Misty
The next morning, I’m summoned by Declan and his cronies. Dressed in my favorite brand of athletic shorts and a tank top–my school uniform, basically–I walk steadily behind them, in iron chains over my silver manacles, and Declan keeps his distance.
I’m hungry and tired but curious about what comes next, especially after last night. Georgia seemed okay this morning–quiet, a little dazed–but that’s expected. I’m sure reality hit her as we ate bland oatmeal together in the warm sunlight streaming through the windows that bathed the dust all over our apartment in gold.
I feel chipper and ready to commit murder, however. Which is my plan. I feel like I’ll give Declan a pass, though, at least for now, since I damn near bit his cheek off yesterday. Still, I size up the two men standing at my sides. Gregory, an art history student, like Georgia, has dark skin and short, black hair. He’s my age–tall, and strong. An athlete of some kind. He’s the one I’ll have to worry about, but I can take Henry, poor kid. He’s mousy and quiet with pale blond hair and hazel eyes that nervously watch my every move.
Declan could kick my ass if he wanted to, but I don’t think he does. I think he’s the leader of this little trio. I think they might have been friends at school, actually. And, finally, I believe he works directly for Cole.
I switch my focus to the castle, trying to mentally map each corridor and staircase, but it becomes increasingly obvious that this place is a maze. I’ll need a physical map somehow. I need to make one. I need to get out of our room and explore, at least a few times, so when the time comes, I can lead Georgia to freedom.
Before long, we start walking down staircase after staircase until the light of day disappears, and we’re sucked into darkness. At first, I think I’m being taken to the dungeon again, which makes me think of Luke.
“Luke Abernathy,” I say to men, the first words I’ve uttered since they fetched me and told me to get dressed. “Where is he? How is he?”
“He’s just fine,” Declan answers without so much as looking back at me.
“He was on death’s door,” I sneer. “I could have healed him, but your brethren ignored me.”
“You could have, yeah. It would have been better in the long run for him, I think. His shoulder got dislocated, but it’s fixed now.” He mumbles under his breath, “He’ll probably need surgery to correct it fully when this is over.”
When this is over. A single dose of hope blooms through my heart. What a thought, indeed.
Declan opens a set of doors and leads us into a wide room with a low, stone ceiling. Order members in plain clothes look up at us, some bright-eyed with excitement, others… well, they just look weary and unimpressed.
I’m starting to notice, now that I’ve had a night of rest, a shower, food, and the wolfsbane is out of my system, that there’s different factions within the order. Some members want to be here. They wanted to do the attack. They wanted to see us beaten. Others are forced, I think, to conform in order to stay within the ranks.
At least, that’s what I think by the looks on their faces as I pass. Looks of hope and looks of disgust mingling.
“Ah, there she is.” The Umbra Mortis turns to look at me as I’m guided to the center of the room. It smells like sweat and blood in here, and I’m jarred by the realization a duel might have just happened based on the bloody floor beneath my sneakers–which somehow, by some miracle, survived the attack. I love these fucking sneakers.
I look around, uneasy, at the faces again. The worn, dead look in their eyes. I spot a wolf against the far wall, and feel my stomach twist. It’s dead.
A young man sits nearby, hanging his head in his bloody, bruised hands, silently sobbing as another member quietly comforts him.
My blood pressure rises as I turn back to the Umbra Mortis. “Why am I here?”
“To show everyone your powers, of course,” he rasps, grinning like a madman. “We’re training. The boys wanted you to join us. They could use some entertainment.”
“Entertainment?” I glance around and freeze when I see Cole sitting on a set of stone steps along the wall. He’s wearing all black–black suit, black cloak–the works. His eyes hold on mine. He obviously allowed this, didn’t he? Didn’t he tell everyone they weren’t allowed in my presence unless he said it was okay?
I hold his gaze for a few more seconds before turning back to the Umbra, wondering, once again, who’s really in charge.
“Lift your hands, girl,” he snaps, walking toward me. I dig in my heels to stop myself from flinching away as he roughly grabs my wrists and… green light echoes from his touch as he unlocks the manacle on my left wrist. I look into his eyes, seeing the same power simmer there, turning them an even brighter green.
I yank my hand away. He chuckles.
“What are you?” I ask, baring my teeth at him.
“I think one manacle is enough. We wouldn’t want you getting ahead of yourself.” He strides away, his cloak billowing out behind him. “Very well. Let’s begin.”
“Begin what?” I shout, but then a tawny wolf trots into view. I watch it pad to a stop ten feet away from where I’m standing, rubbing my aching wrist. My healing powers whiz to life, quickly knitting the scrapes and bruises the twin manacles made it impossible to work past.
“Your objective is to kill,” he tells the wolf. “Begin.”
“What?” I croak, but the wolf barrels toward me, teeth bared and glowing green eyes wild with… more of that magic. I can’t shift yet. I’ve had some warrior training, but not much. My main weapon is my mouth, my mind, and my… powers.
I stick my hand out, grimacing as my powers of light fizzle to life again, smoke puffing from the finger tips before bursting with blue mist that I send in a straight line toward the wolf. It darts out of the way, trying to gain ground by coming around my side.
I jump to the left, kicking my leg out to trip it, but it’s faster than me. It clamps down on my right forearm and thrashes, dragging me to my knees.
I cry out in pain, my eyes briefly landing on Cole again. He has his eyes closed tight, that fucking bastard.
I grunt with pain and frustration, punching the wolf’s head with my free, left hand, and blast it with my powers. It lets go of my arm and rolls away.
I scream as I blast it again, my light turning the dark, bloody room bright blue. The wolf whimpers, crawling backward away from me.
