But, I wasn't normal. I could feel deep within me that I was far from normal. The same deep spot where I couldn’t seem to find a single ounce of fear toward Mycah. Not anymore. He saved my life and then healed my soul.
My eyes closed the same time my heart skipped a beat at the memory of Mycah’s delicate, warm fingers on my skin. The concentration in his scorching aqua eyes as they appraised me and his heavenly scent that wrapped around me.
I had to see him again. There was no way I could stay away now. I had so many questions to ask him. How did he do that to Ray? Did he fix my sculpture? I didn’t care what the answers were or if they were scary, I just wanted to know. I had to know.
With a smile, I clambered out of bed, feeling completely refreshed and determined. I laid a hand over my chest, trying to calm my racing heart. I grabbed my favorite faded black jeans and stood in front of my closet. I wanted to look nice. I fingered through the rack, looking for the perfect shirt.
I bit my lip, smiling at the prettiest shirt I had as I pulled it from the hanger. It was a white cotton, empire-waist shirt that tied in the back by thin strings. The ¾ length sleeves were made out of white eyelet lace, pulling the Victorian look together.
I slowly turned to look in the mirror, but my reflection startled me. I didn’t know why, but I was still expecting to see a black eye and bruises. I peered closer, bright violet eyes staring back at me. I slowly reached up to touch my left eye. No pain. No discoloring. Nothing.
So it was true. Mycah really did heal me. I knew he did on the inside, but now that the evidence was staring me in the face, there could be no doubt. Mycah was different. Very different. And I was okay with that.
I brushed the sleep out of my long, dark brown hair and clipped a part of the left side back, leaving the rest down. Using the tips I learned from Zaylie, I added a touch of mascara and light pink lip-gloss. I stepped back and assessed my work. I’d never tried or cared to impress a guy before, so I was suddenly filled with anxiety.
I grabbed my jacket, wallet, and cell phone just before reaching for the door. But, the sudden realization that Ray was just on the other side made me stop, hand left mid-air in front of the handle.
I completely forgot about him. I could no longer hear him snoring so he must have been awake. What was he going to say? What was I going to say? I couldn’t even comprehend what happened last night, let alone try to explain it to someone else if he asked. Was he going to be angry? Too many questions started to bounce around in my head, so I decided to be brave and face whatever waited for me on the other side of that door. It had to happen sooner or later, and I’d rather get it out of the way.
As I slowly and cautiously walked through the hallway, my heart betrayed my front of bravery as I grew more and more worried with each advancing step. My eyes stayed glued to the spot Ray had been lying in before, now empty.
But it didn’t matter. None of that mattered, because as I stood staring at the empty spot and relief just starting to come over me at the thought that maybe Ray wasn’t home, someone grabbed me.
With my body stricken and seized with fear, I tried to scream but couldn’t. One strong arm was around my waist holding me to them from behind, the other was forcefully holding cloth against my open mouth and nose. A strong smell of chemical burned my nose, assaulting my lungs and senses. As my head began to swim, I tried desperately to understand what was happening, but no answer made sense. Was this Ray? Was he going to finish what he tried to do last night and finally kill me? Mycah wouldn’t save my life, only to kill me the next day. I kicked and clawed for my freedom, but as hard as I fought against my captor and to stay conscious, I lost the battle.
A black cloth bag was put over my head, causing a whole new wave of panic to flood through me, just before my eyes fluttered closed.
Chapter Fifteen
~Naminé~
My bright green eyes stared intensely into his. It was like staring into something beautiful and majestic. Calen and I had been able to connect with him the first time we tried, like he had been waiting for a lifeline to bring him to safety. This was our fourth night in a row, and though I wasn’t sure if he knew this was real or thought it just a dream, I began to savor our time together. I knew I shouldn’t; I had a purpose for bringing us here, but the moment I beheld his presence I was captivated. I tried to talk to him, but he couldn’t understand me. It was certainly easier to reach him than the other, but I was still distressed that I was unable to convey any words.
Each night I brought him to my most beloved spot in all of Aselaira—through the thick Tiuka Forest with trees taller than much of the castle, past the old ruins of the tower of Barad that once held a sacred meaning for our people but now sat in shambles and forgotten. I had always acknowledged a strange yet welcoming pull when I passed the tower. I did not know why.
After you trekked up the mountain for about an hour, you would reach the most exquisite view of the Kingdom. A large grassy clearing filled with the most colorful lotes and calla lilies I had ever seen, all the way to the edge of the cliff overlooking the coast. There were large trees outlining the clearing, almost like they guarded over the place. Someone long ago had carved chairs into the several tree stumps that had been found there. They were facing the panoramic view of the majestic blue ocean. To your right stood the castle in the distance. It appeared dark and gloomy, though I knew there was a time when it was bright and beautiful. I had never seen it in my time, but I hoped I would someday.
I did not get to venture here often, for it had nearly been three cycles that my brother Cathar and I were last here. When we were youths, we would come to this place often. It was our peace amid the chaos. It was our sanctuary.
Although I did not remember every detail now, I used what I could in showing him this beauteous place. It had always eased my thoughts, lessened my burdens, and uplifted my soul. Perhaps I could help him feel that way too.
