“What do you want, Tabitha? It’s obvious you’ve been using me from the start. Why not try to be honest this time around?”
A snarl sounded from her chest but her words were less volatile. “Let’s take a walk outside.”
I stood and took my plate to the sink and finished the last bit of my water before I put the cup down. The only way I could go outside was with supervision, so I guessed Tabitha would qualify or she wouldn’t have offered. No way would I turn that down. I wanted to scope out the outdoors as much as I could while planning my escape. I would not stay here forever.
I looked into Tabitha’s eyes and responded. “I’d love to.”
She cackled a scary witchy laugh and turned to lead me out of the kitchen. Funny. She didn’t seem as beautiful as I used to think. Must have had something to do with her lies.
The hallways were large enough for us to walk side by side, but I still shuffled behind a little. I didn’t have any clue how to find my way through Leo’s house so I let her lead me. We came to a door at the end of a hallway guarded by a brute of a man.
“Hi there, little missy. Any chance of letting me nibble on you later?” I stood stunned, assuming he must have spoken to Tabitha. After I caught the daggers she threw at me with her gaze, I realized he was indeed speaking to me. Surprise curled around me like electricity. Tabitha had always been the one to draw the looks and attention from men. Even I had fallen prey to her charms. Now, I was the one soliciting attention. It drove her crazy.
I looked up at the door guard. “It’s possible.” I smiled big and sweet for him.
He stood to the side with a big grin as we walked through the door. He did grab a feel of my ass.
“Hey!” I protested. Being admired wasn’t as great as I thought it would be.
“See you later, sweetheart.” And his chuckle disturbed my ears until we escaped to the gardens.
I had never actually been into the gardens but I had seen a part of them from one of the windows in my hallway. It mystified me to realize that something so beautiful could be in a place filled with people that wreaked such havoc on the world. Scented flowers kissed my nose while green leaves floated by. Lush gardenias teased my skin as my hands reached out to the bushes.
“He doesn’t really love you.” Sharp words pierced the air and seemed out of place here amongst all this beauty.
Was she talking about the brute, Leo, or Alexander?
“Who do you mean?” I continued to graze my hands over the soft petals in the leafy bushes. I didn’t even give her the satisfaction of looking up at her comment. She wouldn’t hurt me anymore.
“Any of them, Layna. Especially Leo. The only reason he wants you is because of your magic. It’s what you are, not who you are that attracts him. At least, I knew when he was with me, he wanted me.” Bitch. She was scraping for anything now that Leo had me here, so she sought out a way to bring me down with her. Unfortunately for her, I couldn’t get any lower. My soul had been emptied and beyond. In fact, the sandwich I just ate started to create a little bile in my throat. I swallowed and knew not to let Tabitha get the best of me. Her words might have hit the mark, but I didn’t have to give her credit for it.
“What’s your point, Tabby?” Getting under her skin by using that childhood name had been low and petty of me, but this was what I resorted to. A large grin creased over my face.
I continued to stroll, aware that Tabitha followed, and suddenly halted for a sweet and musky smell that took over my emotions. Lashes touched as my eyelids rested together, my legs wobbled and I found strength in a wooden bench next to the flowers. I reached out to lay my fingers against the soft candlelight color of the petal. I could see this flower without my eyes, and knew it just from the smell. Lilies had found their way to me in a plethora of ways over my life time. It didn’t make me sick this time, just thoughtful.
I knew he was there before I opened my eyes and turned. His warm hands came down on my shoulders.
“Do you remember?” Leo’s voice suddenly destroyed the bliss of my sweet smelling flower. He brought a bitter pungent scent to everything.
“I do. Why the lilies?” I would be a fool to not realize that there had to be significance in all of this. The first month we had known each other, Leo had brought me lilies. I had delighted in it at the time, thinking it unique—now I wondered the scheme behind it all. As things unfolded, it seemed everything had been intentional. In fact, he had been the one that first gave me the lily and coconut scented creams. I played right into his plans.
I turned my body to face him and saw that Tabitha had disappeared. His arms wrapped around my neck and pulled me into his chest.
“I planted these lilies here after we met, and knew one day I would bring you here. This is for you, Layna, everything I put in place for the family we would create.” I swallowed. Fear shivered over my skin and Leo mistook it for cold and held me closer. “The lilies are healing plants and they came from the Goddess Hera when she nursed a baby. You are a healing gift to us and the baby you and I make will fulfill many destinies. It will bring good into this world and get rid of the hate between Hunters and Healers. This family of ours will change the world. Tell me you want this. We can do great things together and I love you. I promise to love our baby or babies, however lucky we get.”
Honest to goodness, he smirked. Had he just proposed? I sat back and looked up into his stormy eyes, although they looked more like a calm ocean now.
Marissa told me I would have to make a big choice. This decision bordered on insanity, but I could see the good things that would come from it. Leo’s words rang true. I could save lives and have a partner. Maybe I would never be entangled in the way Alexander and I had joined, but that probably was for the best. This obsession I had for him weakened me and broke me all over again. I could have a good life.
