When it had touched me, my first response had been to fight. Was there a way to fight something like that? I had to find out if I was going to get Zach and Luke out of here. I still had no idea what they had done with Luke. I hadn’t seen him and no one would tell me where he was. Not so with Zach. I got regular reports from Ainessa about how badly he was faring. I took it all without comment trying to make her think she had beaten me, but I wasn’t about to give up now. I hadn’t come here to be defeated.
Knowing they were on the island with me strangely gave me a semblance of peace. I hadn’t been able to contact either of them through my dreams. I felt as if my power was behind a locked door that had no key. I could still feel the elements. A time or two, I had even imagined that I saw the pinpricks of light swirling around me, but the reality was I couldn’t access them. Something was blocking me.
Frick opened the door as if he were a gentleman and waited for me to walk through. I had this room memorized by now. Over in the far corner was where they kept the sharp instruments. Most everything was locked up, but that cabinet wasn’t. I wondered why. It would have been so easy for me to slip a scalpel into my pants or to use one on my wrists.
Who was I kidding? They knew me better than I thought they should.
Mr. Lambert probably told them that I hated the sight of blood. I get woozy and nearly puke just thinking about it. I hated that he knew so much about me. He’d had years to study me to find out what motivated me and what made me depressed. He had been the father I never had and now I was paying for it.
How could he think I would be fine with this? He probably didn’t care.
No. He cared about me. I knew he did. It was why he had disappeared when they did the procedure. He couldn’t stand to watch me go through this. I was sure it was easier for him to get a progress report than to have to face me every day.
Then there was Roger. I had thought him a sadist back at school, but if that were really the case, he would be here now gloating over all the power the Order held over me. I had been told that they were going to inseminate me twice and if it didn’t take, they would try the old-fashioned route.
I didn’t care what Roger thought was going to happen. I was not marrying him. I was not going to sleep with him. Period. Death would be preferable. I just wished I had that specific out as an option with him.
I needed to work on a plan, but what could I do in a ten by ten cell that had no windows. The more time I spent in that small room, the smaller it seemed. Every time the door shut I began to panic a little bit. Exactly how long did they plan on leaving me in that horrible cell?
Sophia stepped through the door grim faced. I just wished I knew if it was because she was about to give me the worst news of my life or if I would be in it for another round.
Grace had once told me that the fun of sex wasn’t worth the responsibility of having a baby. I wouldn’t know much about that. All I knew was I didn’t feel ready to be a mother.
Sophia pulled up a chair and took one of my hands into hers. “I had hoped to make this a relatively painless experience for you. I’m sorry to have to tell you I failed.”
“You mean I’m not…” I couldn’t even say the word. Luckily I didn’t have to.
She shook her head gravely and walked out the door. I hadn’t even been able to ask her when the next round would start.
Frick came into the room, and I obediently followed him through the corridors with a new lightness in my step. I stopped at my room, but he just kept going. I glanced at the tidy cot. It could really use some new linen.
What was I doing? I sped up to catch him. I wasn’t used to physical exertion anymore so my lungs hurt with the effort.
He opened the outside door and paused for me to step through. I glanced at him as I walked past. He had an odd expression on his face as if he knew something that would make me the most miserable person alive. I shrugged it off and jumped when the door thudded closed behind me.
I glanced around, but I was alone. Were they testing me? Was someone waiting in the shadows to jump me the moment I made for the exit? I felt like a caged animal that had just been set free.
This wasn’t how I had imagined getting out of here. I had been holding the hope that Heath would come for me. He didn’t want me, but I was pretty sure he wouldn’t just leave me here. Every day I had awoken with the same thought. Today, he will come for me.
It was taking him long enough, but to be fair, time didn’t work the same in the fae realms. For all I knew, an hour had passed on his end of things.
Even if Heath had decided I was too much effort for the trouble, Jett wouldn’t let me go so easily. I just had to play the part and wait. They would come for me eventually.
I decided to just take a little walk. I wasn’t going to try to escape, but maybe I could get a better idea of what I was dealing with.
The compound was more spacious than I had originally thought. There were about thirty or so buildings in addition to the main one. Each was the same generic two story box that oddly reminded me a bit of Regina Hall back at St. Mary’s.
I cringed at the thought of my old life. How was Natalie doing? Had Sam been able to save her? Did her family think she was dead? Was she? Before I had been exposed to the evil of the Order, I hadn’t thought them capable of killing her. I wasn’t sure anymore.
I had been so distracted by my thoughts that I hadn’t noticed the girls until I was surrounded. May blocked my path with about ten women flanking her like a pack of dogs.
She picked up a strand of my hair. “I don’t see anything special about you.” She circled me trailing a finger over my shoulder. “Where is your mark?”
Again with the mark. “I don’t have one,” I said softly.
She narrowed her eyes at me. “All Elementals have a mark.”
“Well, I don’t,” I said.
