next chapter, I finally passed my exams so I'll have more time to write and continue this adventure with you all. I hope it's as exciting for you all as it is for me! Enjoy! :)
It was dark. It was cold. Everything hurt. No muscle would move. Why did everything hurt so much? Voices could be heard from afar, but not understood. Ears ringing. And still so much pain. Why was there always so much pain? But then.. darkness. Endlessness. Calm. Peace.
-x-
Bo was pacing again. She had since Lauren had disappeared, trying to find a way to go looking for her. There simply was no way, they didn't even have the slightest lead where she could be or who had taken her. Kenzi, too, was extremely quiet. More so, than Bo had ever seen her be. She didn't even try to lighten the mood with half-hearted jokes anymore. The succubus was silently surprised to see her best friend so shook up over Laurens disappearance, more so than over her death perhaps. Maybe, Bo reasoned, she was upset because Bo was, it would make more sense.
They had talked to Hale about who could have taken Lauren and why. Well, talked was probably putting it nicely for the first part of the visit Bo and Kenzi had paid the Ash. Bo came barging into the throne room he had by now moved into, screaming and demanding where he had put Lauren. After all, he was the boss here and everything that happened in the compound was most likely his will. The siren had been completely baffled, trying to get out that he didn't know what was going on and that this was certainly not his idea for minutes until Bo had to stop ranting for a few seconds to catch some air. Kenzi had jumped in to tell him what exactly happened and Hale ordered for the security tapes of the area in question in no time. They got the tapes of the stairs that lead up to the corridor and those from the corridor itself, the only tapes missing were of course the ones from Laurens actual room where Bo had wrecked havoc on the cameras.
They found what they were looking for rather quick, Bo having only been away from the compound for about two hours. They saw Bo leaving the room in a hurry, running down the deserted corridor and then nothing happened for quite some time, when suddenly the picture started to flicker between showing an extremely blurry image and a black screen. Kenzi stopped the tape as the blurry picture showed a figure crouching down at the candles in front of Laurens room. Bo and Hale squinted their eyes to see if they could recognize the person, Kenzi didn't need to, she knew it was Tamsin. The fleck of blue that was her trademark leather jacket only proved that point further. Still, Kenzi couldn't find a way to tell Bo. It seemed to be another valkyrie-trick that those who make deals with them couldn't talk about it unless the valkyrie allowed it. And Kenzi knew that Tamsin had every reason not to allow it.
They had given up as the image did not get any clearer, even as the person obviously carried something away in her arms after going in and out of Laurens room. Bo had been furious but she couldn't do more than pace the living room of the club house, waiting for Hale to call. He had Dyson come to the compound to further look at the tapes with him and at those from the outside of the building that took longer to get.
Other than her general unease at what anybody would want with Laurens dead body, but she rather not go there with her mind, Bo had a strange feeling in her gut, as if she forgot something important, but she couldn't place it at all. It was a strange pulling in her stomach, in her chest, in her heart, everywhere. She tried moving in particular directions, who knew what strange Fae-ability this could be, but it didn't work. The feeling never lessened, it actually got even worse over time so Bo decided to ignore it, she had enough problems as it was.
-x-
Tamsin had a déjà-vu feeling. Again, she was kneeling on a cold marble floor, her down and looking at the carved pattern in the marble. She had brought the dead Lauren to the address she had been given with the message that told her to bring Lauren in, dead or alive. At the old industrial building a muscle-packed but clearly pea-brained Fae had been waiting for her, leading her with the doctors body cradled back in her arms to a dark blue truck. He had opened the back door for her, Tamsin sighing but still going into the windowless and therefore lightless compartment. The huge Fae had closed the door, leaving the valkyrie in total darkness with a dead human in her arms. As the truck started moving, she asked herself once again, how she had got herself into this mess. Sitting in the back of a dark truck taking her who-knows-where with a dead human still in her arms, really not her style. When they finally arrived, Tamsin wasn't sure if it was hours of minutes since the begin of the ride, the driver had led her into a building with the dark room and marble floors, sending shivers down the valkyries spine. And now she kneeled there again. The only difference to last time was that she had laid Lauren down next to her on the floor.
"Ah Tamsin. You do work quickly, don't you?" The mystery voice from last time asked out of nowhere.
"I aim to please." the tall blonde sneered.
"Now, don't be like that. we all want the same things, if for different reasons. And I see you brought the succubus' precious doctor."
Tamsin heard footsteps coming up next to her.
The voice sounded far off, almost as if the speaker was dreaming as he, or maybe she, Tamsin couldn't really place it, although she would probably go for he, spoke. "She is a beautiful creature, even in death. She must have been truly stunning when she was alive, yet she was human. That is a very interesting combination, highly unusual as well." There was a pause. "Tell me, Tamsin, what color were her eyes?"
The valkyrie tried not to show how revolted she was by this sick Fae next to her asking her what Laurens eye color had been as if he planned to date her.