It felt like my heart was breaking, looking into his sad eyes. He tried to push toward me. He looked at me longingly, reaching for me, wanting to enhance the connection between us. I was almost right there in front of him, but we seemed like miles apart.
He suddenly looked down, slowly dropped to his knees, and covered his eyes with both his hands. He heavily sighed, shaking his head, and my heart shattered like broken glass, bursting in a million pieces. I ached to run and comfort him, but I could not move. I was desperate to convey to him to not give up, not give into the misery that surrounded him, but I could not speak.
He gently lowered his hands and groaned in defeat. I instantly willed myself to move, and ever so slightly I took a step toward him. As I took that tiny step forward, I sensed my mind clouding as if a dark shadow threatened to envelop me. I felt a sharp pain in my left temple, and I cried out to him. It caused him to look up, meet his eyes with mine, and we connected on a level so deep it actually hurt.
I did the only thing I could think of to convey my thoughts to him, to comfort and console him, to press him to continue on and not give up the fight. I gave him the biggest, sweetest, most tender smile I could master.
Chapter Sixteen
~Nari~
The Weeping Willow. Our Weeping Willow—mine and Rydan’s. Its long branches swayed back and forth in the wind, like they danced in the bright sun that shone through each leaf. As the branches touched the surface of the pond it sat next to, disturbing the peaceful water, the sounds of cicadas and crickets filled my ears. I was already lying down, so I began running my fingers through the soft green grass as the wind gently played with my hair. I inhaled deeply, taking in the crisp cool air that surrounded me. I felt at peace.
Where was Rydan?
The sudden thought of Rydan shot panic through my heart, and I felt like the wind was knocked out of me.
I forced my eyes open and tried to sit up but was unsuccessful. I couldn’t move my head, my arms, or my legs, as I lay staring at a big fluorescent white light.
I wasn’t lying in the safety of o
ur Weeping Willow tree like I had thought. As the memories of being held against my will and a bag put over my head came flooding back, the realization that I had been taken began to dawn on me.
For some reason, I couldn’t fully feel the terror I knew that I should be feeling. Instead, I felt supremely groggy and tired. I tried to look around, barely able to keep my heavy eyes opened, but all I could see was white walls and to my left a medical bag filled with a clear liquid hanging on a metal hook. A tube came from the bottom, and I knew without a doubt it was pumping drugs into me. I could feel the sting of the needle that was buried deep into my aching vein, and a wave of nausea ran through me. I had no idea how long I had been here, but the hard, cold metal surface I was forced to lie on gave me the impression it had been a long time, as every bone in my body ached.
I tried to open my mouth to call out, to scream, to demand I be let go, but no sound came from my extremely sore throat. I could feel hot tears escape the corner of my eyes as they ran down my cheeks, and just before unconsciousness overtook me once again, I thought of Rydan and our Weeping Willow tree, calling out to him in my mind, wishing he would save me.
The sensation of movement stirred my consciousness, but it felt like my mind and body were trapped in sleep, unable to fully wake up. I wanted to open my eyes, to move my body, but it was as if I were being forced to stay asleep. I was caught between awareness and unconsciousness, my own mind yelling at me to wake up, to open my eyes and to just get up, but I wouldn’t. I couldn’t.
“Secure the perimeter.”
“Quickly, quickly! Keep the sedation steady.”
“Otis, you ride with me and the girl. Maverick, you and your team take the male and cover our six.”
Where were they taking me? The sound of wheels rolling down concrete echoed with a mixture of voices surrounding every side of me, but I only faintly registered what was being said.
Was this another nightmare? It was hard to separate reality from imagination when my entire body refused to do anything but fall into a deep sleep. I told myself to move or to just open my eyes, but the extra thought seemed to only make it worse, and then before I knew it I had succumbed back into unconsciousness.
I desperately tried to open my eyes, but the blinding light was making it very difficult. Squinting, I could see a blurry male figure towering over me but couldn’t make out any features.
I tried to focus, wanting to demand I be freed, but I felt extremely weak and exhausted. I began to see that the man’s lips were moving and slowly understood he was yelling at me, but the loud ringing in my ears made it impossible to hear him. I again tried to move my own lips, willing them to obey, but it was no use.
Didn’t they understand that drugging me was pointless? Surely they could see they would get nothing out of me that way. I wanted to move, but my arms and legs felt like they weighed a thousand pounds. The man must've become impatient with me, because he suddenly grabbed my shoulders and shook me violently. What did they want from me? Would this nightmare ever end? I could barely hold my head up while I was thrashed back and forth.
The thought of being tortured like this for even a second longer sent adrenaline racing through me like liquid fire. The only release I could find, but desperately needed, was opening my mouth and screaming my lungs out. I screamed and screamed as loud as I could, and the rabid sound that came out of me not only scared the man that had once been towering over me, but slightly scared even myself.
In my mind I thrashed my head and body from side-to-side, wishing I were strong enough to break free.
“This isn’t working!” a cruel voice with a hard accent shouted, slightly waking me up. It was still extremely difficult to open my eyes or make any sort of movement. Whatever they were drugging me with, it made it impossible for me to wake up.
