Flame (Fireborn) (18 page)

When I awake darkness
is all I see and I'm afraid until I remember what happened; then I am
terrified. I try to make a sound, but I can't. My throat isn't
working, and gurgling gasps are all I can muster. I'm blindfolded,
and my hands are crossed in front of me, held together with a rope
that bites my skin. I'm moving, but my legs aren't carrying me.
Someone else is. I hear a strong heartbeat against my ear, and I
concentrate on it to help me keep calm.

The wind is harsh and
loud. Someone's put a blanket over me. I smell a feminine hint of
lilac, and I wonder if Lenora is close by.
Lenora
. She did
something to me, I'm sure of it. My mind replays every moment I spent
in their company, but there isn't much to go through. I panic as I
think about what the Saguinox might do with me. Eat me? Torture me?
Bring back to their planet for some sick experiment? All the thoughts
running in my head fill me with anger and nausea, and I wonder if I'm
going to throw up again.

"That way," a
soft voice whispers. Lenora is next to us.

I think of her easy
charm, and beautiful face and I want to kick myself. Why did I agree
to go in the car with her? Why did I follow Rhys? Why had I been so
dumb? They're
aliens
for god's sake! They don't even have the
same anatomy as me. But deep inside I know why I followed Rhys, why I
want to follow him: he sees me when others can't. He saves me when I
can’t save myself.

I'm humiliated.

Rhys was all an act, as
fake as the Golden Eyes hero I'd made in my head.

I want to punch him,
but I settle for thrashing my shoulder into his large chest instead.
He doesn't acknowledge it, doesn't even flinch. That only makes me
madder. Images of what I want to do to him flash in my mind: kicking
him in the shins, hitting him with a shovel, flipping him on his back
with ferocity the way I've seen a WWE wrestler do once.

I don't stop hitting
him with my shoulder, and I hope my actions tell him something about
me. His words about me being a survivor come back in my head.
You're
.
Hit.
Damn
. Hit.
Right!
Hit. He only holds me tighter,
and I'm not sure what that gesture means.

When I exhaust myself,
I rest my head on the chest I've worked so hard to hurt. I'm still
weak. Whatever they gave me was powerful. I wonder if it's human
made.

I listen for clues
about where I am. I know I'm away from the city because I can't hear
cars or people. All I hear are owls, and the rustle of trees and
leaves. If I strain my ears I think I can even hear the sounds of
waves crashing, but whatever they shot me up with makes it hurt to
focus too long. The sound of something opening alerts me. We've
arrived, and I stiffen in his arms. Something small and pointy nudges
my skin.

"No." Rhys
voice sounds strained, like something's hurting him. I wonder if it's
me, and I can't help the smug smile tugging at my lips.

"What if she
fights?" Lenora asks.

"It will be all
right," he says quietly, gently.

"I don't know,
Rhys." Lenora sounds uncertain. "She doesn't seem like
she'll come quietly."
Smart girl,
I snarl silently.
Now
if only you can come closer so I can claw your eyes out!
I
must've made a sound because Rhys's arms tighten.

"I'll take care of
it," he says.

"We have to
undress her and put the offering on," Lenora says, amused. "And
I don't think
you
should be doing that."

Rhys makes a sound, and
it sounds suspiciously like a smirk. "I'm sure I can figure it
out."

More images of things I
want to do to him enter my mind, including using the ropes on my
hands to tie him to a tree for the wolves.

"How about this,
you can get the offering on her and I'll be close by in case you need
my… skills." Rhys suggests.

"All right,"
she reluctantly agrees. "If she wakes up the whole compound with
her screaming, don't tell me I didn't warn you."

"She won't."

"If she tries to
run, don't tell me I-"

"She won't."
There's a pause. "Don't you trust me?" Rhys asks softly.

"You know I do,"
Lenora replies just as softly. "But Malachi-"

"Shh!" he
hisses, and I know he doesn't want to say more in front of me. "Let's
go."

My legs stir, and I try
to stretch them, testing them without him noticing. I'm scared he
does though, because he walks faster. I can hear Lenora's heels
clicking softly, and I know we're inside a building. A few more doors
open, and then we stop. He settles my body onto something hard.

