When Ian sifted them, it was different. He controlled the speed of their movement. Rowan noticed right away that it wasn't the dark forbidding tunnel of rushing air that it had been for Greer and herself when they sifted. Ian's skills were clearly more sophisticated and developed.
She held on for dear life as she had no idea how this sift would be different. Where were they heading? Where might she land if she decided to let him go? She felt a calmness, a stillness around her like they were in the eye of a hurricane as they moved, and then, in an instant the air whipped around them like they were in the midst of gale force winds.
Her emotions were all over the map, she was trying to pay attention to everything, to learn from everything he did, but being petrified made it difficult to focus. She had a feeling Ian wasn't just your run of the mill vampire. There was something more beneath the surface...something worth looking for.
When they stopped, he released his iron grip on her arm immediately. The blood began circulating through her arm again, and it made her skin tingle with numbness like tiny pins pricking her. She saw her opportunity to get away immediately and she took it. Focusing on sifting herself away from wherever she had landed, away from him, she tried repeatedly- but nothing happened.
"That won't work here, Rowan." His voice reverberated off the walls. He turned and cockily sauntered away from her disappearing into the darkness of what seemed to be a large cavernous space.
That's what the lycans had said about their compound as well. She'd find a way out. It would just take her some time. "Where are we?"
"A training facility....my training facility actually." He laughed softly as candles lit the room like magic coming on one by one, encircling her clockwise around the room.
"Your facility?" This oughtta be good. First, she was with Greer and then Cuan, now this guy. She'd play the game and hand him his ass, too.
"Mmmm, hmmm." He turned to take in her essence amongst the glow of the candle light. Ian loved the luminosity that candles created. Rowan's alabaster skin and fiery red hair in this glow only made her more alluring.
"Why are we here?" She sensed a prolonged, involuntary stay.
"For your training, of course." He walked only two steps toward her, waiting to see her reaction.
"And what if I'm not interested in your training, Ian?" She took a step back, her arms down at her sides readying herself for his response.
"Ah, well, that would indicate that you feel you have other options Rowan. You do not." He continued to advance on her slowly.
"I may not like my choices, but I have choices and I do not choose to be here with you, vampire." Her heart began to speed up, like the wheels on a freight train moving faster and faster getting louder with each rotation. Her chest tightened. She hated feeling like a rat in a cage. An overwhelming feeling usurped her thoughts. Ian's intentions with her were completely deplorable- and he was gonna hurt her.
"Well, that's okay Rowan, because I chose you." He took another step towards her leaving less than ten feet between them now. "I can hear your heart racing, and I can smell the anxiety pouring over you. We'll have to work on both of those."
"Like hell vampire! I'm nobody's project." She lifted her arms, palms out towards him. She'd give him a little taste of what she'd given Cuan. "Back up Ian. I mean it."
"Rule number one Rowan...Don't ever warn your opponent as to your intentions. It gives them time to prepare for your response." He took another step towards her carefully calculating her every move. "If you feel action is warranted, by all means..." He held his arms out to the side, palms up, as though he were making himself vulnerable to her.
"It's your ass vampire." She raised her hands, the lavender hue emanating from her palms condensed into a stream of light as it shot across the short distance between them.
She had so much to learn. With a simple wave of his arm he deflected the light sending it back at her, knocking her into the wall behind her.
"Lesson two. That light you seem to be so fond of throwing around, it can be used against you, too." He laughed as he turned his back to her. Everyone had been so overtly confident in her growing powers, feeding her all this nonsense about how powerful she was. What Rowan really needed was to be brought down a rung or two. Time for a reality check.
Rolling on the frigid stone floor in agony she felt as though every inch of her had been pierced through with a dull blade. Her torso was constricting like it was being squeezed by an incredibly powerful anaconda. She couldn't breathe.
"Temper...temper." He kneeled down beside her on the cement and watched as tears streamed down her face. "This will be a lot less painful if you get control of that quick fire temper of yours."
She wanted to rip his throat out, but she was only able to utter a response between clenched teeth, "Fuck you vampire."