Tears of sadness spilled over my lashes onto my cheeks.
“What do you want me to do?” Slammed up against a wall with no choices, I heard my defeated voice fill the cool air. A couple of months ago a life with Leo would have been exciting, scary still, but definitely a possibility. Everything had changed now. We weren’t the same people. I didn’t know how I felt about that yet, but I did know I had already put all my hope of happily ever after on Alexander. He had traded it for some stupid stick, so yeah, apprehensive feelings leaked out of my pores. Trust had never settled over my skin comfortably and it sure as hell didn’t now. Especially after everything I had known in my life flipped upside down. Leo stood here and offered me what he thought to be a good thing and in my mind I simply felt betrayed. Nothing felt right, but this option seemed the best choice for now. I would not get hurt again because I went into it with my eyes wide open. He just wanted my magic. They all did.
Leo’s face lit up like he had just won big on a slot machine. Not really the way I wanted to be admired, but beggars couldn’t be choosers, and these were the options. One hand tangled in my hair and the other gripped my hip. Could you even trust a person that had a slot machine smile?
“I want to show you how special you are. Would you like to do something good?” I could hear the catch in his voice. Leo was trying to smooth talk me into something he would benefit from. I heard it in the tone of his words, but right then I just didn’t care.
I looked into that dangerous face and made a decision. “Yes.”
We walked together through the gardens, but not in the way we came. I thought about my lilies. The snow colored petals all around protected a tough pistil in the center. That aptly fit my character. Somehow the smell lingered with strong and soft notes, not quite equal, but I was never sure which one threw the balance over.
After passing through the gardens we ascended onto a small hill. At the top a door hid itself by small bushes and Leo opened it with a gesture for me to go down.
I stood there puzzled, wondering if the bushes were artificial. How else would they grow without roots in the ground? I also did not feel enough trust towards Leo to wa
lk down into a black hole in front of him.
“Are you sure this is safe?” I playfully looked up and laughed nervously. I didn’t want to portray that I was afraid of him, simply that I feared enclosed spaces.
“I would never want to hurt you. If there was any way of you being hurt, I would not allow you in.” Strong words that meant to sway me in his direction. No, I didn’t trust him, but my self preservation dwindled now and I thought death might be good. Or whatever existence he had brought me to. I would be their Healer and spend my life healing those that would kill others. It alarmed me that it still hurt when I thought my emotions had gone numb.
I stepped in and walked down the stairs.
Soon after I heard his footsteps follow.
The steps ended and suddenly light shocked my eyes. I paused and looked back until Leo stepped down with me. He grabbed onto my hand and we walked together down the long hallway. I searched for anything to distract my attention but we were surrounded by cold white walls everywhere and closed doors. I could feel the Hunters behind the doors and my natural instinct urged me to send out painful magic that would destroy. It took strong mental power to fight the urges and not eviscerate everyone in the building. I wondered if Leo even knew I could do that. He didn’t seem worried at all, so my gut told me no. Although, he had known more about me than I had even known, so I wouldn’t put it past him.
We stopped at a door and he let go of my hand. His hands rubbed up and down my arms softly.
“Are you ready to go in there, Layna? This room is filled with Hunters, and I know your instinct is to harm them. Can you fight it? I don’t want to have to drug you again.” Bastard. Vengeance rolled through my veins. How could I have thought for one second that being with this man would be in any way okay? Leo would hurt me in a moment if it would help his cause. Just like Alexander—they dropped you when it benefited them.
“Everything’s fine. I’ve got it under control.” Yeah, fine— fucked up, insecure, neurotic and emotional. I had been honest, too bad if he didn’t know what fine meant.
Leo twisted the door open and I felt the impact of all their pain. It shocked me at first because I had been sure that my senses would have been overthrown with evil and I would have killed them all, no matter what I had said to him before we came in the room.
“They hurt. I can feel it.” The words escaped my lips even as I clasped my hand over my mouth to stop them from coming. It was too late and he saw my weakness. I felt their pain. I knew they inflicted pain, but yet feeling their hurt bothered me. They had feelings.
“You can help them, Layna. It’s a gift. To be able to take pain away from others.” His words caressed over my senses and guided me to the ones in pain. I could help them. That had to be good, right? The snakes still crept into my mind but I found myself kicking them out and then I was shocked by the power that I held. I knew they were bad, but they hurt and it made me ache. I just wanted it to go away.
He brought me to a bed with a man, eyes closed. My hands reached out to hold him and before I knew what happened the healing magic took hold of me. I didn’t even know what ailed him, but my soul felt it and wanted to heal it. Peacefulness erupted over everything in my vision. Anything that felt this good had to be right. Or so I convinced myself in that moment.
Leo continued to guide me around the room to others that lay in similar beds and I continued my healings. I healed until I couldn’t see anything anymore. My body started to protest from the energy that had been depleted. Not being able to see hindered me and it became apparent to him when I stumbled over anything in my way.
“What’s wrong?” His concern stemmed from my inability to continue his little project.
“I can’t see. The amount of power I’ve used has robbed my body of vision. I’m just guessing that this will continue until I pass out.” I imagined him carting me around the room in wheelchair until I completed the task at hand.
