Chapter 23 The Lord
M y body wakes before my mind.
I feel my muscles tensing, my skin humming, my blood pumping in a quickening thud and, finally, my eyes open.
Rather than the darkness I'd become accustomed to, I stare up at a thin veil of soft, grey light. It hovers above me like silk trapped in the wind with flickers of metallic threads. I feel calm, I want to sink deeper into this thick comfort but the thudding of my heart and the warning tingle of my skin reminds me that I'm not alone.
My mind frantically pieces fragments of memories together: the Council, the cave, the barrier... Lord Ezekial and— Kane .
Saying their names somehow creates a soothing coolness along my body, soon forgotten when a terrifying numbness fills me. When I try to use my power and feel... absolutely nothing.
"There's no need to be afraid.” His calm voice does not achieve his desired effect.
Instead, I fling myself upwards, scanning the dimly lit room as I kick away the covers from a bed and slam my back into the wall beside it. My skin is on fire now, the panic is thick and clings to my actions making them sluggish. Without my power, it takes me an embarrassing amount of time to seek him out.
He's sat beside the door, seemingly the only exit, his giant frame crouched and perched upon a small chair. He's surrounded in a soft grey aura which creates the moonlight glow that lights the room.
"My power," I blurt, swallowing the air to ease my terror, searching the room desperately for another exit.
When he begins to stand, causing the floorboards to creak, I instantly recoil, pushing back into the cold wall as though I'd be able to morph through it.
Without my power, I'm... What am I?
Ezekial sees my response and instantly stills. I'm still wearing the dress Julien brought me, but I feel so cold. I tentatively reach for the cover I tossed aside and slowly pull it up to cover my bare legs.
I feel vulnerable, small, helpless. Words I'd never associated with myself until this very moment.
And I'm in a room, alone, with a member of the Council.
"Please, don't fear me.” I seek out his gaze, his pleading tone and soft grey eyes enticing me closer. But I stay against the wall and he stays beside the door. "I promise, your powers will return. You're currently healing from the darkness you consumed, just give it time."
I lick my lips, they're dry and cracked, and I force myself to swallow before I respond, "But my power is dark, why would it need to heal? It's my body that needed to heal the last time I used it."
I make a point of flexing my hands, stretching out my arms and legs before me to ensure my health. Not a single sign of fatigue plagued me.
"That's because you're both," he says, his eyes are studying me now and when I provide little reaction he decides to add, "your powers are both light and dark. Like mine."
I mentally weigh that piece of information and try to consider what it even means, if it was even possible... but seeing this being before me answered the latter.
"Is that why your eyes are like that?" I suddenly ask, trying to act nonchalant about the abruptly personal question.
There's a hint of a smile upon his face, it creates a sudden heat which rushes through my body and I grip the cover higher to ensure the flush on my chest isn't displayed.
The glow, his eyes, the calm aura emanating from his every movement. Although an intimidating form of a man, giant and muscular yet graceful and calm. He was truly an ethereal being and my body's reaction to his small smile was terrifying.
"Sorry, I—"
"Yes, I like that you noticed."
My cheeks heat, I glance around the room to remove myself from his gaze.
"Where am I?" I note the high ceiling and the small window revealing a star splattered sky. It was night already?
"My house in the capital," he casually explains. I look back at him, trying to hide my panic.
I manage a small nod, pretending that information isn’t fear inducing whilst my heart thuds painfully.
I'm in his house. A council member.
Alone.
Powerless.
"Why?" I raise my chin slightly and force my voice to stay steady, try to make it sound strong.
"Because I'm currently healing you.” His eyes intensely search mine as the room continues to glow with a dim hum.
My heart only races faster at the realisation. The thin veil of grey enveloping the room was his power and it was somehow healing mine. He hasn't moved, not an inch, but the room seems to feel smaller.
