Authors: Stacie Simpson
My eyes narrowed. “What does that mean exactly?”
He rubbed the back of his neck. “In lieu of alternate
punishments Clarissa has volunteered to entertain anyone who wants to help keep
Rachel calm. Since she has always thought she was too good for most of the guys
around here, they’re lining up at the door for the chance to fuck her.”
Okay
then. “I still want to see her.”
He made a defeated noise but said, “Let me clean up first,
then I’ll take you to see her.”
Him saying he wanted to clean up had me taking a good look
at myself. I was dressed in a T-shirt and a pair of yoga pants which wasn’t too
bad, but then I ran my fingers through my hair and my tongue over my teeth and
decided I could use some personal hygiene time too.
Rook grinned at me and said, “Claire brought you some
clothes. They’re in one of the guest rooms and all the bathrooms are stocked
with toothbrushes, shampoos and that kind of stuff.”
Rook showed me to a guest room then went to his room to get
cleaned up. I couldn’t help but think that only two days ago we would have gone
to the same bathroom and showered together - especially since the showers here
were more than twice the size of mine at home with water spraying from multiple
shower heads.
So much had been taken from me, from Rook, and not just that
comfortable feeling we’d had just days ago. How was I ever going to tell him
what we’d lost, what I’d allowed someone to take from us when I left the safety
of the resort. Would he ever be able to forgive me?
As I washed my hair and cleaned my body I wondered how long
it would take to move past what happened to me. Would I ever stop flinching
when Rook made sudden movements? I wanted him to hold me, needed him to comfort
me, but the thought of intimacy terrified me.
I hadn’t told Rook what happened while I was with the man,
the one who liked to make me scream. But I saw it in his eyes when he looked at
me. I saw the pain and guilt, and the rage flaring like silver sparks in his
black eyes. Rook knew the horrors I’d suffered, and I had no doubt he planned
to teach the man responsible what it felt like to scream.
Once I was showered and my hair was dry I started going
through the boxes of clothing Claire had left for me. There were plenty of
underclothes, yoga pants, jeans and T-shirts - the kinds of things I liked to
wear when I was just lounging around. Everything was the right size and I was
thankful for her unexpected thoughtfulness.
Then I opened the last box and I was glad Rook wasn’t with
me. The box contained a pale green dress that I recognized from the fantasy
Camila showed me of Rook and me in Mystique. On top of the dress was a gold
bangle bracelet with a textured design that reminded me of rushing water, like
the bubbling froth of river rapids. Under the dress I found a small plastic
case that held a diaphragm. It had been years since I used one but it was one
of the few forms of birth control my body could actually tolerate.
Why on Earth would Claire leave me a diaphragm?
Deciding I would never be able to guess at her motives I
placed the case in a drawer and hung the dress in the closet. I couldn’t imagine
why I would need either item anytime soon, but maybe the psychic knew something
that I didn’t.
Sliding the bracelet onto my wrist I went in search of Rook.
I didn’t usually wear jewelry but something about the gift made me think it was
given to me for a reason and not just on a random whim.
Rook was waiting for me in the living room and when his eyes
zeroed in on the bracelet my theory was proven correct.
“May I?” he asked holding out his hand for the bracelet.
I handed it to him and he examined it closely then gave it
back to me.
“What is its significance?” I asked him.
“Claire has jewelry made out of the gold she cries during
her golden prophecies. She gave the bracelet from the Phoenix Prophecy to
Serafina. It has four scenes etched on it that depict the primary elements of
that prophecy. I would guess this bracelet was made from the gold she cried the
day you went missing.”
“Why does it have rushing water etched on it, and why would
she give it to me?”
“As for the water, if that’s what it is, I’m not sure but if
she gave it to you, then you will play a major part in fulfilling the prophecy,”
he told me, then gestured to the door.
“How could I possibly fulfill a prophecy, I’m just a human,”
I argued, walking ahead of him to the door.
“I’m sure Serafina felt the same way when she came here to
be a dancer, but then she managed to free an entire race from an ancient curse
and be crowned queen in the process,” Rook countered.
I laughed. “I guess when you put it that way, anything is
possible.”
He followed me out his front door and we crossed the open
space to another door. On the other side of that door was a foyer that looked
very similar to the one outside Dragon and Serafina’s apartment. When we
stepped inside the elevator Rook pressed the down button and something in my
gut twisted. Now that we were actually on our way to see Rachel, I wasn’t sure
if I was up to it.
“I’ll be right there with you the whole time. I’ll be by
your side or I’ll give you space, no matter what you need I’ll do my best to
give it to you,” Rook told me and for once I was glad he could read me like a
book.
