Phobia (Interracial Paranormal Romance) (Wisteria) (38 page)

“
So as long as I’m here, nothing will happen to me?” Wisteria doubted.

“
You will not die, but you will suffer, if you do not do what I tell you. And being in the Deep, I learned all kinds of ways to cause you hell.” Coia’s voice became colder at the mention of the realm where Wisteria sent her for seven years.

“
What do you want me to do?”

“
Get some sleep or find something to keep you busy.” Coia headed to the door. “You will see what I need in time.”

“
I’m sure my father would be very proud to see you now. He helped you when you were pregnant and alone. And you repay him this way.”

“
Your Father?” Coia scoffed. “He tried to help me, but he was too feeble to do what was needed.”

“
Like killing all the humans in your home realm?”

“
He wasted my time and then I paid for dabbling in matters he could not handle.” Coia grimaced.

“
You killed my father?” Wisteria dropped on the bed.

“
Oh Wisteria, I was
going
to kill Hemlock. I wanted to hear him scream in pain for months as his life was slowly drained, but they got to him first.”

“
Who did?”

“
I do not know. He was gone and he died a painful death. I was disappointed, but my consolation was killing your daughter with my bare hands. I just imagined she was Hemlock.” Coia returned to the door.

“
She was your grandchild too,” Wisteria screamed. Picking up the chair, she chucked it at Coia’s head.

Laughing
, she avoided Wisteria’s meager attack. Coia slapped Wisteria and sent her hurdling down to the floor. “Because she got you infected and you were too important to waste.”

“
As entertainment for your son or as a blood supply?”

“
Both, but do not worry I will not need the First Pillar artifacts forever.” Coia crouched down beside Wisteria. Her long dark gown was now encompassing half of the open floor space. “Yeah, like I said, you make him happy. You keep on doing that and we will not have a problem.”

“
Go to hell Coia.”

“
Oh, and thank you for the prax. The vial you had hidden away is going to be useful against my enemies.” She departed through the metal door.

As
Coia left, Wisteria caught sight of three Drones standing guard.

The door
slammed shut.

Getting
up, Wisteria paced in the cell. She tried to think, but all that came to her mind was how Robinia had been right. Wisteria should’ve sealed the threshold from this realm to Earth.
What about the Thayns?
She couldn’t lock them into a world that guaranteed slavery at best and at worst—a tortuous death. It wasn’t supposed to happen this way. She thought Bach would come to her alone like before then infecting him would’ve been easy, but now?

T
he door opened.

Wanting to run,
but having nowhere to go, she stood.

A woman
with long curly brown hair stepped in. She had dark shana spots down the sides of her face and neck.

“
Nular?” Wisteria gawked. “They got you too?” Of course, Lluc would have brought her too.

“
Actually, I’m Frieda Hardy remember?” Frieda replied.

Frieda Hardy or Nular,
as Wisteria first knew of her, was Lluc’s human wife. Like Wisteria, Frieda had bonded to Lluc, so for years, she’d lived with Lluc pretending to be his Thayn. When she became pregnant with Lluc’s child, she and Lluc fled from the Family’s realm to Earth—faking both their deaths in the process.

Wisteria and Bach later
discovered a heavily pregnant Frieda on an oilrig in the North Sea and that was the last time Wisteria saw her. Judging from Frieda’s slimmer figure now, she was no longer pregnant.

“
Hey, they finally gave me the key. Lluc did not want to, but Bach made him because he didn’t want you to be alone.” Frieda approached. “Come on, you can stay with me and Lleo. It’ll be better than being here.”

“
What’s going on here?”

“
Did they do this?” Frieda touched the side of Wisteria’s face.

Winc
ing in pain at Frieda’s touch, Wisteria yanked her face away “It’s either from being brought here or when I fell. How long have you been locked down here?”

“
I’ll get you something for your face.” Frieda returned to the door. “Blai, Cristòfol, I’m taking Wisteria to my chamber as Lluc said I could.”

The
Drones guarding the door glared at Frieda suspiciously.

“
As Lluc also instructed you,” Frieda stated nervously.

“
You are to go straight to your quarters,” a Drone warned.

“
Blai, I won’t get lost,” Frieda assured him. “And with you guys hanging around, there’s no way I can accidently wander up above.”

Blai stepped aside.

Frieda gestured for Wisteria to follow.

Cautiously, Wisteria complied.
As she walked out, she noticed these Drones wore the metallic knuckles she’d seen before in Bach’s den.

“
This way…” Frieda turned left.

The hallway outside the cell looked
just as sparsely adorned as her room. The only thing giving the grey passage any color was a twenty-foot painting of an unhappy looking girl at the end of the wall. The picture looked odd as the girl’s light indigo dress seemed to be of an ancient roman noble woman, but the girl clearly couldn’t be European. Clutching a staff in her left hand, she was surrounded by volcanoes emitting blue lava as winged monsters flew overhead. She read the name of the artist
: Hugo Pero
.

“
This painting pre-dates the Dy’obeths according to Coia. You won’t believe I found this almost ruined in my room. Coia was kind enough get it cleaned and hung here. She kind of looks like you.” Frieda ran her fingers down the front of the picture. “She could be your sister?”

“
You’re concerned about restoring paintings? Aren’t you aware of what’s going on outside?”

