by Lisa Olsen
The ploy worked, the lines around his eyes eased and he looked up with a playful grin. “Did you now? I’ve got something for you as well.”
“You do?”
“Sure, give me a sec and I’ll fetch it.”
The moment he was gone, I cast my eyes around the room, looking for a prop for what I had in mind, but there wasn’t anything suitable. All too soon he was back, a small box covered in scuffed brown leather in his hand.
Just like that, the snippet of memory was gone, but I had an idea that it’d been an intimate moment between us. Had there been an engagement ring in that little leather box?
“I think we’re married,” I ventured.
“Married?” His brows stretched skyward, his gaze dropping to the ring on my finger and his own hand which was most definitely bare of any jewelry. “How do you figure?”
“Well, we both live at the same place, our last name is Evans, and I just had a flash of memory with you giving me a little jewelry box that might’ve had a ring inside.”
“You remember me then? It’s starting to come back?”
“Not much, but we were definitely together, together, from the way I remembered it.”
“Married,” he said, not looking too thrilled with the idea, and I tried to keep from frowning.
“What’s the matter? Am I not your type?”
“No, that’s not it,” he said quickly, swearing under his breath before he rubbed his face with his hands. “Blimey, I’m making a fuckery of this. I just… It’s a big assumption to make. We don’t rightly know what we are to each other.”
“Well, the memory I had wasn’t at all sisterly, and we don’t sound alike. For all I know, you’re my step dad or something and I just have a crush on you, but it felt like… like I wanted you to give me a ring in that moment.”
“Married,” he repeated, sounding a bit easier with it. “I don’t know that I feel like the sort to be leg shackled. But if I was, I suppose being married to you is a bit of alright.”
“Gee, thanks,” I said with a sour smile, nudging his knee with mine, and he smiled back, picking up my hand.
“I reckon there could be worse things than to wake up married to a cracking girl like you.”
“The things you say,” I laughed, and he got an odd look on his face. “What?”
“Nothing. Just… almost had something and now it’s gone.” He shook his head as if to clear it.
A low groan sounded from one of the partygoers in the room, drawing my attention back to our circumstances. “Maybe we should check on sleeping beauty there and make sure he’s okay,” I suggested, feeling a lot steadier as I rose up on my knees and climbed to my feet.
“As you wish,” Rob agreed equably, crouching down beside the naked guy after he was sure I wouldn’t lose my balance again. “He’s out cold,” he reported, pressing two fingers to his neck. “Pulse is steady and strong, bit of a fever maybe, it’s hard to tell.”
I grabbed a quilt off the couch and covered him up with it more to protect my sense of modesty than his. Then I could look at him without blushing like a schoolgirl. He was gorgeous, with strong, Nordic features and wild, golden hair that fell past his shoulders. He was also drooling onto the floor, a small puddle spreading beneath his lips.
“Maybe we should put him up on the couch or something so he’s more comfortable?” I suggested, and Rob lifted him without complaint, easily carrying him to the sofa pushed against the edge of the room. Once he was moved, I noticed a circle of chalk drawn around his body. Not like a dead body outline, just a regular circle, and another wider circle around the perimeter of the room. There were runes drawn in the center of the circle, but what they meant was beyond me.
“Hey, do you know what these symbols mean?” I asked once he’d gotten the golden guy settled on the couch.
Rob came over to hunker down beside them, his fingers tracing across the floorboards, rubbing his fingers where the chalk came off on them. “Nah, can’t say as I do.” So much for solving that mystery. “Must’ve been some party,” he added with a pointed look at another guy (also passed out), who I hadn’t noticed was chained to the wall.
Not like in manacles or anything, but one hand was cuffed with a pretty heavy duty metal bracelet to an old iron ring set into the rock wall beside the fireplace. He slumped against the wall with an arm suspended overhead, his hand a pale white from lack of circulation. Sandy blonde hair curled around his ears, his lips surprisingly full and soft in an otherwise masculine face. Dressed in a navy blue cashmere sweater over gray tailored pants and shiny black shoes with tassels, he looked like he was ready for the country club, not S&M games at a hunting retreat. I didn’t recognize him either.