Rook took me to his office and when I asked why he
explained, “It wouldn’t be a good idea for you to be in the same room with
Rachel right now. The slightest change to her environment could agitate her,
and it’s best if she remains calm as much as possible.”
We sat in the back of his office and he pulled up live feeds
from the security cameras on the monitors lined up before us. On one monitor my
daughter was writhing on a bed moaning and touching herself with obvious sexual
pleasure. She was dressed in hospital scrubs but that didn’t make the scene any
less disturbing.
Reaching for Rook’s hand I drew strength from him and asked,
“How do you get her to eat and drink?”
“They make it part of the fantasies they’re projecting into
her mind.”
Images I never wanted to think about again popped into my
head and I shook myself as I looked away from Rachel to the next monitor where
Clarissa was lying nude across a bed with her head hanging off the edge. A man
I recognized as Jasper who worked at the front desk was also nude and standing
over her thrusting himself into her mouth.
“Jasper is a good kid, but he’s always been one of the
weaker nightshifters and Clarissa never missed an opportunity to remind him of
that,” Rook informed me.
“It looks like he’s enjoying a little revenge.”
Rook snorted. “This is his fifth shift and every time he’s
been in there he’s made sure he put Clarissa in her place. I’m surprised she’s
not on her knees or chained up in a stockade again.”
My eyebrows rose. From what Rook described Jasper had a lot
of pent up anger towards Clarissa to work off.
“Where are they in relation to Rachel?” I asked.
“They’re in the same room but Solomon set up a ward so that
no one can actually get near Rachel. They have to be close enough for the
nightshifters to easily project images and sensations into Rachel, but we don’t
trust Clarissa enough to allow her or anyone she might try to control access to
Rachel. Sex demons can be very persuasive when they crank up the pheromones. We
remove Clarissa from the room when it’s time to feed Rachel to avoid any
possible problems.”
“How long can they keep this up?” I glanced over to see him
watching me.
“There are enough nightshifters here to keep Rachel calm
indefinitely. How long will Clarissa be able to keep up?” Rook shrugged. “Only
time will tell but she knows that when her usefulness runs out so does her
time.”
“What do you mean?”
“Clarissa facilitated both attacks on Serafina as well as
Rachel’s abduction.” He paused for a moment and seemed to struggle with some
emotion. When he continued the anger vibrating in his voice was unmistakable. “She
was also the one who told Adan you left the resort without me.”
For a moment I didn’t know who he was talking about. When it
hit me I murmured, “So that was his name.”
Rook reached up to brush his fingers along my cheek and I
flinched away from him.
“I’m so sorry Rook; I don’t mean to do that. I know you won’t
hurt me, it’s just...” I didn’t know how to describe the sense of panic I felt
when he tried to touch me unexpectedly.
Ever so slowly he rolled his chair closer to mine and pulled
me into his arms. Holding my head against his chest while he smoothed his hand
over my hair he said, “You don’t need to apologize to me Angela. We’ll work
through this no matter how long it takes.”
Feeling his love for me, hearing it in his voice, the tears
finally came. Rook held me while I cried, rocking me softly and whispering
words that I was starting to recognize as his native language. It felt so good
to have him hold me.
When the tears eventually slowed I looked up at him and
asked, “What were you whispering?”
He brushed my hair back and pressed a light kiss to my
forehead. “It was a prayer to the Goddess in the language of my people. I asked
her to guide you back into the light so that you may leave the darkness of pain
and fear behind you.”
“Thank you Rook. I don’t know what happened, it was like a
fog was lifted and suddenly everything I should have been feeling crashed over
me.”
Combing his fingers through my hair he told me, “You woke up
in the ICU and for a split second it felt like the weight of a thousand
elephants had been lifted off my chest. The relief I felt knowing you were
finally awake was immeasurable. But you were screaming, thrashing around as if
you were fighting for your life and I had to restrain you. Claire came in and
put you back to sleep. Later she told me that while she was in your mind she
made sure that the next time you woke the memories would come back slower and
you would be better prepared to handle the emotional fallout when it came.”
Pulling back I looked around for something to wipe my face
with. Rook went to get me a napkin from the minibar across the room then came
back and leaned against the counter with one ankle crossed over the other.
“Claire offered to erase your memories but I told her I
wouldn’t make that decision for you,” he told me quietly.
I shook my head. “I won’t let you bear the burden of that
knowledge alone Rook.”
He nodded like that was the answer he expected me to give.
Once my face was clean and my nose was blown I said, “I’d
like to go see Claire, to thank her if that would be alright.”
