Forbidden Wishes

Chapter Six:

“I really fucking hope so,” Sticking the key in the ignition, Jude started up the car and pulled out of the back parking lot.

Shutting the folder as the car went dark, Sadie turned her head and looked out the window. She watched for a moment in silence, taking in the wildlife as they drove.

“And what if it doesn't?” She broke the silence without turning her head. Instead, she watched the window fog as she spoke, “What if he decides that he doesn't want to let me go, or he changes his mind about me buying back my freedom?” She shivered as she added the last part, “What if he decides he would rather have me dead? The law that binds he and I states that he can have me put to death for defying his word,”

They settled back into a lengthy silence, Jude not too sure what to say. Sadie was entirely right. Her master was allowed to do what he pleased with her. He owned her in every sense of the way.

“This will all work out,” He was worried the promise was empty, but something deep down told him that this all really would work out. Nothing about it was going to be easy, but they would make it out whole and alive.

“You need to eat something,” Jude mused, quickly changing the subject, “The apartment was practically empty and I haven't see you touch anything but coffee,”

She turned to face Jude, eying the side of his head as they drove back into the tiny town, “I really don't eat much,” It was truth, but she intentionally failed to mention the fact that she didn't eat much because she couldn't afford to keep herself well fed.

“You need food, especially after last nights incident. I can only imagine how you feel right now,”

A shiver traveled down her spine as last night flashed behind her eyes. Jesus. Quickly shaking it off, she tucked her hands into the front pocket of her hoodie, “If you insist, but I'm fine, really,”

That was a bold faced lie. In truth, she was hungry. She was also achy, tired and feeling kind of hazy. A migraine was starting behind her eyes, pulsing to steady thump of her heart.

She would admit none of that aloud though, not a snow balls chance in hell.

Shaking his head at her stubbornness, he made a right and headed for the nearest fast food joint. He wasn't going to force her into an awkward position by filling her in on the little fact that he could sense her hunger like it was his own. He was in tune with her.

Considering the amount of blood he'd taken from her the night before, that wasn't too much of a surprise.

Cursing, Nickolas yanked the door to his cheap motel room shut. For a shitty little hole in the wall, the room made a decent sized dent in his limited funds.

This was not a funded trip, there for he wasn't provided with extra money. Though he could get by just fine on his pay, he had made sure to only access so much. Just in case.

Dropping his bag onto the chair in the corner of the room, Nickolas covered the distance between the door and the bathroom.

As he caught site of his reflection, he paused. The pendant around his neck gave off a subtle green glow. A rich, jade green.

Two years after she went missing, Nickolas' life too a drastic turn. He had been confronted by a stranger. She had been about five foot nine with long, red hair and piercing silver eyes.

A witch in her prime.

She had come to him, explaining Sadie's situation. How she came into the information, he still had no idea, but he had been thankful for all that she had provided.

Including the bewitched pendant around his neck.

The pendant he'd bought Sadie for her sixteenth birthday.

He'd needed something that had been hers. Something that she'd worn, had been fond of. It had been happenstance that she'd left it behind the night she'd gone missing.

She'd spelled the pendant so that when he came within a certain mileage of her it lit up. Indicating that she was nearby.

Releasing the pendent from his stiff fingers, Nickolas let it dropped back against his throat, resting against his collar. Running a hand through his black waves, he let out a groan. Turning away from his reflection, he started the shower.

Twenty minutes later, he was printing out a map of the area and its surroundings. It was time to get things moving. Tomorrow he would find her and confront her.

“But Jude,”

“No buts Sadie, eat,”

“I told you, I'm fine,” She grumbled, picking up her fork. The food never made it to her mouth, instead she used the utensil to push the food around on the ceramic plate.

“You can't just not eat Sadie,” He lifted his glass and sipped the contents.

Scowling, she looked down at her plate. She didn't want to argue about this, but at the same time, she didn't want him pushing it too much.

Deciding that this would go no where if she kept her mouth shut, she finally spoke up, “I don't like that you've paid for this. I don't worry about food because it is not something that I can afford,” Gods, she hadn't wanted to bring any of this up.

“I told you that I would help you, and this is just one of the ways it will be done. There isn't going to be anymore not eating,” Jude stated calmly.

She opened her mouth, closed it and took a deep breath. She would not stubborn about this, she would not be hard headed.

“Alright,”

Jude's eyes went wide a moment before narrowing in on her expression, “That easy?”

“That easy,” She confirmed with a slight nod, “Why should I fight you on it?”

He watched her a moment as she stabbed a piece of pancake and brought it to her mouth. Her mood had changed so suddenly. Something he had said upset her, he could see it on her face as she chewed carefully, eyes locked on the wall behind his head.

“What is it Sadie?” He asked softly, looking down at his own plate.

“There is just so much happening,” She lied. There was no way in hell that she was getting into the things playing out in her head. He had made a demand and she had willingly submitted to it. She wasn't that person anymore and yet she had willingly fallen back into routine.

A red flag went up at the sound of her voice. The sudden response to generic to hold any sort of true meaning. Shaking his head, Jude took a deep breath to steady himself, “I won't pry, but if you want to talk about it I am all ears,”

Her breath caught as she absorbed the warning behind his words. He knew that she was lying, but he was going to leave it alone. She could only assume that it would get brought up later.