by M F Adele
“Say please,” I teased him with a saccharine smile on my face, “And I’ll untie it for you.” All the muscles in his stout upper body flexed as he held himself up.
He glared at me in agitation. “Please, hurry the fuck up. We don’t have time for games, Novak.” Yeah, yeah, I know.
I untied his shoe, and when it dropped to the floor I used it to carefully prop the door open. 55 minutes left. I traversed across the office as Vaughn disappeared down the hall barefoot and cursing under his breath. Who knew our mate would come with so much trouble?
I removed the computer from under the desk, delicately pulling all the wires and rolling them up together in a bundle that I wrapped my shirt around. The wires had a little blood on them, and I didn’t want to leave any on the floor when I set them down. I left the monitor but moved the files from the bottom desk drawer first, the one that didn’t have a hand hanging from it, so I could set everything on them. Arranging them on the carpeted floor outside the door, I placed the computer on the paper file folders to absorb any missed blood and stacked the wires on top. This is not my first time doing this.
The top drawers all held nothing of importance, so I moved on to the last bottom drawer. The one with the hand dangling from it. I used a pen to maneuver the drawer open, letting the hand fall naturally to the floor. I put the pen in my pocket so I didn’t set it down anywhere and leave partial fingerprints. I’m already in the database, and I don’t want a murder charge pinned on me. Inside the drawer was a broken, empty safe. Well, almost empty. I took my phone out and snapped a picture, then removed the envelope and placed it outside the door with the rest of the stuff. 45 minutes left.
Moving over to the shelves, I visually scanned them for anything noteworthy. I picked out eight books with Latin titles, or what I thought was Latin. They favored the books Palmer had in his room. I added those to my stack outside the door. I found three more books with old, worn leather bindings that looked like they could be something useful. There were a few trinkets on the shelves that caught my eye as well, so all that went into the pile. 37 minutes left.
Vaughn was making his way back to the office when I made my last trip, so I took his shirt to cover my fingers while I opened the rest of the books. Nothing hidden in them. Boring titles of no concern. They all went back on the shelves where they came from. I looked around the room one last time, spotting a jacket hanging on the back of the door. The pockets were empty so that was a bust. No cabinets and no closets. No hollowed out wall panels either, I checked. 24 minute left.
The last thing I grabbed was the bloody fucking phone with some poor old man’s prized possession laying on it. Don’t touch the dick. Don’t touch the dick. Don’t touch the-
The squeal that left my mouth was never to be talked about again. I’m not proud of it. Godsdammit. I tried to pick the phone up from either side, but when I lifted it that dead dick rolled right against the palm of my hand. The dick touched me. I’m gonna be sick.
“What the fuck was that?” Vaughn whisper-shouted from the doorway as he packed everything into the three boxes he brought with him.
I hurled the phone into the box sitting on top of the two he had already filled and started untying my boots to slip out of the office. “Dude, I touched the fucking dick.” I stopped what I was doing to rub my hands on my pants. I can still feel it touching me.
Vaughn let out a surprised hoot and shook his head at me. “That’s why you squealed? You’ve touched dicks before. I don’t see what the issue is with brushing up against that one.” He looked me over like I was the biggest idiot he’d ever met. He doesn’t get it.
“Yeah, but those dicks were attached to someone and warm. That one is NOT attached to anyone,” I whisper-shouted right back at him. “It’s cold and lifeless and severed at the end.” Another full body shiver worked its way through me again as I described why I was freaked out. That motherfucker was still laughing at me. He was folded over at his waist with his hands on his knees, sucking in breaths as he tried to contain himself. It’s not fucking funny! I gave him my back and began wiping the door handles down on both sides of the door.
“Cold and lifeless, huh?” He jeered. “I thought you were describing your own dick for a minute there.” He handed me the open box full of computer equipment while he picked up the other two filled with paperwork, books, and random shit from the shelves.
