Blind Faith (Book 1)

Chapter 13

"You're welcome... my pretty," she replied in a high-pitched musical voice, her eyes dropping to his nakedness and glinting hungrily as she admire him. Ash stumbled back with a cry, falling back into the shower, hastily covering his groin area and shutting the curtain. The girl groaned.

"Don't be like that, we only just met - I see such a bright future for us, especially with a body like that."

"What the fuck are you doing in my bathroom...In my apartment!?" He screamed. "G-get out! Get out of here! Now!" Ash's face burned like fire as he covered himself further and stared up at the piercing blue eyes still peering at him through a gap in the curtains. She snatched the towel away from him, her grip and strength, unnatural. He curled into a ball and rolled away, her grin ear to ear.

"Jayne, leave him be, let him at least get some pants on," said a firm, commanding voice from the living area – another female by its sound.

How many more are there?

His embarrassment changed to horror, as the situation dawned on him.

"Oh...why Anna? We are just starting to get to know each other," moaned the girl called Jayne, looking back over her shoulder in the direction of the lounge.

Ash's mind raced, at least two strangers were in his apartment, maybe more? He had to get some clothes on, he couldn't think straight until he at least had some pants on.

He climbed to his feet leaning against the wall for support, trembling more out of fear than of the water cooling on his skin.

"Put that on," said Anna, a pair of jeans landing on his head. He peered at his hand gripping the crystal that pulsed in time with his heart, the jewel alive again. He tried his best to gather some composure, having no choice but to turn away and quickly slip on his jeans, no time to snatch up a top from the floor. The blue-eyed girl had finally left him and he could hear voices whispering from the lounge.

Now, what to do? Did he go out and face them, or quickly lock the door?

Damn! Where is my bloody phone...

"Don't bother trying to lock yourself in the bathroom my pretty...I'll only have to smash it in," stated Jayne.

He would like to see her try, though he didn't want to risk it. Ash grimaced at the bathroom window - too small for his frame to squeeze through – no, he needed something to defend himself with.

"Come on sweet thing, we haven't got all day," she moaned again. His eyes frantically searched around the bathroom - the toilet brush or the shower head? Storming out with one of those as a weapon was more likely to make them laugh than scare them.

He took a deep breath and tried to find some courage, the crystal smouldered in his hand as he stormed out of the bathroom.

I can do this!

He managed to reach the entrance of the lounge when the crystal instantly flared in warning, as a knee swung up into his stomach, crashing him against the door frame, and to the floor, leaving him gasping for air like he had been hit by a car.

On his knees cradling his stomach and unable to breathe, Jayne slipped behind him and shoved him to the floor, his face hitting the carpet, the force hard enough for him to taste blood and his ears to ring from the impact.

The crystal continued to scold his skin, crushed beneath him. Part of him wanted to curl up into a ball, another wanted to stand up and fight back. He pushed up on his arms in defiance and received a swift shove back onto his face, this time his nose burst with red and splattered the cream carpet.