Then again, what choice did I have?
“Thank you.” It was all the peace I could stomach.
His friendly smile was enough to show me he appreciated it.
“How’d you like to get out of this room?”
“You even have to ask?”
He laughed and pulled at my hand to help me off the bed. “A tour?”
I nodded as my feet touched the floor. Standing, I realized my limbs hadn’t fully recovered from whatever Hadraniel had given me, so I was forced to lean on Caleb in order to walk with him. By the smug expression, I knew he was more than happy with the circumstance.
As we got closer to the door, locks clicked. The door eased opened of its own accord.
“You already know that trick,” Caleb said, squeezing my arm.
Great, more mind locks. Loved those.
The room we’d been in was at the end of a long, dark corridor with walls and a ceiling made up of the same cold stone as the room. Torches lined the walls at intervals, lighting up the seemingly endless length of the hall but creating pockets of shadows where the glare didn’t reach. It reminded me of the shadows I used to hunt down when I was merely a guardian. That seemed so long ago, a much simpler time. There had been only one goal… to save lives from the shadows of death. Now it seemed the fate of the world was on my shoulders. The darkness was nothing compared to the monsters I faced now, the worst being the one who seemed to lie in wait within me.
“So, where are we?” I asked as we continued to walk down the corridor. I could faintly make out a solid steel door at the end of it.
“In the middle of nowhere.”
“Well, that’s enlightening. Guess I’ll just throw that in my GPS next time I want to visit.”
He laughed and squeezed my arm again.
“No, I mean that quite literally. We are nowhere that exists in the world as you or any mortal knows it. We are in a different realm entirely.”
“You mean, like an alternate universe or something?”
“Yes. That’s exactly what I mean.”
“If no one knows it exists, how did you find out about it?”
“I said, no mortal knows about it. The higher beings know it’s here.”
“The angels know about it?”
“Yes, they do. They just never think about it.”
“I don’t understand.”
We’d come to the steel door. Caleb stopped in front of it and turned to face me, grasping my upper arms to hold me steady, although I’d already regained some strength since we’d left the room.
“When we transport from place to place in the mortal world, we go through a parallel realm to get there. This realm. Most don’t think to stop in it, they just ride right through to their destination.”
“And you decided to stop and build a castle?” My mind was spinning with this new information. The situation was looking more and more hopeless. If we were in some universe no one even stopped to blink in, I had no chance of anyone ever finding me.
“This castle was built thousands of years before my time. I was merely informed of its location and took up my rightful residence.”
“By whom?”
“You’ll see,” he said with a mischievous smile.
As if on cue, the locks clicked on the door in front of us and slowly opened outward.
I looked through the entrance into a huge, glorious room that didn’t seem to belong to the corridor we were in. My jaw hung open as I peered in.
“I’ve made a few renovations,” Caleb said with a chuckle. “Go ahead in, Cassie.”
Coaxing wasn’t necessary. I was in awe of the room in front of me. It was like stepping into a movie, set to the theme of extravagant kings and queens of ancient times when luxurious surroundings reflected your status in life. The floor was made of a polished stone, which appeared to reach up at evenly spaced intervals along the wall, creating arched doorways opening to deep alcoves. Within each alcove, cushioned divans were placed against stained glass backdrops. Floor-to-ceiling columns lined the alcoves and seemed to find life toward the top like trees with stone branches reaching out to the ceiling in symmetrical patterns, giving the whole room an odd earthy feel. Pedestals stood uniform along the walls, each wielding a medium-sized ball of dancing flames that never seemed to lose strength.
Maroon rugs and tapestries were laid and hung throughout the room, the gold swirl patterns bringing out the sand-colored stone of the floors. A huge wooden table sat central, with chairs surrounding it, but one chair stood out at the head of it. Throne-like in nature, its maroon, cushioned fabric matched the rugs and tapestries, including the gold edging, which seemed to swirl in a perfect pattern. I had no doubt it was where Caleb reigned over his minions.
