“Doesn’t matter, there will be time later to explain. For now, we have business to attend to.”
She snapped her fingers, and I was lifted up by my arms, and something sharp stuck into my neck. Drugs. I felt the world suddenly go dark as her figure started fading from my vision.
19
My head hurt, the room felt fuzzy, and everything sounded as if I was underwater. Whatever was injected in me really gave me such a high that the floor spun right under me.
I laid on the cold hard floor, and I kept my eyes shut as I knew if I opened them, I wouldn’t be able to see straight and possibly pass out from the dizziness.
“Is she awake yet?”
A voice of a male broke the silence in the room, and I held my breath slightly, waiting and wondering if the voice would come closer, and without realising how close he was, a sharp pain suddenly throbbed in my stomach as a blow had been taken. He had kicked me, and if I wasn’t in this state, I would have got up and snapped his neck.
“Oi! The boss said to leave her alone.”
“She won’t mind me roughing her up a bit, not after what she’s done to our kind.”
“I’m not getting shit ‘cause of you. Let’s go.”
Once their footsteps receded and a door slammed shut, I attempted to open my eyes. The first time, the light blinded me, and I quickly shut them again as my head screamed at me. The second time, the pain wasn’t as bad and once I got to the fourth or fifth time, I could see what kind of room I had been thrown in.
My hands were zip-tied, and my legs were taped together by an awful lot of duct tape, as was my mouth, and all my weapons had been removed.
“Great.”
Commando crawling towards the side of one of the walls, I partly lifted myself up until I was in a resting position. I was grateful my hands had been tied at the front and not behind. I needed to get my hands free first, and then I would be able to break the tape on my legs.
I pulled off the duct tape on my mouth, and then I pulled the end of the zip-tie to make it tighter with my teeth. I brought my hands up above my head and opened my elbows before thrusting them quickly downwards towards my body using all my strength. Snap.
Thankfully, as part of our training we often used zip-ties to teach the recruits, me included, how to get out of a situation like this. I ripped at the duct tape on my legs, and pulled until, finally, I was free. I didn’t plan on staying in this room for much longer.
The pain in my chest had subsided to a small dull pain, and I knew Darius was alive. We were now connected. I didn’t know how the whole ‘mates’ thing worked and as much as I wanted to deny and ignore it, Angelique was clearly interested in the fact we had bonded.
Opening the door slowly, I peeked out to see a long empty corridor with no guards. That was suspicious, especially if I was such a person of interest, I’d definitely have my door guarded.
Stepping out, I waited to be heard. This building was most likely filled with vampires and werewolves and as I was still slightly nauseous and dizzy from whatever that drug was, I knew I wouldn’t be on top of my game until the effects wore off.
Looking in both directions, unsure of which way to go I tried to hone in on my hearing but the air around me still sounded as if I were underwater. Frustrated and unsure of what to do, I stood there waiting as if something was going to jump out at me and yet, silence.
A small light started to make its way up the left-hand side and without thinking, I quickly backed away into the room I had been stuck in, yet no footsteps approached.
Peeking my head out, the light was still moving towards me but not attached to anything. It almost looked like a firefly as it whizzed in front of me, it flew around me, and then back out the door and into the corridor.
‘What the fuck.’
When I didn’t move, the light did the same thing again, spinning around me more forcefully this time, and then down to the left where it came from. Was I meant to follow it? It was definitely magic. A finder's spell, perhaps?
Following it slowly, using the walls as a guide and support, I tried to keep my footsteps as quiet as possible. I took a turn, and then another until the light shot through a large wooden door. Maybe this was a trap? The pain in my chest throbbed as the pain grew more intensely. Darius.
The door was unlocked, again suspicious. This was all becoming rather too easy, and I was feeling as if I were on a ledge, waiting to drop off and fall to my death.
Darius sat upright, tied to a chair, his body was battered and bloody, and my heart started to race at the sight of him. The only person who was allowed to make him into this mess would be me, and I wasn’t too pleased that someone else had got there first.
“Hay – ley.” His voice barely above a whisper as his husky tone was raspy and dry.
Almost rushing to him a little too fast, I had to stop myself from falling over from the sudden dizziness. Curse this stupid drug, it was making me angry with myself as I hated feeling incapable.
I shook off the feeling a minute or so later and began untying Darius from the chair. They had used rope to keep him in place, and from the smell it was drenched in some sort of herb.