“Get fucked asshole. I’m scarred for life after that,” I muttered to him as we made our way back to the elevator barefoot and carrying boxes full of stolen shit. I wish I could say this is the first time I’ve done this, but I don’t want to lie. It’s not. I glared daggers at Vaughn as he silently continued to laugh at me. His shoulders were lifting up and down and his reddened face was canted to the side. We stepped into the waiting elevator to make our way back down to that boring ass lobby. I set my box down and backtracked quickly to wipe the outside button down before the door closed. I swiftly wiped the inside buttons and shoved Vaughn’s shirt in the box so I could pick it back up as we waited for the elevator to take us to the ground floor.
“You’re being a really shitty friend. You know that, right?” I patronized him with a murderous look before turning away from him.
“Yep,” he boasted, and I could hear his fucking smile with that single word. I want to hit him, but my hands are full so I’ll have to wait. The elevator dinged when it reached the main floor and we peeked around before stepping out. The guard was still asleep. I didn’t know why that shocked me, but it did. I briefly hoped he got fired for sleeping on the job, and then I remembered that he’s about to find a gruesome murder scene in... sixteen minutes.
Damn, we made good timing. Quietly setting my box down again, I grabbed Vaughn’s stupid shirt and angrily wiped the last button down. I didn’t put it back in the box because I knew I’d have to dig it out again to clean the handles on the doors leading outside. What I really want to do is strangle him with it.
We made it back to the car and loaded up our stolen goods with no more issues or confrontation. I mean, other than the dead body. All fingerprints had been removed and we were driving off company property. That meant it was time to call Franklin and let him know we were done so he could override the security footage of us being there, then it was a done deal.
“Franklin, we're done and heading back,” Vaughn confirmed as soon as Franklin picked up his end of the call. He paused to listen and then sighed loudly. He’s been doing that a good bit today. “Great, okay. We’ll take the long way around. Tell Palmer we’ll be there in an hour.”
“What did he say?” I was too curious about what has his kacks in a twist. I love that word. Kacks. It’s what Palmer calls his panties. His accent was light after living in the states for so long, but he still used some of his Irish slang. Most of it didn’t make any sense to me. Don’t let him know I called him Irish. He’ll give us the speech about how Northern Ireland and The Republic of Ireland are two different places. Again.
“He said to leave here and not head to Sloane’s yet. We need to toss our phones out first. She told him Nathaniel and Samuel had bugs. Everyone else has already dumped their phones, except us. So, we’ll head into town, grab some lunch and toss our phones in the garbage before going back to look through all this shit we just stole.” He sounded exasperated.
When we got back to Sloane’s house, we’d have to lock him in a bedroom and force him to take a nap. Nobody likes a grumpy fae.
York
Saturday Midday
857 days.
That was how many days I’d spent in a cell being drained of my power. Slow and steady, so they could keep me longer than the rest of the prisoners they had over the years. Every new moon and full moon they came down to get me, but I never got to see the sky, the stars, or nature.
They would knock me out with vaporous sleeping potions and drag me to the mock medical room where I first spoke to my mate. Then, they’d strap me to the metal table with cursed chains. No matter how hard I tr
ied I could never break free. I don’t know what I’d do if I could. I didn’t have much fight left in me anymore, and I was saving that for Sloane.
The new moon was in three days time, and I feared it may be the last drain they got from me. Those fae crystals would suck out the rest of my power. If they weren’t removed while I had enough life force left to keep me alive... yeah. After every drain, I grew weaker and weaker. I couldn’t heal properly when I was down in the damp cell with no true earth to touch my skin.
I’d been here for so long that I no longer felt the wet chill on my skin or the bone deep cold that the winters brought. I was used to the constant exhaustion that came from too little sleep on the stone floor with the threadbare blanket they threw me during my first winter as a captive. Over time it became increasingly easy to ignore my hunger. They fed me twice a week, if I was lucky, but it wasn’t enough to give me energy or sustain me. They liked to keep me weak so I couldn’t fight back.
