Taken

Chapter 9 (Part 2)

Finished, Silas rose, grabbing his plate and Hilda's before taking them to the sink. I gathered mine as well, emptying the remaining bits of food into the same bucket he had scraped the remains of their plates into before handing it to him so he could place it with the others and start washing them. I lingered near him, unsure of what to do next, but knowing I wanted to stick close so I could talk to him.

But Hilda had other plans.

"Come. I'll show you to the room I've prepared."

My mouth which had begun to open to ask Silas if he needed help snapped shut and grew dry at her words. My eyes turned to her, locking with her pale ones that regarded me with a knowing gleam.

"I'll take care of the animals after I finish up here," Silas told her with his back turned, missing the way the frown pulling at her lips grew as my face paled.

When I didn't move, a hard shove from behind sent me stumbling toward Hilda as she turned to leave the kitchen. When I went to open my mouth and draw Silas's notice, I found the words and air stolen from my lips. I reached for my throat while the invisible hands pushing me didn't let up, continuing to force me after her as she made her way into the living room and up the stairs. It remained a steady pressure on the center of my spine until we reached the room she had retrieved the clothes I wore from earlier. Just as it finally dispersed, letting me stagger to a stop, Hilda's tight grip took over to pull me inside before letting me go to shut the door.

I rubbed my forearm where she had grabbed me through the thin material of my sleeve as my heart hammered in my chest at being trapped in a room alone with her. As lights flare to life to bathe the small, cramped room with a soft glow, my eyes darted around to take it in. The long table covered in ribbons, fabrics, and sewing supplies paired with a half-dressed mannequin gave me an idea of one of its purposes, while the boxes and bins pushed towards the other side that held a wardrobe gave away another. Just past the chaos, I could spot a cot with a mattress pushed into the corner against the far wall that held a window. Across from it in the other corner stood a tall mirror with a blue measuring tape draped over a corner as it attempted to hide more storage boxes behind it. Even with how packed the room was, it still had more room to maneuver than the one I had back home.

My eyes once again returned to the bed that had a folded quilt sitting on top of crisp sheets. The sight had exhaustion creeping into my muscles despite having slept the day away already. Maybe it was due to the added stress of dealing with the woman behind me.

Suppressing a yawn, my shoulders were tense as I turned at the sound of Hilda clearing her throat.

"You were going to tell him," she said, her voice calm and free of the anger that I had expected.

"Why can't he know?" I asked, accusation clear in my voice.

Her gaze wandered to the mannequin that had fabric pinned to it. "Because he would have stopped me." Guilt flickered in her eyes before she blinked it away. "But it doesn't matter now. Everything is set in motion. He'll learn everything tomorrow once it's already been done."

My heart pinched at the finality in her voice. "Once what's been done?"

My heart hammered against my chest in anticipation as she returned her hard eyes to mine. They lowered to rest between my breasts where I still felt the warmth anchored towards the base of my sternum under my skin.

"Once you've paid the price. Then," her eyes snapped back to mine. "I'll help you return to your realm."

"How can I trust that you will?" I asked instead of shouting to know what the damn price was. It was clear she wasn't going to give me any real answers.

"Because I'll have an invested interest in getting you back."

Her answers that only left me with more questions had my frustration swelling. My hands curled into fists at my sides as the warmth at my chest seemed to grow warmer while a blurred edge entered my vision. I blinked hard to clear it.

"The warmth. What is it?" I demanded as the minuscule flare returned to its tepid state under my attention.

"I'll show you."

A push of air against my shoulder had me turning as Hilda stepped up to place a guiding hand at my back and directed me towards the mirror in the corner of the room. Coming to a stop before it, she reached for the collar of my shirt. The two open buttons at the top that formed a V made it easier for her to pull the neckline down to reveal my skin where the warmth wouldn't fade.

"Hey-" I began to protest, raising a hand to swat hers away, but the sight of delicate golden lines had the words dying on my tongue as I froze.

I blinked, expecting my heavy eyelids to clear my vision, but as my vision blurred and refocused, the lines were still there, etched into my skin in an intricate pattern where the warmth steadily hummed. I reached up to move my shirt and get a better look at it.

"Keep this hidden." The gravity in Hilda's voice had my eyes snapping up to hers in the mirror. "Never let another set of eyes catch sight of it."

"What will happen if they do?"

Her eyes darkened as she shook her head grimly. "All you need to know is that if the wrong eyes see it. You'll never be able to return home."

I swallowed hard, my limbs feeling like lead and my eyelids requiring more effort to open again after each blink.

"Why are you doing this?" I asked, not even knowing what she was doing. All I knew was that she was dragging me into another mess.

I shook my head as the room seemed to tilt, causing me to stumble back into Hilda who stood a head taller than me. Her hands reached up to grip my arms and steady me while the room continued to tilt.

Her eyes softened as she gave me a pitying look that had the guilt from earlier seeping back into her eyes that I could barely focus on as my vision blurred once again. "I'm doing what I need to. For my son and this realm."

I reached for my head as I felt it sway, struggling to open my eyes. When had I shut them? I tried to pry them back open but only managed to crack them open a sliver. My eyelids were too heavy. Just like my arms that hung at my side and the darkness that pressed down on me.

Something was wrong.

My head throbbed, unable to focus long enough for panic to strike at the realization. The weight I was leaning against Hilda grew until my knees buckled beneath me, but I didn't fall to the floor. I felt myself being lowered to the ground as the darkness closed in, consuming everything. Before could drag me under completely, a faint and distant whisper reached my ears.

"I'm sorry."

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