Taken (Breaking the Darkness) (21 page)

My eyes questioned his last comment. I wondered what he’d given up to work for The Taker.

“So how did you start to work for him?” I asked before I could think.

“I sought him out. Once I heard rumors about him, after what the old woman told me, I put myself in places I shouldn’t have been. I knew of the destruction he left in his path when he didn’t get what he wanted. I decided the smartest thing for me to do was align myself with him from the beginning. I also knew he would lead me to you. You know what they say; keep your friends close but your enemies closer.”

He turned to look at me. I allowed my eyes to fall in line with his. I could feel the truth in his words and see the emotions flaring in his eyes. There was a loneliness that tugged at my heart.

“I have been involved with a lot of things that were against every ounce of who I am. It has been very hard through the years to try and stay true to myself. I managed to find a way to keep him happy by hosting his events and guests. I make him a lot of money; most of it is legit. Unlike most of the pots he has his hands in.” Graven continued.

“I love music and dancing. It is a great way to get lost and escape in my work, without drugs or magic. Music shapes humanity. Humans thrive on it. The music scene drives a lot of what goes on around the planet. The music industry has its secrets as well. Someday I will be able to explain it all to you.”

“You believe you’ll be telling me a lot of things in the future.” I forced a sarcastic smile. “I’m glad you’re so sure about yourself. How will you find me? How do you know this is even what I look like?”

It felt good to keep challenging him.

“I will know you anywhere. Whatever skin you are in, your eyes will never lie to me. I can feel you. I can sense your spirit. They are using something to block me from sensing you, but I can get close to Ziona. Anton mentioned something about a desert compound. Either we need to figure out how to get past the block, or I will find my way to the compound through Ziona.

“She is dangerous, but we all have our weaknesses. Speaking of which, thank you for telling me how to defeat Anton. I was surprised the blade wasn’t penetrating his flesh. It was a dragon reaper. There are only two daggers of its kind that I know of. I never knew if it would work. I’d hoped I wouldn’t have to find out. If you hadn’t been there, I’m not sure how things would have turned out.”

“I wasn’t sure it would work.” I confessed.

“Do your best not to fight against Ziona. Try to sit tight until I can find a way to get to you. They will start wondering why Anton isn’t coming back. He never passes up an opportunity to break someone. It will not distract them for long. I have an idea to help shake it up. Hopefully it will give me enough time to come up with a plan.”

“Okay. Oh, I meant to ask you… When I’m projecting, is my body resting?” I asked him. “I keep trying to sleep, but it’s hard. I don’t want to slow my healing down by traveling. I’m just in so much pain.”

“Your body is in a state of rest, but not like when you are sleeping. You need to sleep to rejuvenate and expedite healing. You are not hurting yourself, but not really helping either. You should get back there. I have some things to do. Do your best to get some sleep and then we will meet again.”

He put his hand up to my face. Unlike when Patience touched me in astral form, I could feel Graven’s touch. His energy surged through me. There was something cosmic about it. I wondered, if he kept his hand on me long enough, if I would have been able to see into his soul.

I wanted to reach out and grab hold of him and never let go. I didn’t ever want to go back to that awful dark pit. I was tempted to go back to see if Patience had made any headway in contacting Gram or about where I might be. I didn’t know why I didn’t tell Graven about her and her sister. For that matter, I didn’t tell them about Graven either.

Gram did tell me not to trust anyone. Maybe that was best, but I needed to try a little. They were my only chance and connection with the outside world. Even if I could somehow contact the authorities, what would they do against dragons and gargoyles?

If by chance they were all lying to me, maybe they were at least working in a way to help extend my life enough for me to implement an escape strategy.

MY NECK WAS cramped up from lying in the most unconventional position. My body still ached, but the extreme pain had subsided. I stretched my head from shoulder to shoulder. A few neck rolls helped loosen the kinks. I must have been asleep forever; it felt like days.

Standing up, I let my entire body slowly swim around the room. Stretching my arms high up to the ceiling for a swan dive, I realized there was no longer any tightness in my back. After some light yogic stretches, I decided to give my wounds a feel.

My shirt was torn in the rear and definitely crusted with dried blood. Nervous of what I would find, I slid my hand up the back of my shirt to feel the damage Anton inflicted on me. Surprisingly, it felt okay. The gashes weren’t even crusted with scabs, but there was no question he left his mark. The raised, puffed ridges of skin would haunt me forever.

All I could do was replace the images of what he did to me with the picture of him lying on Graven’s office floor with a dagger protruding from his eye socket. It didn’t give me satisfaction, but it did alleviate my fears of his return.

As I paced back and forth, my mind wandered between all the people in my life. My safety sat in their hands. Who or how would anyone help me?

It would be amazing to have Graven burst in here with his muscles rippling beneath one of his perfect-fitting tees. I would sure like to feel him scoop me up and bring me to safety. I fantasized about him wrapping his vast wings around me and cradling me in his arms. What girl wouldn’t?

I wondered what he was doing. He said he had some kind of a plan. I hoped he wasn’t doing anything stupid or anything that would get one of us hurt.

Maybe I shouldn’t have stopped pacing my cell. I didn’t hear anyone come into the room, but as I stood there I felt someone’s breath sweeping across my neck. There was a slight hissing noise with the hot spurts teasing at my sanity.

Oh God, I didn’t want to turn around. I stood there pretending not to notice. Maybe if I didn’t acknowledge where the breath was coming from, it would go away. Just as I was about to step forward I felt a fingernail catch me under the chin and turn me around.

