Haeven

by S. M. Bowles

  Merry didn't seem to have any doubts, "Jesus, Colin! This is hardly the time!"

  "Hey! You can't blame a guy for trying."

  I laughed at them both, "It's OK. I do love Herrik. I've always loved him."

  Neither of them seemed to have much to say after my confession and it made me a little uncomfortable. I wanted to ask if they disapproved somehow but I didn't have the courage. When we finally did start talking again it was Colin who was the first to venture a word or two.

  "Well, it's getting late and I have a few things I need to do before morning," he said. "I'm sure Daemon will be back any moment now. Do you mind if I take off for a bit?" Colin laid a hand on my shoulder.

  "Not at all. Thank you for sitting with me so long," I smiled up at him.

  After he left Merry stood up as well. "Colin's right. It is getting late."

  "Oh," I suddenly realized what was wrong with each of them. They had put their own needs aside and spent nearly the entire night with me. "I understand," I assured her.

  "Is there anything you need before I go?"

  "No. I think I'll just take Ares out real quick then try and get some rest," I yawned and stretched. Ares perked up when he heard his name and came over hoping to discover why he was needed.

  "Maybe I should come with you," she said though she looked somewhat hesitant. "Daemon didn't want you to leave the building."

  Finn happened to be walking by as she said it, "I can take her."

  To me he seemed to appear from nowhere but either Merry didn't think anything of it or she was too anxious to get away to have noticed. She gratefully accepted his offer. "Oh, thanks, Finn," and said goodnight to us.

  I felt somewhat hesitant but didn't really see the harm since Ares would be with me.

  "So they haven't gotten back yet, huh?" Finn asked as we got on the elevator.

  "No," I sighed, "and as far as I can tell no one has heard from them either."

  "Well, you shouldn't worry. It wouldn't be the first time one of us has had to spend a day out there," he waved his arm.

  "Yeah," I bit my lip. "It's just hard not knowing."

  Once we were outside we let Ares wander off to take care of whatever business he had. While we waited for him to return Finn tried apologizing to me for being so persistent in his earlier questioning when we were all talking about Haeven and who might still be there.

  "It's OK," I assured him.

  "I guess I'm just feeling a bit apprehensive about getting involved in all of this, for Davit, for myself and all the people we share our lives with here."

  "That's perfectly understandable," I did my best to sound sympathetic.

  "And even if we don't go with Daemon when he tries to rescue his father and your brother," his voice changed and there was an odd shift in Finn's demeanor, "if he fails, we all fail. Once she knows of us, Freya and her people, they will come after us won't they? She will kill us all...kill us all for helping you and Daemon!"

  "What are you saying, Finn?"

  "What am I saying!? What I'm saying is that I can't...I won't let that happen!" he lunged for me.

  When I woke I found that I was slumped over, the side of my head pressed firmly against the passenger window of the car I was in. The sun was just peeking over the horizon and I could barely lift my head to see it I was so weak. I tried to sit up but when I did I suddenly realized that my hands and feet were bound with what appeared to be the seat belt.

  "Awake are we?" Finn chuckled. He reached over and grabbed a handful of fabric from my shirtsleeve and wrested me upright.

  "Oh, God, Finn! What are you doing?"

  "Just protecting my self-interests."

  "Whatever you're planning it won't work," I said calmly, decisively.

  "I'll take my chances. Your friend Carah seemed to think giving you to Freya was worth the risk. I shouldn't think it would matter if you came from her or from me."

  "And what do you expect to get in return?"

  "A free pass for me and Davit when Daemon tries to take Haeven."

  I shook my head, "She might make a deal with you but you're sadly mistaken if you think Freya will honor such an agreement." Finn didn't respond and after a few moments I confidently added, "She'll kill you the moment you hand me over." He looked a little nervous by my assertiveness. "You didn't think this through, did you? Well, it doesn't really matter at this point. You have to either take your chances with Freya or hope that Daemon will forgive you. For what it's worth I'd put my faith in Daemon if I were you."