“War room?” I asked.
“Sometimes,” he answered. He led me over to one of the alcoves and encouraged me to sit on the cushioned divan. “It can also double as a sitting room with all the comforts of home, don’t you think?”
As I sat, I peered up at the stained glass backdrop. The design included a blue winged devil, complete with horns and staff, crouched on a rock, appearing as if it were looking down upon anyone sitting on the divan.
“Yeah, sure,” I said. “I love kicking back with a good romance novel while some hellish fiend hovers overhead looking to devour me.”
Caleb placed both hands on the seat at each side of me, caging my body from escape. He bent near, causing me to lean back as far as I could without falling off completely. “Cassie, you must stop painting these delicious pictures in my mind, or I’ll lose all self-control before we even make it to the altar.”
I felt his breath on my face and panicked. Trying to catch him in the goods, I threw my knee up between his legs, but before I could hit pay dirt, he grabbed me by the neck, picked me up, and threw me across the room like a banished rag doll. I hit high up on the wall opposite, feeling things crack under my skin on impact before I dropped to the floor in a heap. While trying to feel what part of my body was workable without actually moving, a force lifted my heavy, lifeless body up the wall I’d just slammed into, straightening it out as it went, until my feet dangled inches from the floor.
Caleb was still across the room, but his narrowed eyes were intent on me, and I knew they were the force holding me up against the wall. He took measured steps toward me. My lungs were obviously still intact because they were working harder with every step he neared, until I’d forced them to stop when he was standing right in front of me. I cast my gaze down at him. My eyes were all I could move because my head was pinned securely against the wall. It was a horrible feeling, made worse when I noticed Caleb’s face in a direct line with my chest, and his lecherous eyes made sure they let me know it.
“That was not nice, Cassie,” he said, finally lifting his glower to mine. “I think you owe me an apology.”
“Screw you. I’m not going to let you paw at me whenever the hell you want to.”
“Really?” He stepped closer, put his hands on my hips and started inching his palms up under my shirt. “And what makes you think you have that choice?”
I closed my eyes and sucked in a breath, which was the worst thing I could do since it pushed out my chest even more, feeding his evil desire. Unable to help myself, it was all I could do to withstand his scorching hands on my skin, and I pulled my lips into my teeth and bit down as his fingertips neared my breasts.
“Obviously, you don’t fully comprehend the extent of my power over you just yet,” he said. “Maybe I just need to give you a hard, fast lesson and be done with it.”
My arms flung up over my head of their own accord, or I should say of his, and then my legs spread out against the wall. One set of hard clunks on the wall and tight, cold steel restrained my wrists and ankles. He’d shackled me again. This time, hanging on the frigging wall.
“You’ve had your warning, Cassie. I won’t offer it again.”
The brush of his thumbs on the underside of my breasts made me ill, but
I didn’t dare gasp. Hell, I couldn’t even breathe.
“Look at me,” he ordered, his voice low and commanding. I lowered my gaze to his. “While the thought of fucking you against this wall makes my cock harder than it’s ever been, I won’t do it until you’ve come to terms with our relationship. But know this, Cassie, you’ve given me a taste of what is one of my most sinful fantasies of us, and it will happen.”
Thankfully, he took his hands away.
“I’d rather die than let you touch me,” I said through clenched teeth.
He eyed me and sighed as if I were a child who had disappointed him. He stood in that spot for a long time before saying, “Well, I guess I’ll just have to let you hang out for a while by yourself then and contemplate your situation. You make me very sad. I was hoping we could catch up today on all the time we’ve missed. Maybe tomorrow. Goodnight, Cassie.” He blew me a kiss and turned to walk away.
“Caleb, what the hell? You can’t leave me up here like this.” It came out as more of a plea than an order because the farther away he got, the more I knew he very well could, and would.
