Stone walls stretched toward an arched ceiling where curved, shadows fluttered like moth wings. My back pressed against the leg of the table and I could just make out the edges of papers and a few fallen maps along the floor. Above my head was a table cloth of the deepest gray, the edge of the fabric nearly touching my hair. Off to the corner lay a pile of crumpled papers, each one more haggardly crunched than the next.
Shifting my gaze back to where I knew he stood, I had to squint, as the fire he had lit in the overly large hearth raged to life with a roaring passion. His form was silhouetted by the flickering flames, when he moved to the side he disappeared behind what appeared to be a chair of great girth. The back stretched longer than necessary—its height boasting recognition—and the arm rests shaped by intricately polished wood. Clawed feet rested against the stone floor and the shadow of the chair’s back from the flames, streaked across the room where it bent and climbed the opposing wall.
The more I looked, the more I began to wonder what this place was. It was intimate and secluded. Everything in the room reminded me of him and the idea of these being his personal rooms was enough to make me shake with fear. I wanted to move, but I didn’t know where. I was trapped inside, with no escape. If I even managed to get out the door, I wouldn’t even know which way to turn.
The thundering of my heart only continued to accelerate as he returned to my line of sight. The fire flickered against one side of his face and I shrunk back against the table leg, ready to run if I must, and fight if I had to.
He pursed his lips and looked me over for a moment, shaking his head as though he found something unsatisfactory. I raised my chin in response, beginning to feel the weakness in my shoulders and arms. The battle had left its mark on me in more ways than one.
Moving faster than I expected, he reached me and I forced myself to stay put. If he was going to hurt me, then I wanted to show him I wasn’t afraid. As I glared back at him, he seemed amused.
He squatted until he was level with me. His eyes were ice, storming gray clouds of sweeping satisfaction churning in his gaze. Dark locks of hair fell beneath his ears, brushed back as though he often ran his hands through it. His jaw hung loose, his lips parted and he tilted his head to the side, stirring the dark mass.
When he reached behind my back toward my arms, I felt my breath catch within my throat. The hint of sweet wine on his breath was overpowering when I was this close and the muscles in my neck strained to avoid touching his chest. His fingers worked quickly, their iciness brushing my wrists every now and again, until my hands broke free. The immediate relief was wonderful, but the closeness of his body was too much for me to relax.
Pulling my arms in front of my body, he kept his fingers encircled around my wrists. I trembled, but remained focused on his face, even though he never glanced up.
Suddenly, his blades shot forth from his forearms and I muffled a cry, which sounded like a whimper, around the gag. One side of his mouth lifted for a mere moment, breaking his calm façade.
The blades flashed in the light of the flames and I knew my eyes were wide in terror. As I looked at them, something didn’t seem quite right.
“Just a precaution.” His voice startled me and he began working at the cuffs covering my hands. He said the words as though they were a balm to calm my fears, but I knew better. He was challenging me, seeing if I had enough control to force my body to do what my mind told it to.
Shifting even closer, he edged the cuffs off of my fingers. When my skin was free of the metal restraints, I immediately felt the difference. Being forced to withhold my blades and having to control my instincts were two entirely different things. My brow furrowed in concentration, as my fingers trembled in reaction to his near presence. Focused on stilling them, I closed my eyes and forced myself to think of something else. My heart pounded in my ears, but slowly the shaking stilled and I was able to lift my eyes back to his.
“That’s better.” He flashed me the grin I had become so used to seeing in the past. His blades were still drawn and I was certain he wouldn’t hesitate to use them against me. “What do we have here?”
His hand reached forward and I shrunk back, as his blades came closer to my body. He grasped my wrist and pulled it toward him. What was left of my heart, leapt into my throat when he pulled my dagger out of its sheath. Somehow in the heat of the battle, I had forgotten to use it.
He held it up to the light and I was momentarily proud of the glint off the steel. It wasn’t until he turned to look at the hilt that my body shifted, my hands beginning to tremble again. “How sweet.” His eyes roved over the carved merfolk tails, his words suggesting anything but.
I glared at him, and when at last he met my gaze, I tried not to blanch. There was complete satisfaction in his eyes, as though I had already given him everything he wanted. The very idea of it was revolting.
“Now,” he said, stalling as he placed my dagger within his belt. “Don’t scream.”
He reached forward again. This time I didn’t shudder away from his blades as he grasped the gag in my mouth and pulled on it with little ceremony. My jaw seemed to snap shut after bearing down on it for so long and there was an immediate soreness along the sides of my mouth. Coughing, I raised my eyes back to his, very aware of his presence and the fact I was free of all bondage. Once again, I had the feeling he was challenging me.
I wasn’t innocent of what would happen here. Bolrock had shared the horrifying memories of what he had done, under Morven’s command, to break Patrick’s will. Patrick, himself, had given me a glimpse into the pain he had endured while in the dungeon, and I had seen the result of it engraved into the flesh of his back.
Swallowing heavily, I knew this was going to take more courage than I had ever had before. Bolrock had tried to break me and had lost. I would keep my mind focused on that.
