Forsaken (book 3) (The Charmer series) (12 page)

Ripping my clothes from my body in disgust, I step inside the huge shower, turn on the water and let it wash away my disappointment in myself.

With my back to the glass, I slip slowly down to my bottom, while the warm water flows over me.

Those men might have been evil and killed many people, but, that didn't give me the right to take their lives. I need Richard’s help, to save the life of Ruk, but I was naive to think this would not affect me so terribly.

"They would have killed you," Richards voice echo’s.

"I know," I answer back and hug my knees tighter.

"Come out of there, you are clean," he persuades.

"Go away, I'll be out in a sec," I answer back.

Shutting off the water, I dry myself with a towel and wrap myself up in a fluffy white dressing gown I find hanging on the door.

I should go home, but then the questions will arise and I cannot face them yet, I need to get my head around what I have done and become.

Creaking open the door, I thank god for Richard not being here.

Slumping down on the couch and hugging my knees, the image of the men I’ve just killed flashes though my mind, making my
stomach turn.

Then a presence fills the air, a warm loving,
and beautiful presence.

"Mum?" I cry in desperation.

"Daughter, do not be sad, or regretful," she tells me, appearing at my side, stoking my hair lovingly.

"I don't want to be this person," I tell her truthfully.

"You are you; you have not become anything or anyone. I'm proud of your actions tonight, you have no idea the lives you have saved, the family's, children. But you cannot hide this," she presses her hand against my heart.

"I just wanted to stop the pain, I feel nothing there now,
it's as if I have never loved."

"Exactly," she looks deeply into my eyes, "I have to go darling. You know what to do, only you can make the choices, they won't always be right, but that's the point," she smiles and fades away, leaving me wanting more of her, to sit with her and talk properly, something I have yet to do with my mother.

Walking back inside his bedroom is Richard, with the book of Kartam in his hands.

"This is yours. Thank you for tonight, I will not disappoint you when you need me to repay the favour," he hands me the book graciously with a nod of his head.

"Thank you," I take it from his hands carefully, "can I stay here tonight," I ask, but don't explain that I can't go home yet.

"If you wish," he says with a light frown, that soon turns into a small smile, "but you will have to stay in this room as you have every man and woman looking for you. I do not want your death on my hands," he jokes lightening the mood.

"Wouldn't want that. I'll stay here, and leave in the morning. Thank you."

"You are welcome. Take the bed, I will be up all night anyway," he tells me as he walks into his sitting room closing the door behind him.

Getting up from the couch, I move over to his bed and climb under the sheets, open the book and say quietly.

"Return my feelings," and just like that the book open to the reverse spell.

Chapter 11

Back home Sitting at the kitchen table, I stare out of the kitchen window, my heart heavy with grief from losing Ruk, but at the same time, happy that he is here alive, even if it’s not with me.

"You ok sweetie?" Dallah's voice brings me out of the trance.

"Yeah, fine, just fine," I smile at her.

A light frown forms on her brows while she study's my face, she then looks to Angus, Sallack and Den and shrugs her shoulders slightly.

"I'm ok, I swear," I try to convince them all.

"Please babe, tell us what happened in the Dark Coven? You look different," Den asks gently whilst taking my hand in his.

Pulling my hand back, I
knot my fingers together and place them in my lap.

"I don't look different, you just see me as different. What's been going on then, while I was away?"

"Not much," he shrugs.

"Right.
I'm off then," I tell them as I get up from the table.

"I'll come with you?" Dallah asks getting up.

"No! I'm sorry Dallah; I just want to be alone."

Walking through the wooded trail at the back of the house, I let my mind slip back to Ruk again. If the bitch Mary wasn't here, I know that Ruk and I would be together, I know we would. However, for some unknown reason he feels a sense duty towards her, I'm not sure if it is the memory loss, or if he has taken to this changed woman. Whatever it is will be short lived, unless, no I can't believe he would ever want her. At the end of the day he hated her so much that he killed her with his bare hands.

I can't sit back and watch this car crash happen before my eyes. I just wish to god he would snap out of it, because I'm starting to feel angry, rather than upset, which I suppose is a good thing.

"Hello lovely," a woman's gentle voice rings through the trees.

Spinning around in a circle to face the voice, I see no one.

"Who's there?" I ask bravely.

"Just a friend, come to me,"

"Why don't you come to me, if you are a friend?" I ask uneasily.

Walking out from behind a tree, is an old woman with her head bowed down and wearing dirty damp clothing, the smell of her alone causes my skin to crawl.