A chair.

I try to sit, but my
body's slouching like my bones have disappeared. A gentle hand hoists
me back up, tenderly laying my neck back. I'm facing the ceiling and
faint light penetrates through the cloth over my eyes. Lenora's
clicking fades away, and we're alone.

"I know you can
hear me," Rhys says in a low voice. "Just do everything
you're told and you'll be ok. Nod if you understand."

Bastard,
I try
to say, but nothing comes out.

"Nod if you
understand." Maybe he senses my fear because his voice is
gentler. "Lenora's going to undress you. She's going to put you
in something else. Please don't try to leave or they will send
someone to get you. There are consequences for prisoners who try to
escape."

Prisoners?
My
throat feels dry. What did he mean by that? Why was I in prison? My
questions can't be voiced, and he won't answer them anyway so I keep
the growing terror to myself.

His hands touch my
shoulders, and I'm surprised. I wonder if he knows they're shaking.
"Please don't leave, Kenna," he repeats softly.

I don't answer him. I
couldn't if I wanted to anyway.

"I'll wait by the
door," he informs Lenora. "She's alert."

I hear her walking,
approaching me with hesitation. "I think you have to keep your
blindfolds on. So I'm just going to help you pull your shirt and
pants off, okay?" She lifts my shirt up, but it's hard because
my hands are still tied in front of me. Lenora pauses. "I wonder
if I should cut the ropes off.'

Yes, yes,
my
mind is screaming.
Do it!

She asks Rhys, and his
quick "no" seals the deal. She goes back to struggling with
the thin shirt, and I hear a tear as she finally pulls it over my
arms and head.

"I'm sorry!"
Lenora sounds apologetic. "I hope you didn't like that shirt.
There is a... very cute bird on it." She sounds so contrite I'm
almost amused, but then I remember how I got here and I hate her
again. "There are many birds on your pants though. I'll be
careful, I promise."

The pants are easier,
partly because my legs feel like putty she can move any which way she
likes. Within seconds I have on nothing but a bra and panty.

"Don't peek,
Rhys!" she calls out.

"I'm not," he
responds, but he sounds like he's laughing, and I get madder.

She puts something soft
and silky over my head. It smells fresh, like clean linen.
Struggling, she calls out, "Rhys! I have to cut the ropes. I
can't get the dress on."

He sighs and walks
over.

I'm mortified. Even
though the top part of me is covered, my thighs and legs are not.

"Pull off the
dress," he tells her.

I make a loud strangled
sound, the loudest I've made yet, and they pause. Rhys comes closer
and whispers to me, "I won't look. I promise. Do you trust me?"

Hell no!
I shout
in my head.

The words still can't
come, but he knows what I'm thinking because he's saying, "Use
this pocket knife to cut it off. I'll stand behind you in case she
tries something." His voice gets dramatically loud to make sure
I hear. "I'm turning my back, Kenna,
I won't see a thing.
"
All I can think about is I wish my legs could kick.

When the ropes finally
come off, I make a sound of relief. I want to rub my wrists, but I
have to stretch my fingers and arms. It's hard to raise my arms
without help, but I try anyway.

"Good,"
Lenora says encouragingly. "Just keep stretching them." I'm
confused. Ten minutes ago she wanted to knock me out with a needle,
but now she's encouraging me to regain my strength back? It makes no
sense, but I can't think anymore because she's pulling the dress over
me again. This time it flows down without a hitch. Lenora adjusts my
top until I'm properly covered, then says, "Ok, Rhys, all done."

All I hear is a sharp
intake of breath. There is silence for a long moment and I'm
wondering what he sees.

"I'll take her to
her room," he finally says, his voice thick and strained with
something that makes my insides warm. His arms are gentle when he
picks me up.

I want to squirm with
frustration. I want to hate him so bad. I
do
hate him, but he
plays with my emotions when he touches me like I'm something
precious. He pulls my head closer onto his chest. His breath is warm
on my forehead, and I'm tingly there. Something sounding like metal
opening drifts into my ears, and I brace myself.

He sets me down on the
hard floor. "When your hands are back to normal you can take
your blindfold off."

I try to speak, but
only disjointed sounds form.