  Finn just clenched his jaw and shortly after our conversation he parked the car and ushered me into a non-descript, cottage style home. It was obviously too late for Finn to take me to Freya right away so he locked me in one of the closets and there I spent the day. I tried to escape my bonds and called out every half hour or so hoping that some passerby would hear me. Wherever we were, though, it must have been remote. There were no sounds from traffic or any other common, suburban noises, just the occasional bird call and a creak or two from the otherwise silent house.

  I tried to stay alert but found myself dozing off more than once. I was hungry and thirsty and my muscles ached from being unable to stand and stretch them for so long. After a while I actually began to wish that Finn would come back just so I could have a chance to move for a moment. It seemed like an eternity before the sliver of light that shone through the crack beneath the door became a shadow again.

  Soon after the sun went down Finn returned. Without a word he dragged me to my feet and shoved me towards the open doorway. Apparently he was in a hurry and more determined than ever to go through with his plan. After he took the wheel he seized my wrist, "Show me where to go!"

  "I don't know the way," I confessed.

  "Yes, but you've seen it! Now show me or I'll force it from you if that's what you'd prefer!"

  I reluctantly opened my mind and shared the images of the many drives to and from Haeven on the occasions that I had been out with Herrik. It was apparently enough and nodding Finn started the car and got us on our way again.

  It seemed to take much longer than I would have expected. Finn grew more and more annoyed as the hours passed. He stopped several times to take another look at my memories and at one point he got so annoyed I thought he would break my wrist when he couldn't learn anything new.

  "I'm sure Freya would prefer me in one piece," I growled when the pressure of his fingers grew close to unbearable.

  "Fuck!" he screamed and punched the steering wheel with clenched fists. "Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!"

  He muffled his anger and started driving again. Before long I began to recognize my surroundings as they zipped by and knew that we were near the access road that would bring us to the compound.

  "We're close," I mumbled hoping to soothe him further.

  I tried hard not to think about my circumstances. There was nothing I could do to prevent Finn from following through with his intentions. I had told Daemon that Freya would not kill me right away, that she would need to gloat, and all I could do was pray that I was right.

  "Oh, Herrik!" my mind whispered, "How has it come to this? If there is anything left of you, if you can hear me," I found myself concentrating, "I want you to know that no matter what happens I still love you."

  I saw the gates rising up and was surprised by the number of guards stationed in front of them. It all looked so different than what I remembered. The foliage had not been cleared away and the new growth seemed just about to overwhelm the narrow road that led into the garage.

  "Say one word and I will end this now, understood?"

  I nodded.

  Finn pulled to a stop in front of the guards. Though there was some light filtering through from the garage it was too dim to make out any details. I wondered who the guards were and if I happened to know any of them or if they would recognize me. I kept waiting for something to go wrong, for Finn's plan to prove utterly in vain. Nothing unexpected happened though. After a brief conversation with one of t
he guards explaining who he was and what he was doing there Finn was told to wait while they verified what they should do.

  Several minutes later the gates slid back and we were waved on through. Finn was directed to a parking space near the elevator and there were two guards waiting there presumably to take us to Freya. It was strange being in the compound again. It should have been a happy occasion for me to see my adopted home again as well as some of the friends and acquaintances I knew there. Then there was the possibility of seeing Herrik.

  I was so nervous by the idea and excited by it, too. I couldn't help smiling and giddily looked from first one then to the other of the guards. For a moment I thought I recognized the second and that he flashed a brief grin back at me but my heart assured me that I must have been mistaken.

  We rode in silence all the way down to the garden level where Herrik's and my old apartments were. The first of the guards took me by the elbow and the second nudged Finn in the direction we were supposed to go. As I expected we were led down the hallway towards Herrik's apartment.

  I looked around anxious to see all my favorite and familiar things but I was disappointed to find that it was all slowly going to ruin. The floors that once gleamed were dull and dirty and so were the chairs, tables and other accent pieces along the way. They all seemed to be resting under a thick layer of dust and littered with various bits of debris.

