by Mia Hawkins
“No, I don’t, but I have heard that in the old days, demons could mask their eyes. That’s all hearsay though. No one has actually ever seen demons, that I know of. Why? Do you think our rogue problem is actually demons?” Chaice asks.
“I just think it is very coincidental that our parents were fighting this same thing just on a smaller scale. What if there are more demons now, and they are able to hide themselves better? I know we’ve all said from the beginning that something didn’t seem right. What if this is the uprising Rayven was talking about?”
Matthew’s eyes shoot open, and he starts nodding his head. “I think you could be right. If what Rayven said about being the only person that can actually kill them is true, we are in for some serious trouble. If everything we are doing is just allowing them to come back and take another person’s body, we need to re-evaluate how we are handling everything. I wonder if the council knows that they are demons and that’s why they are stealing sups’ powers. They’re hoping to get strong enough so they are untouchable,” Matthew wonders aloud.
“We need to get that wall around Rayven’s magic unlocked before tomorrow. She needs to beat whatever Xavier has planned. I was wondering, do you think someone could have bound her magic? I’ve seen it before with dragons who can’t control their changes. They have mages come in and bind their magic until they’re older.” Chaice makes a good point. I can feel a block, but I have never thought about it being something magical. I always figured it had something to do with her not being raised as a sup.
I look over at Rayven. She’s still resting her hand on Xavier’s arm, but he no longer seems in pain. He actually looks at peace. My wolf growls at the thought of Rayven touching him. She deserves better than him in a mate, and I hope there is some way to break their bond. Is he really willing to take her to the council, having no idea what they will do with her? He must be losing his mind if he thinks we will actually let him take her tomorrow. It makes my blood boil, thinking about what the council might do to her. My wolf and I agree that we will stop at nothing to keep her from being taken to them.
Chapter 32
Rayven
I don’t know how long I stayed in his mind, but it was long enough to find out what I needed to know. I pull my energy back and feel myself move into my body. I slowly open my eyes as the room spins for a moment, then finally stops moving. Xavier grunts, then he opens his eyes as well. “Did you just do what I think you did?” he yells as his face turns red. I casually cross the room to sit on the chair he claimed earlier, while the guys are standing around where Xavier and I had stood.
“That depends. What do you think I did?” I say with a shrug of my shoulder. I want to blow up in his stupid, beautiful face so badly, but I can’t, because I don’t know if the other guys are involved with what Xavier plans to do. They say they’re not, but how can I trust them when I barely know them? Seeing into his mind makes me realize I have become way too trusting of each of these men. What do I really know about any of them? The only person I could ever trust was Gabriel, and even he left me. I need to just build the wall around my heart back up.
Xavier’s mind told me all I need to know about what his plans are. He isn’t even going to give me until tomorrow, he is going to try to grab me tonight. I force my face into a blank mask as I don’t want to give away too much information. I shouldn’t have even told them about my vision earlier, but I was caught up in the moment, having just heard their parents say I could trust them. A lot has changed since their parents died; maybe they’ve changed too. I had a lapse in judgment, and it will not happen again.
Xavier is livid, I can see it in how his jaw muscles pop from having his jaw closed so tightly. He wants to hurt me, but I doubt he has the guts to do it. “I want to know what you saw right now! Don’t think I won’t find out the truth.” Xavier marches over to me.
“You really should calm down, Xavier, you’re going to pop a blood vessel if you don’t settle yourself. Don’t worry, your sexual fantasies are safe with me. I would never yuck someone else’s yum,” I say with a wink. He reaches down and grabs my arm. My body wants him to touch me more, but I reject that feeling immediately. I feel an itching in my head, and I know he is trying to get information out of me.
Game on, asshole. I think of my body as the room I protected last night. I focus and build a wall around my mind, brick by brick, and I can feel Xavier getting more and more frustrated. With one final energy push, I shove him not only away from my mind but away from my body as well. He hits the far wall and crumples to the ground. I look to the three other men in the room. I want to trust them so badly, but I just can’t. They work for the same people as Xavier after all. I was foolish to think that they would pick me over their way of life. I think about any place besides here and close my eyes. I hear them yelling for me, but before they can get to me, I am gone.
I open my eyes to see I’m behind the bar I used to work at in Arkansas. I am not one to toot my own horn, but I must say I am pretty impressed with how far I have come in using my powers during this past week. If I were planning more ahead, I would have packed something to eat or some cash, but after what I saw Xavier had planned, I needed to disappear, like yesterday. That is also why I had to knock him unconscious. I heard the guys talking the other night about how they track people for the council, and they mentioned following the magical trail left by phasing and also following a sup’s signature. So now I am going the rest of the way on foot or hitchhiking. I won’t use my powers unless I absolutely have to. That’s how they found me before; I had used my powers the day before to kill that demon in the alley.
Thankfully, I have the knife I found. That was the real reason I walked over to Xavier’s chair, because it was sitting on the side table next to his chair, but sitting there had the added bonus of pissing him off. I’m not sure where I can hide this thing since I’m still in Alex’s clothes, so my first order of business is to find new clothes and shoes. I can smell his lavender scent, and thinking about him makes my heart hurt. I know leaving was for the best, but it doesn’t make it any easier.