"Who are you?" I ask looking at her closely for any sudden movements.

"A friend," she whispers then cackles loudly, making me jump.

"Whatever, I'm going," I tell the woman and walk away from her.

She looks to be homeless, but I get a horrible feeling about her, so when I turn to face her again, the air is knocked out of me as I'm hit with great strength over the head.

Coming around, I crack open my eyes to the moon lit sky. Shit, she must have hit me hard; I must have been unconscious for hours.

"Hello?!" I scream whilst going to rub my head, only, my hands are tied to a chair.

"What the fuck! Hey! Show yourself," I yell angrily.

Where am I? Why can I not get out of the restraints?

No, no, no! Richard! He was the only one to have known how to keep me like this, but why would he.

"Bella Donna," no way! "How lovely it is to see you with your eyes open," Demitri's crooning voice hits my ears like a tree falling upon my head.

"How did you get me here," I ask, but I still cannot see him as we are in the middle of the woods, and the moon only shines through tiny gaps of the tree branches.

"No questions," he speaks in his thick Italian accent, longing out every word as it rolls graciously off his tongue.

Keeping my mouth shut and squinting my eyes to see better, I slowly start to see a large form walking towards me.

"You have something I want," he tells me with excitement laced in his tone.

I keep myself from speaking, so that I can use every bit of strength I have to beat the bastards arse when he comes close.

"I want you to gift me as you did my children, Parrise and Angus, so I can walk in the daylight, to feel the sun warm my skin.”

Losing all ambition to concentrate on hurting him, I let my mouth fall open and spit words at him courageously.

"You fucking prick! How dare you do this to me and expect me to 'gift' you! I will watch you burn for taking my mates life!!!"

"Tut tut such language is not lady like! He is back, is he not, this mate of yours?" he asks angrily.

"No thanks to you!"

"Calm Bella, you need your strength," he tells me arrogantly.

"Fuck you!" I twist and turn in the restraints, and suddenly wonder why I have been so stupid to have not tried transporting.

So with everything I have I transport myself from the chair, to right behind him. Throwing my hands around his neck, I squeeze until I have no feeling in my hands.

"I hate you. You will have to kill me before I help you!" I cry at him in rage.

Twisting against my hands, his face comes down to mine and he smirks evilly before speaking harshly, my attack obviously lacking strength.

"How about I kill you after you have done what I ask of you?"

"No!" Pulling back my head I head butt him as hard as I can nearly knocking myself out.

However, that doesn't stop me from hitting my hands against his chest with the raw hate I have in my heart and that burns in my eyes.

"Enough!"

"Never," I yell back matching his power.

"Your life is useless; no one cares for you now. I will take you back with me and I shall allow you to be my personal pet until you do as you
’re told."

He has to be joking. Does he not see the anger in my eyes? I hate this man with a passion! I will die before I’
m forced into serving him and I’ll never give him the pleasure of the sun unless to roast him alive.

Standing face to face the both of us breathing heavily for very different reasons, mine is murdering my Ruk, and his for me refusing him the power to day walk.

"I will take you back to my home, you will gift me,
then I will allow you to live?"

"I will gift you with death.” I
swear with a smile on my face.

His hand raises high to hit my face when he suddenly stills, bringing it down slowly and rests the back of my neck, changing his approach.

"I will look after you Charmer, you will feel no more pain," he tries to convince me.

"You cannot be serious. I will not go anywhere with you, EVER!"

"I have no time for these games," He speaks though gritted teeth.

And with no warning, a hand touches my shoulder, and I'm standing with Demitri, and the homeless looking woman, who I'm now aware of being a Witch.

As Demitri turns away from my glare, I do a quick take of the room before looking back at him.

There are couches as big as beds, drapes in every corner, all red and black. But more eye catching are the naked women that lay on the couches, touching their breasts and calling his name in a seductive tone.

"What is this?" I ask in disgust, no longer able to look at him as my eyes fly back to the sad sight of these poor women controlled through him addicted to his bite.

"Your new life," he says coldly laughing at me.

"No, I would rather die," I tell him truthfully.

"I spoke harshly, you mean too much to me. I will not allow harm to come to
you while here, you will be treated like a princess," he tells me warmly, but I can see the lies behind his warm words.

"I will not stay here, and I will never help you," I spit at him appalled by his statement.

"How dare you!" he barks before hitting me with full force across the face.

