Before I could manage to move, I felt the crack against my opposing cheek, and I realized I was just endowed with a second slap to the face. The cracking noise sounded like a baseball getting knocked out of the park.
Perhaps I’d gotten used to taking these blows. I almost surprised myself when I didn’t falter from the hit.
Instead, I took action and rose. The surface was soft beneath my feet and I realized I stood on the bed. I opened my eyes again to find an angry shade of red dressed in a black slinky cocktail dress.
“What did you do to him?” Her words echoed off the vacant walls.
Managing an upper hand over Ziona was impossible for me, but I felt like I had a slight advantage standing over her. I had a greater chance of at least protecting myself from that vantage rather than curled up on the floor.
My eyebrows crashed together at the bridge of my nose before my left brow spiked up.
“Your charade is wearing thin with me, girl.” Ziona paced back and forth. “Come down from there. You look like an idiot.”
I might have felt like a perched crane at that moment, but… “I think for now I’ll stay right here.”
“Suit yourself. You do know if I want to hurt you, I will. No matter where you choose to stand or cower in this room. There is only one way out of here alive, and I think you know what it is.”
I still wasn’t convinced that I had what she was looking for. All I had were rumors of my existence. Would confessing to her my ability to travel away from my body, my possession of a magical pendant amalgamated with my flesh, or my potential to control the elements be enough to please The Taker? I hated that I was tempted to find out.
At the end of the day, these might not be the powers The Taker was so convinced I possessed or would possess. Then what? They weren’t letting me walk out of there to go back to my old life—which, from the looks of my apartment, they’d already started to work on disassembling.
Clap! Clap! Ziona smacked her hands together.
“Focus! Do you ever stop daydreaming?” Her frustration caused her to stumble over her words. “I don’t know the details of what happened in here with you and Anton Leviath. What I do know is he hurt you. That is what he does.
“The man has lived for well over a thousand years. He came here and had his fun with you and that very night he wound up dead. I do not believe in coincidences, Kasha.” Taking a break from her pacing, she glared at me through her narrowed eyes.
“We don’t know how he was killed, yet. Since his thought-to-be-fireproof body was burned to a crisp, it might be hard to determine his cause of death. We will find out how it happened. I have some of my most valued associates investigating this.
“If I find out that you, in any way, did something to him when he was in here, you will pay. You will pay a very hefty price. I will see to it myself.”
I relaxed my stance a bit, but not so much to suggest weakness. She looked way too done-up to let herself get dirty by taking this to the next level, at least not on this occasion.
“I’m afraid you’re overestimating me. I’ve never even so much as killed a fly.”
“Ha-ha. That is hilarious.” Ziona looked down at her long red nails. She gently swept her opposing fingers over the nails of her other hand. Probably making sure she didn’t chip her polish on my face.
While she was composing her thoughts and admiring her manicure, I noticed a bit of a shimmer in the far corner of the room. My heart skipped a beat.
“You’re lucky I have somewhere I need to be. I don’t want to dirty myself dealing with you tonight.” She brought my attention back on her. “I will be back tomorrow. There is a good possibility I won’t be alone either. There is someone who has been waiting to meet you.”
“What? Who…?” I lost my train of thought when I realized the shimmer had taken shape into a most handsome statuesque version of Graven. My heart started to do somersaults into my stomach. I felt a surge of excitement start in my chest and splinter off, filling my body with hope.
He put his finger to his lips to make sure I didn’t say anything. He then pointed two fingers to his eyes and then at Ziona. I raised my chin up just enough to let him know I understood and replaced my gaze on Ziona.
My body shook due to the emotional swells rising inside me.
Ziona tilted her head in examination; she noticed my change in demeanor. Lucky for me, she’d just threatened me.
“You should be shaking in your shoes. Which, by the way, are really ugly. If you get your shit straight and figure out what is best for you, I am going to take you shopping for a new pair of shoes, something to show off those powerful long legs of yours.” She waved her fingers at my legs.
I heard Graven snicker behind her. I fought every ounce of myself to not turn in his direction. If only I had as much restraint with being captured by his laughter. A giant closed-lipped smirk spread against my will.
Without notice, she kicked up her skirt and lunged at me. My feet were up in the air and there was nothing I could do to stop it. A gust of energy shot at me. I felt Graven and his intense presence come flying across the room.
I looked up and saw him standing in front of me. At some point, his image shifted because he was in gargoyle form. His chest was heaving and his shoulders were bulging forward. He was in an attack stance.
“I am not so funny now, am I?”
My mind began to swirl out of control. Ziona stood over me with her hand on her hip.
“No!” I followed it with a whisper. “Don’t, please.”
My words were for Graven, not Ziona. I wasn’t sure what he could do in this state. One thing I knew was that she could not see him. I needed it to stay that way. He would put us both in a whole new level of danger if she knew he was there.
I reached up with my hand in an attempt to touch him, to calm and ease his response to my attack. I never expected to make contact with anything. Technically, I don’t think I touched him, but I could feel him there and I knew he could feel me too.