I head inside the bar to the old locker room, in hopes that the new bartender keeps some clothes in her locker. “Jackpot!” I could almost jump for joy as I pull out everything in the locker. This woman must have a thing for leather. There are black leather pants, knee high boots, and a white tank top. Now I just have to hope we are the same size, because leather isn’t forgiving. I quickly change—luckily everything fits—and the boots are high enough I can shove my blade in my right one for safe keeping. If I still lived here, I would be best friends with this woman. Her style is edgy, and I love it.
I know I have to move quickly; I have no idea how long Xavier will stay unconscious. I run out the back door and take off down the street. I guess I should thank my supernatural blood for my extra endurance. Keeping myself at a smooth pace, I don’t have to use my energy to maintain it. Once I reach the next town over, I look for the bus station. I knew, when I chose to leave, that I would have to cover as much distance as possible. The bus is the easiest way to do that without using my abilities.
I decide to go to Jackson, Mississippi. The bus ride is about three and a half hours, so I should have plenty of time to think about where I want to go from there. Now I just need to figure out how I am going to get a ticket. I don’t have a dime to my name thanks to being kidnapped and all. I could try asking someone for a ticket. I walk up to the counter to ask if they have any extra seats I could just have. Even with a sob story, the lady refused to give me one. I understand, it’s her job to actually sell them, but if no one is going to be sitting in them anyway, why couldn’t I just have one? It seemed logical to me. I turn to walk away as someone comes into view.
“You look frustrated. Are you by chance looking for a ticket, ma’am?” I look up into a pair of the deep gray eyes that seem wise with age, but this man must not be much older than I am, and he is stunning. His face is made up of hard lines, and his hair is a rich shad
e of brown with blond highlights. Realizing I am staring, I jerk my eyes back up to his.
“That depends, do you happen to have an extra one?” I ask. His lips pull up into a smile, and it is breathtaking. I am swooning hardcore, and my body better knock it the fuck off. I don’t have time to be attracted to every guy I meet.
“I’m Theodore, and who might you be?” He extends his hand, and I move to shake it but think twice.
“My name is Rayven. I would shake your hand, but germs and all. I don’t want to get sick.” How embarrassing. I am the most awkward person on the planet, but I don’t want to shake his hand, because I have no idea who he is. What if he is like Xavier and tries to get into my head? He at least laughs, so maybe he doesn’t think I am completely nuts.
“Where are you heading? I was supposed to meet a friend here, and we were going to Greenville. You could always catch a bus from there to wherever you want to go.” His smile is doing funny things to me.
“That would be amazing! I don’t have any way to pay you back right now, but if you give me your address, I could send you a check in the mail.”
He shakes his head and says, “That’s ok, you’re really doing me a favor. Otherwise the ticket would have just gone to waste. At least now someone can use it. Do you have any bags with you?”
“Nope, it is just me,” I say with a big smile. Little does this man know, he is a blessing right now.
I follow him to the bus, and he gives me the extra ticket. I make sure to tell him thank you again so he knows how much I appreciate his help. Once I make it onto the bus, I walk myself all the way to the last row of seats and plop my butt in the aisle seat. I hate having people behind me; you never who is sitting back there. Theodore walks down the aisle towards me, and I cringe when he stops next to me. I am thankful he gave me the ticket, but that doesn’t mean I want to be friends. I am trying to get away from people, not sit and chit chat for a couple hours.
“Would you mind if I sit here?” he asks. I look up and force myself to smile.
“Of course not, let me just move out of your way.” I move to stand up when he stops me.
“Actually, could I sit in the aisle seat? I get motion sickness sometimes, so I need to be able to get up quickly.” I internally groan, but I move over to the window seat. Who takes a bus when they get car sick? Probably someone who is supposed to be riding with his friend, but they ditched him. Well, now I feel like an asshole.
Chapter 33
Rayven
Theodore is really fun to sit next to. We talk for the first hour about his schooling and his life in general. I am pretty vague when he asks me questions. I told him I was going to Mississippi for a mini vacation. That I was backpacking my way through the United States. How I wish that were actually the truth. Apparently, he is in business school, which is impressive. The time flies by. It seems way too soon when he says we are only fifteen minutes from the station.
“It was nice to meet you, Theodore, and thank you so much for the ticket. Maybe one day we will bump into each other again. At least then I can buy you a train ticket.” I laugh at the thought.
“Maybe,” he says and gets this far off look on his face. I start thinking about what I said. Did I say something to offend him? Suddenly, I feel a sharp pain in my leg, and I look down to see him injecting me with something. I look up in confusion, but he isn’t looking at me. Instead, he is looking towards the front of the bus.
I move to shove his arm and the needle away, but I end up gently pushing him as I have no strength in my body at all. “What the fu…” is all I can get out before my head falls back on the window. I can feel him lean over and grab the back of my head. He pulls me over to lean on his shoulder, so it looks like I just casually fell asleep.
