Two
I watched the fireflies dance over my head as I lay on the grassy field of the winery. The sun had set throwing different hues of purple, blue and orange across the sky and clouds above me.
"Ready to leave?"
I shook my head, not turning to Damien as I answered him. "No, not yet. Look, the fireflies are coming out, can't we stay a bit longer?"
He shifted, getting closer to me as we lay on the field together. He gave a deep throaty laugh. "Sure, just let me know when you're ready."
I followed one as it flew around me, close to my nose. I reached out for it, but was stopped by Damien as he grabbed my fingers.
Before I knew what he was doing, he was over me pressing his lips against mine. I smiled in delight as he pressed against me, wrapping my arms around his neck as he pulled me against his body.
He pulled away and smiled. Yes, I remembered his perfect features. The midnight black hair tousled carelessly across his forehead. The alabaster color of his skin, the perfect complexion. His violet eyes looked at me with love, the same love I'd always seen.
I smiled as he leaned in again, then froze once his eyes turned blue.
I panicked, pushing him away with force.
His hand grabbed my face forcefully. His fingers dug into my cheeks mercilessly.
"Let me go!"
He did and as soon as he did, I fell through the ground.
Falling, falling without end.
I landed on cement, no, water. I fell through the crashing waves of a large body of water.
The Ylee.
Suddenly, I was being pulled. A string was pulling me by my middle. It was pulling so hard, I thought it would snap me in half.
Suddenly, it stopped.
I was no longer in water, I was strapped to a chair. My feet were in a large tub of water.
I started to panic, I knew what this was. I knew why I was here.
"Now, dear," Robyn cooed as he played with my hair. "You know the rules."
I shook my head.
"You tried to leave again."
"It wasn't me -"
He turned on the power and immediately, I wanted to die.
The electric current traveled all over me.
I was in absolute agony.
I screamed.
He stopped the current, making my body stop convulsing for a second.
But only for a second.
I was panting uncontrollably. I was going to throw up.
I watched him as he looked at my eyes.
"Did you know that faerie bodies are much more tolerant to pain? They last much longer than humans." I watched him turn a dial on the panel next to him. "That just means we have to turn up the current a bit more."
I shook my head. "No, please, don't -"
He didn't listen and turned the current on again.
There were no words to describe the pain that coursed through me as the electricity flowed freely.
I screamed again unable to move my body against the bonds that held me to the chair.
I continued screaming as he laughed.
I could feel my nails curl against the chair from the pressure I placed on them, I could smell my hair burning...
"Emylin!"
I continued to scream even as I heard my name echo around me.
God, it hurt.
"Emylin!"
I'd pass out soon if he didn't stop ... I was going to die.
Someone was holding me-no, they were shaking me. Shaking me hard enough that I bit my tongue and felt the familiar copper fluid fill my mouth ... or was it from the torture that Robyn was inflicting?
I reached for the hands that shook me and pulled. As soon as I did-
The room came into focus. I wasn't tied to a chair, I was on the cold, hard floor of a grand hall.
I didn't recognize any of its portraits or the tapestries on the walls.
The chandelier above me wasn't familiar.
The only thing that was familiar, was the man that grabbed my arm with a vice-like grip.
A nightmare. I was having a nightmare.
I was panting, breathing too hard. "Julian." The sweat on my body was making my clothes stick to me.
The look on his face was one of concern as he watched me. He looked me over like he was making sure I was all there.
I frowned. "What happened? Where are we?"
He let me go and sat back on the floor. "Gods, you're bleeding."
I touched the liquid I felt dribbling out of the corner of my mouth, then brushed it away with the back of my hand. "I think I bit my tongue." I shook my head. "What happened?"
"You started screaming in your sleep." He started to stand up from the floor. "I had to specter us out before you woke anyone else up - luckily, I don't think we were followed."