"Why?” I murmur, my brows furrowing. His eyes flash brightly at my question so I add, “Why are you doing this?" I break eye contact to watch the wisps of silver passing by my eyes, hovering just before my face. "I mean, I’m grateful but…” I lose concentration, gently running my fingers through the metallic strand.
It dissolves, sinking into my fingertips.
“But?” His voice is gentle as I turn to face him again. But my breathing quickens as his silver gaze trails over me, studying me, appraising me as my hand remains in midair.
“Shouldn't I be in a prison cell for what I did?" I drop my hand into my lap and his eyes follow the action.
"What exactly did you do, Jasmine?" His calm tone does nothing to ease the flush of heat blanketing my body when he says my name. Then his eyes glow and my skin tingles.
"Are you trying to make me incriminate myself?” I cross my arms over my chest.
His brows instantly shoot up at my insinuation. I watch him with narrowed eyes and pursed lips.
He rubs the edge of his stubbly jaw with tattooed fingers, a subtle smile pulling at his lips. "No, that’s not it. Maybe I’m just trying to fill in the blanks. The ones you created after you knocked me and my brother unconscious.”
All the hairs on my body stand up as a knot of fear twists in my stomach. “I… I never meant— I didn’t—”
The terror crawling up my spine instantly stops as his soft chuckle fills the room.
Then another.
He’s laughing.
He must see the shock and confusion drowning my features as he quickly says, “You’re not in trouble, Jasmine.” My shoulders relax at his words, his pale grey eyes emphasising his sincerity. “After my shadow marked you—”
" Marked me ?" I repeat, my eyes widening in shock as I stare down at my forearm. There’s the slightest outline of a curled shape wrapping around the skin and a coolness rushes through me as I study it. "What does this mean? What is this?" Panic laces my voice.
Without my powers, I'm struggling to regulate and the raw emotions are quickly bubbling uncontrollably.
Either sensing or seeing my distress, I cautiously watch as Ezekial grips the top of the chair, picks it up with one hand as if it were a toy, and moves closer to the bed—closer to me—before taking a seat.
This time, I don't recoil. My gaze flickers from my wrist, to his enchanting moonlight eyes, and back again.
"It means... they have a connection to you.” Our eyes lock. “My shadows remember you." My body tenses. "Which means we’ve met before."
Something inside of me pulses at those words, instantly reacting and confirming the truth behind them. When I search his silver gaze, there's a softness there, and I find myself becoming lost in them again.
"I would have remembered meeting you," I utter, then look away, feeling nervous and embarrassed under his gaze. "I mean… because of who you are, being a council member, obviously."
His gentle laugh eases my nervous tension somewhat. "Well, you clearly had made an impression because part of me refused to forget."
When I meet his eyes again, his small smile warms my skin and I feel my cheeks heat. These reactions are too sudden, too intense, and I coil my fingers in a silent plea for my powers to return.
They don't even stir.
"Your mark, your other mark, is slowing the healing process," he explains, sensing my attempt to call on my power again and revealing that he already knows about my mark. "May I see it?"
"Why?" I study his face for any reaction but it remains relaxed; content.
"I think someone has altered our memories.” He readjusts himself in the chair, which is way too small for him, but never drops his eyes from mine. “I'm hoping your mark may give me a clue as to who."
I take in his words, then slowly nod. "So, do you have a mark too?"
"No." His voice turns deeper, his eyes dimming. "It seems whatever they did to you somehow affected me."
I frown, chewing my bottom lip. "How would that even work?"
"That's what I'd like to find out, may I?" He gestures with one hand towards me. I study him for a moment, waiting for any final indication that trusting this man was dangerous. But there’s nothing.
Again, I nod once before sliding towards the edge of the bed. I pull my legs from beneath the blanket, letting them dangle over the side as I turn my body, placing my back towards him.
“Where are the others?” I ask in desperation to fill the tense silence.
I hear him move closer as he answers, “They’ll be here soon.”
The urge to trust Ezekial hits me with terrifying suddenness.