“Finish it,” the Umbra Mortis says to me, grinning from ear to ear.
‘Stop,’the voice in my head orders. The word works through my brain and echoes through every bone and every muscle. I go still, panting, my powers dying out.
“I said finish it,” the Umbra Mortis firmly repeats, glowering at me. “Now!”
I want to. That’s the worst part. I know this is an order member, this wolf. This wolf who has the blood of what could be hundreds of TU students on his hands. He deserves it, doesn’t he? For me to kill him?
‘Resist,’the voice says, softer this time.
“DO IT!” The Umbra stalks toward me, drawing his cane from his cloak.
I meet Cole’s eyes again. He’s looking right at me. Holding my gaze. My breath comes in sharp, shallow rasps as I raise my hand at the Umbra Mortis instead.
He halts then takes several steps back the way he came.
Dozens of eyes are on me. They watch me kneel, then crawl–exhausted–toward the wolf. I’ve injured him badly, I can tell. My light created a long, deep gash along his back and ribs that’s bleeding profusely. He lowers his head and looks away from me as I reach his side and lay my shaking left hand on his wound.
He whimpers. The sound shatters my heart. I did this. I shouldn’t have. It didn’t feel right.
“I’m sorry,” I whisper, gathering the wolf's head in my lap before lowering my face to his. “I’m so sorry.”
Soft, gentle white light whispers from my fingertips, mingling with the tears I let flow freely down my cheeks. It’s working. Even while still wearing one of the manacles, my healing powers ignite, glimmering between me and the wolf as his skin knits back together, and his heart starts beating properly again.
The room is totally quiet. I don’t think anyone is breathing.
Even the Umbra Mortis has nothing to say. Thank Goddess.
But movement catches my eye as I lift my head. Cole stands, his brow knitted in confusion as he looks down at the wolf, down at its face.
“That’s enough,” the Umbra Mortis shouts, but my attention is fixed on the expression cracking over Cole’s profile.
Shock. Pure, unfiltered shock. Then hope. Then… relief.
I look down at the wolf. I’m not sure what I’m expecting to see. Maybe I’d accidentally turned him into a toad or something, based on the shocked look on Cole’s face only moments ago.
But then I see the green magic in his eyes flicker several times and go out, like blowing out a candle. He has hazel eyes now. Beautiful, kaleidoscope-like eyes. Normal eyes.
The wolf slumps in my lap, sighing with relief, then promptly falls asleep.
Silence. Utter, absolutely deafening, silence chokes the room..
‘Good girl,’ the voice rasps. For whatever reason, I look right at Cole.
He holds my gaze for what feels like an entirety before whirling and stalking toward the door, saying, “Take her back to her rooms, now.”
“I am not done with her!” The Umbra Mortis slams his cane on the ground, the sound echoing through the room. “She is not going anywhere!”
But I’m being lifted up by Declan and… what was his name? Henry, right. Declan and Henry guide me away from the wolf, but my left wrist is still free of its manacle. I should… do something, right? Blast them all? Escape?
But as I look around the room at the few hopeful faces watching me in awe, I realize, deep down, that something sinister is afoot.
My gaze rests on the Umbra Mortis. I raise my free left wrist and blow him a kiss.
He sees red.
“You fucking, useless whore!” he thunders and points his cane at me. I feel like all the air is being sucked from the room. Electricity crackles, making my hair stand on end. Green light flares to light behind his eyes, but then he disappears from view.
Cole is standing in front of me, between me and the Umbra Mortis, facing him. I have the sudden urge to lay my hand over his back but stop.
“Lower your cane,” Cole commands.
“She was brought here so we could use her–”
“I said,” he growls, “lower your cane, Richard.”
Richard? The sadistic leader of the Arcane Umbra is named Richard? Ha, ha. What a Dick.
I snort a laugh. Cole straightens. I’m sure he’d look over his shoulder and scowl down at me if he wasn’t facing off with Richard right now.
“I will use her at my will, boy. She is the order’s property now!”
“She is mine,” Cole says with certainty.
With that, he whirls, grabbing my uninjured arm and yanking me out of the room. Declan and his friends follow closely behind.
None of us say a word until we’re well above ground again, and daylight pours over us, highlighting my tattered arm. My healing powers are working but slowly. I’m exhausted from the powers I used during the fight and healing the wolf; I didn’t leave enough for myself.
“Go to the infirmary and get bandages, now,” Cole tells the trio, and they leave us, their footsteps moving in the opposite direction. I’m jogging alongside Cole to keep up with his incredible lengthy strides.
“Wait–” I puff out, my lungs burning. “You’re walking really fast.”
“You’re bleeding all over the place.”
“Oh, sorry,” I drawl, “about getting blood on your fancy mosaic tiles–” I yelp in surprise when he pulls me to an abrupt halt in the center of a long corridor.
“Am I going to regret not putting that silver band back on your wrist?” he asks harshly, staring me down.
“Probably,” I deadpan.
He frowns, closing his eyes to gather himself for a moment before sighing, “I need you to behave.”
“I don’t do that.”
We start walking again. I don’t question where we’re going. I’m slightly curious. Is he taking me to his lair?
He is. He opens a plain-old wooden door, and I step inside a suite similar to mine but a little bigger.
I turn to him as he closes the door, locking it.
“Are you going to have sex with me now?” I ask wearily.
He runs his tongue along his lower lip, shaking his head. “Are you looking forward to it or something? You’re rather obsessed with the idea.”
I grit my teeth. “I hate you.”
“Good,” he breathes, seemingly relieved as he strides past me. “Let’s fix that arm.”