“Yikes. That can’t be comfortable,” I frowned, wondering if I should try and wake him up before he risked permanent damage to his hand. “Maybe we should…”
Rob blocked my way as I took a step toward the guy. “Somebody locked him up for a reason. Best not to mess with him until we find out what that reason is.”
“Yes, but his hand…”
“I’ll see what I can do, but you stay behind me.” Rob approached him warily, bodily lifting the guy until he slumped in the other direction, his weight supported by his back, not his trapped arm. “There, that’ll have to do for present.”
Another groan came from across the room, and I turned to the other two people sprawled on the floor. One was a girl with blonde hair, younger than me, but hard to tell by exactly how much since her elaborately curled hair and make-up were heavy enough for a night out on the town. She wore a slinky dress of fire-engine red, and plenty of diamonds around her throat. Her lips were stained the same color as the dress, and pulled into a pout even in her sleep. She didn’t look like anyone I’d be friends with by any stretch of the imagination; next to her I was the one dressed like a grubby teen.
The other guy lay sprawled at the edge of the room, lying half on and half off a ruined coffee table, as though he’d landed on it. His arm lay crumpled under him at an unnatural angle. He was beautiful to look at, with his neatly trimmed beard framing a strong jaw, a perfectly straight nose, and thick lashes fanned out against the tops of his cheeks. His charcoal gray shirt was stretched over an impressive chest, and his jeans hugged his backside in a way that made me stop and stare for a minute. I was married, not dead.
What was with all the gorgeous men in one room?
Darting a nervous look to Rob to see if I’d been caught ogling another man’s goodies, I was relieved to find him more interested in flipping light switches that didn’t work. It was dim in there with only the light from the fireplace to see by, but I didn’t have any trouble making things out.
Still, I left the hottie on the floor to kneel by the girl, taking a closer look at her delicate beauty. She was somehow familiar, and yet not. Her hair was the same shade as mine, and there was something about the shape of her face – we might pass for sisters. Was I related to her? I didn’t want to grope her body looking for ID. She looked so still. A terrible suspicion came over me, and I grabbed her arm, feeling for a pulse.
“I think… I think she’s dead,” I gasped as her lifeless wrist dangled between my fingers.
“What you going on about? Who’s dead?” Rob frowned, turning around to stare down at her.
“She’s got no pulse and she’s not breathing.” I rolled her flat onto her back, trying to remember the first aid basics. “Do you think I should try CPR on her?”
His head tilted to one side with skepticism. “If you think it will help. If she’s really a goner…”
“I have to try.” Tilting her head up, I plugged her nose and blew into her mouth, watching to make sure her chest went up and not her stomach, for two breaths. Then I tried the chest compressions, humming along to the Bee Gees in my head, singing Staying Alive. Where had I learned that from? I didn’t bother to try and figure it out, alternating between the breaths and the compressions, but I couldn’t tell if it was working or not. She see
med just as pale and lifeless, until she drew in a deep, shuddering breath.
“You’re alive!” I cried out with relief as her heavily lashed eyes fluttered open.
“You won’t be for long if you put your hands on me again. I’ll thank you not to touch my person again,” came the reply, her voice low and annoyed, but not particularly weak like one would expect of someone who was at death’s door only moments before. I couldn’t place her accent; it was as though she’d learned a dozen languages and incorporated them into her own style, that sounded both cultured and elegant as she threatened my life. Apparently I was the only boring American.
“Sorry,” I apologized, scooting back. “It’s just… you were dead and I had to give you CPR, and I didn’t think it would work…”
“Dead?” Her brows drew together, looking all around. “Is that why I feel like I was struck by a carriage?” she murmured, sitting up with a long, breathy sigh. “What is CPR?”