"You'll be able to
talk in an hour or two," he says. "You might not see me
much. Do what you're told, but
listen to your instincts
."
He touches the side of my head. "Listen to the voices in here."

There's a long moment
of quiet where I can't hear anything but his breathing. In the
darkness, my sense of touch is heightened. The barest whisper of his
fingers trace the sides of my face. Against my will, I shiver. For
some sick reason I want this moment to last forever. My body repulses
me. Within seconds, he's gone, his strong footsteps fading as more
terror grows inside me.

I'm more scared alone
than when I was with Lenora and Rhys. Feelings of confusion and
betrayal flow through me. For a long while, I remain motionless,
willing myself not to cry. I lay my head down, but don't close my
eyes. It's still dark either way.

Out of boredom and
adrenaline-filled fear, I stretch my body and attempt to move it. My
legs are sluggish, but my arms are coming around. It takes time, but
eventually I can lift them. Soon my fingers can move with enough
coordination. I'm able to rip the cloth from my eyes. More darkness
greets me. With enough concentration my eyes adjust, and that's when
I see where I am-
what
I'm in.

He was right. I'm a
prisoner. And Rhys had locked me in a cell with no way to get out.

When I awake darkness
is all I see and I'm afraid until I remember what happened; then I am
terrified. I try to make a sound, but I can't. My throat isn't
working, and gurgling gasps are all I can muster. I'm blindfolded,
and my hands are crossed in front of me, held together with a rope
that bites my skin. I'm moving, but my legs aren't carrying me.
Someone else is. I hear a strong heartbeat against my ear, and I
concentrate on it to help me keep calm.

The wind is harsh and
loud. Someone's put a blanket over me. I smell a feminine hint of
lilac, and I wonder if Lenora is close by.
Lenora
. She did
something to me, I'm sure of it. My mind replays every moment I spent
in their company, but there isn't much to go through. I panic as I
think about what the Saguinox might do with me. Eat me? Torture me?
Bring back to their planet for some sick experiment? All the thoughts
running in my head fill me with anger and nausea, and I wonder if I'm
going to throw up again.

"That way," a
soft voice whispers. Lenora is next to us.

I think of her easy
charm, and beautiful face and I want to kick myself. Why did I agree
to go in the car with her? Why did I follow Rhys? Why had I been so
dumb? They're
aliens
for god's sake! They don't even have the
same anatomy as me. But deep inside I know why I followed Rhys, why I
want to follow him: he sees me when others can't. He saves me when I
can’t save myself.

I'm humiliated.

Rhys was all an act, as
fake as the Golden Eyes hero I'd made in my head.

I want to punch him,
but I settle for thrashing my shoulder into his large chest instead.
He doesn't acknowledge it, doesn't even flinch. That only makes me
madder. Images of what I want to do to him flash in my mind: kicking
him in the shins, hitting him with a shovel, flipping him on his back
with ferocity the way I've seen a WWE wrestler do once.

I don't stop hitting
him with my shoulder, and I hope my actions tell him something about
me. His words about me being a survivor come back in my head.
You're
.
Hit.
Damn
. Hit.
Right!
Hit. He only holds me tighter,
and I'm not sure what that gesture means.

When I exhaust myself,
I rest my head on the chest I've worked so hard to hurt. I'm still
weak. Whatever they gave me was powerful. I wonder if it's human
made.

I listen for clues
about where I am. I know I'm away from the city because I can't hear
cars or people. All I hear are owls, and the rustle of trees and
leaves. If I strain my ears I think I can even hear the sounds of
waves crashing, but whatever they shot me up with makes it hurt to
focus too long. The sound of something opening alerts me. We've
arrived, and I stiffen in his arms. Something small and pointy nudges
my skin.

"No." Rhys
voice sounds strained, like something's hurting him. I wonder if it's
me, and I can't help the smug smile tugging at my lips.

"What if she
fights?" Lenora asks.

"It will be all
right," he says quietly, gently.

"I don't know,
Rhys." Lenora sounds uncertain. "She doesn't seem like
she'll come quietly."
Smart girl,
I snarl silently.
Now
if only you can come closer so I can claw your eyes out!
I
must've made a sound because Rhys's arms tighten.