Unwilling (Book One of the Compelled Trilogy 1) (31 page)

Cecily smiled back, her green eyes sparkling in the dim room. “Well I best get going, I have chores in need of doing. I don’t really feel like doing chores, I’d rather just sit and talk to you all day, but Uncle says I need to earn my keep or he’s gunna leave me outside to die. I know he don’t mean it none, but I still do my chores. I’ll come back tomorrow and visit!” Cecily bounded to her feet and tokk a few steps to leave.

Cecily turned back around suddenly, a serious look upon her small face. “I love you, Rowan.” She said and before Rowan could respond she gave a final wave and hopped from the room, leaving Rowan to stare astounded at Horace.

TWENTY-SIX

ONE MONTH LATER- SEPTEMBER

Rowans days were filled with much of the same; meager slush for food, at first her stomach would grumble for more, but it had since grown accustomed to eating very little, though her mouth always felt dry, her tongue like sandpaper in her mouth, her head pounding from not enough water, and Cecily’s bubbling personality for company. Rowan thought that it might have been years since she had been locked down in the caves. She had grown thin, her ribs protruding slightly, and her cheekbones more pronounced from malnourishment.

“Come on!” Cecily whined now, bringing Rowan back from her thoughts, “It can just be something small, it’s not a big deal!” She insisted, bouncing impatiently on the balls of her feet.

“Cecily, I’ve told you no.” Rowan answered a little more harshly than she had intended to, but she was tired of this same argument, always with the same result.

“But WHY?” Cecily asked, throwing her arms out in frustration, her normally pale face lit up red in anger.

“Because I don’t want to!” Rowan threw back, for the hundredth time since Cecily first asked a week ago.

“Well that’s no reason at all!” Cecily exclaimed in a matter of fact tone, crossing her arms over her chest.

“Why do you want me to do it so bad, Cecily?” Rowan demanded, an angry redness blotching her cheeks.

“I just-“ Cecily began, breaking off, looking at Rowan pleadingly.

“What? The honest truth Cecily.” Rowan coaxed softly, studying the younger girl.

“I just, I want you to make me happy.” She mumbled flatly, looking at her feet.

Rowan stared at her silently, watching the rise and fall of her chest, the paleness of her skin from being underground, the way her hair tumbled around her shoulders wildly
. She deserves better,
Rowan thought, not for the first time. “Okay.” Rowan said finally. “Okay.” She repeated when Cecily’s eyes shot up to look at her with a disbelieving look in them.

“Really?” Cecily asked her, bounding right up to the cage and gripping a bar between each fist. She smiled brightly, her eyes shining with excitement.

“Well I’ll do my best, I’ve never tried to change someone’s emotions before...” Rowan trailed off, suddenly self-conscious.

“That’s ok!” Cecily responded, sitting in the dirt, her knees pressed against the bars. Rowan sat down right in front of her, her heart racing. Cecily stared up at her expectantly.

Rowan hesitated, unsure of herself and how to proceed. “Cecily.” Rowan said softly, testing, looking deep into Cecily’s eyes. She felt something warm stir inside her and focused on it. It was like trying to follow a train of thought when you were falling asleep. “Cecily?” She asked and the younger girl nodded, her eyes wide and unblinking, almost dazed.

Rowan could feel it growing, whatever it was that gave her this power, and it made her squirm uncomfortably. It did not feel right to her, this beast that usually lay dormant, now springing to life in the pit of her stomach, radiating a warmth throughout her limbs. She felt itchy across her skin and had to stop herself from scratching at her flesh. “Cecily, can you lift your arm?” Rowan asked the girl, testing the bounds.

Cecily lifted her hand half-heartedly, still unblinking as if entranced, Rowan felt queasy and wanted to stop, to let the Beast grow cold and unused again inside her, but felt obligated to continue now that she had told Cecily she would.

“That’s good.” Rowan praised the girl, her voice quiet and mournful. Cecily nodded as if in agreement, her face blank. Rowans heart pounded in her chest and sweat beaded on her forehead. “You can lower your arm now Cecily.” Rowan told her and Cecily’s arm fell to the floor, landing limply with a thud.

