The door glided open and my heartbeat drummed loudly in my ears. Immediately, I backed away from the door and stood with my palms turned upwards, ready to call on the four elements to ward myself against the impending threat.
Two larger than life men stepped into the cell, both wearing some sort of a uniform. And the deadpan look on their faces, made the hairs on my neck stand up. With my trembling heart I focused on the two men and willed the power of the elements to ward them off, but to my surprise the warm glow of magic dissipated like a candle lit in a drafty room. What the hell?!
“You’re magic won’t work here,” the taller one of the two said as if he could read my mind and reached for me, but I jumped back and flattened myself against the wall.
“Where am I and who are you?” I asked them raising my fists to shield myself, ready to strike if I had to, and by the look on their faces, I was not intimidating them at all. In fact, it looked like they found me more amusing than frightening.
The other, slightly shorter one, although not by much, chuckled and casually stepped forward, and as I punched towards his face, he gripped my wrist firmly in his hand.
“Come now, you don’t actually think you’ll be able to fight us, do you?” he said mockingly.
He was right. Damn! They were way taller than I was, and much bigger and without my magic I stood no chance, I was going to have to be crafty and play by their rules if I was going to see another sunrise. Feigning defeat I lowered my other hand and the tall one locked his big monstrous hand around my upper arm.
“If you don’t struggle you won’t get hurt,” he said as they lead me out of the cell into a long dim lit passage.
“Just tell me what’s going on.” I asked them, but neither bothered to answer me, they simply hustled me along.
As we walked along the corridor, there were other cells, similar to the one I woke up in, if only I had the ability to see beyond those walls now, maybe that would give me an indication of where I was and what I was doing here. But no matter what angle I tried, I was powerless.
We turned left and then right until we reached another set of doors, one of the men pressed his palm on the biometric scanner and the doors swished open. Half expecting them to chaperone me into the room, they remained outside, simply shoving me forward and then the doors closed.
The interior of this room was so much different than the corridors beyond the large doors. To my left was a large indoor terrarium that contained plants, which, to the best of my knowledge, became extinct long before the fall of man. I was very tempted to study them, but too scared to make any sudden moves. I simply stood in one spot and glanced around the room, feeling like a bird, trapped in a cage.
“Arabella Autumn, I wish we were meeting under different circumstances,” a deep timbered voice said from the far corner of the room.
“I am Major Edmund Bernhard.”
Startled, I looked in the direction of the disembodied voice, and even though my nerves were shot and my brain misfiring horribly, I managed to keep my composure.
“W-well, so do I, what do you want with me?” I asked bitingly, “and why does my magic not work in this place?”
“In due time all will be revealed, I just wanted to take this time to introduce myself to you.”
A broad shouldered man, dressed in uniform similar to the other two men, stepped out of the shadowed corner of the room. From the amount of medals pinned to his shirt’s breast pocket he must have been higher up in rank.
Although I felt intimidated, a strange, completely opposite sensation slowly unravelled in me. I tried not to stare, and instead looked at everything except the man before me, but even that failed since my eyes kept darting back to him. His chocolate brown hair was short with fine golden streaks on each side of his head. His eyes were large and slightly slanted and thick dark lashes framed his intense amber eyes. The colour of his eyes reminded me of an orange moon, ominous yet beautiful, and in all my life, I cannot recall seeing such eyes. Everything about him was a tad overwhelming, not only did he have near perfect facial features; the rest of him was also rather distracting. He stood tall and proud, with his shoulders drawn back and by his posture, and the way his arms angled away from his body, it was obvious that he had physical strength as much as an air of aristocracy.
“Focus Arabella!” I reprimanded myself, shaking my head mentally. I squared my shoulders and point blankly said, “Cut the crap, and tell me what’s going on.”
Chapter 2
Edmund
For a witch that reeked of sulphur, she had real attitude. If I was in her shoes, I would tread carefully. She didn’t even attempt to avert her eyes when I looked straight at her. She just stood there, defiantly staring at me with lips sealed in a tight line. I’m sure she was expecting some sort of an apology from me. Or at the very least, an explanation. Nonetheless, I needed her. From across my desk I studied her and couldn’t help but wonder what secrets where hidden behind those dauntingly violet eyes, not to mention underneath those dreary layers of black cloth and filth.
The world outside of these walls was a barren wasteland. All that was left of the once beautiful planet after the decimation of mankind was nothing but cesspools. The chance of survival for anything other than an immortal being was slim, even for a witch. Their magic can only take them so far, and without the essence of earth their power soon dissipates. Every immortal knew that there were only a handful of witches left that remained true to the Coven of the Labyrinth, and so they have become the most wanted individuals on the planet.
“No need to be so hostile Arabella, I assure you, we mean you no harm,” I walked to the window and looked out over the grounds of the compound. "Patience is a virtue, something your kind should be skilled at.”
“My kind and what pray tell is my kind exactly?” she asked and I could sense the ire in her tone.
“You are human, no?”