I hugged my legs close to me resting my forehead against my knees. I repeated my mantra over and over again - the one I'd gotten so used to saying while I was with Robyn. A dream, it was only a dream. "One of Robyn's favorite tortures - electricity. He'd make me dream about it often."
"Gods," Julian mumbled.
I couldn't look at him. "I just - I need a minute." I swallowed, my mouth dry. It was different this time. While the nightmare lingered, it wasn't like before where I could still feel the current as I was awake or still smell my hair burning. "I'm sorry."
He turned to me forcefully his grey eyes swirling. "Never apologize for that, Emylin."
I nodded, sniffling, once again pressing the back of my hand against my chin and lips to clear the blood on my face. "Does this mean that he knows I'm not at the Keep anymore? If he can still reach my dreams -"
"He can't - it was a nightmare. An actual nightmare. That's your mind making those dreams happen." A glass of water appeared in his hand. He handed it to me. "Here."
I grabbed it and took a long drink. "How do you know?"
"Remember what I told you, Robyn doesn't have that power anymore not since his body died. He can't manipulate dreams."
I frowned. "If it was an actual nightmare, then why wasn't I dreaming about this when I was back in the Keep?" I blinked. "Actually, I don't think I dreamt at all."
"He suppressed them," he explained. "Using Damien's power this time, he probably wanted to make you heal faster. Damien might have done it too for as short of a time he had control of his body - though I imagine it was to protect you from your own terrors."
I nodded. "It sounds like something he'd do. Both of them." I looked around. "Where are we?"
He gave me his hand and helped me up. "My home."
I studied the tapestries the hung nearby, the vases that sat on end tables, then the large staircase that led up to the second floor.
"Rooms are upstairs," he began. "You can take my sister's for now. I'm not expecting her back anytime soon. You two seem to be about the same size so you can use her clothes."
"She won't mind?" I asked as I turned to him.
He shrugged. "I don't think so. Anyways, she won't know." He looked out towards a window. "It's sunrise. I need to go down to the market for some groceries."
I gingerly touched one of the tapestries needing to feel the faerie fabric that glimmered in the dark.
"Want to come?"
I frowned. "Isn't it dangerous?"
He shrugged. "I'll take precautions."
I shook my head. "What do you want from me?"
"What do you mean?"
I turned to him, crossing my arms. "Why are you being so nice to me?"
He laughed. "Emylin, I hardly know what you mean."
"Giving me a place to stay, helping me take control of my power - you must want something. No one has ever been nice to me without wanting something in return."
He raised an eyebrow. "Never?"
I shook my head. "Never. Though I'm starting to suspect that it's because of what I am. And what Leah is. I think she turned everyone on me." I shrugged. "Except Damien. But he never met Leah before so ..."
He crossed his arms as he looked at me."I'm not asking for a small thing, Emylin. I am asking you to train - train hard with an incredible time constraint to go against the man that did this to you. To go against the man that tortured you for weeks -"
"That man is Robyn, I refuse to have him hold any more power over me.
Robyn has taken control of my best friend - he's holding him hostage.
" I looked at him, my gaze unwavering. "I'm doing this for Damien.
I'd do it for him in a heartbeat.
That is no question, it's a given." I lifted my chin. "Why are you doing this?"
He didn't shift, didn't move. He started at me with as much intensity as I felt in myself. "I have my own stakes in this. Like I said I won't sit by and let slaughter happen again."
After a moment, I nodded. "When do we start?"
"Tomorrow. Today you need to rest-"
"Today."
His eyebrows raised.
"We start training today. If Damien and Kymra don't get a break, then neither do I."
I saw something flash in his eyes. Amusement. Cocky amusement. It reminded me so much of Damien.
He smiled. "Fine. But breakfast first. The market first. Then I'll kick your ass in training."
I would have laughed if I remembered how.
"Come on," he started walking up the stairs. "We both reek of the Ylee right now we could use a shower."
I followed him up the stairs and down a hall. He pointed to a door as he passed. "Your room. Mine's down the hall. I'll meet you downstairs once you're done."