Rowan reached through the cage, the metal bars searingly cold through her shirt as she grabbed Cecily’s hands through them. Cecily’s hands felt unusually warm and sweat pooled in her palms. “Now Cecily, I want you to focus,” Cecily nodded again, “I want you to think about the caves and I want you to release the hate you have for them. Feel the anger at being trapped ebb away from you, like the ocean tides.” Rowan said softly and Cecily exhaled, her body slumping slightly as if she had indeed been carrying a great weight that had just now flown from her like a bird taking flight. “That’s good,” Rowan said again, the corners of her vision blurring, she could hear her voice echo, as if hearing it from far away, “Now Cecily I want you to-“

“WHAT THE HELL!” Coop boomed, startling Rowan who fell backwards, releasing Cecily’s hand. The younger girl frowned, shaking her head as if to clear a fog. She looked at Coop then Rowan, a frown etching onto her face. 

“Coop?” Cecily questioned, clambering to her feet. She extended an arm, as if to embrace him, shaking her head in explanation. “I didn’t-” She squeaked.

“You.” He said menacingly, pointing at Cecily, his voice a low growl, “get out, get to your room and stay there. Do not come out, no matter what.” He ordered.

“What are you going to do?” Cecily asked, looking like the frightened child she was next to Coop’s dominating person.

“Nothing of concern to you.” He responded. “Get to your room NOW!” He yelled again and Cecily flinched, though she stood her ground.

“No.” She stated bravely, though her voice shook.

“Cecily, it’s ok.” Rowan said quietly behind the young girl, fearing for her safety.

“It’s not.” Cecily said not looking at her, continuing her face off with Coop. Cecily breathed heavily and Rowan wondered if Coop could see the slight tremble of this tiny girl, the way Rowan could, or if he even cared at all. “Rowan is my friend and-“ Cecily started, but didn’t get to finish.

Rowan had forgotten how fast Coop could move, if he really wanted to. She only saw a blur and then the loud smack as his open palm met Cecily’s flesh. “Cecily!” Rowan cried, stepping forward, pressing her body against the cage wall as if she could catch Cecily as she stumbled.

Cecily fell to the floor, the skin on her cheek already turning red, like a blossoming flower under the mid day heat. She made a choking sound in the back of her throat, looking up at Coop with a hurt, betrayed look on her face. She gingerly touched her bruised cheek, wincing slightly. 

“Cecily, get out.” Coop ordered once more, no remorse in his gruff voice. Cecily sat there a moment, before gathering herself and fleeing from the cave with a sob.

Coop turned to Rowan, malice and hatred gleaming in his eyes. Rowan shrunk away from him, bumping into Horace, who bah’d at her. “Think you could get her to let you go, do you?” He asked her, extracting the key to her cage from around his neck, where it had hung beneath his shirt on thin twine.

“No I was just-“ Rowan choked out, panic rising in her chest as she backed into the rocky, hard cave wall behind her, as far from Coop as she could get, but not nearly far enough.

“You think you’re so smart do you?” Coop barked, swinging the cage door open. It squealed in protest, stopping with a bang against the cage. “I told Kastor we should have just killed you!” Coop yelled, spittle flying from his mouth

Rowan shook her head vehemently, her hair flying about her face. Coop descended toward her. Rowan breathed in and out rapidly. Sweat dripped down her back. Her heart pounded violently in her chest.

Coop struck her hard with the back of his hand, much the same as he had Cecily, but with twice the force. Rowans head flung to the side and her body followed suit. Her cheek stung and her lip spouted blood that seeped onto her chin and down her shirt. Rowan tried to stand but as she crawled onto her hands and knees, Coop swung his foot up, catching her in the side with his heavy boot. Rowan coughed, blood sputtering on the ground beneath her. “Stop.” She gasped, raking air in and out of her lungs.