“Thinking about going somewhere?” Ziona’s black eyes laughed at the idea I might actually have anywhere to go. “You are looking surprisingly well.” She didn’t disguise her suspicions.

I looked down and noticed she was actually wearing slacks. Of course they hugged her bottom and thighs. They flared out just enough at the bottom to display her shiny black stilettos. They were no joke and I’m sure at the top of the designer chain. I always loved following fashion, but it wasn’t really for me.

Her voluptuous breasts stared me in the face. She used her long red nail to lift my chin. She was pressing it hard enough under my jaw that she was either going to lift me off my feet or puncture my skin. The darkness around her made her red glow unavoidable.

“So, are you having fun yet? Did you enjoy your visit with my friend?” Ziona questioned me.

I just stared at her. The silence was deadening.

“He will be back. He was extra gentle with you for your first time. I will have you know that he always gets what he wants. I am impressed with your stamina for pain. Maybe you like it?” She showed me the small space between her thumb and pointer finger. “Maybe just a little?” Her smirk soured my stomach.

She slowly started to lower her hand, but without any notice, she stepped forward and slammed her elbow into my face. She knocked me off balance, but this time I didn’t go down.

“Nice…” Ziona paused. “I do like you, Kasha. We could be friends. If I knew what I was dealing with, I could train you. You would not have to deal with men like Anton Leviath. It is hard to come by strong females. Some pretend to be strong, but in the end their fears immobilize any inner strength they try to hold on to.” She circled around me, her eyes never releasing me.

“You manage your fears surprisingly well for a girl who doesn’t have any abilities. For someone who has been kidnapped and is intermittently tortured and barely fed, you seem to be handling it a little too well. Believe me, I have seen many females and males alike held here. They scream out constantly for help. They pray to their gods to save them from things that are worse than death.

“Do you fear death, Kasha? Do you fear the things that have only started to happen to you here?”

“I don’t fear death. I do have fear about the way in which I may die, but I’m also a logical person. Who would hear my cries or my screams?

“You and I both know no one knows I’m here. Do I want to fight against you and try to push my way out of this room? Of course I do, but what’s on the other side of that door? I surely don’t have a clue. Perhaps something or someone worse than you and this darkness.” I wanted to push forward and challenge her, but I knew better, and I remembered Graven’s advice.

“Wise. You know you could not hide from us. On the rare chance you did manage to find your way out of here or if you give me the answers I want and we let you go, we will always know where and how to locate you.

“You can continue to insist that your grandmother never told you about this world, but you know this is real. You don’t have the same reality to return to. There are a lot of bad and evil creatures walking this planet. Some fates are worse than aligning yourself with those in power. You may not realize it now, but you are being protected here.

“There are others out there that, if and when they know you walk among us, will do far worse to you than we have thus considered.”

Fear threatened to discharge what little contents I had in my stomach. I wanted to reach up to my amulet for comfort. Two problems with that—it wasn’t really there and I didn’t want Ziona to notice what happened to it or me.

“You look like you want to say something. I know you are hiding things from me. We have ways to get around that too. No part of you is safe. I have associates that specialize in the mind as well.”

She moved in and caressed my forehead. She ran her fingers back into my hair and grabbed a handful. “You are filthy. Wouldn’t you like to come take a nice hot bath or a steamy shower?” She released my hair and I stumbled back. I smoothed out my knotty hair, trying to rub away the sting.

“I have some things to attend to. I will be back later. I will not return alone. Know that, and know what is to come. You have this last chance. When I get back, if you are ready to cooperate, I will show you just how good things can be for you. I think you know the alternative.”

She turned so fast into the darkness she just vanished in front of me. No chance she was using the door unless she was bringing company.

Standing there, speechless, my eyes looked from side to side as if they would be able to see anything. I was almost starting to find comfort in the darkness.

Apparently she didn’t know that Anton was dead yet. She would find out soon enough. I could only hope that the news served as a distraction to her and kept her away from me. I needed to rest as much as I could. My strength needed to be built back up if I was going to survive in there.

If Graven couldn’t find a way to rescue me, I might have to consider her offer. At least if I got out of that room, maybe I could get away.

I still really didn’t have anything magically mind-blowing to tell her. I couldn’t imagine her being impressed with the fact that I could astral project or that I talked to my dead grandmother. It wasn’t even like Gram told me anything or how to utilize my abilities. I didn’t know if anyone knew what was actually happening to me or if they just didn’t want to tell me. Patience told me not to attempt to use my powers, if I had any, in there. What if I couldn’t control them? If I were unable to practice, how would I know what I could do?

My stomach started to grumble at me. I remembered I still had a small bag of veggie sticks tucked away in the bed. I hopped up and grabbed them. The crunching of the veggies sounded like a jackhammer in the silence. It wasn’t much, but my body was happy to have some nutrients.

I wondered how long it had been since my attack. Ziona seemed to be surprised by my rate of healing. Maybe I was healing faster than normal. Most of my severe aches had faded. Another good session or two of sleep would get me back to where I needed to be. I put the empty veggie bag by the door to the room. I could only pray that someone took it as a hint to feed me more.

I jumped back onto the hard mattress, tossing and turning, trying to find a comfortable position to relax into. The comforts of home seemed like a thing of the past. A fluffy pillow and soft cuddly blanket sure would have been nice. Eventually, my body gave up on comfort and opted for sleep.