5. Chapter FiveDaria
Chapter Five
Daria
A ngie paced back front of me as I sat at the edge of the bed later that night. “I can’t believe that sexy orc kidnapped us! What an asshole.”
I raised my brows. “Kidnapped us? Last, I recall, I was the one who got magically drugged and trapped in this house who-knows-where, about to be served to my probable death. And, by the way, where were you when he broke into my apartment?”
She paused and glared at me. “I am not a guard dog. Sometimes, I go out, including coming to see you. It was just our bad luck that he broke in on a day I wasn’t there. And you cooked him dinner?”
I crossed my legs yoga style and stared at the closed door, hoping he didn’t hear me talking. He didn’t need to know about my ghostly friend. I turned on the TV to hopefully drown out my voice. Last I checked, he was in the living room, most likely ensuring I didn’t escape. “I didn’t cook him dinner. I cooked myself dinner and offered him some.”
“Why be nice?”
“I’m not. It’s all his; he could eat it anyway, and I’m hungry. And I was planning to use a drugging spell on his food if he did want any. Then, I could escape while he was out. But he declined. I guess he’s too smart for that trickery. Also, it’s not all his fault. His brother was kidnapped.”
Angie rolled her eyes. “Please do not have sympathy for the orc who kidnapped you. It’s too early to get Stockholm Syndrome.”
I twisted my lips, annoyance growing within me. I was all the way freaked out by my situation, and I was trying to be as logical as possible. I wanted to run around in circles screaming, but that wouldn’t get me anywhere. I had to make a plan. “Did you see where he brought us on the ride here?”
Angie huffed, looking as equally pissed as me. “No. You know I have bad night vision without my glasses.”
“Girl, what? You are a whole ghost. You can walk through walls, but you can’t see street signs at night?”
“Oh, I’m sorry that becoming a ghost didn’t give me 20/20 vision.”
I closed my eyes and rubbed my temples. I didn’t want us arguing. This wasn’t her fault, but we had to find a way out of this mess. “Ok, sorry. Can you leave the house and do a walk around maybe?”
Angie gave me a sarcastic salute and vanished. I let out a breath, my emotions still set to numb. A handsome male alpha had kidnaped me. It would be just my luck that the first time in a long time, I’d see a guy I was remotely interested in, and he was a criminal. And, aside from the kidnapping, which was huge, he seemed like he could have been a nice guy. It was almost like the dark romances I read. I mean, he’d even packed some things for me, including my e-reader and my curly hair products as opposed to my straight hair products. And he was right; he had bought the kinds of food I liked to eat. He packed like a considerate boyfriend to whisk me away on a surprise vacation. The only thing he forgot to pack was my heat suppressants, but that wasn’t his fault since I’d forgotten to refill them. But he’d packed my vitamins.
What kind of kidnapper was that thoughtful? It was for that reason that I didn’t think he was totally evil. I mean, I was still planning to escape, and I felt bad for his brother, but my mind still wandered slightly to what it would be like to kiss him.
Those lips, full and soft looking, were calling to me. Even the fangs didn't bother me if that’s what they were called. And those eyes. I could stare into them forever. They weren’t just beautiful in color but seemed kind, as if he stared into my soul and liked what he saw. It made me feel special. And this was precisely why Angie thought I had early Stockholm Syndrome. It didn’t take much. I blamed my romance books.
Still, the kidnapping space was nice. The room had a large queen-sized bed covered in a fluffy, hotel-quality white comforter and Egyptian cotton sheets. Matching dark wood bedside tables were on both sides of the bed. Across from the bed was a dresser with a flat-screen TV mounted on the wall above it and a closet and bathroom on either side. I mean, as far as places I could have been stuck in, this wasn’t bad.
Angie reappeared, a worried expression on her face. “K, so there is a ward around the house. The best I can do is stand on the balcony. He also has an alarm system. There are some houses around us in walking distance, but we know the ward makes it so no one can hear us, and I’d bet they also couldn’t see us if we stood on the porch. But I could see a little beyond where we are; this might be a beach town. Given the drive's length, we could be at a Delaware or Maryland beach. That’s still quite a few options, but it’ll narrow the search if we can get through to someone.”
I nodded slowly, taking in this new information. “Thanks, that’s helpful. And… wait, you can’t get out either? Did he make it ghost-proof?” Was it possible that he knew about Angie? He knew about everyone else.
“Yes, did you know there were wards that could keep ghosts out?”
“I’ve heard of them, but that’s for powerful witches. He must have a lot of money to afford such a ward. So, you can’t get out anywhere?”
Angie dramatically threw her arms out to the side in frustration. “I tried the whole house. I can’t go anywhere except to the ghost realm.”
I narrowed my eyes in thought, tapping my chin. “And once you get to the ghost world, it doesn’t reset you and allow you to go somewhere else?”