She grabbed my arm before I could walk away and twisted it behind my back. “We’ll just have to see that for ourselves. Right girls?”
And just like that they were tearing my clothes and ripping out my hair. I clutched my head and curled into a ball. The sharp sound of a whistle cut through the racket and the group dispersed like a flock of startled birds.
I touched a particularly sore spot on my scalp and my fingers came away bloody. That was all it took. I was out.
When I woke up, Lacey was holding my hand. I wasn’t in my cell. The bed I occupied might as well have been made of marshmallows. The walls were painted in a pale lavender. The white curtains were shut but still let in a fair amount of light.
She gave me a wan smile, patting my hand. “I’m sorry about May. You shouldn’t go out alone.”
“Yeah, I kind of figured.” I pulled myself onto my elbows then sat up. “What’s wrong with her anyway?”
“She’s just sore because she doesn’t have claim to Roger anymore.”
She could have him. “How is that my fault?”
“You have to understand something. May and Roger’s families are tight. They even vacation together. Once Roger was through with his training, his parents set out to find a good match for him. May has shown excellent control. She can even access some of her power now. Well, any place but here.”
“Why is that?”
Lacey got a funny look on her face. “Are you feeling up for a walk?”
I nodded. She gave me some clothes to change into since mine couldn’t be called that anymore then led me out the door. She didn’t say much other than to explain what some of the buildings were used for. I tried to pay attention, but she wasn’t telling me what I really wanted to know. We approached a dense bunch of trees, and she motioned for me to be quiet. Looking around one last time, she stepped into the tiny forest. I didn’t hesitate to go in after her.
We emerged into a small clearing near the wall. I would have never guessed it was here from the layers of vegetation that surrounded it.
The girls I had met on my first day were sitting in a circle chatting quietly. Hopeful eyes
met mine. Lacey and I joined the circle sitting cross-legged in the sand.
Lacey smiled at the group. “It didn’t take.”
The girls grinned at me. I was happy to know that I wasn’t the only one who had hoped I wouldn’t get pregnant.
Lacey introduced each one, explaining that they were all part of the resistance. They had been sent to a different camp to spy, but the Order must have known because they were brought here before they could notify their leaders about the advancement program.
It was absurd if you asked me. These girls had been promised that they and none of their posterity would ever have to deal with the fae. The only catch was they had to be open to genetic testing. From how I understood it, they supposedly had been given a choice, although Lacey added that she thought they would have been killed if they declined the offer. They had been trying to devise an escape plan for more than a year now. Lacey told me that they had it nearly worked out, but they were waiting for a specific time to attempt it.
There were ten of us in all. The odds were definitely against us, but at least we had some chance of succeeding.
Cybil had overheard some of the other Elementals discussing what the Order had in store for me. Roger had been telling the truth. He had been ordered to marry me if I couldn’t get pregnant through insemination. The thought that he had been the sperm donor made my stomach churn.
Lacey said that I needed to go along with the wedding because I would be taken to a cottage in the mountains for the honeymoon. It was a complicated scenario because I was supposed to act like I didn’t want to marry him, no problem there, but I couldn’t fight too hard to stop the ceremony. They assured me they would never let anything happen to me, but our escape would go smoother if I was outside the compound walls.
Lacey had been putting some kind of herb into my food that was supposed to insure I wouldn’t get pregnant. I asked what it was, but she wouldn’t tell me. She said she shouldn’t have mentioned it at all because it was likely Ainessa could access the information if she tried. I thought it funny that even these girls wouldn’t use her name. They called her “the bimbo” and I knew right away who they were referring to.
She started coming here a few years ago and had taken over the place immediately. They said it used to be more like a girls camp before she came along. Now it was nothing but a military base.
Jackie had been trying to seduce an Order member into giving her a set of keys to a secret gate that led to a dock below the cliffs. She told him she wanted to meet him there to fool around, but the moment she got a hold of them she was supposed to steal a boat and wait for us on the other side of the island.
They were hoping for a quick escape that would give us a few hours head start. No one really knew how to navigate a boat, but they said I should be able to use my powers once we were away from the island.
The Order had an evacuation plan in place if it came down to that, too. There were enough boats for an escape. They also had helicopters and a couple of jets. Kate had been the one that learned about the escape plan. There was a machine somewhere on the island that was responsible for disabling fae power. They called it a shield, but it was more like an equalizer. Without the use of their abilities, the fae would be vulnerable to mortal weapons. I thought about the underlord that had gotten his ear cut off and winced.
Ainessa had given the technology to the Order in exchange for a place where her movements wouldn’t be monitored.
She’d warned Mr. Lambert that once the fae found out what was happening they would swiftly destroy the island. That was why they had captured Luke and then Zach. She had assured them that the fae would not blow up the island if their own people were on it. They may be immortal, but they wouldn’t risk losing such important members of the court for the years it would take for them to regenerate.
We were discussing everyone’s role when an alarm pulsated through my skull. I covered my ears from the jolting noise.
