by annie nadine
“Tell me, how much of it was true?” Annie asked, her voice almost begging there to be a sliver of hope. Martha shook her head and was obviously struggling to hold back tears.
“None of it, everything you know of him is false. He has played a good game and now he is livid that he has lost what he had started,” Martha answered.
“Tell me. Tell me what he has done,” Annie implored. She felt sick to her stomach that she had let someone into her life that didn’t care about her at all.
“All those years ago when he heard your father rambling on about how he had freed himself from the burden of fatherhood, Micah thought you would be an easy target. He thought you would be vulnerable, needing a man to come and save you. He came here and changed me and ever since he has been forcing me to bow to his every command,” Martha confessed, finally feeling relieved that she could do so. Annie remembered Micah’s version that he had told her and realised how much he had skewed it.
“What has he made you do?” Annie asked starting to see that Martha was nothing but a puppet in Micah’s sick pursuit.
“He obviously had to do the groundwork so he spent many years getting close to you. It all was going to culminate in him rescuing you. He thought that would guarantee him winning your love.” It sounded as if she thought it was a ridiculous plan. “So he left you stranded at the markets one day and waited for you to walk back to the manor alone. He had organised one of his minions to attack you and he had planned to save you but Baden stepped in unexpectedly,” Martha said, disgust from Micah’s actions evident in her voice.
“He had that snatcher attack me?” Annie asked it more to herself than anything. She was disturbed to her core by what Micah had done.
“He was furious. I was beaten to within an inch of my life!” Martha said it as if it was nothing out of the ordinary. Annie tried to make the connection as to how Micah saw it as Martha’s fault that his plan had not succeeded, but she supposed that if someone was crazy enough then anything was an excuse.
“I am sorry,” Annie said knowing that it would not take away the pain from the past.
“Annie, do not be absurd.” Martha thought it was preposterous that Annie was the one apologising. “I am sorry that you were hurt so badly.” Annie could see tears in her eyes and she almost went to comfort her but she thought it might be a little awkward for them both.
“What is done, is done.” Annie brushed it off trying to make Martha feel better.
“After his plan failed he told me to start openly treating you badly so when I threw you out it would not seem strange,” Martha retold the story with regret. “I am sorry that I slapped you. I only did so because I thought if I made it seem that I was trying my best to assist in Micah’s plan then he would not see what I was truly trying to do for you.”
“Wait, Eli told me that he had intended to get me thrown out,” Annie interjected.
“It was merely coincidental timing when I decided to action the plan. I could see Eli cared for you and I thought if I did it seemingly because of him, then he might take it upon himself to intervene or pursue you.” It sounded as if there was hope in Martha’s voice.
“You did it to try and help me?” Annie was surprised by her attempt.
“Yes. I had to try in such a way that Micah would not be suspicious of my motives. If he found out then he most likely would have killed me.” She said it as if she found the thought desirable now. “So I slapped you, hoping that it would convince Micah of my loyalty to his plan and guilt Eli into helping you. Micah scolded me for it afterwards. I am not sure but I think along the way he did start to care for you, in his own perverted way,” Martha mused aloud.
“Then what?” Annie urged her to continue with the story.
“So when you were making your escape he quickly organised to have someone in the graveyard waiting to attack you. He followed you as you fled and he managed to divert your path by blocking every other passage except through to the graveyard. Though his plan was foiled yet again, this time by Eli’s appearance.” Martha sounded pleased that Micah had not succeeded so many times. Annie was starting to see how truly lucky she was.
“Then he lost his advantage,” Annie guessed. Martha simply nodded, her lips tightly shut as if to keep something from slipping out. It was obvious she did not want Annie to know the repercussion it had on her and Annie decided not to ask. Micah was clearly insane and Martha seemed to be his stress relief when something didn’t go his way.
“As you know he proposed, then sent me to try and negotiate your return with Eli but all attempts failed. So he went back to his first theory of saving you. When you were sent to the safe house he had another of his sycophants attack you but again Baden was there.” Martha sounded relieved and shocked at the odds of it.
Annie recalled the story Micah had spun to her about that night also. She was astounded by what she was hearing. How could she not have known?
“He did all that?” Annie asked in disbelief.
“There is more. He not only organised to have Baden trapped in that place but he…” Martha’s tears came gushing out as she could not hold them any longer. Annie rushed over and embraced her, she would not be human if she refrained from trying to comfort someone in this much anguish. “He killed Rosemary and planted her outside the safe house so you would come out. He grabbed you from behind so you could not see him and forced me to speak so you thought it was me. Then he could come along and ‘rescue’ you from me,” she sobbed as she told the story.