He turned around when he reached a door at the opposite side of the room. “Sweet dreams, Cassie. Oh, and don’t worry about the crew coming in the morning. They’ve been ordered not to touch you. They know you’re mine.”
With that, he walked out.
And I was stuck, slapped up against a fucking wall like a smashed, swatted fly. Oh, I’d be contemplating my situation all right. I was already considering about fifty different ways to make Caleb endure an excruciating amount of pain before I killed him.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
I hung shackled against the wall for what seemed like hours with no concept of time. The room was pitch dark without a glimmer of light from anywhere even touching the stained glass windows. No clocks either. For all I knew, day or night might not exist in this realm, time being only an earthly value. It was difficult to wrap my head around our location in comparison to the world I’d always known. Was this purgatory, that realm between Heaven and Hell? Hanging up on the wall as I was like a prized painting, it certainly felt that way. But if this were Purgatory, where have I come from? Heaven or Hell? And more importantly, where did I belong?
You belong to me.
The voice permeated my senses, the same one that seemed to haunt me only when I was alone in this undiscoverable place.
Scanning the room, as much as possible given my position, I was surprised at how much I could move my head. Caleb probably only allowed it to torture me so I could see where I was unable to go. I couldn’t dwell on his maniacal ways at the moment. I had other head-trips to deal with. My own, for starters.
The room looked empty. Between the fires burning on the pedestals and the three mammoth-sized chandeliers hanging strategically from the ceiling, I had a pretty good view of the whole room. Granted, there were many places one could hide, behind tapestries or within an alcove out of my range, but like before, the voice didn’t seem to come from a distance. I was certain, it was right there, all around me, within me.
You’re not real.
Are you sure? Am I not? the voice in my head asked.
The air shifted by my ankles, and my legs closed to a normal position, now dangling against the wall. The shackles around them had disappeared.
Okay, obviously someone was there with me but not in any physical form, and that situation was even scarier than thinking I was going bat shit crazy. Was it Caleb? Was this one of his new tricks? Was he trying to get me to lose it for good?
“Cool trick, Caleb. Now come out and let me off this wall.”
Not Caleb. I own Caleb.
I had nothing to base it on, but from the power that seemed to surround me, I had no doubt it was the truth.
“Then who are you? What do you want from me?”
I want you to let go.
“Let go? What the hell does that mean? Look,” I said, flailing my hands lamely over the tops of the shackles, “this is me letting go. Helloo… I’m stuck here.”
When that was met with only silence, I demanded, “Show yourself, so I know who I’m dealing with.” More silence. “At least get me off this goddamn wall.”
You have the power to do that yourself.
“Really? Wow. Joke’s on me then, I guess. Here, I’ve been hanging around on a fucking wall for who knows how long, and I could have been sitting back and having a beer with the guys. Ha ha, very funny…”
Enough.
If I could have jerked from the force of the voice I would have because it was that overbearing, powerful. I swore the wall behind me shook along with the chandeliers above. Who the hell was I dealing with?
You only need to believe and understand the power within you. Let go. Imagine what you need.
“Look, thank you for the imaginary pep talk and all, but I don’t have that kind of power. Believe me, I’ve tried. Please throw me a bone here and free my hands.”
After another moment of silence, the words flooded my mind. I’m disappointed, but if you continue to think yourself as that fly on the wall, then you shall remain that way. Remember, while flies may hear and see everything around them, they are easy targets. Caleb will tear off your wings and eat you alive. Then where will you be?
The presence was gone. I could feel it… or rather, not feel it. And I was still stuck on the damn wall. I didn’t know what to make of the voice… presence… whatever the hell it was. It seemed to be trying to help me, but why? Whoever it was, obviously believed I had powers and wanted me to tap into them. But for what end? To save myself? To overpower Caleb? It seemed that way, and in that sense, it made me smile inside. But at the same time, heavy darkness lingered like an electrified cloud hanging low over a metal rod, waiting for just the right energy to shoot out a bolt of lightning and destroy everything around it.
