(So i deleted the old ch 7 because it wasnt the version that i wanted to post. i blame my POS computer. I hope y'all like it.)

The Next Day

Laurel didn't learn Russian the next day. She hardly moved the next day in fact. A man came in every so often to give her pain medicine for her injuries that had her on the edge of sleep.

It was probably noon when Talia found her.

Laurel couldn't help but be struck by her beauty. Such a lovely face, and yet she was entirely lethal. Laurel had no doubts that Talia could easily kill her with a flick of her dainty wrist. She snorted; she was calling Talia dainty and Laurel was at least three inches and twenty pounds smaller. Talia smiled and came to sit by her waist.

"How are you feeling?" she asked in that terribly attractive accent. Laurel wondered if perhaps she had a bit of a girl crush on Talia and if Talia could tell.

"Fine," she shrugged. "A little out of it."

"Yes, that would be the medicine," she nodded.

"I don't need it," Laurel said. Talia raised a perfectly arched brow at her. "You know, if other people need it more than me." It was a while before she spoke again, silently appraising Laurel. It was becoming just on the verge of uncomfortable when Talia finally said,

"Very well. There are some who will thank you."

"Uh, good," Laurel mumbled, cheeks flushed. She felt exposed, as if Talia could see right through her with those lovely green eyes.

"Have you given any more thought to your plans?" she asked suddenly.

"No, not really," Laurel admitted. Jeesh, it had only been a day and while that had been enough to give her plenty of ideas, she had no solid plan as of yet.

"Might I offer some information?" Laurel nodded, eager for anything Talia said. The woman could read the ingredients off a soup label and she would eat up every word.

"There are some punishments here that outweigh others," she said ominously. Laurel's mind raced to unscramble what she was really saying, the meaning beneath the words. She drew a blank.

"Care to elaborate?" she tried sheepishly. Talia laughed softly, a melodic sound that sent a shiver down Laurel's spin. She was really beginning to doubt her sexuality with the way she was acting around Talia. A woman like her probably had people throwing themselves at her all the time, what was one more?

"I'm afraid not, little sister," Talia chuckled. "Consider it another test, since you are so fond of them."

Laurel cocked her head, eyes narrowed. How had Talia known? Obviously they had all been tests, though Laurel had yet to unravel the purpose behind each of them. But she was sure that she hadn't told anyone. Perhaps she was not as clever as she thought. In a last ditch effort to maintain some secretiveness, Laurel latched on to her first words.

"Sister," she repeated, trying out the word.

"Yes," Talia nodded. "I have no doubt that you will be my sister soon enough."

Laurel liked the sound of that, it made her chest grow warm with acceptance. Her cheeks were red, she knew, but Talia didn't laugh at her. It felt okay to be seen like this by her.

"Can I stay here?" she asked. Talia cocked her head at the question.

"This is someone else's room," she said. The swift clench of rejection hurt, and Laurel tried not to let her see how it affected her. She tried to look away, but Talia gently grabbed her chin so she looked at her.

"Bane and my bed is always open, sister," she said softly. "We are so rarely here together that there is almost always room. Even with him in it." Laurel snickered at that, pleasing Talia.

"He wouldn't mind?" Laurel wasn't frightened of him so much as worried he considered her an annoyance.

"Of course not," she assured her. "Bane is always eager for one to listen to his ramblings at night. Would you like that?"

"Yes!" So much for nonchalance.

It was no matter, as Talia laughed and promised to show her before she had to leave again. She didn't give Laurel a chance to ask where she would be going, instead telling her to sleep before she left.

"You learn Russian tomorrow morning."