“Just because I have red blood running through my veins does not put me in the same league as them,” she grated, “they did as much harm to us witches as they did to The Mother.”
The Mother, I dropped my head in an attempt to hide my amusement. These witches and their citations for things otherwise normally known as, the moon, the sun, the earth and whatever else they seem to personify was rather entertaining.
“Indeed they did, which brings me to my next question. How do you feel about Lucifer’s Hordes?”
Her violet eyes flashed a shade of midnight, “What of them?” she asked narrowing her eyes but I could see her fingers working in her palms. She was up to her tricks, trying to read my mind. I suppose the ward placed on this compound by Maura had its benefits after all.
I pushed way from the window and moved closer to the woman and even though the rancid smell from the purged world grew stronger as I move closer to her, there was a distinct and sweeter smell that resonated from her. I hunted through the recesses of my mind, trying to recall which flower she smelled like. It wasn’t a rose, nor was it a gardenia, but whatever it was; it invoked temptation, which I needed to avoid.
I stopped a few feet away from her and although her magic was rendered useless in this place, the power of her femininity drew me in like a magnet finding its true north.
“By your reaction to the mention of their name, I am going to assume there is no love lost for their kind,” I stated, crossing my arms.
“Maybe, but what does this have to do with me?”
“Everything,” I said matter-of-factly.
The doors swung open just as I was about to explain the situation to her, and one of my guards stalked in.
“Major Bernhard, I apologize for interrupting, but we have a situation,” he said, standing at attention.
“I’ll be there in a minute,” I said and he instantly marched out. There was another breach of our compound perimeter. An impending disaster was looming and if we did not act fast, we would face the same fate as the clans up north, I realized. I turned my attention back to the witch and i
nclined my head.
“Unfortunately duty calls, but we will talk again, in the meantime I have asked one of the servants to take you to your room…”
“Oh no, no you don’t. I refuse to go back to that cold cell,” she chirped in.
“Not the cell, we have a room for you. You’ll find it much more comfortable, now if you’ll excuse me, I really need to attend to an urgent matter.”
Chapter 3
Arabella
I still had no idea why I was here, and the tingling in my fingers was slowly starting to rub me up the wrong way. I could feel the magic swirling around within me like a tornado, but just as I think I can conjure up a spell, the vortex of energy dissipates. The only reasonable explanation for this was that another witch must have cast some sort of binding spell, something that blocks magic, but why?
As I followed the small servant through the long hallways and smaller passages, I couldn’t help but appreciate the collection of historical artefacts that lined the walls. From Persian rugs and ancient weapons, to photographs of the once proud cities that filled the land with their high rise corporate buildings. There were framed cartographic and ancient documents of lost civilizations, and among these were papyrus scrolls encased in glass cases. Arcane invaluable pieces, I wish I could get my hands on, but my guide was marching ahead determinedly.
“Can you tell me more about this place?” I dared to ask, but she remained silent.
We passed a large wooden door, which drew my attention immediately, unlike all the other steel doors, this one had an air of historical brilliance to it, above it was inscribed The Alexandria Room. Just then the heavy door opened and a tall lanky female exited the room carrying a set of ancient looking books. I managed to glance past her and was surprised to see hundreds of books lining the walls.
“Is this a library?” I asked the woman, but even this one remained silent. How bloody rude. I could only draw two conclusions here, everyone in this facility was either bound to a vow of silence, or, they chose not to speak to me.
As tempted as I was to just turn left and enter the library, I couldn’t, the girl leading me was standing at the junction up ahead and she looked annoyed as hell. Shaking my head, I quickened my pace to catch up to her and then silently followed until we reached my so called room where she left me unattended. Thank the gods! Another minute in her silent presence would have killed me. My relief was soon whitewashed when I noticed the CCTV camera outside my door in the hallway. If only I had my magic, I would so easily disable it. Then again a can of spray paint would work just as well. But neither magic nor spray paint were at my disposal at the moment.
Once in the confines of my room, I felt more at ease. The room was small but cosy, a single bed and a low table stood near the window and in the corner of the room was a tub. A tub, I can’t remember when last I had a bath, definitely the first thing on my list of things to do. Even above escape.
There was also a wardrobe, which stood open, and I was quite surprised to see a few items of clothing hanging in it. Not exactly my style, but at this point beggars can’t be choosers. Black or red, red, no black, black it is. Red signified sexy and dangerous, black signified serious and ominous, which was the preferred look I was going for. I pulled out the long black dress and rubbed my cheek against its velvety surface. It smelled strangely familiar, I bunched it up and inhaled deeply, but instead my own stench wrapped around me like a cloud. Suddenly I felt embarrassed, all this time I’ve been showing complete disregard for my captors while I smelled like a pig, no wonder they wouldn’t talk to me, they couldn’t stand the smell of me!
Good thing there was a bath. I reached for the tap, and I nearly squealed as water started to flow freely. I was surprised, considering the earth was barren and the water supply in most areas of the world was non-existent, or had turned to sulphide. I simply could not wait to wash the grime and stench from my body and hair.