"Well I certainly could do that to you. There's not much you could do about it if I decided to go that route." His eyes roved over her like predator over prey. Every inch was ravishing even in a state of unparalleled pain. Her heaving chest, the sweat forming between her breasts, her legs writhing in agony. It was too much. He turned away from her to hide the longing his black eyes would certainly give away.
For a second she thought he might with the way his eyes had slowly taken in every inch of her and then lingered at the swell of her breasts before continuing lower. She tried to calm herself, but the pain was insufferable.
Never turning to look at her, because even a newbie like her would know the words he was about to speak were untrue, he lied. "Don't worry Rowan you're not my type." It pained him to say the words to her, but he had no choice. He needed her angry and focused if he was going to teach her anything.
They both needed recovery time. He could feel her pain, and while she couldn't feel his because he was masking it, his heart was breaking. He'd just hurt her- pretty badly, too, but he was saving her life and right now that trumped his feelings. Walking out of the room he left the door wide open giving the illusion that she was free to leave.
She watched him walk away and and as much as she hated to admit it, his words hurt her, which only pissed her off more. She avoided letting people in for this very reason. People could only hurt you if you let them.
She had no idea how long the effects from the ricochet light show, courtesy of Ian, would last. The only thing she was certain of was that she had to calm down. Closing her eyes she mentally pictured an image of a peaceful, isolated beach where she lay in a hammock over clean, white sand as the warm soft breeze blew in from the ocean rhythmically rocking and lulling her into a deep state of relaxation. After a few minutes of silent focus she could smell the salt in the air as if she was already there, and it was really happening.
Slowly all of her senses were tuned in and responding to her vivid illusion. She felt the balmy, tranquil breeze blowing over her bared skin while the hammock cradled her body, gently swaying her back and forth. Waves pounded the sand in a rhythm that lulled her into a mental repose. She could feel her eyes closing as she fell asleep under a fiery orange sunset. Here she was unperturbed by everyone in the lore world including her family, and her new feelings of inadequacy over her seemingly ill equipped skill set fell to the wayside.
Her flushed skin cooled, and her heart rate slowed as though on cue. The muscles in her body ceased convulsing and clenching. She was finally gaining volitional control over them again. Eventually, she was able to take in a deep breath of air and then after a few more of those, she sat up.
Looking around the room she couldn't find him anywhere. He'd left, but the door was wide open. He must have known that her pride would order her to find him after she came around. Or perhaps he thought her narcissism would get the better of her and she would be so perplexed that her powers hadn't subdued him, that she would seek out his assistance in understanding why. Just goes to show, he didn't know shit about her.
She used her hands to brace herself as she forced herself to her knees. She had no idea how long she'd been writhing in pain helplessly on the floor or if she could even walk. She leaned into the wall where she managed to push herself upwards.
Shaking her head to steady her mental faculties she tried taking baby steps at first because she couldn't afford to fall flat on her face now. After a few slow, short and labored steps a more normal gait returned. She headed for the doorway even though she had no idea what to expect or which way to go when she got there. She stopped as an overwhelming sense of impending doom hit her like a sneaker wave on a calm beach. Her gut instinct was back and telling her not to leave this room. Something was out there...something dark and ominous.
She'd been with a vampire though and nothing seemed scarier than Declan, so she took a step anyway...and was suddenly knocked back into the room by a force that was both unseen and unheard. Screaming in frustration at the realization that he'd wanted her to think she was free when the reality was, she was being held here, trapped like a caged animal. When she screamed, the sound echoed off the walls as though she were in a deep canyon... underground.
Panic flooded her mind and body. Claustrophobics hated confined spaces, but somehow being underground made it even more unnerving. She turned from the doorway looking for windows or any sign that she was mistaken about being underground, but the candles weren't giving off enough light. She picked one up and started to move along the wall, feeling her way around the periphery of the room.
She laid her palm flat against the wall...cold hard stone. Pressing her ear against it she hoped for something, but there was no detectable sound. She smelled the surface...nothing. Uncontrollable anxiety compelled her to press on. She had to know the boundaries of her confinement so she could start working on an exit strategy.