“It’s what she done to bring you back from the dead, so a bit of gratitude might not go amiss, yeah?” Rob pointed out, his voice mild.
“I’m meant to be grateful that I’ve been violated in my sleep?” she scoffed. “That color doesn’t do a thing for you, dear,” she added with a haughty sniff, and I reached up to wipe my lips with the back of my hand, noting the stain of her lipstick that’d rubbed off on me.
“Hey, I was just trying to help you,” I muttered, not at all thrilled with her attitude. “Remind me not to do it again.”
“I didn’t ask for it,” she declared in a huff, rising up on her knees only to lose her balance.
Rob surged forward to catch her elbow when she got all wobbly. “Careful now, you’ve had quite a shock to the system,” he said gently, and she clung to his arm.
“Oh, how kind,” the girl simpered up at him, changing her tune once she noticed Rob’s more obvious charms.
“Not at all, miss.” He smiled back politely, and I was happy to see that it wasn’t the same way he smiled at me at all, despite her pressing up against him.
“Ah, excuse me?” I snapped my fingers to try and pry her attention away from my man. “Do you remember anything at all about who you are or why we’re in here?” What were the odds all three of us would be struck with amnesia?
“Of course, I… That is…” A furrow appeared on her brow as she took in our surroundings for the first time. “I can’t say any of this is familiar,” she admitted, her nose crinkling with dismay.
“And do you recognize either one of us?”
“I feel like we’ve met before,” she smiled up at Rob, who gently, but firmly, pulled his arm free.
“I reckon she’s as in the dark as we are. The only thing we’ve been able to learn so far is that I’m Rob and this here’s Anja. Don’t suppose you’ve got any identification on you?”
Her hands slid over her curves. “I don’t seem to be carrying much of anything, but you’re welcome to search me,” she replied with an inviting smile, leaning toward Rob again.
“Ah, my wife, Anja,” Rob clarified, wrapping a possessive arm around my waist before I could lose my temper, and she gave him a disgruntled sigh.
“Pity. Well then, who else do we have?” she wondered aloud, looking around the room until her gaze fell on the guy lying on the coffee table. “My, he’s a handsome fellow, isn’t he?” she added her approval. “What’s his name?”
A handsome fellow? I didn’t disagree, but who talked like that? “You don’t know him either, huh?” I mused aloud. “Would it be weird if we went through his pockets looking for ID?”
“I’ll do it,” she volunteered with enthusiasm, her face crumpling as she got closer. “He’s bleeding.”
“Maybe we’d better worry about identification later. Does anybody have a phone we can call 911 with?” I didn’t have one on me, and the girl gave me a blank look.
Rob pulled out a cell and held it up high. “No signal.”
“Hey, are any of us in your phone? Maybe we can find out who Princess, Injury-man, the criminal, and Hot Naked Guy are?”
“Who’s naked?” the girl asked with interest, but we both ignored her.
Instead, I earned a raised brow from Rob, probably over my hot naked guy comment. “Nah, the contacts are empty.”
“That’s weird,” I frowned. Who didn’t have any contacts? Maybe it was new?
Rob didn’t seem too concerned over it. “Is there a house phone?”
“I didn’t see one… oh, here!” My triumph was short lived when it was completely dead, not even a hum of energy when I picked up the old fashioned handset. “It’s dead. Maybe we’d better go for help?” Wherever that might be.
“I’ll fetch him and bring him to the car,” Rob offered. “Go on and get the engine warmed up.” He tossed the keys to me in a high arc. I caught them deftly, already turning for the front entrance, a wooden monstrosity heavily banded with iron like something out of a dungeon.
Only I couldn’t get the thing open. In fact, my hand stopped in the air about three inches from the door itself. “Guys… check this out!” I called out, sliding a few inches down and trying it again, but my hand kept coming up against the invisible barrier. Feeling like a mime in a box, I felt my way along the door, testing for weak spots. “There’s something keeping me away from the door,” I reported as they approached.
