed, hoping John would live and be able to tell Stephan how to find us. I didn’t know what Nicholas had planned for me, but I knew it wouldn’t be good.

  The passage led to another dark cavern, this one with electricity. A single bulb illuminated a large round tank of water. Ben hovered excitedly next to it.

  “Please remove your clothing and climb onto the tank.”

  I hesitated for just a moment before following Nicholas’s instructions. Naked, I climbed the ladder on the side of the enclosed tank and saw that there was a hinged opening, just large enough for a person to slide into. It reminded me of the old magician’s water trick.

  “Climb into the tank.” Nicholas hadn’t moved from his position near the entrance to this cavern. He cleared his throat. The tank started to jostle as someone else climbed the ladder. I took a breath and slid into the water just as Ben’s head cleared the top of the ladder.

  My heart was pounding in the tepid water. I couldn’t see anything from inside the tank, but I could hear as Ben closed the lid behind me. I panicked. Kicking to the surface, I tried desperately to push open the hatch, to no avail. I launched myself from the bottom and hit the hatch with my shoulder. Nothing happened. I clawed at it, desperation clouding my mind as my lungs screamed in agony.

  He meant to kill me. I was going to drown here, naked, in a crazy man’s water tank. My last thought before I gasped in a mouthful of water was that I was glad Raif would at least live. I didn’t choke. I gulped in the water and didn’t choke. Numbly, I attempted to breathe. I could breathe under water! I smiled at this miracle—I could breathe. Vaguely, I remembered hearing Stephan’s voice telling me we were descended from a water deity and that we all had an affinity with that element to a certain extent.

  I was so relieved, I swam in circles for a while, enjoying the fact that I was alive and breathing under water. I thought about Nicholas, and my swimming slowed. I had no idea what his intentions were with me, or why he placed me in a vat of water, but I knew it couldn’t be good. I still had to figure out how to get out of here, how
to escape. I had to try to Dream without alerting Nicholas to what I was doing.

  I swam up to the side of the tank and peered out as best I could. I couldn’t see anything. Shrugging, I swam far away from where I’d last seen Nicholas and curled down on the bottom of the tank. My back was facing the spot I thought he was, and I closed my eyes, knowing there wasn’t anything else I could do to hide myself. I would just have to hope for the best. I didn’t think I’d be able to sleep, let alone find Stephan in my dreams, but they sucked me under almost immediately.

  I was in a strange room filled with candles and thick, pungent smoke. It was a place I’d never seen, but it felt important. I looked around for a familiar face and was sad when I couldn’t find one. Out of the fog, I heard a voice that made me smile and want to weep at the same time.

  “Natasha? Are you there?” Stephan sounded hopeful and hesitant at the same time. I hoped he could hear me too.

  “Stephan? Where are you?” The relief in my voice was palpable. I looked around for him again. This time, I saw his shade wading through the fog. I ran toward him, jumping into his arms. I didn’t even think as I held him close to me. His arms instantly went around my body, clutching me close to him as if he could bring me back to him through our conjoined dream.

  “Thank Poseidon I found you! I’ve been looking for you but kept getting blocked. I can’t sense anything beyond trees. Where are you?” He leaned back to talk to me.

  I could see the relief etched in his magnesium eyes and gave in. It was only a dream after all. I fisted my hands in his long black hair and kissed him as if my world would end without him. At this moment, I fully believed it would. He kissed me back without hesitation. There weren’t any thoughts of Raif as I clutched Stephan to me—only this man who’d come to mean more to me than I was willing to admit.

  We stood, locked in an embrace for eternity, our lips conveying in this dream state what would never be stated aloud. I didn’t want to let him go, but knew I had to tell him what I came here to say. I didn’t know if I’d get another chance. I was almost certain I wouldn’t. I had to get out of here.

  “Nicholas is trying to break the mating bonds and return me to my human state,” I said breathlessly as I pulled away. He dropped me. My unsteady legs wouldn’t support me, and I collapsed onto the floor.

  “He’s doing what?” he asked as he lifted me off the floor.

  “I’m in the basement of this huge house being cleansed of my mating bonds. He has John.” It was getting more and more difficult to speak. I tried clearing my throat. My head and lungs hurt.

  “What’s with this fog? I’m having a hard time breathing.” He went pale, which was a trick for him. I coughed again, this time spitting out water.

  “What is he doing? Never mind. I will be there as soon as I can. Stay alive for me, Tasha. I want you to close your eyes and think of the place you left. You have to get back and live. Fight!” He crushed me to him one last time.

  I saw the fear briefly in his eyes and could feel him trembling as he crushed his mouth desperately against mine. I kissed him with the same fervor. If I was honest in any moment, it was now, in our dream, with the knowledge that this may be the last we saw of each other.

  I woke up choking and coughing up water, still in the tank. I swam up to the hatch to try and open it. It was still sealed tight against me. This time I knew I really was drowning. I clutched at my throat, gagging on the water that had been so wonderful just hours before. My vision went spotty at the edges, and I knew I was dying. Everything went dark seconds before I heard the lock on the hatch disengage.

  Someone splashed into the water with me. Large hands lifted me up and out of the tank. I fell to the ground like a sack of potatoes. Seconds later, I was lifted and slung over a broad shoulder. I was carried into another area and flopped back onto the ground. I started coughing up water. My whole body shook. It was dark and cold, and I just wanted to go home.