  The once brightly lit hallway was dreary as well. It seemed as though no one bothered to replace the bulbs if they happened to blow out and the ones that still worked cast an eerie rather than a welcoming glow. The offices and common rooms were all dark but I imagined them to be in similar disrepair.

  My face fell as I took it all in, it was absolutely heartbreaking to see all the majesty of Haeven veiled beneath a layer of filth. Though I feared the worst for the garden and vowed not to look as we went by I couldn't help turning my eyes towards it. It was certainly no longer the lush, inviting and well-manicured retreat it had once been. Now it looked like a chaotic jungle of untamed growth.

  As we neared the door to Herrik's apartment I quickly remembered why I was there and all my sadness turned to fear. There was a keypad outside the door which had not been there before. One of the guards pressed the buzzer to let whoever was beyond know that we were there and seconds later the latch clicked and the door was shoved wide.

  I was again overcome by the dilapidation but the guards were suddenly as anxious as I was and they hurried us towards the council chamber. It wasn't hard to imagine why and I quickly guessed that they feared their new mistress as much as I did. They probably couldn't wait to be done their duty and escape her presence.

  Once we were in the council chamber I noticed that the magnificent oval table had been removed and in its place a make-shift dais had been set up with one of Herrik's antique wing chairs as the centerpiece and various plants and vases hemming it in to make it look as though it was some sort of throne. There was a long oriental style runner leading up to it with four armed guards, two on either side of the carpet and sitting in the chair was Freya. To her right and standing a foot or so behind her was Herrik.

  I tried to stand my ground and so did Finn, suddenly realizing that I might indeed have been right and he hadn't thought things through well enough. The guards forced us forward as Freya gazed down at us from her perch. Her expression was absolutely unreadable. I had expected to see her triumph clearly written but if it was there it was indistinguishable. Trembling I gazed up at Herrik but he just stood there like an imposing statue devoid of life, devoid of emotion.

  Freya cocked her head at me and smiled. I didn't know what to make of it until she glanced over her shoulder and someone stepped out of the shadows to stand in the empty space to her left.

  "Welcome home, Emily," Artur said. "We've missed you."

  Chapter 23

  I didn't want to believe it! It couldn't have been possible. Avery and Daemon and the others had been so sure that they knew where Artur was but they must have been wrong. "How could they have been wrong?" I wondered. "Or...oh, no...did they find him..." I glanced up at Artur, "could he have known they were coming for him? Was he waiting? Did he kill them?" my thoughts came one after another.

  There was no way for me to know. After he came forward and spoke Artur just stood there, very much like Herrik, expressionless, emotionless.

  My disbelief must have been clearly written in my face, "You look surprised and a touch...disappointed," Freya stood up.

  She slowly moved towards me and though my impulse was to run and hide I was paralyzed. I couldn't turn myself or even just my gaze away I was so stricken by her as she approached. When she was near enough Freya took my chin in the tips of her fingers and peered into my eyes. Instantly, instinctively I tried to cover up everything I was thinking.

  "Still up to your old tricks, huh? No matter...I could have your thoughts if I wanted them," she bared her fangs at me challengingly. "However, I don't think there is any chance you could cause much harm at this point," she looked meaningfully at the marks Finn had left on my neck then turned confidently from Artur to Herrik, "since you are so sorely at a loss for friends and allies."

  She seemed to frown as she gazed at Herrik and I wondered if they shared some secret exchange or if she was simply trying to get a sense of whatever it was he may have been thinking or feeling. After taking a deep breath she lifted her chin and turned her gaze on Finn.

  "What was it you wanted in return for bringing me this sweet gift?" her smile was full of false charm.

  "D...Davit," Finn mumbled. "I want you to..."

  Freya interrupted him before he could finish, "Oh, yes...Davit," she motioned to one of the guards who hurried off.

