by Abby Knox
Well, would she wait there for someone to get back or should she do her best to try to get out?
Back in college, she’d read in the news about someone who’d been victimized and taken captive. The kid had escaped by using his wits. The story had reminded her of The Odyssey. In it, Odysseus tricked the giant cyclops into letting him out of the cave and not eating him. Ada knew then what had to be done. It would work if her captor was as dumb as that giant cyclops.
She only had to play it cool and hope he wasn’t as big as the mythological beast.
Chapter Twelve
Samuel
The sound of Ada’s fists against the thick wooden door was faint from where he sat reading in his study.
Each of the brothers had a suite with a bedroom and a room for his hobbies: reading, training, music, or whatever they enjoyed getting up to. Samuel had turned his into a study for reading. It was a smaller version of the cathedral library and outfitted with a fireplace, bookcases, a writing desk, and reading chairs large enough for his stature. The ribbed vault ceilings echoed the same design throughout the rest of the colossal stone abbey, as well as a tall gothic window. Unlike most of the windows in the place, Samuel had glazed this one with clear glass, so he could see out over the valley. He liked looking at the treetops when he wasn’t flying. And listening to the rain lash the window, as he was at that moment, put him in a meditative state he found ideal for studying, reading, or writing.
He waited for Ada to stop pounding on the door, but she only became more urgent with every passing minute.
Not wishing for her to hurt herself, he approached the other side of the door.
“What is wrong?”
“Who are you?”
“Nobody. Who are you?”
A pause, and then she replied, “You already know, don’t you?”
“Do I?”
“Yes,” she said. “I’m nobody.”
Samuel smiled. “Nobody? That’s too bad, I was hoping I had someone in there. Guess I’ll leave the door closed and be away for a while.”
She cursed, then replied, “Listen to me, you little shit. Kidnapping is illegal. Let me out right now and I won’t press charges.”
Samuel crossed his arms as he spoke, unable to keep the amusement out of his voice. “It’s a good thing I didn’t kidnap you then.”
More silence. He waited.
After some time, she replied, “If you didn’t kidnap me, then I’m free to go, right?” He sensed a dread in her voice that made him feel a twinge of guilt. She was panicking, though to a regular human she sounded cool and collected.
The giant smiled. “No, I don’t think so.”
“Who are you?”
“Not who you think I am.” He could play this game all day.
She replied, “You need to let me out.”
“Why?"
“Because I have to pee.”
Simple enough problem to solve, he thought to his relief. “To the left of the bed is a small chamber. In it, you will find a ceramic pot to piss in.”
Silence followed for a moment as her feet shuffling away and back again.
“Nope,” she said.
“My dear, what is it?”
“Stop making me laugh; it only makes it worse.”
He was confused and reviewed everything he had said. “I don’t understand.”
“I’m not going to the bathroom in a fucking chamber pot. Who are you, Count Dracula? I mean, it would explain this creepy fucking room that looks like it was designed by evil, nightmare monks.”
Samuel stepped back from the door and thought. He should have known this would be a problem. Nephilim bodies didn’t require as many necessities as humans did.
“I’m sorry to tell you this, but the chamber pot is a luxury I allow for my short-lived guests that have…different needs from me.”
She snapped back and banged on the door, shouting, “What do you mean, short-lived!?”
Samuel felt like kicking himself. That was the wrong thing to say.
“I meant that guests are rare, not that they die shortly after they arrived.”
“Oh good, I feel so much better about being kidnapped now,” she interrupted.
He continued, “…and when they do come, their stay is so brief they require little in the way of hospitality.”
She was quiet for a moment. “Well, you’re exactly as terrible as a host as you set out to be. Congratulations. And I’m not going in that.”
Samuel was offended. “It’s clean. But if you require something else, I can assure you the forest is available. I can escort you outside if you like.”
Ada scoffed. “No way, José.”
Samuel blew out of breath. “I’m weary of this conversation. Good night.”
He walked the length of the study, away to the window, pondering whether he’d made the right decision.
After a moment, she knocked again.
“OK, done. But now I need to wash my hands.”
Saint Peter on a saltine cracker.
“Being human must be so exhausting. How are you not sick of yourselves every moment?”
She barked, “You’re right! Life is like a game of The Sims. No matter how close you get to your goal, you still have to stop to pee, eat, and sleep. Now can we put a pin in this incredibly insulting philosophical discussion until after I’ve washed my hands?”
Very well, he thought. “Put on the blindfold. I’ve provided one for you on the bed.”
“Why? Are you an even bigger monster than I’ve already imagined in my head?”
Samuel replied through clenched teeth, “You have no idea.”
She gave a pause and then said, “All right, blindfolded.”
Without another word, Samuel slid the massive iron locks and cracked open the door. He was ready for her to try to run, even with a blindfold on.
In a blur, he had her in the grip of his wings and tightened the blindfold with his large but nimble fingers.
“What is that? What…what are you putting me in? Is someone else here? Who else is here?”
“Nobody else is here,” Samuel said.