Graven lowered his shoulders. Just as he moved off to the side, Ziona smacked my hand out of the way.
“What are you doing? You are so peculiar. One minute you have the nerve to laugh in my face and the next you lie there begging me. Gah!” She whipped around and her black hair followed.
I stopped trying to figure out how she came and went. I just pushed myself up to my butt and leaned back against the wall. Even though she was out of sight, having Graven here brought about an emotional response that was going to be hard to hide. I just never knew who was watching me.
I looked into Graven’s eyes, desperate to connect with him. I was elated to see him here; that meant he knew exactly where I was. My prospects of seeing the light of day just got a whole lot brighter.
I closed my eyes and let my consciousness drift away from my body to join him there in the darkness.
I wanted to run to him and feel his embrace, but I just stood there. Thoughts filled my head, but the words never came. I was glad to see that Graven was in his human form again. Our eyes locked in on each other. It was like that was all we needed in that moment.
“You can shift while you’re projecting?” Really, Kasha? That’s what you say to this man?
Graven chuckled. “Yes, I can do a lot of things.” He double raised his eyebrows at me. My mind was instantly transported to naughty thoughts of his capabilities. I was glad he managed to lighten the mood.
“I bet you can. How are you here? I thought you were unable to sense me in here.”
“That was true until I managed to get myself inside the compound. Whatever they’re using to spell the place doesn’t keep out anyone once on the premises.
“I do not know how much time I have to talk. You know she could be back any minute. Although, she is quite particular about her appearance. I’m sure she will need to go freshen up after her last outburst.”
“I’ve noticed. I was so afraid you were going to do something to her and blow our cover.” I blew out a
giant sigh.
“Me too. It is my purpose to protect you. I can’t let anything else happen to you.” His eyes darkened. I wasn’t sure if I should be scared or excited by his declaration. “I’m just glad I know where you are now. That is the first step in getting you out of here.”
Graven was a breath away from me. Standing there entranced by him, I could feel my heart beating against my chest. Butterflies teased me from within. If I had my legs, they would’ve gone limp.
He raised his hand to my face. “You are everything I have spent my life working for. I won’t lose you before I even get to indulge in your presence. I have so much I need to share with you. I will protect you and teach you the ways of this world.
“I have been hiding inside myself, waiting for you. My soul has longed for its match many lifetimes over. I am not yet sure if my match is destined to be the same as the one I need to protect most. What I do know is that my heart is smiling at the opportunity to know you.
“As you are my witness, I vow my very existence to you. I will die in your honor if the challenge arises. Even then, the gates of hell will not stop me from keeping you safe.”
My jaw just about fell off my face. I’d never even heard someone say such things, not even in the movies or the best of romance novels. He left me speechless again. How we would get to know each other if I never said anything was beyond me.
“I, uh… don’t know what to say.”
“Don’t say anything. Just stay safe and keep up your strength. You are going to need it. I will try to see if there is a way of getting some food sent to you. I still need to figure out exactly where you are on the property. It is like a maze here. I’m going to try and see if I can retrace my route back to the main house.
“Do not leave here, no astral projecting,” he commanded. “I need you to be in this room so I can sense you. If you leave, I will be misguided. Please, I know it is hard to be in here, but it won’t be much longer.
“She is on her way back into the room now. Let me get back to deal with her and work on a plan. I also need to assess the level of security here. I will check back in with you as often as I can while I’m here.”
THIS WAS THE first time in a long time that I almost felt safe or at least had hope. I cautiously let some of my fears fall to the wayside. At that moment, I avoided the need to own the danger I was in. I let the dark blanket me and I drifted off to sleep.
“There’s my little treasure.”
I heard his voice before I was truly dreaming. I looked around me and there was nothing. All I could see, if I was seeing at all, was white. It looked like I was in a giant cube with six white walls. I got the sensation I was between the waking world and a state of dreaming.
His deep husky voice was something I would recognize anywhere. His words came out slow and silky smooth. I never met anyone else who always sounded like they were using their bedroom voice. He could seduce an apple into a pie.
I thought about the first time I heard his voice. The more I thought about that moment, the more my surroundings began to take shape. I could hear the steam blasting out of the espresso machine fluffing some steamy milk for someone’s latte. The cozy mismatched tables and chairs rose up on either side of me. The aroma of the coffee filled my senses. Just as I smelled the pastries, the front counter came into focus with the display of baked indulgences.
“Hello! Darling Kasha, over here.”
Turning to the right, I found him sitting in the corner at a table, waving me over.
Kaden had on the same outfit that he wore the day I went missing. I just loved the way that T-shirt showed off his perfectly sculpted body. The front of his shirt dipped just enough to show off the deep V created by his pectoral muscles. My eyes traced along his collarbone straight down that line between his muscles.
It was so hard to think straight when I was around him. I made my way over to the table, and a young girl dressed in a logoed tank and khaki shorts, carrying a tray of beverages and pastries, approached.
“I hope you don’t mind.” Kaden waved his hand toward the tray. “I took the liberty of ordering for us.”
I nodded. “Sure.”