The room was oversized and pitch black save the candles. She couldn't see anything unless she got close enough to damn near stumble over it first. She stood on her toes and reached upward along the wall, but she didn't feel anything. Freezing and alone it seemed she was the only occupant in an otherwise empty space somewhere underground...like a tomb. Her body tensed.
She continued walking, counting her paces as she went. When she hit eighty, the wall she was following met a perpendicular wall. She turned and continued counting the paces. She couldn't see shit so she closed her eyes. They were no good to her down here anyway. The longer and harder she focused, her other senses kicked into overdrive. There were places that smelled like dirt...the dampness, the darkness. She was underground. Her chest was perpetually tightening. She couldn't afford a mental breakdown right now, so she refocused blocking out the reality of her situation- otherwise, she was gonna completely lose it.
Knowing he was out there somewhere, watching her, she wouldn't give him the satisfaction of breaking her. She feigned strength as she continued around the outskirts of her confinement. Her heart was beating so quickly it was forcing the blood to pump through her system like a run away train. Her auditory senses were actually diminished because all she could hear was the sound of her own fear. She tried to sift out of her cage again..and again...to no avail.
She held up her palms knowing from their glow she was losing control. She was scared. When her flight response didn't work, she felt the fight response kick in to overdrive.
Her eyes burned as they glowed brighter than they ever had, illuminating the space around her. She held her palms out in hopes that the light would serve as a guide. The entire room was alight with her lavender hue, but seeing it didn't make her feel better about her situation.
The room was completely empty save a cot in the corner and a pitcher of water next to it on a cement floor. Clearly, Ian, along with the rest of the lore people she'd met, had a whole other meaning for 'friend', because if these people were her friends, she may have to seriously consider getting to know her enemies.
She tried to see beyond the doorway, but she had no idea how close she could get without being thrown down again. It was her only option though, because she couldn't use her power on the walls for fear the whole damn place would come falling down on her, burying her alive. She stepped closer and forced her light to burn brighter, its rays reaching beyond the confines of the invisible threshold. She could see rapidly ascending stairs only feet beyond the door that just continued upward into the darkness, which only made her anxiety go through the roof. Just how far down was she?
Holding her palms out, she hit the doorway with every bit of power she had... and watched as every one of her rays was absorbed into an abyss of black. It was like there was a membrane that absorbed sound and light, but it repelled everything else. It was a spell, she could sense it now. This would be one of many of his little tests. Damn it, if she couldn't figure out a way to bypass it, she might have to play nice to get out.
It was futile to continue searching for a way out. He'd probably assured there wasn't one and was simply watching her growing more frustrated with each passing second. She decided to rest, there was nothing else she could do. She retreated from the doorway and deposited herself onto the cot. The sheets and blanket were clean but she couldn't figure out why he would bother washing the sheets if he was just gonna drop her in a dirt hole?
The longer she laid there the more internal dialogue she had. She hated to admit it, but maybe there were some lessons to be learned. Her temper tended to be the antecedent to her quick responses. She'd always thought herself to be a rational person when making decisions, but she hadn't been lately. She'd responded quickly out of anger and fear and look where it'd gotten her.
She pulled the blankets over her to keep out the frigid, damp air and closed her eyes, feigning sleep. She knew there was no way her body could rest in this dungeon of his, but he didn't need to know that. She laid on the cot with her eyes closed re-thinking every decision she had ever made that had eventually landed her captive in this dirt hole...with Ian.
Ian had been hovering above her, near the ceiling, watching her every move. She'd done everything right: surveyed the confines of her enclosure, looked for anything to use or salvage, attempted to leave through the most viable exit and then eventually succumbed to her situation realizing it was an exercise in futility to continue to resist.
She'd actually been swift about it, too. He knew how confined spaces affected her and thought she might lapse into an emotional or mental breakdown considering her current position underground, but she hadn't. She'd done what he would have done: rest, wait, and start planning an escape. Rowan was smart, but he knew that long before he'd brought her here.