Hands wrapped around my face.
“Why wouldn’t you tell me this harmed you? Didn’t I tell you I never wanted anything to hurt you, Layna? You need rest, we can come back later.” Blackness ensued, but his arms scooped me up until I lay in his lap cradled like a child. Ironic? I felt like a child in this place. No one could save me.
He took me back to my room and left me there alone. I passed out and then woke. Tears consumed me. What had I become? The pain of those I had healed still haunted me in ways that were unexplainable to me. Had I absorbed their evilness? Healing them had left me feeling violated. My power had been used. It wouldn’t be the first time and I most certainly knew it wouldn’t be the last. This was what my life had become. I would be a tool for Leo.
The sunlight sparked on my heavy lids to alert me of a new day. How long had I slept? Thoughts crossed my mind, but answers didn’t seem important. Nothing mattered in this place. Opening my eyes, I realized I could see again.
Intent on becoming strong, I decided to go back to training until Leo decided to abuse my magic again. Being on the mats soothed me. It gave me control over a situation that had robbed everything from me. I beat the bag until energy escaped me. The looks from those around me continued to be constant in my peripheral vision. I think they all watched waiting for me to break. I wouldn’t break in front of them. No matter how much it hurt, I would not fall. They needed me, not the other way around. It crossed my mind to wonder how many of them knew about me. Had Leo kept me a secret? Surely he had from some of them, or they wouldn’t have tried to burn me up in flames when they lit my house on fire. I know he had said he had control over them now, but I didn’t believe that for a moment.
I was walking back to my room for a long shower when Leo stopped me.
“I want you to have dinner with me tonight.” The need in my body reared its ugly head. From the look on Leo’s face, he could smell it. He was a Hunter, after all. And, he hunted after me.
“Sure.” I knew it was inevitable. I would get out of this place, but not today. There was no way I would let the Hunters use me for their manipulations. I knew of the havoc they wreaked on the world, and even though Alexander had tried to get rid of me, I still belonged with the Healers. No need to share all that with Leo. Let him misplace his faith in me. It would work to my advantage.
“I left a dress in your room. I’ll come get you in an hour.” He tugged at my hand and brought it to his lips.
One hour later exactly, I opened the door to Leo.
His face went rigid at the sight of me and a bulge appeared in the center of his pants. I smiled. I hoped I could torture him for a while first. There I stood in the black strapless dress he had left for me. It was all he had left me. Leo attempted to readjust himself to no avail and finally reached out a hand to bring me closer.
“You see what you do to me. Now, just imagine what I’m going to do to you.” His words teased my body. But, everything else was empty and angry.
As we walked, soft skin between my thighs teased me into a fury. I had followed through with his mandate of just the dress to entice him, not realizing how provocative it was to me to walk around without a bra or panties.
He stopped suddenly and turned towards a door. This would be the first time he had brought me to his room. Even walking here now, I knew I would never find my way back. This house was like a maze.
The door opened and a little table sat with white linens and candles in the middle. I was pretty sure about ten of my rooms would fit in this luxury suite Leo had.
“Where are we, Leo? I mean in the world. I know we’re in your room.” He smiled.
“I want to tell you everything, but let’s go slow. It’s a lot for you to take in.” Pulling out a chair, he gestured for me to sit. Then he pulled his chair right next to mine and sat down.
“This is my house in the Haven. The Haven is where the Hunters are. We live and train here. Some of us have homes in the Haven and homes outside, like me.”
The thought of living a double life seemed exhausting.
Leo pulle
d the salad plates from the cart off to the side of this sitting area. We both started to eat.
“Did you always know you were a Hunter?”
“Always. I was born into this life. It’s awful to see that Healers would leave their children like your parents did to you. I’ve never heard of that happening with Hunters. We take what’s ours and hold on tightly.” The hunger in his eyes spoke full with his words. Yes, he would take me. But who knew how many other women he would take, too?
“Do all of you always take more than one woman?” Bitterness spilled over my tongue. I knew I had no right to be jealous, but I still cared. I started to pick up and eat the sweet red and orange peppers that sprawled all over my salad.
“Jealous? Good.”
“You’ve been sleeping with her the whole time, Leo! All this time with her, and lying to everyone else about it.”
“Tabitha doesn’t mean anything to me. I only did it to keep her happy.” He stood to retrieve our meal plates. Scallops and shrimp were covered in breadcrumbs and draped over pasta.
I distracted myself with the food temporarily.
“How do you live, knowing the way that you are destroying humankind? The constant sickness, the poisonous medicines…how do you do it?” I reached for a glass of wine that Leo had poured. The buttery chardonnay kissed away all the pain.
“I can’t help what I am, Layna. Any more than you can help what you are. What should I do? Turn away from the people and the life I’ve known?” Anger pulsed on his face, but something else. Was it guilt? A small part of him felt guilty. Maybe Leo wasn’t completely hopeless.
His small concession of guilt let my anger falter for just a moment. And that was all he needed. This Hunter pounced.
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