“I will fight you,” my words were soft, but spoken with profound clarity. I was surprised by the unwavering pride in them.
His grin returned. It irked me when he didn’t respond. His gaze slipped from my face, traveling along my body and back up. His brow had furrowed each time he saw where one of his Hyven soldiers had cut me with their blades. A part of me hoped he was taking note of the strength I had, but something inside me doubted that was the case.
“I can do what he did,” I declared, nearly breathless. I didn’t have to tell him who I was speaking of. There were no secrets between us now.
For a moment, he stared back at me and just when his eyes kindled with something feverish, he drew it back, stretching to his full height.
“We’ll see.” He ran his tongue along the inside of his cheek, a small bulge appearing for a moment. Turning suddenly, he spun on his heel and left the chamber.
His words hung in the air, long after he retreated.
I was left to my thoughts, and as the images of what had happened outside these walls piled up with what I knew was coming, a cold sweat broke out over my brow.
Keep it together, Lissie. I shook all over and finally allowed my blades to shoot forth, but for the first time since I had them, they made me feel powerless.
Shaking my head, I leaned back against the table.
How did you endure this? I thought. Even now wondering what he was thinking, knowing I wasn’t with him, made the trembling return. What had happened when he realized I wasn’t there?
I could only imagine the anger.
_______________
Time became something I no longer knew. I remembered when I used to know it. There had always been ways of acknowledging the passing minutes or seconds, but there was no way of truly being aware of it in here. The fire had long since burned out and with it, all light had disappeared.
Curled up near the wall, I hid behind the table, making sure to keep it between me and the door. It wasn’t much, but it offered me some form of assurance. My body ached where I had been wounded—most painfully along my hip where the merman had given me a deep cut. Whenever I shifted on the f
loor, it would reopen with a crinkling prickle making me gasp.
Other than my steady breathing, no other sound permeated the air. I had tried to listen at the door, but there were no sounds in the hallway just outside the wooden barricade. As much as I strained, I couldn’t make out anything beyond the room and simply came to the conclusion there was nothing to hear in the hallway. More than anything, I wanted some sound, something to tell me time was still passing and I wasn’t forgotten—abandoned in the dark.
More than any worry, my thoughts raced with what was happening beyond the many walls of the castle. My heart was on the shores where the Lathmorians had fought. Morven had told them to sound a retreat, but what did that mean? Was I alone in Hyvar? Had they returned to Lathmor?
The darkness crept in, as the fear of loneliness pressed upon my mind, and I attempted to distract myself. I had long since stopped crying for Nixie and Daggin, my tears had done nothing to bring them back. I was useless and alone, my heart pounding but the rest of my body seemingly dead with unknowing.
The constant worrying of my lip left a sore along the outer edge of my mouth. I added it to the other cuts and bruises on my body. I was certainly stiff from the battle, but I couldn’t help noticing how these wounds should be coursing with blood. They healed quickly, though sore and colored, they were closed with thick scabs. The only wound still prickling and open was the one along my hip. It tingled at times, but whenever it reopened, it bled for a moment before settling once more.
A solid scuff echoed in the chamber. Sitting up, I gazed in the direction of the door. My eyes cut through the darkness, shattering the shadows and dim shapes of the scant furniture in the room.
The wood scraped against the floor as it was pushed inward, I felt my heart in my throat. A looming form moved into the room and as though it would give me security, I pushed my back against the wall once more.
The door swung shut, but this time the merperson stayed in the room with me. A shuddering breath escaped my lips as the footsteps brought the merman closer to me. He was a solid form, short and stocky. With a heavy clang, he placed something on the end of the table opposite me. Wetting my lips, I tried to voice my concerns, but nothing came out.
Still staring in his direction, I had to blink, when a bright spark came to life. The match split the room with a dim glow and grew in strength when it joined the wick of a candle . As my eyes finally adjusted, I slowly turned back to the man, knowing exactly who I would see. The bowed shoulders and stocky stance were all too familiar.
“Gell.” I said, my voice sounding weak after so little use. I had certainly strained my vocal chords by trying to scream around the gag.
He didn’t turn my way, and I hardly expected him to. The familiar scar on the back of his head cut coldly across his flesh, and I knew if he turned my way I would see the scar along his throat. He had told me Tunder had been the one to wound him. I idly wondered why I had never asked Tunder what had happened.
“How are you?” I asked, edging to my feet. I winced as pain shot from each of my wounds, threatening to reopen.
He kept his back to me and grasped at the thick band of fabric he had placed on the table. I stared at it wondering how it had made such a heavy sound. He pulled on the fabric. A rumbling stirred and pouring out of its contents came a thick chain. Each ring was as long as my thumb, and the cold metal made me shiver when I saw the two shackles attached to the ends. They were cuffs, similar to the ones I had been wearing when Ressa caught me, only the chains were longer in length.
Without a word, he moved around the side of the table, hefting the weight of the chains in his arms. Pressing close to the wall, he fumbled with stumpy fingers until midway down, he seemed to find what he was looking for. The metal clanged to the floor with a tremendous clatter, and I flinched.
