IV

A NOT-SO-ENCHANTED CASTLE

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The pain that plagued me seemed to settle as we walked through the house. I followed the large man, James tailing close behind. It was an uneasy trek through winding halls and wide arches. The stucco was richly coated in an amber glow from the wall lamps and the wooden doors were weathered. There were antique candle stick holders that held unlit white candles on hall tables, and art that scattered among the remains of the stucco. There were suits of armor with dents and splotches of red on the torso like they had actually been worn into battle.

For a lack of a better word, it was intriguing and the sights wouldn't allow my mind to quiet. I inhaled slowly as we walked, using my breaths to keep me as calm as possible. The air was musty and it hit the back of my throat, leaving a faint, curious taste.

We turned right down another hall and made our way to the double doors at the end with tints of rich mahogany. Small, round recessed lights in the ceiling lit our way once again, as they did down the previous halls. It was still dim, casting the same golden glows along the walls. I continued to look straight ahead, not concerning myself with anything other than the obvious destination in front of us. Would these doors give way to my curiosity and reveal their secrets?

A sandy haired man walked past me, his gate unnaturally smooth and brisk. He was at the ruddy doors, pushing them both open. He walked in as he pushed, revealing a large room that appeared curved along the back wall with columns supporting a second level balcony which embraced the outer edge. It appeared narrow and bleak, not standing out against anything but the shadows that the columns were casting on the back wall. As we drew closer, an amazing chandelier caught my attention. It hung from the high ceilings and lit the entire room.

Under the light was a large rectangular table with so many chairs that I couldn't even count them in time. Large paintings were hung and were vibrant with color. They popped against the smooth, ivory walls. A commotion drew my attention away from the details and towards the noise.

A small gathering of men were walking through another set of doors to my left. They were all dressed differently, but all sharing something in common; they were in firmly-pressed, business-like attire. Their hair was different shades; blond, black, brown and red, all the diversity in one small crowd.

We made our way across the glossy floor at a sudden listless pace. Heads slowly started to turn in our direction and a laugh resonated from the gathering which parted. A man with slicked-back, shoulder-length hair emerged with a smile spread across his face while tapping his hands together slowly. He seemed older than the men that led me down here.

"Wonderful! Just wonderful!" he said in an eerily cheerful tone as he approached us. Black shirt, black jacket, black shoes, nearly black hair – he must have liked black. He stopped in front of us, extending his hand palm down. "You're a few minutes late, James."

James came up from behind me and took this man's hand in his and bowed down to kiss his knuckles briefly before straightening up again but not releasing his grip. The man stared at James curiously but didn't seem to be in a present state. It was though he was deep in thought. A few seconds later, his gaze shifted to me. The anger that flickered was unnerving, and a voice in my head screamed at me to run away and this time don't look back! But there was nowhere to run. I was grossly outnumbered now.

"As you can see, I had no other choice," James said. I noted an exchange not being spoken between the two of them. Before I could register what had happened, a crack sounded through the room and James' face was directed towards me abruptly. The man's hand lingered in the air.

"You take liberties with my things! I've told you to bring them unsoiled! Are you ungovernable?" The man's voice echoed through the room violently.

"She was trying to escape, sir. I had no other choice but to immobilize her," James said turning his head back to the man. Another crack sounded through the room as the back of his hand met James' cheek once again. My chest lurched at the sound.

"Had she been given the proper dosage she wouldn't have needed your hand. Can you not also control that poor excuse for a…!"

"Sir…" James interrupted.

Another slap.

James closed his eyes briefly before opening them to speak again. "Sir, he was becoming too familiar with the girl. He would have harmed her more than I did had I not sent him back."

The man squinted and cocked his head to the side. He stared at him for several seconds before placing a hand on James' shoulder. Within moments, James was on his knees, his mouth flew open but nothing came out. Instinctively I stepped away in fear, watching the spectacle with morbid curiosity. His body curled and bowed to the floor in front of this man, submitting to whatever it was he was doing to him.

"You know what I want to hear," he said to James calmly.

James mumbled but his words were inaudible.

"I'm sorry I can't hear you."

James spoke but it was inaudible once again.

"What was that?"

"I'm sorry!" James screamed to the ceiling. "I'm sorry, Master!"

"Will it happen again?" His voice was back to that eerie, cheerful tone.

"No, sir."

"Good." He released James then tapped him on the cheek with his palm. "Get up."

As soon as James was off the floor, the dark-haired man grinned carefully then started for me, never breaking away from my eyes. I tried to back away but it was an impossible feat. I was halted where I stood.