When she laid down on her cot he left to contact Deisha. No doubt she would be concerned with their whereabouts considering the way they'd left. But before he could leave, he needed to see her up close...just once. He gradually, silently descended incognito through the darkness
Taking a deep breath, he continued to descend to breathe her in even more deeply. Her scent was intoxicating. Watching her fiery red, loose curls fall around her pillow and her lips part as a deep sigh escaped, all he wanted to do was hold her close to him. But, if this was how it had to be done, he could do it her way.
She was being held in a sub level of the training facility, three floors below the ground. His people couldn't be trusted around her yet. They didn't know her and she came off a little abrasive at first, but they would never travel below ground level out of curiosity..not after what they'd endured. They required open air, well lit, above ground rooms and facilities. Rowan was as safe as a baby in its mother's arms this far down.
He flew up two flights of stairs to the basement level where he resided. Heading into his office he opened the portal. Once he'd crossed over, he called Deisha.
"It's me." His voice sounded content.
"Where are you?" Deisha didn't really need him to say it.
"My place." They never gave specifics over the phone.
"Sub level?" Deisha knew Ian would never let anything happen to Rowan.
"Definitely. I'm not taking any chances with her, Deisha." He sensed the anxiety in her voice.
"Thank you, Ian. I know she's going to be...challenging. But, if anyone can handle a challenge, it's you." She smiled to herself. Ian was a remarkable man and someday Rowan would see that, too.
"You know how much I love a good challenge" he laughed. "I just left her to sleep for a while. I'll keep you posted Deisha, but you need to focus on the gestalt here. Rowan is an important piece of the puzzle, but she isn't the only piece."
"Speaking of that...Maitland and Tearlach are headed your way. They're looking for her."
"Stupid damn lycans. Don't they know we're trying to save her life." He wanted to ring their necks.
"I tried to reason with them but..." She sighed.
"They can't help her. Did you tell them anything?"
"Of course not."
"Then they'll never find us...and if they did, I'd be saving their asses, too. Fighting our allies to turn around and fight the enemies...seems to be a futile existence doesn't it?"
"It won't feel like this forever Ian. We're going to make sure of that."
"It's felt like this for a very long time. I'm ready for a change." He looked to the sky in Deisha's realm. It really was a beautiful, peaceful, relaxing place- no enemies. He'd been looking so forward to being with Rowan in that realm- where there would be nothing but time for the two of them.
"You're a remarkable man, Ian. I'm proud to have you on our side. Thank you for everything you're doing...and will do."
This is why Ian both respected and adored Deisha. An optimist and a genuinely good person made for a rare combination amongst their kind. She was the exception to the dark forces that seemed to be building all around them in this realm. He wouldn't leave though- not until he'd cleaned house here. He wanted to leave it safer than he'd found it all those years ago. "Be well, Deisha." He hung up the phone anxious to return to Rowan to see how well she had faired in the midst of her living, breathing nightmare.
Descending the stairs swiftly he consciously slowed as he approached the doorway that would lead him to her. He focused on the task at hand because he was a closer who would always get the job done. But, he couldn't guarantee what kind of casualties their side would suffer. Rowan held one hell of a grudge, but he could accept that because after this time with him she would at least be able to defend herself, which would give him some peace of mind.
They were so far below the earth's surface and utterly alone. He knew they wouldn't be bothered because they wouldn't be heard. His people living above never knew what he did beneath their dwelling, and they didn't care because they all trusted him with their lives. Never wandering down or venturing beyond the ground level they kept to the air and the light, but if she somehow managed to get out...well, he wouldn't think about that because he'd taken every foreseeable precaution to prevent her escape, until he decided she was ready to leave.
He pressed his body through the invisible membrane that held her within. Glancing around the cell he found her resting on the cot, not asleep. He could sense a peak in her cognition as he passed through. She knew he was there. She'd sensed him.
"Are you ready to begin Rowan?" He closed the space between them.
"I finally get relaxed down here, and now you wanna start ...what..the training?" Pulling the blankets up over her head she realized just how fatigued her body was. She had absolutely no intention of getting off her semi-comfortable cot. He would have to physically lift her out of this damn make-shift bed, because it was the only thing keeping her grounded mentally, right now.
"Down here? Where do you think you are?" He knew talking about it would be absolute torture for her.