Rook smiled warmly. “I think she’d like that, she should be
in her studio telling fortunes for the guests at this time of day.”
The hallways of the resort were crowded with tourists but
there were only two people in Claire’s waiting room when we arrived. Claire’s
studio was everything you’d expect it to be. Tiny lights twinkled like stars
across the ceiling of the dimly lit room, candles burned on every tabletop, and
a bead curtain separated the waiting area from the back room. Toss in a few
moon and star covered pillows and throw blankets and it was a shining example
of how stereotypes and clichés were brought to life at Myths and Legends.
Rook and I sat on a small delicate looking sofa together.
After a few minutes Solomon came through the bead curtain looking absolutely
disheveled. His hair usually had the carefree messy look that actually took a
lot of work to achieve, but this was different. It looked like he’d been
running his hands through his hair repeatedly and his clothes were mismatched
and so wrinkled he must have slept in them.
Going by Rook’s wide eyes and gaping mouth he was just as
surprised by Solomon’s appearance as I was. Before either of us could comment
Solomon hurried out of the room and Claire stepped into view.
“Diane, I have been waiting for you to come by and see me,”
Claire said to the woman seated across from me.
In response Diane sputtered, “How did you know my name?”
Claire bent and took Diane’s hands in hers. “Never mind that
right now dear. I wish we had more time to chat but you have somewhere to be.”
“I do?”
“Of course you do dear. Take your daughter and turn right
onto the main road heading towards Louisiana when you leave the resort. Stop at
the first gas station you come to after you cross the border and let little
Elaine choose some numbers for lottery tickets.”
Diane just sat there gawking at Claire.
Pulling Diane to her feet Claire said, “You better go now or
it will be too late.”
Diane shook herself then rushed out the door while Rook and
I chuckled.
Next Claire spoke to the other woman who had been waiting
for her. “Liliana, I want you to meet me in Lilith’s Lounge tonight at nine o’clock.”
The woman raised one perfectly shaped eyebrow and Claire added, “I promise, it
will be well worth your trouble.”
Liliana inclined her head then rose from the chair and left
without a word.
“Any chance you’d tell me where to find a winning lottery
ticket?” Rook asked Claire with a grin.
She smiled back, “Only if I thought those millions you have
in the bank might actually run out some day.”
“Millions?” The question just slipped past my lips.
Rook’s shoulder lifted in a shrug. “Claire occasionally
gives stock market tips and I’ve made some good investments over the years.”
“That’s not important now,” Claire said as she pulled me to
my feet and hooked her arm through mine. “Rook, Angela and I need to have a
little girl time, why don’t you check with Donovan and I’ll see that she makes
it safely back to your apartment when we’re finished.”
She started leading me towards the back room but Rook was
suddenly in front of us blocking our path. “What are you up to Claire?”
I had to take a deep breath but managed to keep myself from
cowering under his anger. Recognizing my fear he took a step back.
“I give you my word, no harm will come to Angela before you
see her again,” Claire promised him.
Rook held her gaze for a moment then asked me, “Is this okay
with you?”
I swallowed hard then nodded. “I trust Claire.”
“Then it’s settled, we’ll see you in about an hour,” Claire
said with a bright smile.
Rook still didn’t look happy but he left without any further
argument. Claire and I went through the bead curtain and sat at a small table
lined with a dark blue velvet tablecloth. On the table were a stack of tarot
cards and a crystal ball with smoke swirling in its center.
“I’d like to thank you for the clothes and everything you’ve
done for me,” I told Claire sincerely.
“There’s no need for that dear,” she replied, handing me a
paper cup with a plastic lid that she’d grabbed off the hutch when we entered
the room.
I took the cup and sipped its contents. Mmm... Caramel
Macchiato, my favorite. “All the same, I’m deeply thankful for your help.”
She sipped from her own cup then came right to the point. “We
don’t have much time before Rook comes looking for you. Very soon he will
realize there is a way to save your daughter.”
I gasped. “How?”
“A more important question is; will you be able to give him
the help he needs to pull it off?”
Her eyes pierced mine and I knew what she was really asking.
After a moment she continued, “He will not ask for your
help, nor will he want to accept it when you offer it. But if you want your
daughter back you will need to be strong and convince him that you are able to
do what must be done.”
“If there is any chance to fix what has been done to Rachel
I will find the strength to see it through.”
“I know you will,” Claire assured me. “There is one more
thing I thought you should know.” She reached out to where my hand rested on
the table and covered it with hers. “No matter what Adan said to you, Rook
would have loved his child whether he had the ability to shift time or not.”