“
Wisteria, I can’t upset these people. They’ve been all right to me.”

“
All right to you? You’re hanging out here while everything is going to hell?”

“
No, I didn’t willingly come here, but Wisteria—I’m tired of running from biters, draugs or pretending to be a Thayn. For the first time, I can be myself.” Frieda headed into another room.

Wisteria
followed her.

They came to a large plushy decorated
space. On one side; stood a canopy bed, a cradle and wardrobes while on the other; a small living area, including a television and entertainment center. The room reminded Wisteria of the first time she met Bach in London.

He
’d been living in comfort in the Hunter Tower while everyone around him struggled to survive.

“
I can see why you don’t want to upset things,” Wisteria remarked.

“
Yes, I’m taken care of.”

“
Do you enjoy having him as a master again?”

“
Lluc’s not my master. Listen, it’s strange that I’m here, but I love him even though he’s changed. I’m not going to leave him to completely descend into madness like Malcolm.”

“
Frieda—”

“
And do you think I could leave even if I wanted to? How? Where would I go?”

A baby started babbling
from the cradle by the bed.

“
Lleo’s awake.” Frieda jogged over and picked up a tiny child.

He
looked a few weeks old.

“
Your son?”

“
Lluc’s and mine.” Frieda brought the baby over. “Coia’s seen him and cried when she did.”

“
But Coia’s mad.”

“
She claims she’s going to change the way the Family treats humans. If she does it, then we’ll be free to live here with Lluc freely.” Frieda seemed to be trying to convince herself more than Wisteria.

“
What’s she planning?”

“
Lluc won’t tell me. He doesn’t talk to me like he did before.”

“
He scares you, doesn’t he?”

Nervously, she nodded.
“Sometimes, he gets enraged over nothing.”

“
Does he hit you?”

“
No, he doesn’t even shout at me. He leaves, but when he gets back, he’s covered in blood. He won’t tell me what he did, but tells me to be glad it wasn’t me. Then he goes to bed.”

The baby coughed and began crying
.

“
Shh.” Frieda rocked him. “You’re not hungry because Momma just fed you.”

“
Maybe he’s thirsty?” Walking up, she looked down at the baby boy.

He had
bright yellow eyes.

“
He’s been turned into a Dy’obeth?” Wisteria noted.

Nodding, she started crying.
“Lluc
perfected
him right after he was born, but he’s not going to be a monster. I’m his mother. I’m going to make sure that never happens.”

“
How?”

Trembling, Frieda shook her head.
“I’ll find a way. God help me.”

“
Can I hold him?”

Sobbing, Frieda placed her son in Wisteria
’s arm.

As she cr
adled the infant, Wisteria placed her fingers of her right hand on the sides of Lleo’s head. Closing her eyes, she concentrated on unlocking the baby’s mind. Keeping her fingers lightly pressed on his temples until the light lilac light turned dark. When she opened her eyes, his eyes were light brown like his mother’s.

“
You’ve fixed him? How?” Frieda snatched the child back. “Thank you. Thank you Wisteria.” Cradling her son, she kissed him. “But can’t Lluc just perfect him again?”

“
I don’t know. I should’ve thought about that first.”

“
At least, I’ll have him for a time. Maybe I can be a good influence to him before Lluc…” Frieda’s voice trailed off.

“
What will Lluc do when he finds out?”

“
He’ll be furious as usual, but I’m getting used to it.” Frieda rocked the child and glanced at the door. “He won’t hurt me.”

Wisteria noticed the door had three dead bolts. Goi
ng over, she started to lock it. “Not that this will make a big difference. Bach and his brothers could easily break down the door, but the locks might slow them down a little.”

“
No, don’t. I’m not supposed to lock the door. You do that and you’ll enrage them and Wisteria—you don’t want to see that. It’s brutal.”

“
So, Lluc
has
been beating you?”

“
Lluc doesn’t, but Coia does sometimes. If I do what she wants, she leaves me alone.”

“
Lluc lets this happen. If he’s that possessive of you to the point he locks you down here, how can he accept that you’re being hit?”

“
I don’t bother him with that. Plus, she regenerate me when I get hurt.” She tried to smile.

“
But?” Wisteria sensed there was more.

“
Did Coia really kill Oleander?” Frieda hugged Lleo tightly. “And she sent you the body?”

“
Yeah,” Wisteria responded and paused. “She did.”

“
Then you see why I can’t tell him.”

“
She’s threatened to hurt Lleo if you tell Lluc.”

“
Or if I can’t make him happy.”

“
I’m sorry.”

P
utting Lleo back to bed, Frieda brought out some bandages and cotton wool to treat Wisteria’s cuts and bruises. Once done, she settled in front of the television with a bowl of soup. Frieda seemed oblivious to what was going on as she fixated on the old movies she was watching. There was something to be said about trying to block out the madness of their situation. Like Wisteria, Frieda had too much on her mind. She chose to deal with everything by not thinking about it.

Wisteria wished she
’d possessed the luxury to block it all out.

The
building rattled as thunder sounded, strong winds shook the castle, as a violent storm seemed to move in.

Frieda laughed at something she
’d seen on television.

Abruptly
, the door burst open and Lluc appeared, dressed in a long black coat like the Dy’obeths preferred. “Why is she still here?”