"Light brown, almost honey-colored." she answered with as little emotion in her voice as she could.
There was another pause. "That is very intriguing. I can picture her now. Beauty and intelligence in one body. It is so rare. And in a human body, that's what is most fascinating about it."
Tamsin wasn't even sure if he was talking to her anymore, he seemed to be having a conversation with Lauren. The thought made her stomach turn over on itself.
"Well, there will be much more time to study her, as, sadly, she is not going anywhere." He chuckled at his own joke. "I think we do owe you something, don't we, dear Tamsin?"
"You owe me my freedom for what's rest of this life cycle and all that are to come." Tamsin spat and finally looked up to see her 'employer' bow slightly.
"We certainly do." He raised his voice. "Honey? Would you come and release the poor valkyrie from her bond to us?" Another chuckle was heard, like last time from behind Tamsin and the tall blonde had to hold herself together. She hated being talked to like a child, as if she was nothing, not one of the greatest warriors that had ever lived.
Tamsin felt a hand on her bare arm as she had left her jacket in the truck. A huge weight lifted itself from her shoulders and sighed, she hadn't felt this relaxed in a long time.
"That will be all, Tamsin. You may go." The hand was removed and Tamsin was so eager to leave the place and be free that she just stood up and with one last glance at Lauren and the two figures hidden in the shadows she basically jogged out of the building.
The taller dark figure pointed at Lauren. "Bring this one to her room." Out of nowhere appeared the muscular Fae that had brought Tamsin to the building, carefully picked Lauren up and carried her away.
-x-
There was this pain again. Why didn't the darkness just stay? The darkness was pleasant, it was like feeling absolutely nothing but it was also the thing to be avoided, came a note from the brain. Why? No idea, but it was fact, that the brain knew. But everything that was not darkness hurt so much. This time muscles twitched. Getting better, thought the brain. Actually feeling the body was new. New altogether. Different. But different from what? Something to think of later.
The pain was better. More bearable. Claws twitched. The place the body lay was hard, not like last time. But last time was blurry. Too much pain. This time it was better. Eyes dared to open just a bit, afraid to be blinded by light. But there was no light. Still, everything was very clear. But it was too much. Eyes closed again.
There were voices again. The wear clearer than last time, but still not understandable. There was no concentration possible. The head started pounding harder again. Pain. Again. Getting worse. Darkness. And again, no strength to fight it. Dark eternity. Once again.
-x-
There was a knock on the clubhouse' door. It was Dyson. Bos eyes pleaded silently with him to tell her he had good news.
The wolf-shifter nodded. "We found somebody on the tape from outside the building. I went to the corridor, too, to see if I could smell a familiar scent. I checked back with a few people in the lab and they conformed my suspicion."
"Who was it?" Bo's voice was barely a whisper. Who could have done this that Dyson knew well enough to recognize the scent so without doubt?
"I also told Hale and he shares my opinion, given everything we found. It was most likely Tamsin, Bo."
Kenzi who was sitting on the couch stiffened.
"What?" Bo's eyes turned iridescent blue. "I'm going to rip her still beating heart out with my bare hands!" She was as furious as she had been scared before, probably even more so. Before she could push past Dyson he placed a hand firmly on her shoulder. "It's no use. Tamsin obviously won't answer her phone, she is nowhere to be found, nobody has seen her in days and the trail of her scent looses itself in front of the compound. There was Lauren's scent mixed with her's there, too, so I'm sure she had Lauren at that point."
Bo was still breathing hard through the nose but trying to focus, eyes still blue.
"You don't think she still has her?"
Dyson shook his head. "Tamsin is a valkyrie. She is summoned to bring people in for payment, somewhat like a bounty hunter, only much worse. I'm guessing someone made her an offer she couldn't refuse."
"I know what a valkyrie does. Kenzi here experienced firsthand."
Dyson's eyebrows shot up. The little Goth on the couch finally turned her head to face the shifter. "Yeah, kinda long story." She said in a quiet voice.
-x-
Pulled out of the darkness harshly. Out of the offered peace. Panting. Air filling lungs in quick gulps. There was still pain, but not much. Stretching stiff limbs. It felt better. Like new. Everything seemed back to normal. But what was normal? Later. There would be time to think later.
Sitting up. The pain didn't get worse. Good. Stretching again. It felt good. But there was something. Something, that shouldn't be there. A pulling, deep inside. Concentrating on the pulling, why it was there. Think later. The darkness inside the head pushed back further, the mind getting clearer.
Finding strength to open heavy-lidded eyes. Looking around. Taking a hand and looking at it. Seeing small claws at the end long slender fingers. Getting stronger by the second. Eyes changing color, becoming cat-like, fierce. A smile spread across the face.
Finally.
As always, I will try to update fast, as I said, I do have more time now. Thanks for all the great support, I'm grateful for every feedback I get! :) And also thank you that no one has appeared at my doorstep yet to punish me for killing our precious doctor! ;) Until next time! :)