Then I’m hit by a shocking warmth that spreads through my body as his fingers skim the material of my dress. It only intensifies my panic. I focus on steadying my breathing whilst he carefully unzips my dress and the cold air brushes my skin.
"May I touch you?" The sensual undertone of those words cause the hairs on my neck to rise. I bite my lip knowing he can't see me and softly nod, unable to use words.
When the back of my dress begins to peel away, and his knuckles skim my skin just so , a ripping sensation slices along my spine.
Instant fiery heat shoots through me, and I recoil immediately from his touch with a yelp.
But it seems that one touch was enough.
Something had changed.
The room darkens, metallic slivers sparking and flickering violently as I quickly crawl backwards on the bed. My eyes widen at Ezekial's dark expression, his teeth gritted so hard that the edge of his jaw resembles jagged glass.
" He's dropped the barrier. " Kane's words flood my mind.
Instantly, he appears behind his brother, his dark form quickly approaching and grabbing Ezekial's left shoulder.
"You need to ground yourself, brother." Kane's stern voice fills the room, yet his brother remains still. The fury on his face, his glowing eyes narrowing directly at me, causes a surge of my power to unfurl.
When Ezekial suddenly stands, sending the chair clattering to the floor and smashing into pieces as he takes a step towards me, the room shudders.
Kane's shadow grows and engulfs Ezekial in a thick darkness that strikes out, knocking his brother onto his knees. Ezekial turns to face Kane, his body taut and shaking, and a violent struggle instantly ensues between them.
"You're not thinking clearly, brother!" Kane shouts over their physical struggle, the tremor of his voice adding to the shaking room.
"I'll kill them all." Ezekial's cold tone makes my entire body still.
My breath catches at the intensity of his words and my heart races when those moonlit eyes find mine. They're filled with a hatred I don't understand but its direction is clear.
Me.
Blue light crackles before me and then Sai appears, his bright gaze wild as he surveys me before noting the brothers behind him. Kane is grappling with Ezekial again and Julien now towers beside them.
"Hey there, Red." Sai smiles, dimples and all, as though the fight behind us is of normal occurrence. "I think we need to get out here."
But when he reaches out to me, my sliver of power eagerly seeking him out, a figure catapults into him.
Sai is knocked away, slamming into the wall to my left and indenting it from the impact.
A terrifying image of Ezekial now stands where he did.
"Don't you dare fucking touch her.” The pure fury of Ezekial’s voice makes me tremble. Even without my full power, his hatred is thick and hard and terrifying.
Ezekial's body is engulfed in a thick silver aura that pulses with his panting form. He stares at Sai, whose flickering power circles him as he steps out of the wall he'd been thrown into. Both their hands form into tight fists.
Julien is suddenly there, meeting Ezekial’s towering height as he grabs his shoulders, pulling him away with impressive speed. At the same time, Kane forces his brother back onto his knees, and Sai rushes forward.
The three of them barely manage to hold down this terrifying creature as he snarls, directing his furious gaze at me.
"We need to put him in the Pit."
"Don't you dare."
"I'll stay and—"
"No, when he's like this he needs the three of us. You know that."
I simply stare ahead at these four men as their rushed conversation continues. The most powerful creatures I've ever met, and their concern has my fear spiking. I hadn’t felt fear this strong since I was found outside the barrier.
"It won't stop me, I'll come back for them. No, no! " Ezekial's strained voice is laced with fury as his venomous gaze seeks me out once more. "I swear I’ll come back for you."
A flicker.
Then gone.
Only silence and darkness remain.
I stare into it, terrified that he’ll return at any moment.
But he doesn’t.
I spend a few more seconds just waiting, taking deep breaths as I place a palm against my racing chest, trying to ease my heart.
Where did this hatred suddenly come from? What did he remember that created his murderous intent and why was I the focus of it?
Questions continue to fill my mind as I glance around the now completely empty room. If he was coming back to kill me, for whatever reason that might be, I wasn't going to sit here any longer.