"What I think doesn't matter Ian. You know, that's all that should matter to you." She hadn't even surfaced from under the blankets. Thinking about it made her anxious, but she knew he was reading her emotions and using them against her to make the situation even more horrific than it already was. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction, so she retreated inwardly to the peaceful, warm, river bank behind her old home. She held the vision in the forefront of her mind. The shade from the willows, an oversized swinging hammock, raspberry lemonade...and a very handsome young man to massage her whenever she rang for him. She sighed under the blanket.
He swore she almost sounded relaxed! "Get out of bed Rowan! I don't have time for games."
"That's all you've got down here." She rolled over giving her back to him like a blatantly disobedient child. She knew he wouldn't hurt her...not seriously anyway.
He shot across the room, tossed her cot into the air and watched as she flipped and came crashing down onto the cement floor, once again.
"Maybe you aren't a quick study after all? Or maybe you're just too damn stubborn for your own good. Either way, it means more lessons which equates to more ass kickings, but by all means...if you wanna be a glutton for punishment lets do this your way." He picked her up by the hair when she didn't get up and pressed her into the wall.
"Beating me into submission...is that your plan?" She didn't even look at him. She was waiting, building her strength. If she could anger him she may be able to feed off his emotions, and he was a powerful being which would only make her stronger.
"It wasn't, but I'm flexible. You don't cooperate -I make adaptations to my methods." She wouldn't even look at him, so he pulled her chin upwards to look in her eyes. They weren't even beginning to glow. He reached for her palms- nothing.
His heart stopped. She hadn't broke after just a few hours down here, had she? The effects of the claustrophobia must have been worse for her than he'd thought it would be. Wondering if he'd been too hard on her, he slacked off on his grip.
"Locking me in a cement dungeon- underground, my hell on earth in case you didn't know. Then, throwing me into walls or onto the floor. Handling me like a rag doll? That's your flexible plan? To be mean and abusive ? To take advantage of a weaker person? Well, color me impressed Ian. What's next? No, let me guess, next I'll get the opportunity to take a few blows so you can show me who's boss, too. That about right?" She went limp in his arms, boneless.
Damn, she really had trust issues. He could see just how much she hated anyone calling the shots. He looked over her body as she went completely limp in his arms. Maybe she was falling apart down here? Maybe he'd over done it and pushed her too far?
She sensed it immediately, that moment when he felt just a hint of remorse...or empathy for her plight. Whatever it was, it was like waving a red flag at a damn bull. She focused every ounce of energy in her body and visualized it passing through Ian like an electric current. Her back arched as she felt the power escaping every pore.
Ian sensed the power building in her, but it was too late. His defenses were down. He felt it kick him across the room and right out the door.
When she heard his body connect with the steps outside via an "uhhhh" she smiled at the thought of the air being forced right out of his lungs. Served him right. She hoped it hurt like a bitch, too. Hustling over to the doorway she wanted to see if she could slip through like he had now that he was unconscious at the foot of the stairs just beyond her reach.
Instead of rushing through whatever invisible field was there, she approached it slowly with her palms out to see if she could feel it or sense where exactly it was. That's when she saw a fraction of a tear, must have been where Ian was thrown through. She felt around its edges and within seconds, her fingers slid over an invisible but tangible gelatinous substance. As she massaged it she felt it give under her pressure. She tried to force a single finger through it with success. The membrane appeared surprisingly thin. Continuing to push through it up to her elbow, she couldn't help but smile. She stole a glance at Ian- still unconscious. She continued up to her shoulder, calming herself as she readied to be propelled backwards by some invisible force. She stilled...waiting, unmoving.
She inched forward, her toes at the aperture now. She closed her eyes as her fingers and arm pushed through to the other side. The barrier was visible to her now. Like a giant contact lens- she bounced right off it like it was a trampoline when she tried to run through it, but was able to perforate it when she concentrated on a small area pushing and slicing through slowly, like a tear in a lens. It felt like it was taking forever and in the back of her mind she knew Ian would be coming around soon, but she fought the anxiety and the need to run because it hadn't worked before.