“No. The ghost world sucks. It’s like what I imagine purgatory to be. Just a bunch of lost souls trying to figure out where to go. Then they end up sticking around and haunting people.” She made a pfft noise. “Losers.”
I smiled tightly, not saying how she was doing the same as those so-called losers.
She side-eyed me. “Anyway, I do have some acquaintances there. I don’t see them often, but if I do, maybe I can tell them to get word to your family or anyone with psychic ability. You being missing is bound to get known in a day, and with your friends in the police force, it’ll be taken seriously.”
Now, that felt like a plan. Only, we didn’t know how long it would take for her to find a ghost friend and then for them to find and reach another psychic or upper-level necromancer who could see them. I could be long gone by then. We needed other options. “If I break the ward enough to get you out, can you reach my family?”
She shrugged. “I could try. I mean, I’m really more of a poltergeist. I hang around you and your house.”
“But you haunted Nick.”
She twisted her lips and gave me deadpan eyes. “And you were in the car outside.”
I chuckled, remembering him running from his house and screaming. “I thought it would be funny, too. That was bad. Maybe this is karma.”
“Doesn’t seem like a fair punishment.”
“Hmm, then what about haunting a next-door neighbor here?”
She flopped down next to me on the bed. “I can try, but it will be hard to get a message to them that you’re locked away next door. Still, I'll certainly try if you can get the ward down enough for me. I could try to body hop again. I was disappointed I didn’t have that ability like in Ghost. It would have been fun to make someone say, ‘Molly, You in danger, girl.’”
I stared at her for a beat. She was not as concerned as me. “Yeah, my best bet is to try to take down that ward so I can get out.”
“How ya gonna do that, though? That hot orc will stop you before you can even go down the stairs.”
“I have a balcony.”
“Ok, let’s play this out. The balcony is warded. The grounds are warded. He will be alerted if the first ward goes down. You won’t make it off the yard before he gets you, and no one will see because, if he’s smart, the warding makes the house look vacant.”
I sighed. She was right. “We’re assuming invisibility, and based on my kidnapping, that’s probably the case. He seems very capable. I won’t let that stop me from trying because you never know. Also, jumping out a third-story window seems reckless.” Although there were two floors, the ground floor was a garage. A drop to the ground from here would probably break a bone, and with the short time I could have to get to the second ward, that would slow things down even more.
Angie gave me a devious smile. “You know, you could try to seduce him. Maybe he’ll fall in love and want to keep you. Or at least you could seduce him, and then when he’s out sleeping with his guard down, slit his throat.”
I gave her an incredulous look. “First of all, there is no way he will keep me over his brother. He already kidnapped me. Second, what do I look like? Some secret assassin? Assuming I could even get to a knife, you think that guy is going to let his guard down enough for me to slit his throat? I don’t have that kind of confidence in myself to think I could succeed. And I’m not a killer. I can barely kill a bug. But that’s mostly because getting near them makes me sweat.”
“Then what are you going to do?”
“I don’t know. Die, I guess.”
Angie snarled at me, justifiably bothered. “Don’t even joke about that. You do not want to be like me. And, if you get turned over to that gang, we both know there are many other things they can do to you besides have you raise the undead.”
I knew that, too, and it made me sick. I was even more angry at the nameless orc because he had to know the same. He was wrong if he thought he was anything close to being a good guy.
I looked at my TV and scooted back. Some horror movie played, and I wondered if I’d get any ideas on how to save my own life from it. Seems like I was in my own horror movie, but I was going to be the final girl. I pumped a fist in the air as if to support my goal.
Angie snorted. “What’s happening? Have you finally lost your mind?”
“If I believe I can get out of this, then I will. I just have to think positive.”
Angie didn’t respond, and I tried not to let that bother me. Maybe she could have doubts, but I couldn’t afford to. I had to survive.
***
I woke up to darkness in the room.
The TV was still on, but Angie wasn’t there. Sometimes, she disappeared for a while. I wasn’t sure if ghosts slept, but she did say that being in the human realm for too long could get draining, and going to the ghostly plane was recharging.
I got out of bed, surprised I could sleep in this state. Angie had one thing right: I needed to grab a weapon. I’d spent some time working to weaken the ward earlier, but that wasn’t my strength. I wasn’t a witch. My power was in working with the dead. Sure, I had magic that could push into a ward, but it wasn’t strong.
I slowly opened the door a crack and peeked out. The hallway was dark, but I thought I saw a crack of light from under a door in the hallway and the sound of water. The orc must be in the shower. Good, I could sneak down. Might have to wait it out to come back up until I was sure he was sleep.
I opened the door wider and tiptoed into the hallway in sock-covered feet. I moved at a snail’s pace, careful of my steps to avoid noise. I wasn’t sure how good orc hearing was, but I didn’t want to chance that it wasn’t as keen as a shifter. When I made it down the steps with no problems, I let out a breath I didn’t know I’d been holding.