The only other constants I had in this place were the dripping dirty water that ran down the wall, leaving a trail of mossy mess in its wake, and thoughts of my mate. I had to be careful when I thought of her. If Kelvin knew I was bonded with the powerhouse that got away, he wouldn’t just drain me dry, he’d use me as bait to get to her.
Kelvin used to be my boss, when I lived as a free male in the camp ground and not a prisoner in this cell. I spent three years working up to be his right hand man. I needed all the secrets. I still need the major secrets he never shared with me. I wouldn’t get them now, though maybe he’d pity me on my next drain and tell me before he killed me.
I stood up and stretched my stiff, under-used muscles. My body ached, but it wouldn’t stop me from moving to the opposite side of my cell and digging out the small stone fragment to make another mark on the wall. 857 marks. One for every day that I had been in this tiny piece of Hell on Earth. I imagine Hell is better than this cell. Especially when your mate is the Devil’s daughter. The door to the stairs creaked open as I eased the fragment back into its hiding place. I wished I could say I was able to catch a whiff of the fresh outdoor air, but I never could. I didn’t feel a breeze nor did I see sunlight filter in. It was just stale, putrid air and the dim lighting from four bare light bulbs hanging outside the cell doors.
Levi walked up to my cell door and shifted uncomfortably on his feet. He was always too good of a guy to be in a place like this, but I was thankful he was. He’d been my saving grace since he found me down here four months into my stay. He was the reason they gave me any blanket at all during that first winter. He was the only one who brought me extra food when he was tasked with feeding the prisoners. Just prisoner, now that I’m the only one left again.
“Look, man. I don’t know how much time I have before they start looking for me. I brought you some jerky. It should give you a bit of energy, and I was able to sneak in some flowers that I found. I remember you saying one time that you can pull life from nature to fuel your power, is that right?” He glanced at me as he spoke and then returned his attention back to the door. He didn’t want to get caught. I don’t blame him. He was human. He shouldn’t even be in the camp.
“Yeah,” I croaked out. My throat was dry and I hardly ever used my voice anymore. I didn’t scream when they put those crystals across my chest to siphon my power. I hadn’t fought the chains in so many months that I'd lost count of how long it had been.
“Here,” he offered as he shoved a water bottle at me through the bars. He released a clear bag of jerky into my hand and opened his jacket to expose the flowers he’d gathered. They had just recently been cut from their tether to the earth so they would give me a small boost. I noticed he’d lost too much weight too, and it made me wonder what was happening above me. “Kelvin says he’s going to kill you on the next drain. I know you said you have a mate somewhere, so maybe this is enough to reach out to her one last time. I don’t know how that works, but I hope it’s enough.” He roughly pushed the flowers to me the same way he did the water bottle. For the first time since I’d been here I felt a spark of hope.
Sloane should have met her other mates by now. I should be able to slip into a dream and manipulate her Sight to latch onto a vision. Should being the keyword there. I hadn’t been able to test my theory yet, but I had talked it out with Levi when he was on guard duty.
I guzzled the water down and took the jerky out, poking the bag into the bottle, and handed it back to him. He hung his head with a concerned look on his face, then he pivoted on his feet and quietly left like he was never here.
I sat with my back against the wall and gathered the flowers in my lap, enjoying the colors before I drained them until they were nothing but dirt. As I siphoned the life from them, the colors faded away. I opened myself up to feel the things that I hadn’t felt in far too long. I could feel the pain I caused the flowers, and I silently thanked them for helping me. I felt the light inside me flicker a little stronger. I feel the snap in my chest as I release my hold over the mate bond. Sloane and the intoxicating rush of her emotions filled my mind. Excitement, adrenaline, and mayhem followed by curiosity, then down right murder. She feels me too, and now she’s angry. I’d rather face her wrath every day for the rest of my life than die in this dungeon on that cold metal table.