“And then I made it clear that I would never love him and now we are both in trouble,” Annie concluded. She couldn’t believe such a sick creature existed. One that not only almost had her killed multiple times but killed someone she cared for so dearly, trapped the only one she had ever loved, changed an innocent woman into a soul snatcher and abused her for years when his sick plans were ruined.
“No one knows where we are and if I break through the door he will kill us both. No one knows you are in trouble because he made it seem as if you left by packing your things,” Martha said as she wiped away her tears.
“How did he enter the Westwood house?” Annie asked the useless question.
“He had been there previously. It is only I who could not enter,” Martha explained.
Annie was beginning to realise that there may not be much hope of escaping or being rescued. All that was left was Eli and it seemed he would think she chose to leave. Maybe he would figure it out?
But the more time that passed the more she was convinced that he wouldn’t.
CHAPTER 40
After Eli consulted with Garrick he decided to ask the only other person who may know where Annie was. So he made his way back to Baden. As Eli was walking up to the cottage Baden heard him approach and he was at the door in an instant. He opened it in a rush and Eli stopped as soon as he saw Baden.
“What are you doing here?” Baden asked curtly. Eli was trying hard to control his temper because he needed answers from Baden.
“Do you know where Annie has fled to?” Eli asked as politely as he could manage. Baden’s face dropped in fear.
“You do not know where she is?” He asked trying to hold back the terror that was trying to creep in. Eli swallowed hard seeing that Baden didn’t have an answer for him.
“I went to the safe house and she had packed her things and left. I thought you may know where she has gone,” Eli said. He tried to fight off the suspicion that he was missing something obvious. Baden stood there in disbelief. How could Eli be so stupid?
“Are you daft? She has been taken and someone has gone to the trouble of making it look as if she has willingly left!” Baden yelled. He turned and smashed a hole in the wall beside him. “Find her!” He demanded.
“Where?” Eli’s fear was crowding his thoughts.
“Who else would have her?” Baden yelled as if the answer was obvious. Eli just stared at him and didn’t answer. “Micah!” He screamed when Eli just stood there like an idiot for a mome
nt.
As soon it clicked Eli was off. He was headed to the only place he thought Micah might be, Miss Danes’ manor.
Baden walked back into the house and looked for something to smash. He picked up the nearest chair and hurled it against the wall. The wooden chair didn’t stand a chance as the force of his throw shattered it into a million splinters. He yelled into the air in a rage that was greater than anything he had ever felt. He was stuck in this house and could do nothing to save Annie. The one time he could use his strength to help he was rendered useless.
This whole time he had felt that Micah’s soul was obsessed with Annie, and that made Baden wary of him, but Micah had somehow convinced himself that he was not going to hurt her even though his plan was to do just that. His self-delusion made it impossible for Baden to sense his true desire to steal her soul.
Stewart walked into the room after the chair was destroyed but could think of nothing to say that would bring comfort to his new companion. When the hopelessness overwhelmed Baden he went into the nearest room, which was a small library, and locked the door. There he sat against the wall with his legs pulled up to his chest and his head on his knees, hoping with everything in him that Annie was safe.
Annie and Miss Danes sat there together in silence trying to think of something they could do to help themselves.
“I have someone I love also,” Martha said out of the blue. Obviously she had gone off topic in the silence.
“Who?” Annie asked, thankful for the distraction.
“Do you recall that man you found in my bed?” Martha reminded. Annie simply nodded in reply, trying not to feel embarrassed by the memory. “I found him on one of the trips Micah had sent me on. He would send me away to secret facilities organised to research soul snatchers and offer them education. Micah wanted to know as much as he could about what he was but he would not be able to explain his long absences if he went.”
“So every time you were ‘travelling’, you were really researching?” Annie clarified.
“Most of the time, yes. Not too long ago I met a man there, he was so kind and he was everything I wanted to be. So I spent as much time with him as I could. He eventually said he loved me, even though he knew what I was.” Martha retold the story with wistfulness.
“Then what?” Annie asked excitedly. Martha smiled to herself at the memory.
“He asked me to change him so he could be with me forever,” she said as if she still couldn’t believe it. “The day you found him, he was just waking up after the change was complete. He was a little confused but he eventually managed himself.”
“Where is he now?” Annie asked just realising he may be their hope.
“I sent him away not too long ago.” Annie felt her hope drift away as quickly as it had come. “In one of Micah’s particularly aggressive rants he threatened to kill him. So I begged him to leave and told him I would come for him when it was all over. Neither of us was strong enough to go against Micah.”
“What is his name?” Annie felt happy that Martha had found love.
“Everard,” Martha said the name with all the affection she felt toward him. Annie smiled at her new found friend’s happiness. “Tell me about Baden?” Martha asked with curiosity in her voice. She wanted to share in Annie’s joy of finding someone she loved.
