Table of Contents

+ Add to Library

Previous Next

Chapter 12 A Captive In Truth

  • She nodded sure that she'd been followed.
  • "Why was it after you?"
  • "I-I can't remember. My head," She put a hand to it. "It feels heavy."
  • Your head? What happened to your head? He realized then that his wing must've struck her in the back of it.
  • "Did you hit it?" He frowned.
  • Tilting her to examine the back but observing no injury.
  • She's okay. He blew a relieved breath.
  • "I don't know." She murmured. Eying him. "Who are you?"
  • The man you tried to steal from.
  • "Who do you think I am?"
  • "What are you?" She asked through narrowed eyes.
  • Predator, though she was, she knew an instinctive wariness of him.
  • What are you? And where have you been hiding?
  • "I'm wondering." He puzzled aloud. "Does what I make you feel now reflect how you've terrified others in the past?"
  • ***
  • You're obviously accustomed to having other creatures fear you. He'd noted that back at the ball.
  • "Not in the least." Her face jerked in distaste. "I don't fear you. Whereas I've never met a creature that didn't fear me."
  • Doesn't hold true any longer.
  • His eyes roved her body. "You have now. I'm far from fearing you."
  • He gave her a half smile. "In-fact, I'm now your captor."
  • "How long do you think that'll last?" She said acidly.
  • Much longer than you're hoping.
  • ***
  • "As long as I desire it." He said with such certainty she shook with rage.
  • "Was the flying thing your pet?" She surged on.
  • My pet? Not in the least.
  • "You think it drove you here for me?"
  • She nodded slightly.
  • "Oh, it positively did that."
  • After eying him a moment, she continued. "No matter what you are, I despise you."
  • "As you do all of my gender, I suspect." He shrugged.
  • "Undoubtedly." She confirmed. "I see nothing of note about you."
  • Liar.
  • "Mmm." He made a disbelieving sound.
  • "You find yourself quite irresistible, don't you?" She accused.
  • Unfortunately, I know I am.
  • His eyes were blue green like a sea frozen in the throes of turbulence, or so he'd been told on many an occasion. A straight aristocratic nose lent him a dispassionate air. Hair the color of twisted sunshine smoothed from his forehead in broad waves over his shoulder and partway down his back. A squared jaw framed a full mouth. Tipped at the corners, as though he found all things bitterly amusing. An undisguised cynicism written over his enigmatic face.
  • Her nose twitched in distaste. "You're ugly."
  • He was laughing inside. Then stop staring up at me with those pretty blue eyes like you've never seen a man before.
  • "As are all men?" He asked softly.
  • "Yes." She asserted.
  • "You're long looks at me say otherwise." He laughed.
  • ***
  • He emerged from Warwood into the great green valley surrounding the castle on the hill. The valley was filled with flowers in perpetual bloom. Vines twining the trees around it, to almost entirely block it from view from the woods.
  • Unless one knows where the trails are. Bast knew.
  • Towering trees led toward the bridge. Once there, one could look down on the moat lit in glittering gold rays of sun. Below the water was bits of green and gold that were the remnants from the castle Bast had discarded as he'd built the stronghold.
  • The castle's energy drew water up through a center tower which splayed from the parapet out to caress over an invisible barrier which created a ceiling over the bailey and then ran down the outer walls and into the moat which was in constant motion. Foaming at the edges and then peeling off into a river which ran down off of Meadow Mountain and across all of Ardae.
  • A river which the people of Ardae recognized as the NetherRunnel. Branching all through the continent before pouring into the Western Sea.
  • Bast nodded toward Demetrius, the Tower Guard.
  • ***
  • As they entered the castle the drawbridge creaked closed with a loud slam.
  • "Well, she's a captive now!" Rhyers called from the drawbridge. "Few ever make it inside, WaterRose, My Lady."
  • None. Other than Forever Knights or their rare wards. Bast stared down at her. Long dark lashes framed eyes now as gold as his hair. His lips tight as he glanced at her again.
  • "Am I a prisoner?"
  • "Yes." His tone was decisive.
  • "Why?"
  • Because I need to find out what you are. And if you are a risk to us.
  • "You don't know?" He countered.
  • "Should I?"
  • "You tell me." His verbal parries were beginning to annoy her.
  • "You won't hold me for long." Her eyes darkened with the unspoken threat.
  • I'll do a lot more than hold you. Seducing women was never hard for him.
  • "We'll see."
  • "Yes, you will!"
  • He looked down at her in his arms "You're adorable."
  • ***
  • Shaking her head cleared some of the fuzziness from her eyes. She hissed at him but had to clench her stomach against a surge of nausea. Her body jerked making her huff.
  • "Are you going to heave?" He asked warily.
  • "I'm heading in." Rhyers strode past them to go in abruptly. Obviously not wanting any part of her rejecting her meal.
  • Coward. His eyes narrowed on Rhyers' back.
  • "It'd serve you right." She muttered. "I hope I do send my meal all over your fine clothes."
  • I don't!
  • "What was that?" He glanced down with a frown.
  • Growling she writhed against his grip. Trying to pull away.
  • "You don't like my touch?" He asked innocently.
  • "I'd rather my flesh rotted off."
  • "Hmm." He smiled. "Sweet little thing, aren't you?"