  Finn tried to speak again but Freya held her hand up and his mouth snapped shut.

  There were several moments of confusion as we waited for Freya to make whatever point she was trying to make. While she was distracted by Finn I looked longingly from Artur to Herrik and wished there was some way to break whatever hold Freya apparently had on each of them. I couldn't keep my eyes on Herrik for very long for fear that I would have an uncontrollable emotional outburst and in desperation launch myself at him heedless of the consequences.

  But Artur.

  The longer I looked at him the less he appeared like Herrik. He didn't have the same aura of stupefaction that Herrik seemed to have and as soon as the thought crossed my mind his eyes seemed to twinkle with mirth in the dim light.

  "I'm delusional!" I thought.

  Then we heard the guard Freya had sent off returning and the foolish hope I had just had was completely forgotten when I realized he had someone with him. There was a great deal of protest and cursing as he approached and while I strained my eyes and ears I quickly learned why. He and another guard each had a hold of Davit's feet and they were dragging Davit along behind them. His hands were bound with thick shackles that had vicious little barbs wrought into the cuffs and despite the obvious pain and discomfort he felt Davit fought them every step of the way.

  "Fucking cowards!" he bellowed. "Take these off and I'll show you what I think of your shit-forsaken little coven of whore-worshippers!"

  Freya shook her head disappointedly, "Stand him up."

  As soon as he was on his feet Davit caught sight of Finn. "You! You son of a bitch!" he lunged away from the guards and tried to wrap his chains around Finn's neck. "I trusted you! I loved you! How could you betray us all like this! You worthless piece of shit!"

  Finn opened his mouth to explain but Davit launched a projectile of spittle at him. Tearful and ashamed Finn turned away as the barrage of insults continued.

  "Enough!" Freya commanded. "Why don't you two run along and settle your lover’s quarrel in private?"

  As soon as the words were out of her mouth two new guards seized Finn and before he could fight himself free, he, too, found himself shackled. Then Davit and Finn had their knees knocked out from under them and they both left the same way Davit had come.
I felt a spasm of satisfaction knowing I had been right about Freya and that she had no intention of striking any deals of honor.

  "Now, then," Freya sighed melodramatically as she played at being exhausted from her confrontation with Finn. "We've had quite a few unexpected guests these past two nights and Herrik and I are finding that we are sorely at a loss for ideas as to how to entertain them all. Though," she eyed Herrik appreciatively and I felt my stomach turning with anger and revulsion, "we don't seem to have any trouble entertaining one another."

  Dazedly he took a step towards her then another. On the third he appeared to stumble and I saw a flash of anger raging in Freya's eyes. Then Herrik slowly, "Reluctantly," I wondered, knelt down in front of her. She took his face in her hands and he gazed up at her longingly. Herrik seemed to have no will but Freya's and when she pressed her lips to his he wrapped his arms around her waist and passionately kissed her back.

  Freya pulled away and when she did Herrik laid his head against her thigh while she stroked his hair as though she was comforting a lost child. It was devastating to witness and I felt my insides crumbling when I realized the depth of the power she held over him.

  "Herrik?!" I whispered in heartbreak and disbelief, his name coming out in an airy tremor.

  "Now what was I saying...ah, yes...entertaining. Carah...Davit...Finn...Evan...hmm...who else? I seem to have forgotten though I'm sure there was someone else...a Mary or some other horrid name of the sort. She was with a striking fellow named..."

  "Wyatt," Artur offered.

  "Yes, that's it!" she glanced over her shoulder, "Thank you, Artur. Anyway, Herrik and I," she gazed lovingly down at him, "would like to know if we should expect anyone else to drop on by. It would be a pity if we were to make plans and for anyone to be left out."

  "There's no one else," I mumbled.

  "Are you sure?"

  Herrik lifted his eyes to mine. It was the first time he had looked at me since I was brought to the council chamber. I felt like he was imploring me but whether it was to say something or to say nothing I honestly didn't know.