Annie smiled and went to speak but before she could get a word out Micah came through the door. The women looked up in shock and their fear came rushing back as he stood there looking between them. Micah set his eyes on Annie and started toward her. She instinctively shuffled back as fast as she could but there was nowhere to go. Micah grabbed her arm and pulled her off the floor.
“No,” Martha screamed from behind them and went to attack Micah.
With a strong backhand he slapped her across the face and she fell to the ground. He let go of Annie and turned to deal with Martha so Annie fled the room. She didn’t want to leave Martha but if she could escape and get help then she had to do it.
Micah slammed Martha against the wall so hard she fell limply to the ground. He locked her back inside the storeroom and ran after Annie. She had barely made the top of the stairs when he grabbed her from behind. She screamed in fright but he just laughed.
“No one will hear you Annie,” he said calmly as he held her tightly around the waist and forced her to move along with him.
“Please, Micah. Please let me go,” she pleaded but he remained silent.
He dragged her toward the staircase as she tried to pull away from him. He overpowered her easily, no matter how much she resisted him. The manor was completely empty, with not a soul in sight to save her. He had fired the rest of Martha’s help and now they were the only ones in the manor. Her heart stammered in fear when she realised he was taking her to the master bedroom. She kicked and scratched at him but he restrained her effortlessly as he dragged her up the stairs.
“Help!” She screamed as the tears fell and she realised there was nothing she could do.
Without a word Micah pulled her into the room and locked the door. The latch sounded like it echoed in her ears as she heard her way out stolen from her.
“You do not have to do this,” Annie said quietly as she tried to control her tears. He pulled her in and held her as if they were in a lover’s embrace. It was like he was ignoring the fact that he was forcing her to be there. He softly touched her face with his hand as he held her close around the waist.
“Annie, this can be something you enjoy.” His voice sounded like a caress but it felt like needles all over her skin. The tears ran down her cheeks as he started to pull her dress up. She pushed her hands against his chest in protest but he held her tighter, almost uncomfortably.
“Or this can be something that hurts you. You decide,” he growled into her ear.
She had no other option than to switch off. So when he went for her lips she stood there unmoving. His lips moved against hers but hers remained motionless.
“Kiss me,” he demanded in a low, breathy voice. When he started kissing her again she complied emotionlessly. He shook her a little but it was enough to demand some passion from her. He gripped her harder as a warning to show he would inflict pain if she would not do as he wanted her to.
Annie closed her eyes and thought of Baden as she cried silently. She moved her lips against Micah’s, letting the adrenaline from the fear drive her movements. He moved them towards the bed and Annie’s heart started racing with terror. She tried to tell herself it was Micah, she had known him for years, but however much she tried she could not rid herself of the dread she felt.
Lifting her off the ground he took her to the bed and laid her down. He either did not notice her tears or he did not care as he laid his weight on her. He moved his lips away from hers and started kissing down her neck as his hand slid under her dress and up along her leg. She couldn’t help the gasp of disgust that escaped her but she muffled it as best she could.
Without warning Micah bit her neck and drew blood from the wound.
This was not like Baden’s bite where he released bane to ensure her enjoyment, this was simply a bite to drink and it felt like the life was being stolen from her. It felt like her veins tightened every time he sucked and she could feel her blood slip through them towards his mouth. She couldn’t help the chilling scream that burst from her lungs from the pain as the blood stuck to her neck in a mess.
She was about to give up as Micah’s hand slipped higher on her leg. This was it, he was about to have his way with her then drain her of every drop of blood. Seeing no use for it and not being able to hold the pain any longer, she cried her tears aloud.
“Baden,” she whispered his name just to say it one more time before she died. Just so he was the last thing on her lips as she lost the life in her.
Micah froze at the word and moved his head back to look at her. Her blood covered his lips and a drop fell on her face. She tried to move out of the way but it landed on her cheek and rolled down into her hair.
“I said, Baden!” She spat the words at him as if it would curse him to do so. Rage filled his face as he sat up and straddled her on the bed, keeping his eyes on her. He lifted his hand and struck her across the face. Her head snapped to one side and she felt the heat on her face build until hot blood seeped from where she was hit.
He lifted his hand to strike her again but someone burst through the door. They slammed into Micah and dragged him away from Annie. She was dragged off the bed and fell to the ground in the chaos but managed to keep away from the actual fight. As she sat up and looked around she saw Eli and Micah fighting with every bit of strength they held. Furniture had no chance as they smashed each other into anything they could find. The room was quickly being turned to rubble so Annie jumped up and ran out the door. She felt dizzy and lost her balance from the blood loss so she leaned her weight against the wall. She slid her way along and moved as fast as her weakened body would allow.