Ada huffed. “Then do you care to explain what you are doing? Why do I feel like you have four arms, or is one of your henchmen an ostrich?”
Samuel chuckled under his breath as he began to guide her down the hall and up the steps out of his suite. “‘Make the journey easier, my eye.’”
Chapter Thirteen
Ada
“What in the world is this place, and where are you taking me?”
Without sight, she had to concentrate on what she could feel, smell, and hear. Frustratingly, her bare feet made no echo on what felt like a winding stone staircase. She guessed her captor was also barefoot because she could not hear him move at all. She fought back a shiver of fear, recalling how owls and other birds of prey have silent flight. Maybe he’s part animal and can be silent just before snatching his prey, she thought. But he already has me. If I were prey, I’d be dead already. Wouldn’t I?
Ada kept her wits about her, memorizing every corner, the number of stairs, and which direction the light was coming from when it penetrated the blindfold and warmed her face.
She was shaken by the feel of his hands on her body. One on her waist and the other holding her hand while he walked beside her. If she hadn’t been so terrified about being there with a stranger against her will, she might have found the way he held her to be sweet, like the way people handle their loved ones when revealing a thoughtful surprise.
Keep your head, Ada. This is no gracious gesture. You are a prisoner and he is your prison guard, planning untold horrific things for you.
“And by the way, where did you put my clothes? Did you undress me?”
Her large captor sighed. “They were filthy from your journey, so I got rid of them.”
Maybe if she was annoying, he would let her go. Why not? She was going to die either way.
“That’s pretty fucked up that you took my c
lothes off while I was unconscious. And you do know it’s crazy you don’t have indoor plumbing, right? Like, what were you thinking, kidnapping somebody if you have no facilities at all?” A side bonus of all of her chatter was that the echoes of her voice helped her map out the space around her.
Her captor only gave exasperated one-word answers. A lot of yeses and nos and maybes.
She had to work not to shiver when she thought of what terrible things this stranger might have in mind for her. It didn’t matter that Emmeline had told her it was fun—a game, she had called it. And that she’d come back from it different, in a good way.
So far, Ada was not impressed. Still, her captor gave her the feeling that at least he meant her no harm. He led her along corridors and echoing spaces with gentle hands, verbally pointing out stairs, warning her about corners. His voice had a kindness to it that felt genuine to her. You have such limited social interaction, you are easily taken in by a little bit of kindness, she thought. And you’re still a little drunk. And horny.
On and on they walked over hard floors. Along the way, she heard echoes of music, a cappella singing coming from somewhere far away. Flapping of wings. Chirping. Birds had flown in here, or there was an open-air space or an exit nearby.
Based on the echoes, they had entered an enormous, bare hallway or great room made of more stone. Then, warmth and sunlight fell upon her face.
“What time is it?” she asked.
Her captor did not reply. He didn’t trust her.
They walked on, and soon they were in a place that felt like it was outside.
Her captor helped her sit down on some hard, cold stone. The clank of metal followed, a hand was pumping, and then water was being released.
“Here,” he said as he turned her hand over and placed a bar of something that smelled like lemon balm into it. Soap, but way bigger than necessary. Slipping his hands around both of hers, he guided her to lean forward to let the water run over her hands.
“You don’t have to help me wash up. I’m a big girl now. I even know to sing Happy Birthday when I do it.”
The captor ignored her, rubbing soap over her hands and, it seemed, over his hands as well. If she wasn’t mistaken, this felt like a sensual massage under the running water. She should not allow herself to feel comforted and safe at the sensation of his large, strong fingers pressing into the muscles of her hands, inside her palms, and her wrists. But good lord, it felt nice.
Her brain stepped in for a moment and said, No, silly girl. This is a violation. Are you a child with Disney princess fantasies or are you a grown-ass woman with a Ph.D.?
The empty, neglected parts of her body—her skin, her lady bits, the most preternatural corners of her brain—replied with only excitement and longing.
This is my body reacting to flirting. Flirting from the jerk who kidnapped me. None of this is OK. He may say he didn’t kidnap me, but he did.
The more the babbling water flowed over their clasped hands, the more her body tightened and relaxed, as she fought with herself to give in and enjoy this moment.
Hey dummy, said her brain. You’re outside somewhere. Are you going to run or not?
Ada came to her senses, finally, and waited for her moment. She allowed the strange person to continue rubbing her hands and her arms, hoping he would let his guard down in response to her body relaxing against his. Ada let out a satisfied sigh when her captor’s massages slowed down and his fingertips pushed deeper. He ran his fingertips firmly up her forearms, provoking a whole-body chemical reaction. Tiny sparks of pleasure crackled across her skin from her head down to her toes. The butterflies in her stomach grew bigger by the second. She let herself ease back into a chest that felt larger than a human's.
It worked. Her captor eased off his grip at her elbow. Turning her face in the direction where his breathing was coming from, she sensed the breeze and the sun. She pushed through the blindfold with her mind. Ada sensed objects and negative space, and could vaguely map out the area, creating a picture in her mind. Before thinking twice, she bolted toward the light.