Rob carried the injured guy easily in his arms, but set him back down on the ground as he tested the phenomenon himself. “Huh,” he remarked, hands pressed hard against the barrier.
“It’s gotta be aliens,” I murmured, jumping up to see how high the barrier extended, which was way over my head. “This has alien technology written all over it. We don’t have the tech for this kind of force field.”
“Don’t be daft,” Princess sneered. “It’s obviously magic.”
“Uh huh, like that makes more sense,” I snickered to Rob, but he took her side.
“It feels like magic to me. Which means we have a witch on our hands.”
“I hate witches,” she scowled, backing away from the wall.
“Witches? Seriously?” I wasn’t sure I bought into the existence of magic or witches, but I resolved to keep an open mind. If we actually were magically sealed in the building, we were in serious danger. “Let’s see how far the barrier extends,” I suggested, moving farther down the wall.
“I reckon there’s probably a back way out of this place,” Rob agreed, and we started feeling our way into the great room.
“Oh, are you okay to stay behind with him?” I nodded to the wounded guy on the ground when the girl made no move to follow us or help in any way.
“Yes, of course,” she said, sinking down to the ground beside him. “I would like that very much indeed.”
Chapter Three
He felt a gentle touch to his brow, and his eyes fluttered open to see a beautiful girl smiling down at him, golden curls framing her face like a halo. “Hello, how are you feeling?”
“I…” He studied her face for a long moment before dragging his eyes away to view their surroundings. “I’m feeling… confused.”
“I suppose that’s to be expected,” she laughed softly. “I don’t suppose you remember who you are or what you’re doing trapped in this place, do you?”
Her smile was dazzling. It took him a few seconds to process what she’d asked, a furrow appearing on his brow when he came up at a loss for answers. “What? No… to all of the above. How long have I been out?”
“I’m not entirely sure,” she admitted. “We were all similarly unconscious, though I think you’re the only one to be injured. Does it hurt much?” Gingerly, she touched his shoulder, which was sore, but not too bad.
“No, I’m good,” he replied, more worried about the amnesia. “So, you don’t remember who you are either?”
“I’m afraid not,” she sighed. “Pity, I was hoping you might remember my name. Though I don’t mind answering to Princess.” She smiled again, and he got a flicker of memory, of her
smiling down at him in almost that exact way, her face glowing in the shimmering candlelight. She was stunning.
“Princess, that sounds about right,” he murmured, still half in a daze, and that seemed to please her to no end. “Wait, did you say trapped?” He sat up gingerly, expecting to find more parts of his body in pain along the way, but he felt stiff more than sore.
“I’m afraid so, but don’t worry, our companions are working to find a way out.” She gestured to a guy and a girl, who looked slightly ridiculous, feeling along the walls.
“What are they doing?” The corner of his mouth twitched into a smile, and Princess returned it.
“We’re sealed in with some kind of magic barrier, so we’re trying to figure out how far it extends. That’s Rob and Anja, by the way. They’re married, apparently, so don’t think to come between them, she can be quite clingy. No matter though, I have a feeling you and I are already intimately acquainted.” Her hand slid across his bicep, leaving tingles in its wake.
“I think you might be right about that,” he agreed, distracted enough by the touch that he forgot about the other couple. There was something so familiar about her, and that flash of memory – a girl didn’t smile at a guy like that without there being something between them. “I think I remember you, if only I could figure out from where.”
“All that matters is we’re here together, cariad.”
Cariad. Did he know what that meant? Lover… though he couldn’t say what language it was from. Maybe she was the type to throw that kind of pet name around, but he thought it meant more than that.
“And what shall I call you?” she asked brightly.
He floundered for a moment, not quite sure what to say. “I…”
“Oh good, you’re awake,” Anja said, approaching with a friendly smile. He was struck by how similar the two girls were in appearance. They were like opposite sides of a coin, one of them polished, the other rough, but both beautiful in their own way. “How bad is it? Do you need a doctor?” Her face scrunched up in sympathy.