I could contemplate what the presence wanted from me until I was blue in the face. The fact remained… I was still shackled to the wall and had only been given one piece of advice in all the hours I’d been there about how to alleviate my situation.
So, what could it hurt?
I closed my eyes and repeated to myself that I could do this. I was strong enough and had the power within to free myself. The chant must have lasted ten minutes, but nothing happened. Either I was doing something wrong or the voice was full of shit.
Okay, okay. I mentally shook myself. The voice had said to believe, let go, and imagine. I tried again, but this time, my mental cheerleader quieted, and I envisioned myself up on the wall, arms shackled. I concentrated on them specifically, made them disintegrate in my mind and imagined a pressure being relieved from my body before I fell to the floor. Watching the whole scenario, relief washed over me and it seemed real from deep within as if it had actually happened.
Two unexpected thumps sounded over my head, and I slid down the wall, landing hard on my ass on the floor.
It worked. Holy Shit. It really worked.
I rubbed at my wrists and slowly began to rise from the floor as I contemplated what I’d just done. When had I acquired that kind of power? Since I’d found out I was a guardian-slash-demon, I’d discovered many skills, but it had been months since I’d gained any new powers. Maybe it was the Sanctuary or the angels holding those powers back. Maybe it was me. The voice had said as much. Either way, it didn’t matter. This was big. Christ, this was huge.
While my head spun with the possibilities of what I could do, the dilemma remained about how it could help me get out of this situation. No longer believing I was helpless and trapped, I had to remember this skill was new. The complexity of how it worked exactly, or how far I could go with it, stayed a mystery… for the time being. Could I simply imagine a door leading me out of this castle and back to my realm and one would appear? Would it work to picture me choking the life out of Caleb and he’d suddenly fall dead at my feet?
With every power came limits. I needed to be careful when I chose to explore those limits, especially
with Caleb. He was smart and powerful. Those traits were two extremely attractive qualities in a person, except when it pertained to someone as ruthless and evil as Caleb. In that case, it could be detrimental to my health. Yes, I may have realized a new power within myself but also knew Caleb had an arsenal of ones I hadn’t seen yet.
Glancing around, I wondered what to do next. Running wasn’t an option since we’d transported to this godforsaken place. I’d only end up going from room to room, and sure as shit, Caleb would find me anyway.
At the moment, my options were limited to roaming around the castle, checking for something that might help me. In my mind, that scenario seemed lame after I’d just found out I had this awesome gift, but I could at least get a lay of the land. Smart planning, right?
The door we’d entered wouldn’t lead me anywhere. I knew that and was definitely steering clear of the door where Caleb exited. One choice left on the right side of the head of the table.
When I reached the throne-like chair, I stopped, an idea hitting me with so much force, I couldn’t ignore it. I closed my eyes and calmed my breath, bringing up a vision in my head and letting the feeling from it rest within me. Finally, I heard multiple clunks echoing throughout the room. When they stopped, I opened my eyes.
Smiling at my accomplishment, I looked around at the masterpiece I’d created with my mind. It was poetic and perfect. Attached to each bare wall between the alcoves were a set of shackles placed exactly the way they were when they held me—two at the top, and two at the bottom. I pictured several demons stuck in them around the room and giggled at the thought. Not believing I’d have the ability to shackle a bunch of demons to the walls, it was more for my own revengeful enjoyment, but I relished the sight in my head just the same. The most important factor related to my self-confidence. I’d again proven the accomplishment of such a power.
There I stood, basking in my selfish glory, when surprise, surprise, several demons filed into the room from another door. They stood, beautiful, but deadly, staring at me as I watched them with a deer in headlights shock on my face. Some of them checked around the room as confusion appeared on their faces when they spotted the shackles along the walls. By the time their gazes returned to me, it was with narrowed, glowing eyes.
Angel Of Fate (Fate Series Book 3) Page 15
