Shattered

Chapter 18

A light kick to a broken rib isn't exactly the best way to wake up from sleep. I groaned clutching my side as the pain spread like jolts of fire through my body. The endorphins were almost completely out of my system but my mind was still groggy. The room was pitch black and seeing anything was out of the question. Except a faint light lay in the corner barely illuminating a figure sitting in a chair.

"Who are you?" I croaked my mind spinning, nausea building up in my stomach.

"You worst nightmare Rosie," the voice replied.

The lights slowly flickered on and there in the corner of the room was Robert Daru. I may have been a little hazy from the endorphins but I would recognize him anywhere. His grotesque smile and the red tinted eyes matched with the pale skin. I frantically scanned the room for any sort of weapon but came up weaponless. I lay there on the floor unable to move and Robert was getting a kick out of it. Literally. He had already kicked me in the ribs once and they still hurt like hell. I was sure what time it was but I did know I wanted to go back to sleep it was more peaceful. Robert stood from his now visible metal chair and slid it across the cement floor as the cell echoed with the sound of nails on a chalkboard. I clutched my ears and started screaming. The sound was of course intensified by dhampir hearing. Robert came over to me and leaned down to the floor where I was still tied by the chains. He yanked them slightly till they dig into my skin and I let out a whimper and yelp. He seemed to find pleasure in my pain but I wouldn't give him the satisfaction. I bit my tounge as he pulled the chain again this time it dug farther into my skin.

"I will show you no mercy for what you have done. Just like you didn't my brother," he hollared.

"My apologies but your brother was an asshole," I commented earning myself a slap across the face. I probably looked like hell. "You don't intend to give me up do you? You want us both."

"I guess you will find out." I felt anger rising in the back of my head and I knew it was Lissa whenever she got worked up the darkness built up like a sandcastle waiting to collapse. I drew in the darkness feeling a slight bit relaxed the rest blaring with anger for the strigoi in front of me. In one swift motion I tore the weak chains out of the wall glad they underestimated my strength enough to leave them loose. I reacher for the chair and threw it at Robert. If the darkness hasn't completely numbed all pain in my body I probably would have fallen to the ground screaming in pain. No he deserved to pay for hurting me and trying to hurt Lissa.

It took Robert a moment to recover from the shock of my sudden burst of energy but his lips soon curled into a menacing smile and I knew game on. He came barreling toward me slamming my back into the wall. I lunged toward him scratching and throwing punches hitting him with accuracy. After a while it was clear he has been tiring me out. And it seemed to be working the darkness was slowly fading leaving me now with my own fighting skills not spirit induced. The pain returned and one falter and he had me in a headlock.

He leaned into my ear and hissed loud enough for me to hear the dark unnerving tone in his voice, "you will make a fine strigoi Rose."  He dropped me to the floor and didn't bother with the chains. He walked to the door and turned to me before closing it, "see you later Rosie."

I was once again engulfed in the darkness of the room the once dim light in the corner now put out. I tried to reach Lissa and see what she was up to but it was like a wall I just couldn't climb. I doubted my abilities because of my fragile state but when I put every ounce of power into it I still came up empty handed. She was blocking me and I couldn't determine why. I slowly drifted off to sleep.

Sleep was the only place I could find peace. I wasn't in a strigoi lair I was fine. I was in Dimitri's arms and Lissa was safe. Hell even Christian was safe. We were one big happy family and I wanted it to stay this way forever. I enveloped this idea and watched it display out in front of me. We all had smiles on our faces hugging and laughing and I wanted it to be real. I wanted to go towards it, maybe it would make the pain go away. The suddenly as if someone pushed me I was shoved backwards and instead placed in the center of a beautiful garden. There was a figure seated on a bench in the corner of the scenery eyes closed, brows furrowed, and two fingers pressing on his temples with a look of frustration. I cleared my throat and up looked Adrian. His face changed from pain to relief as he looked at me.

"Little Damphir, you scared the hell out of me again. Lissa felt you slip and I couldn't reach you."

"The joys of strigoi torture," I murmured.

"You won't have to stay there much longer Rose we have a plan. Just play along." He paused considering his next words before continuing. "Cradle-robber has been worried sick. I might not tell you his aura or the way he feels but Rose he hasn't stopped. I don't think he has slept or eaten. Lissa is considering compulsion." News like this was supposed to make me feel good but it actually made me feel worse.

We sat there in silence just observing the scenery of the dream granted it had only been a few days since I had last seen the outside it felt like years. I longed to feel the sunlight again. I was staring at the fountain when the images in front of me began to waver like a ripple in water. I looked at Adrian and he looked unaffected. Like he hadn't seen it.

"Adrian—," I said with concern in my voice. "What is happening?"

He looked at me and stood up putting his hands on my fading shoulders. "No it's too early it's not time yet. They have drugged you Rose. Our plan has started just play along don't do anything stupid Rose please. We have this all under control." In other words no- Rose-logic  I heard Dimitri's voice in my head as the image of the garden muddled and I was once again pulled under by the waves of darkness.

I hope it's not boring this chapter was short but the next couple chapters are going to be majorly action packed! And a new twist!