Rushing from the bed, I stumble and force myself steady against the wall. Without full access to my power my balance is off kilter, but I tell myself to focus and quickly move towards the door. It opens and I stare down an empty hallway, the only light is from the moon piercing through a large bay window at the very end.
A window large enough for me.
I race down the hallway, my heartbeat loud as my bare feet painfully hit the cold, wooden floor. When I reach the window, I stare down through the glass and freeze. The drop is higher than I expected—about three floors. I've jumped from higher before, but not with my power subdued like this.
"You're dead either way," I mutter to myself, placing a hand upon the window pane.
I encourage that small piece of power which surfaced before and urge it to form at my palm, it takes a few moments but I feel it moving, building and soon the window shatters completely.
Looking down, I see a few high bushes and trees, something to cushion the fall and maybe stop anything from breaking. I know I don't have long, they can instantly appear at any moment, so I take a deep breath, focus upon the tallest bushes, and jump.
The landing is painful, my little power barely managed to stop both ankles from breaking, even though I rolled at the end to lessen it. When I feel the sharp ache of my left ankle, I groan out in pain. I look down and tentatively touch the swollen skin. It isn't broken but it's painful, the skin already turning a dark shade of plum.
Surrounding me is an immaculate garden, I note the soft, damp grass beneath me and smell the floral air. It’s filled with neatly arranged flower beds, towering trees and a large ornate fountain with three tiers. Ferne would have loved it.
But behind the fountain, there's a large metal gate centred among hedges that barricade the entire garden, standing at least ten feet high. That gate becomes my target.
Quickly, I push against the grass and stand, half limping, half dragging myself across the garden. I hadn't felt grass for such a long time and the sensation against my skin was a brief distraction from the throbbing of my ankle.
When I reach the fountain, I'm covered in a sheen of sweat and panting as I scoop water into my mouth and over my face. My weakness is infuriating and I angrily call to my power once again. I can feel it, slowly running through me, but nothing more.
I shake my head, ready to continue my painful journey, until I hear a click.
"Do not move, you are surrounded!"
Directly ahead, in front of the gate—my escape—is a group of people clad in the black tactical gear I've become all too accustomed to. Two have guns aimed at me, the others have their gloved hands ready.
My power finally spikes, reminding me that, even in this state, it is there and I sigh when I feel it running along my skin in a sluggish caress. It eases the pain of my ankle and I can finally focus on my targets with a clearer mind.
"I'd really appreciate it... if you could get me... out of here," I say, trying to hide the fatigue in my voice unsuccessfully.
They each warily look to one another, they don't have a verbal conversation but perhaps a mental one.
"You're trespassing on a council member's property; you are to be detained and taken into custody."
I frown, didn't they know he'd brought me here? Did they think I was trying to break in?
"Listen, he, Lord Ezekial, brought me... here but I will... gladly come with you guys... if it means you'll take me... far, far away."
Again, they all look to one another, before they slowly drop their guns and hands. One steps towards me. "Raise your hands, do not move or we will kill you."
I do as he says, slowly raising them above my head as he comes closer.
That's when I notice his gloved fist is closed around something, a small object, and when he steps even further is when I see the thin needle peeking out between his knuckles. That's when my fear explodes and sends everyone to the ground in a heap of agony.
"Oh no, you're not... injecting me with anything," I snarl breathlessly, watching them all scramble off the ground, raising their guns and hands, and immediately firing in my direction.
A misty barrier forms before me, it's enough to block the bullets but not the powers and I'm easily knocked to the ground from the impact. On all fours, breathless, in pain, weak.
I'm quickly surrounded.
I feel something akin to an electrified barbed wire wrap around my entire body, piercing my skin and currents penetrating my bones. I scream out at the agony, collapsing to the ground fully as my power attempts to fight back but fails in this condition.
Soon, we have no option but to succumb to the pain.