She pulled the other half of her body through the vertical slit in the barrier and stepped over Ian laying unconscious at the foot of the steps. When she looked up at the ascending staircase a wave of fear washed over her as she realized they lead upward to a sea of never ending blackness. Just how far down was he keeping her? As though she were being driven by an external force she charged up the stairs running away from one of her greatest fears- being trapped underground. The light from her eyes shimmered, lighting only a few stairs in front of her at a time, but with every ascending step she felt her anxiety minimizing.
After what seemed like an eternity of putting one foot in front of the other as quickly as she could, she thought she saw something other than stairs in her tunnel vision. It looked like the outline of a door. The promise of reaching ground level renewed her dwindling energy levels, and she propelled herself forward even faster.
She slowed when she heard voices and saw shadows moving in the light under the door. She'd thought they were alone here, clearly not. And some of the shadows were fucking huge. She couldn't make out what they were saying, and she wasn't getting a read on what they were either. There were too many images flashing in her mind and she couldn't sort through the chaos, but she immediately felt overwhelmed with terror. Her gut instinct warned her, 'Don't open the door.'
Rowan knew she only had a few minutes before Ian woke, but she waited and listened. It wasn't just words she heard...there were wild animal noises, grunting and growling. Some dangerous creatures were on the other side of this door....things she inherently knew she wasn't ready to accept existed.
Somehow she knew that if she opened the door, she was signing her own death warrant, but she couldn't return to the underground entrapment either. She sat down on the cold hard step and thought about her situation...rationally. She tried sifting again, to no avail. Whoever had put the spell over this place had done a much more thorough job than Olian had done for the lycans at their compound.
As she sat quietly going over her seemingly limited options, she heard breathing. Slow, shallow inhalations and controlled rhythmic exhalations... as though someone was near her and working very hard to go unnoticed.
Rowan held her palms up and outward in an attempt to illuminate the area in her immediate proximity. She couldn't see shit down here and while the dark had never scared her before, this darkness was debilitating.
Watching for movement she focused more on using her hearing and her mental probes. She sensed something unlike anything she'd perceived before. She pushed herself to her feet and waited for her mental connections to lead her in the right direction. She definitely wasn't alone.
Whatever it was, it was little...a child perhaps. "I know you're there. I can hear you breathing. Please come out, I won't hurt you." She couldn't get a fixed position on the creature. It was moving all the time...like lightning...or sifting?
She focused all her energy one more time to see if she could sift herself out of the underground dwelling- nothing. She heard rustling coming from below. It had to be Ian coming around. Shit! She either opened that door or went back downstairs to endure his training.
"Will you help me out? Can you show me a way out?" Rowan had to try something, the tenacity of her gut instinct's response was pulsing through her. No way in hell would she be opening that door. She'd never felt anything as clearly as she felt this.
Something giggled at her.
"I'm glad I amuse you. What's your name?" Rowan smiled. The laugh she'd heard was adorable and she knew with absolute certainty that it was a child.
"I not pose to." Feider knew that not only was he not supposed to be on this side of the door, he wasn't supposed to talk to the people Ian kept below ground. It was for all of their safety. But, it had been such a long time since Ian had anyone here that his curiosity had gotten the better of him. He couldn't help wondering, so he'd slipped in when no one was looking.
"Oh...I bet you're not supposed to be here either, huh?" She squinted in the direction of the voice, trying to see him more clearly. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't get a lock on him.
"My daddy be mad..."
"Oh, well, I won't tell him if you show me out. I'll just be on my way." She tried to act as though it wasn't a huge deal to help her out...as though no one would care if he did.
"Feiderrrrrr..."
Ian's voice rang from below, and she sensed it wasn't a question. It was a warning. His foot steps were like stampeding horses as he ascended the stairs behind her. Clearly, she wasn't the only one who couldn't sift out..maybe no one could within these walls.
"Is that your name? Feider?" She had to hurry. "Please, Feider. Is there another way out besides this door?"
"Ian's coming." Feider's voice grew deeper as he spoke.
"I know. I just need to get outside and then I can sift out...please. Can you help me?" Her voice was laden with desperation as Ian neared her, wanting to get the hell out of there and away from him. The pace of her heartbeat quickened.