He was standing midway between the table and the hearth fire. I couldn’t help noticing how the high-backed chair only had to be moved one quarter turn to the left, and it would face the chains.
Reaching as high as he could along the wall, which was about as far up as I could touch as well, he raised the center of the chain and hooked it securely against the stone wall. When he stepped back, he cocked his head as though making sure it was even.
Maybe this was all just a game for Morven to play. Maybe he was trying to intimidate me. Whatever his plans, it was working. Ever since seeing the chains, my heart had begun to thrum within my chest.
Glancing at the door, a surge of power overtook me and I knew I needed to get out of here. I didn’t think I could ever be as strong as Patrick. And there was no sense in my waiting around to find out.
Look at me, Gell. The voice broke forth from my mouth with a startling clearness and pierced the room after so much silence. His back straightened when he heard the sound, and though I could feel him fighting to keep his body from moving, his feet shifted. When his eyes met mine, I felt my anger grow. Not for him, but for what he stood for.
Letting my frustrations ignite, spreading through my veins like wildfire, I drew him to me with my voice. Desperation took over.
Come to me, Gell. Did you know I always liked you? His eyebrows shot up and he almost shook his head. I did. I crooned. Help me out of here. Take me out of here.
This time he did shake his head, and a wall came up between us. I gritted my teeth and fought the siren inside trying to take hold. I needed him to do my will, without losing control.
Look at me, do I look scary to you? He glanced my way again and I smiled internally as I struggled to pull him toward me. He was fighting, but I could feel his resistance slowly eroding beneath my logic. All we have to do is walk into the hallway.
I shrugged as though it was the simplest of tasks. For now, the siren was keeping her distance and as I worked to maintain control of her, I realized I was able to persuade Gell. His eyes were growing dimmer by the second. Even as my voice grew softer, barely above a whisper, he listened to it intently. I told him to take a step and he did without hesitation.
Hope building, I hedged forward, calling out to him as gently as I could. He would let me out if I could maintain this hold over him. Whatever lay in the hallway beyond would be a battle to fight when we got there. The chains he had brought into this room were enough to make the fear I had held at bay all this time, come to life. I was getting out of here, and now.
Open the door. The grinding wood made me wince, but I knew it was necessary. Now go. I called even more gently and with my chest thundering, I stepped out into the beckoning depths of the hallway.
He was two steps in front of me when he smacked into a hidden shadow. My voice was cut short as all fear flooded my veins and constricted what strength I had left.
“Escaping so soon?” His voice was like lead, cold and unrelenting, and I knew what was going to happen moments before it did.
I turned away, but the sound of Gell’s body hitting the floor made my stomach lurch forward. I refused to look at the lifeless form, a mere few feet away from me.
Ice spread through my limbs when Morven grasped my arm and shoved me back into the room. This time I didn’t fall to the floor, instead I caught myself on the edge of the table and turned around to meet his gaze.
Fear was replaced with anger, and the siren inside me raged. If there was ever going to be a chance, it had to be now. Gathering my voice within my throat, I pushed all other thought from my mind.
He was closing the door when the sound reached him, and for a moment, I thought I had him. His back straightened and his body froze momentarily, but when he turned around and the gray depths of his gaze met mine, I knew I had already lost. There was a wall between us and it would be impossible to climb.
Pushing as hard as I could, I strained to infiltrate his mind, only to find it solid and unrelenting. He was testing me, testing himself, seeing if he would be able to keep me out. He was succeeding.
My anger rose to a new level and from somewhere in the back of my mind, I heard Zale telling me to hang on. He had t
old me once of the image in his mind, and I had one of my own now.
Thinking of the tears streaming down Patrick’s face as he remembered me, remembered us, I angled my voice and with all the power I could put behind it, I cried out to Morven, willing him to get on his knees. The sound shattered any stillness in the room, bouncing off the ceiling and bombarding him from all directions. His brow creased, giving him away. When one knee buckled, surprise drifted across his face before everything shattered into a million pieces.
His wall was up again.
His eyes met mine once more, and what little ground I had gained, disappeared. In place of his furrowed brow was the sinister smile I had grown to despise. Somehow, I felt as though I had just proved him right.
A queasy feeling reached my gut and I clenched a hand to it, as I tried to still the thrumming of my heart. Everything inside me was surging at a speed I couldn’t understand. When he took a step toward me, I knew I had lost.
I had given him everything I could, and he had still won.
His frozen fingers encircled my wrists and I tried not to gasp, as I thought of Gell’s lifeless body just outside the room. As though he had practiced these movements hundreds of times before, he thrust me toward the chains hanging along the wall. My fingers trembled as I tried to control them, wanting so badly to use them to claw away at his flesh.
Before I could even think, the cuffs were in place, my hands hanging just at the height of my head. My back was against the wall and I suddenly felt like a child, petrified with fright. He towered above me, looking down into my eyes and what I saw there only made me shiver more.
“I must say,” the grin tugged at the corners of his mouth again, stretching his lips white, “you’ve grown more powerful than I ever could have imagined.”
Torrents (DROPLETS Trilogy Book 3) Page 32