Wiping my mouth with the back off my hand, I look at the smear of blood then to him with a curled lip. Ignoring the pain that shoots across my entire skull, I return his hit with one if my own.

"You do not scare me!" I scream at him and push my hands out, wanting to lift and throw him across the room, but I can't, my powers do not exist here, where ever here may be.

Laughing evilly he wraps his arms around me and holds me tight.

Thrashing my body against his, I pray to god in my mind, begging him to give me strength.

"Your power has no use here. No one can come here, to my home and use their power against
me; the Witch has cast a protection spell no man can break!" He angrily speaks into my ear, whilst I kick against him.

His skin against mine makes my blood boil, my heart ache for help, and my eyes weep with sadness and desperation.

“Your answer?”

“No,” I breathe out in a ragged breath and shake my head sorrowfully.

“Then I will take away your fee will.”

I scream as his fangs painfully sink into my neck.

My body no longer feels like my own as the pain has gone only pleasure curses through me. He sits down pulling my willing body onto his lap, I try to fight the pleasure, pushing firm against his chest saying no repeatedly. My hands have a will of their own as they have stopped pushing him away and began stroking his chest. A whimper escapes me as he takes my top in his hands and rips it apart. His hands are on my breasts kneading them through my bra, as fingers pinch and roll my sensitive nipples between them. My legs start to tremble as the first wave of my orgasm vibrates through me. I hear myself begging for more, my sex is aching for his touch, then he stops and withdraws from me as I let out a moan “please don’t stop.”

“That was so much easier than I thought it would be, hardly a fig
ht, my sensual little Charmer” loud laughter followed from him mocking me, shock and horror hit me as I shamefully pull my ripped shirt around me, disgusted with myself for what I’d done.

“Ah Bella Donna, just a few more times and your be begging to gift me.” He was still laughing as he disappeared finally leaving me alone and ashamed of how weak I was. Feeling so dra
ined after the blood loss I lay back on the couch; too tired to think how to escape I drift off into a dreamless sleep.

Waking up to breakfast smells my tummy let out a growl, looking around me not recognising my surroundings, it hits home, I am Demitri’s prisoner!

One of the women from last night nervously approach’s me with a plate of food, too afraid to look me in the eye. I finally got her to speak with me, not that sge gave much away.

She has
been with Demitri for 3 months, where he had taken her from her home town, capturing her on her way home from work one night. The other 3 women have been here a little longer but none longer than 11 months, it seems he gets bored easy. They are all totally obedient to him and live for his visits. He treats them well with plenty of food, clothing, DVD’s, and books he even has a pool they can use. The only thing their afraid of is Raynor, his Witch slave who can be very cruel to them, beating them if they argue, and starving them till they do as there told.

Etta, the girls name, has told me there is a bath prepared for me and fresh clothes laid out in my new living quarters, which she has lead me too.  My mouth drops open in shock when I see an indecent tiny scrap of silk and worse no underwear, for my change of clothes.

I will not stay here, addicted to his blood. Somehow I will fight him. I cannot be here when I’m needed by so many. My destiny is not to be his whore!

“No way am I wearing that.” I shout out in anger “Do you hear me Demitri!”

Angrily I stomp
back to the bathroom to get my clothes, ripped or not, better than wearing that skimpy thing. “Shit shit shit!” No my clothes have gone, I could cry! I’m left with no two choices, naked, or slutty dress!

Walking in behind me, Etta stops and watches me with a light frown.

              “You will be fine Zara,” she tries to comfort.

             
“Does this look fine!” I ask holding up the skimpy piece of silk.

             
“You won’t be here long, he only keeps us a year,” she smiles, “listen they will be here soon to put you to sleep, I’m sure you will need the help.”

             
“Sleep! Why?”

Can this girl really believe the lies that have been feed to her!

I feel sick; I can’t believe I have once again got myself in a huge mess. Does anyone know where I am, even still alive?

I have no powers
here; I have no way of communication, the more I try to communicate with someone telepathically, the more tired I grow.               

“You will need your energy for tonight,” she beams, and with that a hideous woman walks through the room, waving her hand before me, and my body shuts down, holding up no fight.

Evening arrives
too quickly, as my Body awakens, at what time, I have no idea.

I feel so vulnerable in this barely their dress whic
h I’m sure is just what he wants so I’ll crumble before him. I keep trying to pull it down to make it longer as it barley skims my butt cheeks but then my boobs are falling out the top. That’s not the worst, no underwear and its white silk, completely see through! And clings everywhere that I may as well be naked.