Rowan turned her head to the side. Coop drew his boot up for another kick but Rowan’s eyes locked onto his, his boot began to fall, “STOP!” Rowan yelled. Coop paused, his leg hanging awkwardly in the air. He looked confused, then outraged, his body quaking intensely as he tried to force his leg down.

Rowan staggered to her feet, her breathing haggard as she fished around in the hay for the crude knife she had made on a desperate night, her thoughts fleeting and scattered. She never took her eyes from Coop and when her hand finally grasped the hilt, she smiled madly.

She faced Coop full on and when he saw the knife, his eyes widened and he struggled harder against the invisible bonds that held him. “Cecily will never forgive you.” He told her gruffly, his voice laced with desperation.

Rowan stepped closer, having to tilt her head back to look him in the eyes. “I want you to take this dagger and shove it through your chest.” She told him, the Beast inside her purred, approving of her words, and stretching out into her limbs. Her head swam dizzily and Rowan smiled slightly, her lips hitched up in one corner. “It feels good.” Rowan said closing her eyes, swaying somewhat on her feet.
This
, she thought to herself
, this was the power Elias had tried explaining to me.
She felt strong, invincible even, and her eyes gleamed mischievously when she opened them.

Rowan passed Coop the knife. He shook his head even as he grabbed the blade and it pierced through his shirt, sliding into his flesh. Blood leached into his shirt, turning the fabric from a dull brown to a dark red then dripping onto the ground at his feet. “Deeper.” Rowan sighed, drunk with the feeling of power coursing through her veins. It was white-hot and ice cold all at the same time. Rowan did not, could not, think, her thoughts jumbled and all she heard, felt, was the Beast begging for more, its blood lust ignited and it consumed, devoured, held Rowan a slave to it’s whims.

Blood gushed from Coop’s lips as Rowans hand shot out, plunging the makeshift knife into his chest until it disappeared into him, his body absorbing the cutting metal. He gasped as he fell to his knees, his hands falling to his sides. Rowan kicked him over, his head thunking loudly off the floor. He stared up at her immobile, his eyes darting between hers accusingly.

Rowan heard shouting in the distance, panicked and angry. But the yelling fell deafly into the background of her mind as she stooped, resting on her haunches as she watched gleefully as Coop’s life blood leaked from him, spilling onto the ground and mingling into the dirt.

A long, piercing scream wailed somewhere in the expansive maze like cave but still Rowan lingered, unsatisfied until Coop’s eyes glazed over and with a last sputtering cough, he died. Rowan stood, pleased, and waltzed from the cage. Her head swam in a fog, thick and dark, her thoughts cramming together incoherently, unable to form concretely. Rowan’s Beast sighed with pleasure and Rowan smiled along with it, feeling as though she was floating high above her body and looking down at it from hundreds of feet above through red colored glass.

Rowan felt strong, so strong and this, THIS, is what Gods feel like, this surging of power pouring through her like lightning, making the world dull and vibrant at the same time, pulsing with energy. The Beast inside her purred stronger as she walked down the tunnel that led to her cage. Now that she had brought it to life, it refused to go back to its dormant state; it craved blood, the sickly sweet liquid fueling its fire, and Rowan felt more than willing to oblige. The days where she rolled over and just took the blows that life dealt her were over, she wouldn’t lay down and beg the world to stop beating on her, she had the strength, the power, the supremacy, because she could see it now, she WAS superior, to everyone, to everything, to beat it back into submission, to make it bow down to her, to worship her.

The path Rowan wound down was dark but she continued forward, confident that nothing would come leaping from the darkness at her, or that she wouldn’t lose her way.

Rowan turned down path after path, not sure, and not caring, where she ended up. She let her feet lead her toward the sounds of screaming and yelling, noticing them with mild disinterest.

The sound of metal on metal rang clear as Rowan strolled into a large room. Lanterns hung at intervals along the wall and Rowan could see rudimentary steps along the far wall, disappearing upward into the rock. What caught Rowans eye more though were the mass of people bashing together from all sides. Some wore what looked like soldiers uniforms, all black, with chainmail covering their chests; others wore simple clothes, basic shirts and pants.