That was all it took, she was panicked and demons were very attracted to fear. Feider made his move appearing out of thin air, standing on the top stair at her back.
Hearing something stir behind her she turned and quickly realized that no amount of training could have prepared her for what she saw standing before her. He wasn't a child at all. Her pupils completely dilated in fear, trying to take in the sheer size of him.
The creature before her was fearfully hypnotizing...devil red skin with four moderately sized ebony horns cresting his forehead like a crown. His eyes were black holes...vacuums that absorbed all color into them. He was easily eight feet tall, a beast of a man whose thighs were like tree trunks that narrowed only slightly into muscular calves supported by wide hooves. His tail stood at attention behind him.
Her blood was ice in her veins. He was the devil incarnate. Her stomach fell to the floor as she unconsciously backed down the stairs slowly, not wanting to call attention to her obvious retreat.
Feider had never seen a woman as beautiful as her. For once he didn't want to kill something. He had other ideas though, "Leaving so soon?"
His voice, even hushed, was frighteningly menacing. He was the epitome of a scary night time story...the thing you ran from in your nightmares. Only now, he was the most horrifyingly real creature she never hoped to meet. She stood frozen in terror.
"Don't touch her Feider." Ian could hear them now. He perceived Rowan's fear, so thick it was tangible across the dark space between them, which would only entice a man like Feider. Showing fear to a demon was like waving a red flag at a bull. He had no idea how she'd gotten out, but if she opened the door he wouldn't reach her in time to help her.
Rowan's mental faculties failed her under the intense gaze of this monster. It was his smile that chilled her to the bone. This creature made Cuan look like a wind up toy. His fangs were considerably longer and sharper than any she'd seen and she had a feeling he knew exactly what he wanted to do with them. Feeling for each stair she continued descending back to her underground cage without looking down because that would mean she'd have to take her eyes off the evil in front of her. She had to get to Ian. She would take the damp, dank cell below no questions asked. Fuck an escape, if this was what was out there. Ian was right- she needed him to train her.
Feider wouldn't cross Ian. He just wanted a little taste of her. He needed to move quickly because Ian was almost there. Vanishing into a cloud of dark gray smoke he moved in closer.
Fuck- her heart stopped. Whatever it was...it just pulled a fucking David Copperfield right in front of her. Rowan panicked, her eyes thoroughly scanning the dark cavity but finding nothing. She wondered who, or what else, was lurking in the shadows... and where the hell had Feider gone? When, without warning, powerful arms wrapped around her torso from behind.
"You're a beauty." He pulled her in close, turning her body inward as he covered her mouth with his before she could scream. He could feel the fear course through her like a drug. She was paralyzed with it. He pushed his tongue into her mouth wanting just a taste of her.
She couldn't form words as she was forced against his form..and then his mouth was on hers. His lips full and warm...his breath hot and humid. His tongue like a serpent's weaving in and out of her mouth. She couldn't fight him off- he was goliath in size. No, she had to bide her time and wait for Ian to...
A powerful force slammed into them at full speed. Ian knocked her behind him down a few stairs as his forward momentum slammed Feider down on the stairs.
She heard struggling but couldn't see anything in the blackness...and then she heard a mocking laugh. She didn't care what was going on up there, she ran in the other direction...downward. Feider trumped any claustrophobia issues she had.
"Oh, c'mon Ian. I was just having a little fun with her." Feider wiped the dampness of her from his satisfied lips.
"What are you doing Feider? You were supposed to sit on the other side of that god damned door and keep her from opening it. That was to be the extent of your involvement here." Ian could count on Feider, but the bastard always liked to push boundaries which aggravated him.
As Rowan retreated downward into her hole their voices faded, but not before she realized that Ian sounded cross, not concerned. Her feet couldn't move fast enough as she continued downward.
"Yeah, well, you never mentioned how beautiful she was. Besides when she panicked...call it a temporary loss of judgment, but I just wanted to kiss her one time." Feider listened to the rapid descent of her feet on the stairs. He'd scared her shitless.