Behind her, her captor cursed.
“Don’t make me chase you! It’s no use, little fox.”
Her breath like fire in her throat, she legged it as fast as she could.
Praying to whoever would listen that she would not run headlong into a wall, she ran hard through the light-drenched space that felt open to the sky and tugged at her blindfold, hoping to be surrounded by trees again. She could hide from him in the woods, even if she stumbled and fell down the mountain. She breathed in and smelled earth and something green. Herbs.
If she weren’t so terrified, she would laugh at herself. How hard could it be to take off this blindfold? Ada slipped one finger under the fabric but it did not move, it was tied too tight. Her mind rejected the notion that there was some magic involved.
“You can’t escape me, and even if you make it outside, the gate is locked and you won’t be able to breach the fence,” said her captor’s voice. Though it felt like she had run a tenth of a mile, he had no sound of exertion in his breath. Her captor’s voice was calm and lethal.
With no warning of footfall sounds, he grabbed her. She fought back, flailing her arms and legs.
“Stop fighting,” he warned. “Even if you breached the gate, you won’t make it through the surrounding woods outside. Do you remember the feeling of going down when you were going up?”
Ada did not want to answer but grudgingly hissed, “Yes.”
“It will be the opposite going out, and in your current state, still hungover from the drink, it will be too much for your mind and body to comprehend and you will pass out again. Do you believe me?”
She hated being bossed around in this way. She hated herself for allowing him to give her even a moment’s pleasure, even if he hadn’t been trying. She wiggled and thought she was free, but it was hopeless. With some skilled tactical wrestling moves, he soon had her pinned to the ground, facedown. He had done it at an inhuman speed, but she’d landed gently, unhurt. Her face lay in the soil, which was damp on that cold and humid early morning. The weight on top of her felt like someone four times her size. She felt like the wrestler Andre the Giant was on her back, and if she stood up there would be an Ada-shaped indentation in the ground.
“Please let me go,” she begged.
“No.”
“Please.”
Ignoring her pleas, her captor said, “I do not want you to breathe dirt, so I’m going to let you up, but I’m going to have to use mind control so you will not run from me. It’s for the best. I don’t want you to be afraid.”
Samuel slowly rolled Ada over onto her back.
Her first realization when he pinned her in this position was that this beast, or larger-than-life man, was mostly naked.
She tried to reach out to push him off of her, but his hands were like manacles around her wrist, pinning her to the ground. Wriggling her hips, her attempts to slide out from under the giant were futile.
“Don’t,” he growled.
She calmed, not because he pressed a thought into her mind but because she sensed the caged animal inside him. She had already sensed that he had a soft spot for her. He would not hurt her. So, if he would not let her go, she was going to have a lot of fun pissing him off.
He spoke next through gritted teeth. “Don’t…move…like that.”
Ada ignored the command. “You’re the man from the lecture. The same man who did something to my mind when I was scared, and then again at the park.”
He rumbled against her. “You didn’t see me at the park.”
Ada smiled wickedly. “Yes, I did. You’re not as subtle as you think you are.”
He didn’t speak.
“Men are all the same,” she sighed underneath him, unintentionally causing more friction against his bare chest. “Giant of Bell Mountain, or whatever the fuck you think you are. You think you’re so sneaky, but you’re a herd of buffalo, doing what you please, runni
ng over whoever gets in your way.”
He made a noise that sounded like a harrumph, but even a quiet one blew against her face and hair as if it were a stiff breeze. The feeling of his breath against her skin and her scalp made her whole body shiver. She could not deny the virility of this beast, what he drew out of her. Was he human? The way she could feel his body heat up and react to her, she knew he had taken a human before. Thoroughly.
The thought excited, terrified, and repulsed her all at the same time. What an opportunity to get up close to a supernatural being, if that was what he was. To let the creature have his way like the mayor had implied—wait, what was the mayor’s name again? She couldn’t remember—what an amazing discovery that would be.
Ada inched her leg free from under him, and the ominous noises from him increased in volume.
His words came out with a growl. “Stop moving…too much friction.” Her heart leaped in fear with the knowledge that he could take her by force if he wanted to. Her feelings about that were…conflicted. Would she let him? Would he enjoy it more if she tried to get away and let him round her up again? Was this the game?
She spat out, “Well, what are you waiting for? Go ahead and do it if you’re going to do it.”
“Do what?” he asked.
Ada replied, “Didn’t you bring me out here to fuck me?”
“No! Well, yes, but not like this.”
She pushed up against him. She couldn’t help herself.
“Not like this,” he repeated.
“Oh, is this an alien probe type of situation?”
He sounded offended. “I don’t hurt humans.”
She laughed. “So you're telling me you’re not human? Then why not do exactly as you please? You don’t care about scaring me to death.”
He stammered, “H-humans have free will and we are here on this earth to…to help you.”
She laughed. “On this earth? If that was you at the lecture, then you know I don’t believe in aliens.”
“I’m not an alien.”
“But you’re claiming to not be human, so what are you?”
