When The Heart Sings

Chapter 16

Serena's POV:

"Bloody hell! How is it physically possible to hit a red light at every blasted intersection?!" Tristan was clearly getting mad at all of the delays.

I hid a smirk as I kept softly humming.

"Must you keep humming?!"

I paused long enough to retort, "A study once proved that humming was the most annoying sound for co-workers."

I started humming again, as if I was doing it just to annoy him.

It apparently worked. "Don't make me send Clair back there to gag you."

"Gagging someone doesn't stop them from humming. Honest, I have been gagged before. It doesn't stop me from humming."

His eyes sent me a startled look in the rearview mirror, but I resumed my hum as I once more looked out the side window. I wasn't about to tell him about my training class or the times I had actually gagged myself in the shed just to practice getting it off by humming.

Tristan turned his glare to the road ahead without responding.

   

I didn't stop humming and I hoped some sort of help would show up or intervene soon. I was starting to get worried since nothing obvious seemed to be happening.

Tristan slammed on the brakes, and I was glad for the seatbelt since it held me in my seat. I looked forward to see a huge tree falling across the entire two-lane road right in front of us.

With a growl, Tristan threw the car into reverse before starting to drive down a back alley to detour around the massive tree. He hit the brakes again, although not so hard, as a dog chased a cat across the alley, knocking a garbage can into the middle of the back alley.

Tristan gritted his teeth in frustration as he used his bumper to push past the metal barrel. He reached the end of the alley just as an ancient granny was slowly crossing the road in front of us with a walker. I had never seen such an old woman before and I was pretty sure that I had seen a snail move faster than her shuffling pace.

This new delay was not doing Tristan's temper any favors. I paused in my humming to comment, "You know, it is almost as if something is trying to tell you that you are making the wrong choice."

He growled menacingly over his shoulder at me, and I shrank back into the seat in fear. It was one thing for Darien to growl since I knew he would never harm me, but coming from another Tarulk, it was intimidating. Especially when I knew that Tristan had no qualms about injuring me. I was rather glad that he had his hands full driving and was not just sitting in the passenger seat like Clair

I looked out the window and resumed my hum. Minutes later, Clair crawled back into the back seat with a length of narrow fabric. Evading her while I was tied up was less than useless and moments later I was gagged as well.

It didn't stop me from attempting to hum though. It was louder with the gag on since I couldn't close my mouth. The increased volume added power to the song, even though I couldn't quite hit the correct notes anymore.

Tristan encountered a bewildering array of delays. What should have been a ten minute drive took over an hour as we found everything from flooded roads to crews fixing potholes, and even a scary parade of old naked ladies on bicycles rallying for the right for nudity in public.

I finally gave up humming as Tristan opened up my door. We were parked right by the gates to the place that I had hoped I would never see again. Clair leaned over to untie me since she was still wearing a light sweater and gloves to protect her skin from mine. She grabbed my arm and dragged me out before undoing the gag, although she left my wrists bound together.

Tristan pointed to the elegant fence that surrounded what was supposed to be a lifesaving research hospital, "Go in. They will release the other two once you are inside that gate. Don't bother trying to run, we will catch you before you get anywhere."

I shook lightly in fear and I couldn't see any way out of it. "Please don't send me in there. If you send me in there, I am not sure what will happen with Darien. I am also not sure what Darien would do to you afterward."

Tristan's temper had been pushed to its limit during the last hour and he snarled in rage at my resistance as he took a threatening step forward. I backed up quickly from him, scared of his strength and his hatred of humans. Clair stopped him before turning to me, "Go. If Darien really wants you, he will come for you."

There was a look in her eyes which said she was counting on that fact. Deep down, she really didn't believe that they would release their two prisoners. She had also kept Tristan from possibly harming me. I nodded slowly in reluctant acceptance of the inevitable, "I will go, but you better start driving. Those vehicles in that parking lot all belong to the guards they keep here."

She swiftly glanced over to see dozens of uniformed guards watching from their hiding spots in unmarked cars. Both of them raced to the car and took off before the guards could get their vehicles out of the parking lot. Gunfire rang out and I saw the glass on the escaping car shatter. I dropped to the ground in case I was in the line of fire, but nothing hit me.

Moments later, I was surrounded by dozens of burly armed guards. I shivered in fear from where I lay on my side in the long grass. One came forward and quickly checked me to ensure I had no weapons.

Once that was done, weapons were no longer pointed at me and I was pulled to my feet. The man ignored my bound wrists as he let go. He stepped back as the rest of the guards formed a circle around me like a walking cage. I had no option but to go with them.

    

My steps hesitated as we approached an elevator, but a guard behind me gave me a light push forward. Most of the guards remained above on the main floor as six joined me for the ride down. The door opened and two went out ahead of me. I reluctantly followed them into the hallway.

Dr. Halbert must have been informed of my arrival, and he was waiting for me. He smirked, "Serena, how nice of you to join us again. Please, right this way."

I did not want to go anywhere with that man, but a gun barrel jabbed into my back told me it wasn't up for debate. I was led to a white room that resembled a doctor's checkup room. Dr. Halbert immediately grabbed a pair of scissors before turning to me.

I shrunk back, but he grabbed my hands. It felt so wrong to touch anyone other than Darien. It made me slightly sick to my stomach and the bond twisted as it objected to another man touching me.

To my surprise, he wasted no time in cutting through the thin rope binding my wrists. He shook his head as he examined the red marks on my wrists, "The fools tied the ropes too tight. Oh well, no real harm done considering what they might have done."

He released my hands and I took a few steps back as I rubbed my sore wrists. I eyed up the two impassive guards who were still in the room, the other four waited outside the door in the hallway. He picked up a shiny chrome case and put it on the counter before unlatching it. My eyes widened as I backed up at the sight of the evil black band.

The guards had expected this. The one came forward to grab my arms and pin them behind my back. The second one held my ankle still as the doctor calmly put the band back where it had previously sat above my ankle. The clasp locked with a click that made my heart sink. The guards released me as they resumed their posts.

Dr. Halbert turned back to the case and picked up a grey object, "This will allow us to control both you and that friend of yours. I have a strong feeling that he will return for you. Even if he doesn't, you might be of some use with our current two guests."

This was my proof that he had never planned to release the two Tarulk he had captured. I realized that he was holding a remote and the case held more such remotes. I was pretty sure that any of them could control the dreadful black band. My leg felt heavy as I was led deeper into the complex.