"...and?" Ian sat beside Feider on the stairs. He knew Feider wouldn't hurt her, but when he sensed the fear rolling off Rowan he'd second guessed his old friend. Listening to the sound of her footsteps now, Ian knew Feider had absolutely terrified her because the Rowan he knew wasn't the kind of girl who retreated from a challenge- ever.
"She's different. Isn't she?" Feider had never tasted anything quite like her before.
"A little yeah..." Shit, he hadn't even really kissed her yet. He didn't count the kiss at the hospital all those nights ago because she was coming out of a coma, but that aside...he'd had ample opportunity. He really had no one to blame but himself.
"Having a little trouble gettin' a read on her. Who is she?" Feider lifted his nose into the air, trying to hold onto her scent to clear up any confusion. There was something different, something he couldn't quite place.
"It's her." Ian gazed into the darkness wondering how much damage control he'd have to do when he got to the bottom of the stairs.
Feider turned, waiting until Ian locked gazes with him. "You mean...she's Riat's daughter? The lost twin you were beginning to doubt even existed?"
"Yep."
"Dangerous place to bring her, Ian." Feider wasn't surprised though, Ian always did what was necessary, not easy. "You think the prophecy's true about her vengeance and joining Vertigen?"
"I honestly don't know." Ian looked to his long time friend and cell mate.
"Everybody here wants him dead, which could be detrimental to her health if she stays here." Feider stared into the darkness that descended with the steps.
"I'm trying to be sure she chooses us." He laughed at that. "How am I doin' so far?"
Feider burst out laughing, "You'd think it was your first time out of the gate."
"That well, huh?" Ian had to laugh. She was challenging, stubborn and prideful. And while this wasn't his first rodeo, he just couldn't manage to get a handle on her.
"Didn't seem like she was choosing us." Feider patted Ian on the back with adoration. Ian was a good man. They'd been friends from the beginning.
"I like her Feider. She's good people, but stubborn as a god damn mule." The corners of his mouth turned slightly upwards as he spoke.
Feider didn't recognize Ian's tone or the subtle smile. "Sounds like someone else I know. Maybe you like her a little too much?"
"It did piss me off when I saw you kissin' her." He smiled at his buddy.
"Hey, man, I didn't know. It'll never happen again." Feider held his hands up, palms out to show he'd meant no harm.
"I was hoping to train her here. You know, develop her skills, teach her how to use her powers, establish some kind of mutual trust between us." He stared off into the darkness.
"Good place for that. You definitely have all you need here." Feider would never be able to thank Ian for freeing him from Vertigen's dungeons all those years ago.
"..and then introduce her to all of you. I actually think she'd get along well here if she could get a hold on that hair trigger temper of hers. Hell, if she can control herself and her powers around the people hangin' out here...she'll be golden." Ian stood up, twisting his neck on his shoulders, loosening up for a good fight. He was ready to go face the music. Rowan would be livid about this.
"Yeah, we're the cream of the crop." Feider laughed. His people were the misfits. They were the outcasts created by experiments gone wrong...too many variables were outside of Vertigen's control. Eventually his projects were abandoned, but not before numerous creatures suffered through his experimentations, and he knew exactly how many there had been.
Vertigen had created thousands and then killed them off if they couldn't be reigned in to serve him. And then one creature was created who defied all the odds...who allied the misfits to escape their tortuous existence.
Ian was the reason the creatures here had escaped their fate. Together they'd built this exclusive fortress to live, train and strategize knowing that someday they would have their revenge on Vertigen. They were all loyal to Ian- each of them willing to sacrifice their lives for him.
"I've seen what's out there and my money's on the people in here." Ian turned his gaze to the door at the top of the stairs. He couldn't chance introducing her to them before she understood the reality of the world around her and how she fit into it all.
"I hear that. Later man." Feider slapped Ian on the back before he vanished into a cloud of thick white smoke that quickly dissipated into the darkness.
Ian inhaled deeply as he closed his eyes, "Time to deal." His words were a whisper in the darkness, a mini pep talk. He exhaled a sigh and headed back down the stairs to Rowan. He had work to do.