He closed in on me, shadows leaking down onto his face and darkening his eyes. He held out his hand, the same way he did with James, giving me a close look at the large red jewel that caressed his ring finger. He grinned and relaxed his brow. No way. There is no fucking way I'm kissing his hand. No way in hell that is happening.

So I stared at him, not wanting to move forward, and he continued to keep me in his gaze with a smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth.

Time seemed to pause in that room while he waited, but I refused to acknowledge him the same way James had. He took a step forward which brought his hand closer to me. When I didn't do what he expected he raised his brow slightly and took at glance at the man holding me.

A large hand seized the back of my neck like a vice and began to push my head down to meet the jeweled hand. I pulled my lips into my mouth and looked away from the pale skin that it was about to meet. Instead of where my lips should have been, an icy brush swept past my cheek and he moved his hand to where my mouth was now situated. I pushed and pulled against the grip, the hand chasing me the entire time.

A more forceful squeeze from the handwas all it took to render my movements and the dark-haired man's knuckle was there, ready to be embraced by my lips. My fingers that were being grasped were released. Large digits embraced one of my cheeks while a thumb squeezed the other. I huffed through my nose, fighting to keep my lips from puckering out but it only took a second of weakness for them to slip and as soon as they did his hand met them. The knuckles of his ring and middle finger were placed gently to me, falling into the crevice between my lips and stayed there for a second before retreating back to him.

"You are most kind to show me your respect," he said, the smile beginning to fade. "Peculiar." He took another step forward and I had nowhere to go. The grip on my cheeks released and I stretched my jaw to relieve the pressure that had built. The man reached for my hand at my side and brought it into both of his. His eyes shifted around my fingers crazily.

"Fascinating," he whispered, his eyes meeting mine. My breath caught in my throat as I finally saw the colors of his eyes. Deep red. It was like a nightmare. I couldn't take any more of it. I had to get out of here.

I tried jerking away from his grip and squirmed under the large paw at my neck. I was unsuccessful at freeing myself. The man let out a high pitched laugh and clapped his hands together.

"Let me go!" I screamed as I sawed against the large man.

"I'm afraid," his voice reignited in front of me, "that isn't possible." I stopped squirming when he stroked a finger down my hair at the side of my face. My jaw trembled at the action as he stared into my eyes, searching for something. The finger found its way to my cheek and slipped off my chin, leaving a trail of cold.

"What do you want with me?"

"Shh, shh." He took my face into his cool palms, pressing into them with a measurable amount of force. I flinched and squeezed my eyes shut. "I see nothing. Why can't I see what you have done?" He asked as if he were speaking to himself. I opened my eyes to look at him. "Could it be?" He called gently over his shoulder, "Jasper."

A man with blond waves falling past his ears parted from the others and sauntered over to us, his hands placed behind his back and a smug expression on his face. I watched him carefully as he took a place beside the dark-haired man, inches from me. His eyes were also a deep red and my jaw trembled again. I wasn't sure if it was out of fear or because the cold had started to set into my bones.

"This charming young lady seems to have a technique for extinguishing the use of my gifts upon her. Would you be so gracious to lend your talent? I am curious to see how far this spectrum travels."

Jasper grinned slightly. "Of course."

My breathing picked up at the dimples that dug their way into his skin at his declaration. My eyes moved to his and I wondered what power he had, if any at all. The grip on my neck tightened, and I tried to move around the uncomfortable restraint, searching for a resting place among the pain.

Jasper's gaze bore into mine. Fear and anger escaped me, fleeing quickly as a new calm beat on my chest and dove into my stomach after it had completed its round. I felt warm.

"Felix, release," the man said. The grip disappeared and the elation intensified. I straightened my back to stand upright and winced at the pain that had never completely fleeted. The voice in my head screamed at me to run away, that it was my only chance, but I couldn't bring myself to pick up my feet. I merely stood there, basking in a peaceful wave.

I startled as the man clapped his hands together and laughed again.

"Jasper would you escort this delightful creature to interrogation and afterwards have her cleaned," the man said as his eyes flickered to me.

"Yes, sir," Jasper said as the dark-haired man parted ways with us and joined the crowd that he was in when I had walked in. Jasper extended his arm out to me. "Shall we?"

Still suffering from my emotional mix-up and feeling pretty damn peachy, yet confused, I cupped my hand around the underside of his elbow. The black material of his suit was delicate and smooth, nothing like the rough cotton suits my father used to wear.

I brushed the tip of my index finger through a crease, stroking it back and forth as we started walking out of the large banquet hall.

I was confused by my actions. I should be sprinting towards the exit by now, but I wasn't. I wanted to walk with him. I wanted to go wherever it was that we were going. He didn't turn to me nor did he speak while walking back through the halls that I had come from minutes earlier and that was okay. I didn't want to talk. Although the silence was weird it was better this way. I had nothing to say to him, even though I still didn't know why I was here.

