Stuck With You

Part 26

Minutes later, she found herself standing at her doorway, feeling refreshed after cleaning herself up a little bit.  She pushed at her door and glared when it didn’t budge.  Letting out a grunt, she put all her force behind it.  Still, it did not move a centimeter.  Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes, ready to transport herself out of the room.  When she did, a force knocked her back, sending her flying towards the bed.  She laid there, complete anger masking her features.  This had to be Aidirian’s doing.  Who else would go through the trouble of making sure she landed safely when she tried to leave?

“Aidirian!” she shouted at the ceiling, getting no answer in return.  A growl sounded under her breath.  “Let me out now, Aidirian!”

Still, only silence met her shouts.  Grabbing the pillow next to her head, she threw it over her face and let out a long, frustrated scream.  The man was really starting to get on her nerves.  She didn’t know what he thought he was doing, but she wanted to pull her weight.  She wanted to prove to the others that she was just as strong as they were.  How was she going to do that when Aidirian held her captive in her own room?

Throwing the pillow to the side, she glanced around.  It would be simple to bring the walls down around her, but that would not guarantee her escape.  He didn’t have to use his magic on the wall; he could have simply charged the air with it.  What would be the use of destroying her home more when there was a chance that it would simply do more harm than good?

“Aidirian,” she said in a lower voice, “I don’t even know if you can hear me, but I want out.  Whatever it is that you think you’re protecting me from, I want to face it.  Please?”  The last word was said in a whisper, but still he did not transport into her room.  She had another choice; she could call to her Uncle Luc, make him free her from her imprisonment.  For some reason, she didn’t want to call to her uncle.  She didn’t want him to be in the middle of the small fight her and Aidirian were having.

Sighing, she turned to her side and closed her eyes.  If Aidirian was not going to come anytime soon, she might as well go back to sleep.  She was still tired from earlier, and she wasn’t hungry enough to cook herself something to eat.  Letting the silence calm her, she was just about to fall asleep when something sounded in her room.  Her eyes snapped open as she jerked upright in her bed.

Standing at the foot of her bed, Aidirian smiled at her.  The only problem was that his smile was a little bloody.  “What happened?” she shouted as she crawled towards him.

He tried moving back from her when she reached a hand out to touch his bloody lip, but she grabbed his arm with her other, effectively stopping any motion he would have made.  He looked down at the arm, a slight smile crossing his face.  “You could have pushed me off if you wanted.”

“What?” she asked, her attention solely on the cut on his lip.  If she had thought she was angry before, seeing Aidirian’s blood made her furious.  Who did this?  Who would want to do this?

He pulled on his arm, but didn’t release himself from her grip.  “You’re just as strong as I am, you could have put up more of a fight.”

“Is that what you want to talk about?” she asked with a sigh.  Seeing him nod, she knew that she would not get her answers until she answered his questions.  “I may have been able to find a way to escape, but it was pointless.”

“Why?”

“Aidirian…”

She tried looking away from him, but he reached his own hand out to keep her face still.  “Tell me why, Celeste.”

“I didn’t want you to let me go,” she admitted, her face turning red once more.

A large smile flew onto his face.  He winced slightly, and the smile slipped from his face.  “That’s all I need to know.”

“Now tell me what happened,” she demanded, ignoring his last words.

He pulled away from her, and this time, she loosened her grip, allowing him to leave.  “Later,” he said, as he opened her dresser and began pulling clothes out.  “Right now, we have to leave.”

“Why?”

He stopped for a moment before turning to look at her with a resigned expression.  “It’s not safe for me here.  If you want to stay, I understand.”

“I’ll go,” she blurted as she jumped to her feet and began helping him back a couple changes of clothing.  “Why isn’t it safe for you?”

A sigh escaped his lips as he threw another shirt into her bag.  “I asked questions,” he answered.  When she opened her mouth, he shook his head.  “Later.  I’ll tell you everything later, but we have to leave now.”

She nodded.  Grabbing the bag, she held her hand out for him to take.  He gripped it with a smile, making her smile back at him.  “Take me where you wish.”

Inclining his head, he closed his eyes.  She closed hers with him, knowing that no matter where they went, she would be safe with him by her side.