Chapter 74 The Kidnapping
Vanessa
Something is definitely wrong, and the first thing I notice is the cold.
It seeps into my bones before my mind fully wakes, a sharp, biting chill that crawls across my skin. My body feels heavy, sluggish, like I’ve been asleep for far too long to even remember.
Then comes the voice - or rather, voices. One of which is whiny, grating, and absolutely irritating, and sounds so familiar I pray it's not who I think it is.
I go in and out of consciousness for a long time, but when I eventually come to, I wriggle my body and try to move, but pain shoots through my whole body in an instant.
My eyes snap open.
Darkness clouds my vision, thick and suffocating, and the air smells damp of stone, dirt, and something metallic lingering beneath it.
I notice my hands are still bound from earlier, the same sharp tendrils I now recognize to be shadow tendrils - yes, my knowledge of magic elements have gotten sharper in just a few days - bite into my wrists behind my back, tight enough to make my fingers tingle. My ankles are tied too, the rough ridges digging into my skin whenever I shift.
For a moment, I just lay there and stare at the ceiling above me as my eyes adjust to the darkness. The space of the cell is wide and long, with large uneven stones lining the wall behind me.
Where the fuck is this?
The last thing I remember is strolling back to the mansion after training with Elda. Then nothing else...
With great effort, I try scrambling to my feet but I can hardly move an inch. So I resort to the only other solution. My magic.
Closing my eyes, I concentrate on the gentle hum beneath my skin, a faint glow of energy starts to spread inside me and I latch onto it with all my might, but like oil, it slips right through me until it's snuffed out.
What the fuck just happened?
Panic slowly creeps into my chest, but I force myself to breathe before trying again. But it's still the same result.
No, no, no, no. This can't be happening right now. Think, Vanessa, think.
I need to get out of here? No one knows where I am. What if no one finds me?
My pulse quickens, and I roll onto my side, ignoring the protest in my arms, and try to sit up again, the movement sends a wave of dizziness through my head.
“Careful, Vanessa,” a snarky voice laughs, and my entire body goes still.
Footsteps echo softly across the stone floor.
A figure steps into my vision, obstructing the faint light spilling from a moon filtering through on the wall.
Melissa.
Of course, it just has to be this bitch.
Her dark hair falls over one shoulder as she leans casually against the wall, watching me with an expression that’s equal parts amusement and curiosity.
“Well,” she says, tilting her head. “You woke up faster than expected.”
My jaw tightens, and I shoot her a glare. “Where am I?”
"You'll know soon enough," she replies with a smirk.
Anger simmers beneath my skin, hot and sharp, and I try to pull my hands free again, but the tendrils only seem to tighten around me.
Melissa watches my futile attempts with mild pleasure and I'm tempted to spit in her face.
“Don’t bother, trying, Vanessa” she says. “Those are enchanted and can only set you free through a command.”
"And whose command? Yours?" I demand.
"Mine," another voice interrupts and I whip my head around in time to also see Lyra stepping out of the shadows.
How long has she been there?
"Okay, someone tell me what the hell is going on or I might just kill someone," I growl in frustration but Melissa only laughs like I've just said something amusing while Lyra moves around doing God knows what, her movements sure and precise until she's squatting in front of me.
She looks different from the last time I saw her - tall, elegant, with sharp eyes that hold far too much intelligence. Her green eyes, cold and unsettling as ever bore into mine, then she pulls my hair back in a harsh grip and I gasp.
She murmurs, "It's still not enough, we need as much of her powers as soon as possible. He's getting quite impatient and it's really starting to irritate me." My head snaps forward when Lyra releases me, then circles slowly around me like a predator inspecting it's prey.
“Who exactly are you, Lyra and what the hell do you want from me?” I demand.
Lyra crouches down in front of me, bringing us face to face.
“You.”
I blink. "Well, I'm straight."
She studies me for a long moment, ignoring the comment. “There’s a rare power inside you,” she says quietly.
"Thank you. I'm getting that a lot lately, though," I sigh dramatically.
"You don’t understand what you are yet."
"Oh, I think I have a pretty good novel-sized knowledge of everything my powers entail now."
"Okay, are were here to chitchat like old buddies or to get her ready for the final stage?"
Final stage? Of what?
My heartbeat picks up but I try to suppress it. They'll pick up on any slight change in my body and I'm not in the best position to get into a brawl.
I turn to Melissa instead. "And you? What are you here for? Xander? Think he's going to love your worthless ass after all this?"
Her eyes darken into the closest set of blues I've ever seen and she lunges for me. "You bitch!" she screams, but Lyra barely lifts a finger before Melissa is flung back against the nearest corner. My eyes widen in shock.
"I already told you she's not to be touched until it's time." Melissa whimpers. A mild glee fills me at the sound.
Am I a witch for enjoying that? Yes, yes I am.
"You're both going to regret whatever the fuck this is. You really think Xander won’t come looking for me?”
“Oh, he will. That’s always been part of the plan," Lyra's lips curve slightly, and her eyes seem to shimmer with too much malice.
“You’re making a big mistake,” I warn them.
"No. sweetie. I think we just made ourselves the luckiest," she laughs.
Then without another word, she murmurs something to Melissa who nods and leaves abruptly.
Lyra turns back to me and whispers. "Now, get some rest, sweetie. We still have a long way to go before your mate comes running to find you."
It's as if the simple command forces my body to comply and, this time, I don't fight it, because I know I won't be spending another day in this hellhole. Not as long as I live.