  Light exploded behind my closed eyelids. I scrunched them tighter and curled into a ball. It got very hot, very quickly, and I slowly opened my eyes. I bolted upright. The entire room was engulfed in flames. They inched their way closer to me as if they had a purpose and a mind of their own. I scooted closer to the corner of the wall until there wasn’t any room left to run. The flames followed. They filled the room, rushing toward me as if their only purpose in life was to dance along my skin.

  I curled into myself, protecting my body as best I could with my arms and legs. The flames caught hold of my hair, singeing it to the root. As the flames licked against my body, I screamed. I leapt up and darted around the room, searching for a spot that wasn’t engulfed in flame. I screamed until I couldn’t scream anymore. My throat burned from the inside out. There wasn’t a spot on my body that wasn’t red or blistered. I fell to the ground, finally giving in to the flames. My body tried to heal me as quickly as the skin was being destroyed, and I was in agony, whimpering as the flames continued to roast me alive until I blessedly blacked out from the pain.

  I woke again in agonizing pain. Something was scratching my already ruined skin. I tried to move my arms, succeeding only in dumping dirt on my face. I stopped moving. I tried not to panic as I realized I’d now been buried alive.

  I knew I couldn’t be too far down. Nicholas would have to be able to monitor me to make sure I didn’t die on him. At this point, it was clear to me he didn’t want me dead. As it was, I didn’t know how much air I had left. I didn’t know how deep I was buried or how long I’d been here. The only thing I knew for certain was I hurt, and I needed to escape. Now.

  I took the biggest breath I could, wincing as the movements tore open my healing skin, and started to dig my way out of my grave. I dug until my lungs felt like bursting. Ignoring the pain covering my body, I dug. Cupping my hands around my face, I took another breath. I had to do this twice more before I felt air on my fingers. I dug frantically for an opening I could crawl out of, eating dirt as I did so.

  I coughed, spitting out clods of blood-soaked dirt as I emerged from the earth. I wanted to open my eyes to see where I was so I could run, but I couldn’t move. Instead, I lay atop my almost grave and sucked in deep breaths of air.

  It was very quiet; the only sound was that of my breathing. Slowly, I tried opening my eyes. They hurt, too. I didn’t think there was a spot on my body that didn’t hurt. I blinked a few times to get my vision to adjust. When the haze finally cleared, I discovered that I was in a clearing in the woods. It was the exact place I wanted to be. If I could, I’d have wept with joy in that moment.

  I managed to stand up, moving slowly. I picked a direction and started walking. Each step pulled and cracked my skin, leaving rivulets of blood in my wake. I forced myself past the pain and continued. Each step was a step toward freedom.

  I made it to the woods surrounding the clearing when lights shone and wind pummeled me from every direction. The moist air was a balm on my skin for a split second. The wind kicked up, knocking me to my knees and flinging small rocks, sticks, and other debris around. I curled into myself, protecting my stomach and groaning in pain and frustration. Where was Stephan?

  I stayed like that until the wind died down. Dirt, grass, and twigs were stuck to the healing blisters on my skin. I didn’t have the energy to move, let alone change and run away. Besides, I couldn’t leave John. I had to wait until Stephan came to rescue us. I wouldn’t risk John’s life just to end my suffering. I wouldn’t leave without him.

  I heard voices moments before I was lifted into one of the twin’s massive arms. He winced at my crusted form and held me as gently as possible. I had to be in Tommy’s arms, and I silently thanked him for being the one to offer me shelter. It was pointless for him to be gentle, though. There wasn’t a spot on my body that wasn’t in agony. Every movement hurt. I couldn’t see past the fog of my vision to where he was taking me, but I could hear the sound of his steps change as he entered a cavernous room. He was leading me back inside. I whimpered.

  �
�I’m so sorry, Natasha. I had no idea what he wanted with you. Had I known this was what would happen, I never would’ve let them take you. Please, don’t struggle. If I can, I’ll find a way to get you out of here,” he whispered and held me tighter to him.

  “John. Where’s John?” My voice couldn’t even be considered a voice any longer. It came out as a croaked, scratchy whisper that tore the lining of my throat with that small question.

  “He’s healing. Madelyn’s a good healer, even though she’s with Nicholas. He’ll be healed completely in a few days, and I will personally escort him back to Stephan’s. Just hang on until then, and I promise I’ll find a way to rescue you as well. This was so wrong. I’m so sorry, Natasha.” His voice broke with unshed tears.

  I was surprised to feel gratitude toward Tommy. I didn’t think any of my captors could show compassion, let alone want to help me. He was different from our first encounter, and I was glad for that. I wanted to tell him I forgave him, that it wasn’t his fault, but couldn’t form the words. I had a glimmer of hope that things would be okay. I just had to survive the cleansing process.

  “You’ll feel better in a few minutes. It isn’t the healing waters of Atlantis, but Poseidon works wonders with any body of water, and I know he’ll heal you now. The longer you can stay in the water, the better off you’ll be. Stay strong.”

  He gently carried me into a pool of sulfuric healing water. I sighed as he wiped my blistered skin clean with the pungent water. He lightly drizzled water on my face, moistening my abused eyes. I could feel myself healing. It was exhausting. I was too tired to pull away from him, content to simply not feel pain for the moment.

  I dozed briefly, waking to the rumbling of my stomach. How I could be hungry after enduring so much pain was beyond me. I was also acutely aware that the man who held me wasn’t clothed. He appeared to be extremely happy to be holding my naked, healing body.