I adjusted the taps until the water was warm. I hurried and tore off the clothes I was wearing and tossed them in the wicker basket standing next to the tub, then stepped into the warm water and sunk down until my entire body was submerged. Every muscle in my body unwound like a coil that was strung too tight.
“Thank you Hecate,” the gods were clearly pleased with me, why else would I be granted these luxuries. On the other hand, I was still no better than a prisoner in this…whatever this place was.
I must have fallen asleep; it was so comfortable, because when I woke up with a start, the water was already turning cold. I quickly lathered my hair with the cake of soap that was provided and then washed and rinsed the rest of my body. Finally, I felt normal and better able to figure out what the heck was going on here.
Reluctantly I got out of the tub and dried myself, then took the long dress I picked earlier and pulled it over my head. The fabric felt like silk as it glided down my clean skin. The front was embellished with Hecate’s circle, which I found rather interesting. My captors were clearly prepared and ready to make me feel at home, but I was still not sure what my purpose was. If I had no ability to perform magic, what use was I to them?
A slight knock on the door drew my attention, and with my hair still damp I went to open it. Seeing the Major standing in the doorway came as no surprise strangely enough. I half expected him to eventually find me or summon me to his domain. Only this time, he was dressed more casually, and this new side of him caused my insides to quiver. He was in fact very handsome. When I met him earlier I felt intimidated by his presence, but now, not so much. And like an idiot I stood staring at him. The silence between us stretched far beyond what was necessary before he spoke.
“I hope I’m not intruding?”
“Erm… no, not really,” I felt my cheeks heat and I quickly lowered my eyes and fidgeted with the hem on one of my sleeves. What the hell was wrong with me? I was acting like a giddy teenager; with a serious hormone imbalance. Okay fine, as if being one of the only witches out there in the wasteland once abundant with human life and pleasures wasn’t bad enough, I was a lonely too. In fact, I can’t remember when last I found myself in the company of a man. It’s not every day that you got to stand in front of someone whose features would put even Lord Ares to shame.
Chapter 4
Edmund
She really cleans up nicely, almost too nicely. I had trouble keeping my eyes on her face. Her damp hair clung to the sides of her face, and loose tendrils hung heavily down over her shoulders. She suddenly became a very disruptive distraction. I openly admired her, she had curves in all the right places and full breasts that would fit perfectly in my palms, and mouth for that matter. Even under the black velvet I could see her nipples poke at the fabric. The dress was long enough to cover her feet, and for a moment I really wanted to see her legs, run my hands over her calves and up her thighs. Forcing my attention back to her face, I was relieved to find her toying with her sleeve.
“Would you like something to eat or drink?”
She raised her eyes and tilted her head slightly and I could see she was chewing the inside of her cheek, “You haven’t eaten a proper meal for some time and you need your strength.”
The rumble from her tummy confirmed it and with a click of my fingers one of the servants appeared beside me, carrying a tray with food and fresh water.
“I’m not hungry.”
“You are,” without waiting for her to invite me in, I stepped closer and then only she stepped aside and let me into the room and the smell of lavender hung heavily in the air.
“I told you I’m not hungry,” she was quite the determined one.
“Well I am hungry so if you don’t mind, I’ll just help myself,” I lifted the lid off the plate and picked at a ripe cherry tomato, popping it into my mouth. “You know very well that out there, there is no such luxury as growing fresh fruit and vegetables. As far as I am led to believe, the food sources are almost completely depleted, and so is the water,” I lifted the glass of water and held it out to her. She hesitated a
t first and then took the glass, but before she took a sip, she sniffed at it.
“A dash of lemon, try it,” watching her take her first sip of water was quite something.
At first it was just a small sip, then a bigger one, until she tilted the full glass and downed the contents eagerly. When she finally pulled the glass away from her lips she looked apologetic, and for a brief moment a smile tugged at her lips, before her old mask of distrust came down again.
“Thank you, but why is it that you have fresh water? Surely if anyone finds out they will all head here and before you know it, these walls would be torn down and destroyed.”
Clever witch, at this rate I will not need to explain anything to her.
“That is true, but the compound is heavily guarded and not easy to find,” I reached for one of the peaches and handed it to her, this time she accepted it without question. What a colossal mistake that was, as she bit into it, its juices ran down over her chin and droplets fell on her chest and ran down between her breasts. What was it with this woman? The most insignificant things about her are also the most magnetic. Everything she did drew my attention.
She must have noticed me staring and she quickly stopped chewing. From where I stood I could hear her heart pounding loudly in her chest. Her reaction towards me was the same, which I found strange since she was a witch. Yet against my better judgement, and the laws of our kind, I reached for the half-eaten peach and placed it back on the plate then pulled her against me.
“What power do you hold over me?” her violet eyes and raven black hair captivated me and the full blush that now shaded her cheeks replaced her pale complexion.
“I-I don’t know what you mean? You know my magic is useless in this place,” she was right, it was, so if she wasn’t using magic then what was it?
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