Once on the main floor, I looked to the kitchen and past it to the stairs leading to the door. My body wanted to take off into a run and head to the door. However, my mind knew that if I tried, I’d set off the alarm and slam into an invisible ward wall. So, instead, I went to the kitchen and began opening drawers, looking for something to use as a weapon.
Oddly, I found nothing. I wasn’t going crazy. There were utensils earlier. I used them to cook and eat. I looked in the dishwasher, but nothing. I opened cabinets—still nothing.
Suddenly, light flooded the space, and a cold panic washed over me. I could have fainted.
“Can I help you find something?” the orc asked behind me.
Make up a lie, Daria. No matter how flimsy it is, it’s better than telling him you were looking for a knife to shank him with. “Yeah, I wanted some ice cream and was looking for a spoon but can’t find a thing.”
I turned around and sucked in a breath. Hot orc was standing there half-naked except for a towel wrapped around his waist. His hair was now out, laying on his shoulders and covering up his pointed ears. But his hair was not what had my attention. The guy was in amazing shape. He was large, like a wrestler, which I could already see even under his clothes, but he was solidly built as well. Not overly muscular but toned. Large arms, thick thighs. I might or might not have imagined me laying on the bed under him. I wondered what his ass looked like. I was sure it was magnificent. I glanced lower and wished that the towel was tighter to see the outline of what he was working with. For shame. Look at me, objectifying my kidnapper.
He crossed his arms, covering the forest green nipples of his defined, lighter green chest. When I bothered to look up at his face, he assessed me with a look of disbelief. “I have all the utensils locked in my room. I didn’t want you hurting yourself and attacking me with a knife. I also have the pots and pans. One can never be too careful.”
I laughed nervously. “Overkill much?”
“No.”
Well, this was not good. I was clearly caught in the act. Maybe I should try seduction since he was kind of naked. Not that I had any skill in that area. I could throw it all at the wall and see what stuck. Desperate times and all that.
I walked back to the fridge, a soft smile on my lips. “Any reason you came racing down here in a tiny towel?”
He tilted his head, but I couldn’t read his expression. “You thought you were being quiet, but I heard you. And I knew you weren’t in your room. I have an alert ward surrounding it.”
Of course he did. I opened the freezer and took out the birthday cake ice cream that I loved dearly. “How smart of you. Seems you’ve thought of everything.” I opened the lid and stuck a finger in the ice cream. This was so unsanitary. “Well, since I don’t have a spoon, guess I’ll use my finger.” I then stuck the swipe of ice cream into my mouth, giving him an innocent look. I fluttered my eyelids and moaned. “Mhmmm. My favorite.”
The orc’s eyes widened. Really, I needed to ask his name. It felt off to keep calling him by his race. I took another swipe of ice cream and allowed some to drip on my chest above the opening of my shirt before sticking my finger back in my mouth. I inserted the digit up to the knuckle. This was so extra. I felt silly. Was this in any way sexy? His scent flared around me like an intoxicating perfume.
I guess that answered my question and his reaction was turning me on as well. My nipples hardened and my mouth practically watered at his bittersweetness. I tightened my legs together. I needed to stay focused. I was supposed to be seducing him, not the other way around. I stole a glance down at the towel and noticed a twitch—a twitch of something not so small. I was intrigued. Ok, time to keep it going.
I looked down at my chest and pretended just now to notice the ice cream. I squished my arms to my chest, pushing my ample boobs out. “Oh no, I made a mess!” I looked over to him and battled my lashes. “Care to help me?” Oh god, had I really said that out loud? This was like the start of some bad porn.
He walked over to me, his face still a scary neutral. My heart pounded in my chest. What the hell was I going to do? Was I ready for this? What exactly was this ?
He stopped in front of me but didn’t pause as he leaned forward and freaking licked the ice cream off my chest. Dear God in heaven. His wet tongue, lightly sliding over the tender skin, was like silk, causing every nerve in my body to tingle. I almost dropped the ice cream.
He straightened up and glanced down at me through lowered lids, but I could still see a heated desire. A satisfied smirk on his mouth. “Did that help?”
I opened my mouth to speak but had no clue what I should say. My mind was too focused on the whiff of coffee and chocolate emanating from him. “Uh, thank you?”
He shook his head slowly, appearing too amused. “What was your plan, Daria?”
The way he said my name made my core tighten. His voice was soul-rumbling deep. I shook my head to help me stay on track. It barely worked. “I didn’t have a plan.”
“Sure, you did. Did you think you could seduce me? Maybe get me to let my guard down so I could change my mind, or you could try to kill me?”
I did my best to allow my face not to betray my thoughts. Why was he so smart? “No. That would be silly.”
“Good, I’m glad you think so, too. Because there is no way for you to get out of this, and no one can find you. I’ve not only got this place secured, but there is a cloaking spell on it to block your location. No one can get out of here. Not even a ghost.”
He gave me another one of those remorseful, useless looks and walked away. So, he did know about Angie. Ok, plan B.
I needed to think of a plan B.