Lacey pulled on my elbow. “We need to get you back.”
“What is that?”
“Just a drill. If it was a real attack, the sound would be constant.”
I followed her to my cell. I had hoped she would bring me somewhere else. I gave her a pleading expression.
“I’m sorry. I would take you back to my room if I could. Remember you are among friends. Just sit tight. I’m sure they will give you a better room soon. I’ll suggest it if you want me to.”
I nodded at her. The lights turned off when she shut the door. I stumbled around in the darkness until I felt the edge of my cot. The alarm finally shut off, but I would never be able to sleep now. I was too excited.
My mind whirled as I thought about rescuing my family. I didn’t want to think about choosing a mate. Would I ever be ready for that decision?
I made a mental plan of how I would greet Aunt Grace and Uncle John. I had a lot to apologize for.
What if I could open relations between Elementals and the fae? I was asking for too much, but how could I choose between two lives I wanted to live? If I went with the fae, I would be ditching my family. None of them would still be alive by the time I was brought back to the human realm. Besides, I still wanted to help my cousins through this mess. I hoped that Aunt Grace had been more forthcoming with them than she had been with me.
Although, now that I thought about it, if I had never escaped the sanctuary that used to be my home, I would have never seen the amazing things I had.
After a while, my thoughts turned to more disturbing topics. What if the Order succeeded? What if I had blown my chance to live with the fae? Even though I didn’t really want to admit it to myself, I had become attached to a few of them.
I felt divided in more ways than one where they were concerned. I began pacing the room hoping someone would come get me soon or that I would wear myself out.
To my relief the door opened. Roger waited at the threshold with his hand outstretched toward me.
That was all the encouragement I needed. I didn’t care what he wanted to do as long as it wasn’t in this horrible room.
I took his hand and walked along side him in a drawn out silence. I glanced at him several times, but he just looked straight forward. After a while I couldn’t take it anymore.
“Where are we going?” I asked. My voice echoed around me. I raised my fingers to my nose to diffuse the astringent aroma that would have fit better in a squeaky clean hospital. We were in a long white corridor. The glare of the fluorescent lights bouncing off the shiny tiles that lined the walls and covered the floor made my head pound with a dull thud. A myriad of doors just like the one we had exited lined the hallway. There had to be hundreds of cells just like mine. I shuddered even thinking about it wondering if they were occupied.
“I thought you might like some fresh air,” he answered.
Was he actually offering a kindness to me? I couldn’t let it influence me at all. Mr. Lambert was one of the kindest people I had known, but he wasn’t really that person. I had to remember that. Roger was no different. Everything he did had a motive. “Thank you,” I said anyway refusing to lose who I was just because I was around some certifiable nut-jobs.
He glanced at me, a cool expression slid onto his face. “What, no fighting today?”
I locked gazes with him. “That depends on what you have planned.”
He laughed, and I found myself disarmed slightly. I reminded myself that this was just another attempt to get me to trust him. I couldn’t allow myself to let him in. Cassie had nearly been seduced by this man and she was no pushover. I had to keep my guard up at all times.
When he didn’t say anything, I asked, “So what do you have planned.”
He shook his head. “Nothing spectacular I’m afraid.”
I wanted to ask him about the whole marriage thing, but I wasn’t sure how to broach the subject. Somehow asking him when the big day was planned for didn’t seem prudent. “Where are we going?” I asked again hoping he would give me a better answer.
“I thought you might like to see more of the island. I’ve been told that you are partial to the tropics. It really is a beautiful place.”
I let a smile curve my lips, ignoring the part where he revealed that someone had been preparing him to disarm me. “That sounds nice.” The more I knew about the place, the easier it would be for us to escape.
Roger stopped dead in his tracks. “Okay, what gives?”
My eyes went wide and for a second I wondered if he had the ability to read my mind like Styx had. Where was he anyway? I couldn’t imagine him ditching Zach like this. Had they captured him too? I realized I was taking too long to answer him so I replied hastily, “I don’t know what you mean.”
“I told you we were going to be married, and you haven’t brought it up since. I thought you would be more vocal than this.”
I kept my face placid. “I think I made it clear how I felt about it when you told me. Thanks for that, by the way. The least you could have done is asked.” I looked at him sidelong. “Is that what you wanted to hear?”
He shook his head balefully. “I don’t know. Unlike you, I have been waiting for this day for a very long time. It just feels…hollow for some reason.”
I stopped and stared at him. “What did you expect? That I was going to faint from overwhelming joy at the prospects of being lucky enough to be your wife? I hate to tell you this, but I don’t really even like you.”
He smiled. It spread along his face and even touched his eyes. How could my declaration possibly make him happy? He was definitely more messed up than I had originally thought.
He took my hands in his. His skin was clammy and sweaty which made me wonder if I actually made Roger Wayne nervous. Was it because he was near me or because of what he had been asked to do to me?
“That’s more like it,” he said.
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