“I’m sorry it had to be this way, Rayven. It should wear off in about an hour,” he whispers in my ear. When I can move, I am going to rip him to shreds. Who the fuck does he think he is? I have so many questions, but I can’t make a sound. My body is now my prison, and I am pissed. I can feel the bus stop and hear the people in front of us starting to get off. He must wait until everyone is gone, then picks me up to carry me.
“Sir, is she ok?” someone who sounds like the bus driver says.
“She is fine. This is unfortunately an everyday occurrence. I told her not to have the last drink while we were waiting.” This fucker actually sounds believable right now.
The driver must buy what he said, because I hear her say it’s a shame, then we are out of the bus. I still can’t open my eyes, but my brain is spinning with what is going on. I am placed into a car, and then we are on the road again. I have no idea where we are going. I wonder if I could use my energy to phase myself somewhere. I start trying to think of anywhere else but this car. I can feel myself getting lighter before I hear cursing. Someone grabs my hands and puts something around my wrists. Did someone really just cuff me?
This is insane, and this most definitely is not a good situation. Whatever they put on my wrists took away all of my power. I can feel it in my core, but I can no longer access it. It feels like we drive for hours, although I am sure it isn’t that long. Finally, the car comes to a stop, and they shut it off. I am pulled from the seat, and someone picks me up to carry me again. I can tell when we are inside, because the air completely changes. That air feels stagnant and smells of mildew. If I had to guess, I would say we were in a basement or a cave of some sort.
I am gently laid down, and the cold floor bites into my skin. The ground must be made of rock or concrete that has not been taken care of very well. I can feel it cutting into my skin through my shirt. Whoever carried me brushes the hair out of my face and cradles my cheek. I want to smack the over affectionate hand away from me, but I am still unable to use my body. “This is her?” someone says from across the room. It sounds like they are just walking into wherever I’ve been laid down. The hand quickly leaves my face, and someone clears their throat.
“Yes, just like you said. I put out a tracking for any unknown phasing. She popped up, and I was able to withdraw her without incident.” That has to be Theodore, his voice is the only one that seems familiar. I am so confused as to what is going on. I am finally able to wiggle my toes in the boots. Small progress, but I will take it.
“Do we have any idea where the team that was sent to retrieve her is? They should have been back by now,” the man from across the room asks.
“I have not tried to reach them yet; do you want me to do that now, sir?” I can hear someone digging in their pocket.
“No, get her set up in her cell. We have things to do, and we can’t wait any longer. I will have the guards prep her for tonight.”
“You’re doing it tonight? Don’t you think that is a little soon?”
“You dare question us?” the man shouts. “We have waited hundreds of years for someone like her, and now we finally have her. They left her unprotected, so we will take advantage of their laziness.”
“Understood,” is all that is said before I am picked up and carried to what I assume has been labeled as my cell. As we are moving, I keep trying to move any part of my body. I am desperate, but nothing besides my toes will move. The man carrying me sets me down on the floor once again. Really? You couldn’t even find a bed? I hear him close a door and lock it. As his footsteps retreat, I focus on getting my eyes to open. After what feels like hours, my body finally starts to listen to me again. Slowly I regain movement in my arms and legs. That’s great and all, but I still can’t do much without being able to see. I keep moving to try to burn through whatever he shot me up with, and it must work, because within minutes I can open my eyes and move my head.
I need to figure out my situation ASAP. Looking around, I am most definitely in a cell, and a dirty one at that. There is a ratty old bed in the corner—I am suddenly thankful the man put me on the floor instead of that disgusting thing. In the other corner is a bucket that I can only imagine what it’s been used for. I inspect the only door in here to
see if there is any way I could hit my way out of here. Nope, not happening. The door may look old, but it is solid metal. No matter how hard I try, without the use of my magic, I can’t bust through it. What is the deal with these cuffs? The metal doesn’t seem special. Looking closer though, I can see marks etched on the inside of the band. These must be stopping me from using my powers.
I want to yell out in frustration, but I need to be smart about things. I need to get out of here, and the only way I can do that is to play along. If what the guys said was true, no one here knows anything about what I can do. I am assuming that we are wherever the council is set up at. I probably should have taken the time to find out more about them. Well, as they say, hindsight is twenty-twenty.
Chapter 34
Rayven
I hear footsteps coming towards my door. It sounds like more than one, just my luck. I quickly lie back down and act like I can’t move again. In times like these, I have to go back to the basics: always let them underestimate me. The keys jingle as they unlock the door.
“Time to get up, little whore,” someone says as they grab my arm. I play dead and let them try to pull me to a standing position. I have to school my features so I don’t react to his rude comment. It’s ass nuggets like him that give men a bad rap. When he starts to pull me up over his shoulder, I let him take my full weight. “How much did you give her, Theo? She is out like a light still,” the man carrying me says. Is this the Theo the guys were talking about? How could I be so stupid? The man on the train was Theodore, of course they are the same person. I would never be fortunate enough to find someone willing to give me a free bus ticket. I am humiliated I let myself get into this position. Once again, I trusted someone I should not have.