It was the only thought that raced through my mind as we walked, storming paths through the quiet house. The only other sound was the gentle rapping of mine and Jasper's footsteps which subdued my wandering mind. I listened to nothing else for the rest of the way, becoming lost as we wound through halls and arches.

We finally stopped at a door, which he opened and entered first, pulling me behind him. Once we were in, he shut the door and flicked on a light. He pushed my hand off of his arm and moved away from me, and the calm left. The room was nothing special. It was small with dark, wooden walls which seemed to maximize the microscopic space. There was a square wooden table in the middle of everything with two chairs on either side. On the far wall, shelves, running from top to bottom, were littered with manila folders. Jasper went to a shelf near the bottom and ran a finger along them, obviously searching.

He pulled out his item quietly and dropped it on the table, then taking a seat opposite of where I was standing. He raised his foot slowly under the table and shoved the other chair out.

"Sit," he commanded.

"I'll stand," I said while crossing my arms in front of me. He produced a pen from inside his jacket.

"I suggest you sit."

"I'm good here."

"You don't seem to get it, do you?" I startled when he appeared right next to my face sinking his voracious irises into me. "Either you sit, or I can make you sit." A cool breath escaped from between his parted lips. It was sickly sweet and made me dizzy. "Which will it be?"

"Sitting would probably be less complicated." I slid out from underneath him and took a seat across from where he had sat.

"Wise decision," he said and sat down again. He began to scribble into the folder. I felt the pull of loneliness and helplessness on my chest. It was forceful, incredibly so. I watched him as his hand tore across blank lines on the sheet. His writing was neat and uniform.

"Try not to think," Jasper murmured still staring down at the folder. "I can feel everything that goes through your body. It's distracting."

"Why should I accommodate you?"

He stopped writing to look up at me, his lips pressed into a tight line. "Because if you don't, you will have no one to blame but yourself for my impatience and the consequences that follow. I have more leeway than most under Aro."

"Who is Aro?"

"The master of the house. You met him in the banquet hall." He went back to his duties in the folder.

"And what exactly is this place?" I asked, adjusting myself in the chair so I could sit upright comfortably.

"Don't worry about it."

I slammed my hands down on the table in a rush of anger and screamed, "Tell me!"

Jasper merely chuckled. "I was warned about you," he looked up at me, "and your temper tantrums."

"You don't know anything about me!"

"The knowledge that is crucial doesn't come from your mouth and that can be easily taken. Anything else that I want can be forced out of you. Now, if you're over your emotional outburst, I have a few questions."

"So do I."

"Answer mine then I'll answer yours."

I sighed. If that's how it's going to be. "Fine."

I answered questions about my life: how long I had been in L.A.; if I was in college, and the courses I took; hygiene habits; favorite foods.

"What is your blood type?" he asked. His eyes flicked up at me as he was leaning back in the chair with the pen still to the folder ready to write my answer like he had been doing. I furrowed my brow and inhaled a breath, filling my lungs fully and slowly letting it out.

"Why is that important?" I asked confused.

"It's the most important question of all," he said.

I continued to stare at him. Severe irritation penetrated my skin and spread through my chest suddenly, and I knew it wasn't from me since it wasn't a new emotion, just stronger and foreign.

"My patience is wearing thin," he said in a near growl and tapped the pen on the wood.

"So is mine," I responded jaggedly. We sat in silence for a few more moments, his eyes boring into mine like they had in the large banquet hall. My shoulders were in a quiver as he influenced my body with new emotion: trust. It mixed with the fear that had been with me for most of the night, and I felt it surge.

Submission. I felt submissive to him and trusted him with the information.

He readied his pen again. "Now, what is your blood type?" he asked, appearing satisfied.

"B negative," I answered slowly. He smiled and jotted it down and then closed the folder. My shoulders went slack again as the trust disappeared. I was back to fear and irritation. "How are you doing that?"

He smirked. He was dangerous. It wasn't just him, it was all of them. Their movements, pale skin and red eyes left me questioning every intention and ambitious motive that was lying in wait for me.

I looked down to my hands as Jasper stood up from the table with the folder in hand and pushed the chair in. Black, pointed-toe boots peeked out from underneath his black slacks as they rapped sharply on the floor.

"You'll need to wash up, the you can meet the women you will be sharing a room with. They will help you become familiar with their routines," he said as I unwillingly rose to follow him. "After you have become acquainted, you'll join us for dinner." A cunning smile stretched across his lips as he placed his hand on the door knob.