“I want everything flushed out of her system now!” he kept shouting, but I had yet to hear another voice. “Move her to the cage when you are done.”
“But sir, what if she is a threat? What if she cannot be contained just like he cannot?” another voice finally inquired. It had the same strange accent.
“If she was the same as him, she never would have lasted this long. She would have already been gone. I have no choice. This obviously isn’t working, and I need answers!” A loud thud echoed in the room, but I couldn’t tell what it was.
It vaguely registered what was happening around me. Strong, rough hands kept grabbing my arms or my head, doing who knows what. It was extremely unpleasant. I felt violated and exposed, hating every second that I was out of my own control.
There was nothing I could do or say, I had to just lie there half asleep and take whatever these people did to me. It was torture.
I could faintly feel myself moving, like I was flying through space. Logic told me they were probably just wheeling my hard bed somewhere else and I wasn’t actually in outer space. Right?
Finally, after a few minutes I stopped moving. A strong smell of salt snapped me awake, and I unconsciously shook my head.
“Wake up!” a menacing voice yelled, startling me and reminding me where I was. I tried to open my eyes, but I was afraid. I didn’t know what I was waking up to. I slowly realized my head was no longer restrained, but as I tried to move my arms and legs, they still would not budge.
“Open your eyes. We know you are awake,” an accented voice snarled, growing more irritated. He sounded German or Austrian maybe? I slowly opened my eyes, half expecting to see Arnold Schwarzenegger staring back at me. Instead, the look of disgust I met after he saw my eyes made me wince. The man was young, maybe in his late-twenties, and that surprised me. He was dressed in a black suit, white dress shirt, and black tie. His blond hair was slicked back with gel, and he had a rough look to his appearance with a crooked nose that claimed the middle of his face. His pale skin starkly stood out against the black of his suit.
He recovered from his disgust quickly and now stared at me with no specific expression or emotion at all. For some reason, that scared me even more.
“Let me go! What do you want from me?!” I tried to find my voice. “Help! Help!” I screamed, but it mostly came out raspy and unrecognizable. The man didn’t answer or even look bothered by my distress. He kept pacing the room, never taking his stoic eyes off mine.
“Wh-wh-” I tried to clear my throat, hating the fact I could hardly speak. “Who are you?” I eventually croaked out, pain stretching through my sore, raspy vocal cords. I was dying of thirst.
“You are in no position to be asking questions. Where is the Sindora?! Where is Mycah Nightly?” The venom that dripped from his voice as he said Mycah’s name sent chills through my body. I didn’t respond, partly because I didn’t know what he was talking about, but mostly because I was afraid to give anything away that could hurt Mycah.
“Answer me!” His sudden outburst had me reeling, trying to figure out what in the world this could all be about. Why was he asking about Mycah? And who was this S-S-Sin-whatever person? I’d never heard that name before. The man quickly came back to himself, clearing his throat and pulling at his shirt collar. I could tell he was trying very hard to stay calm.
He rushed over, putting both arms on either side of me with a look that could kill as he yelled, “Now!” so loud that my restrained arms instinctively pulled up but failed to cover my aching ears.
“I don’t know,” I finally said.
“How do you know him?”
“I don’t know him. I’ve only see him around a few times,” I protested, trying to sound convincing, since it basically was the truth anyway. I didn’t even know Nightly was his last name.
“You do not know him? Would you like to explain to me why he would risk exposing himself for a girl he does not know?” the man scoffed in disbelief.
Wait…risked himself? For me? The sudden news that Mycah could be in trouble because of me had my heart racing in a whole new way. If I caused Mycah to get hurt, I could never forgive myself.
My dwelling th
oughts kept me silent, and that irritated the man even more. He grabbed my face roughly with his right hand and hovered over me. His face was inches from mine.
“Why do you have violet eyes?! Huh?! Tell me!" Spit hit my face, and I tried desperately to pull my head away from his grasp. It was no use. He was too strong, and the fear of what he'd do to me when he realized I wouldn’t be answering his question—since I didn’t even know the answer myself—overwhelmed me.
I struggled against my restraints and his tight hold, wishing I could kick him in his groin. This was so unfair. Anger was quickly overcoming my fear. How dare he kidnap me and tie me to this dang bed!
He must've seen the defiance in my eyes as he lifted his arm to slap me with the back of his hand. I refused to show fear, so I made myself stare back into his evil eyes and clenched my jaw, bracing myself for the blow. It came, quickly and painfully, and with so much force that I was lost to darkness as my head was bashed to the side.
I lay inside the safety of the Willow’s long branches, enclosed all around me like a secret room. I closed my eyes and took in a long deep breath of fresh cool air. It permeated every ounce of me.
I ran my hand through my hair, letting the breeze catch it, and twirled a few strands between my fingers. This was heaven. I turned my head toward Rydan, who I knew would be lying beside me. But when I opened my eyes, the evil man I would forever associate as my captor lay staring at me with a sick, cruel grin, and then flashed only centimeters in front of my eyes.
The Sweet Series Box Set: Books 1-4 Page 11