I closed my eyes and began to meditate. First, I evened out my breathing, slow and deep. Second, I focused completely on her, picturing the last time I saw her. She was asleep when I left that morning, her silver hair flowing around her face on the pillow, her naked body half exposed under the jet black sheets on her bed. Her face was peaceful as she took the little rest she needed after a long night of arguing and makeup sex. I kept that image of her in my mind as I opened up the flow of power and forced my dream-like state on her.
It wasn’t a dream like humans had, but it also wasn't a prophetic vision like Sloane usually saw. It was a real time imagine of me, not the past version of me and not manipulated. She’d see me exactly as I am, and where I was at. If I was lucky I’d have a few minutes where I could speak to her. I had to tell her where I was and what was happening, even if she decided not to come for me.
“Sloane? Sweetheart?” I sought her out softly, hoping to gain her attention. The feeling of disbelief flashed through me and smothered her mounting anger. I’ve found her. Thank the gods. “I don’t have much time, and I know you’re angry with me. I’m so sorry. I’d never willingly leave you.” I didn’t really know what else to say. I’d rather tell her face-to-face and explain everything that happened. I needed her to find me.
“Where are you? Why are you just now reaching out to me? What happened to you, York?” Her emotions were a tangled mess, making it hard to sort through them. Determination, worry, heartbreak, and that ever present anger when it came to me were all present, but more lingeded under the surface.
“It’s a long story, Sweetheart, and I’ll tell you all about it, but I don’t have enough power to keep you long. I need you to find me before the new moon. I’m somewhere near the Red River Gorge in Kentucky. I can’t explain exactly where, but I’m in a cell underground. I’ve been trying to help you remember what you’ve forgotten, but I’m just not strong enough anymore. Have the Fae open your mind. He can do it but you’ll have to let him in. I’ll see you soon, Sweetheart. I love you.”
The connection I held was gone, but hearing the soft rasping quality of her voice made me miss her more than ever. I shut the bond down and saved what little power I had left to open the connection again. I’ll wait two days. Two days, and I’d open the connection back up to see if she was near me. If she was then I could lead her to my location.
If she wasn’t... then, at least I got to hear her one last time.
Sloane
We had just finished up with the pack of infected, rogue shifters when that ever present ache in my chest snapped so hard that it doubled me over. I placed my hands on my knees and sank to the ground. Stone came rushing forward at a speed that would terrify any creature. He�
��s as fast as a vampire. That’s unusual for a demon.
“Are you okay?” He supplicated with concern etched all over his sharp features. His cheekbones were high over his square jawline, brows creased low covering his beautiful black and lapis colored eyes. If the sun wasn’t so high in the sky it would be easy to miss that deep blue starburst around his pupils.
“I just, uhm,” I released a frustrated groan. “I think I just felt another bond snap into place, Stone. I haven’t felt York’s end of it in years. I thought he was-“ I couldn't finish that sentence, and Stone seemed to understand all too well what I wasn’t saying. He nodded his head sympathetically and dropped to the ground in front of me before placing his hands on my shoulders. That extra touch exposed a vision, one that I desperately hated seeing.
York was sitting on the ground in a stone cell, his back against the damp wall with his legs crossed in front of him. A stone cell that I’m very familiar with. It had plagued what little drunken sleep I’d received since he’d been gone. “Sloane? Sweetheart?” I heard his voice, soothing but shaken. It was him but he didn’t hold that velvety smooth quality to his voice like he did when I heard him last. He sounded broken and hopeless, and it brought tears pooling to my eyes.
Stone slowly put me in his lap, careful not to jostle me out of the vision. I briefly wondered if he knew what was going on, but I snapped my attention back to York. I’m so fucking pissed at him.
“I don’t have much time, and I know you’re angry with me. I’m so sorry. I’d never willingly leave you.” He rushed the words out, and his sincerity had my attitude dissipating. Longing and self loathing followed patiently on the crest of his feelings. It ripped open my heartbreak all over again. The jagged wounds left when he never returned had the unshed tears streaming down my face. I was still mad at him, but I wouldn’t let anything stop me from finding what was mine. York Briar is mine. Was? No, IS.