“I got you a honey blueberry scone and a black lightning coffee.”
“Yummy. My favorites, how did you know?”
He winked at me and put his hand on top of mine.
“I have missed you. I have been waiting for you. Where have you been?”
“I’ve been kind of tied up.” I laughed to myself “I had some running around to do.”
“You seem different, somehow more relaxed. It looks good on you.”
We sat and filled our bellies with warm drinks and sweet confections. Even though I was eating, my stomach growled at me, begging for more.
“I can’t believe how hungry I am. I could eat like ten of these things.”
“I can make that happen. I can give you whatever you want. I just need you to tell me everything.”
A chill came over me.
“Everything? What do you want to know?”
“About your life. Tell me about your parents. Where did you grow up? Tell me about the gifts you got growing up.”
“Gifts?” Is he asking about my gifts, the powers I have? How would he know about that?
“Yes, like what was your favorite birthday present or the sweetest Valentine candy you ever had the pleasure of tasting. I want to know what makes you happy. I want to know what pleases you. Helping you find pleasure in life is what will fulfill my desires.”
A giggle escaped before my cheeks flushed. “I don’t know about my favorite Valentine’s candy, but I just love having caramel apples dipped in chocolate and rolled in nuts.”
I just said nuts. I wouldn’t mind biting on his apple. It would at least be a good spot to start before I worked my way down to enjoy his treasures.
He looked at me, possibly wondering if I was thinking about how delicious he is. A giant grin grew, showing me his pristine white teeth. I loved the way a small dimple appeared just south of his right cheekbone.
“Maybe we should get out of here. My home is a short walk from here,” I offered.
I OPENED MY eyes to find Kaden watching me sleep. His green crystal irises sucked me right in. There was nothing around me but him. He smiled down on me, melting away all my walls.
He pushed my hair away from my face. “Good morning! Did you sleep well?” He gently placed two tender kisses on my eyelids.
“Yes, of course I did. I was dreaming about you. How can it not be a good night of sleep with you there with me?”
“Very nice,” he purred. “I love being with you,” rolled off his tongue in a hoarse whisper.
I rolled into him and put my hand upon his smooth chest. His skin felt cool to the touch, like a piece of unpolished marble. Strangely, the sensation of touching him made my body heat from the inside out. I was so hot for him I wanted to rip off the covers and whatever else might separate us.
“Tell me about your dream. What were we doing?” he asked.
“We weren’t doing anything except being us. We were at the coffee shop where we first met. You told me about how you wanted to fulfill my deepest desires and spoil me with the sweetest treats.”
“That sounds like it wasn’t really a dream. How about you tell me how I can please you right now?”
The creases just outside Kaden’s eyes crinkled. They hungered for me. His body seemed to grow so he could get closer to me. A sound erupted from deep within him. There was something so familiar about the sound. I had a flash of déjà vu.
“Kaden, do you dream about me? I mean, do you think if I’m dreaming about you, you’re dreaming about me too?”
He pulled away from me, his face suddenly flat, and everything around me went black.
MY EYES FLUTTERED open to the darkness. This time I knew for sure I was awake and alone. What a strange sensation—dreaming about dreaming. I didn’t think I’d ever woken up in a dream to only still be dreaming.
&
nbsp; Even though it was just a dream, I had an unsettling sensation about the look on Kaden’s face just before I woke. At least the rest of the dream was as sexy as always. It would be nice if my dreams could last long enough to actually take our fake relationship to the next level. How could I not laugh at myself?
I hoped I wasn’t sleeping too long. I would hate to have missed a visit from Graven, my real-life knight in shining armor, or should I say stone? Maybe I was just projecting my feelings for Graven toward this Kaden guy while my mind was at rest. Except Graven was a more mature and refined piece of sculpted hotness.
Time with Graven had been so fleeting. I wondered what it would be like to actually be in his physical presence. I hoped I didn’t make a fool of myself with my awkwardness and continuous tongue-tied actions.
Oh, I just realized… He just saw me for the first time. His first eyewitness experience of Kasha in the flesh, and I was covered in grime with matted hair and a filthy face. How disappointed he must have been with me compared to my polished astral version. I suddenly found myself embarrassed.
Gram wouldn’t want me to ever think less of myself, even if I was a bit of a mess. As Patience told me, I had to keep my chin up. If you don’t believe in yourself, how can anyone else? Confidence is like sales: the more you believe in what you’re selling, the better you can sell it.
Speaking of selling it… I needed to make sure I could still sell the idea to Ziona that I was just some clueless college girl. Even though I’d handled the revelation that there are supernatural beings with an assortment of varying powers, my face needed to show astonishment at whatever Ziona threw at me next.
I considered giving her some kind of hint or clue that I knew something. If they got to a point where they believed the veil of lies I’d hung, I would be in trouble. If I had nothing to offer them, my stay could be ended, literally. Phaela and Patience warned me against showing any of my cards and to make sure I didn’t attempt to practice accessing the elements. I wasn’t sure there was a right answer.
Taken (Breaking the Darkness) Page 18