Ch. 24

Unconsciousness only held me for a few moments, but it was long enough for Baine to decide he was done for now and order Tom to take me back to my cell. I watched blankly as Baine left a bowing Tom to do as he was told. The agony throbbing in my body was so immense it seemed as if it and my mind were two separate beings. Anything I focused on moved with a creeping pace, as if my mind were working through a fog as it deciphered what it was seeing.

Tom was beside me now, I realized. I'd taken so long trying to take in the situation that I'd missed his movement altogether. Fresh pain surfaced as he tried to drag me to my feet, but it barely registered through the already overwhelming tide. I think I tried to help him, but what control over myself I had left was being put into simply remaining awake and coherent. He seemed to pick up on this after his second failed attempt to get me standing and, with a frustrated grimace, threw me over his shoulder and carried me out of the room.

Staying conscious took such an effort of will as I was jostled and bumped around by his stride that I forgot entirely to wonder where he might be taking me. It was only after we'd arrived and I was laying haphazardly across a hard bed (I didn't have the strength to straighten from the position he'd dumped me in) that I realized I wasn't in the room I'd woken in before. Slowly, always so slowly, I took in what little of the new prison I could see. The walls, once a peachy color, had long ago faded to an ugly off-white, and the ceiling was covered in cobwebs. The floor was hardwood, as the first had been, and was covered in the same layer of dust everything else was. I could plainly see Tom's footsteps both leading to and away from the edge of the bed.

"Why…new room?" I managed to whisper quite a while later. I still hadn't moved, but I'd been there long enough for my shadow to become visible on the floor beside me. I'd watched it grow, unable to help imagining it as a demon slowly widening its mouth to devour me and equally unable to care.

"Baine wants you to think he cares about your well-being." Tom answered from somewhere to my right. No… My snail-paced mind corrected me. That's not him. The memory of his gruff voice ordering me to stand trickled into my head. This voice sounded smoother, less fierce. He, I'd decided it was a boy, continued, "Unfortunately, he's not the kind of man who can do that convincingly. Just look what he's done to you! How could that possibly be him "caring" about your well-being?" The boy's feet came into view. He was wearing worn out grey and white checkered Converse. He sounded angry, almost appalled, but there was no way to know if it was at what had been done to me or at Baine's lack of acting skills.

Over the hour or so I'd been lying still, the monster forged from the depths of my pain had gone to sleep. It was still very much there, but I could ignore it. Since I could only see his shoes, I didn't know until the beast woke and bit deep into my many injuries that I understood he was rolling me over. The beast let out a high-pitched wail as I moved, a sound so loud it frightened me. Almost as soon as it began a hand clamped hard over my mouth, silencing it almost completely. It was then that I knew the sound had been coming from me. Furious with myself for not being able to control the thing with a firmer hand, I shut up and kicked at it with my mind, trying with all I had to hold it at bay. It wasn't until the boy had finished and I was still again, however, that I could finally focus once more.

Now my view was taken up almost entirely by his face. He was handsome, as handsome as Atton, but in a fiercer way. Atton's face, jaw smooth and eyes half-hidden under his black hair, was mysterious. It was the kind of face you kept looking at without meaning to, as if your mind where trying to decide what to make of what it was seeing. This boy's, he couldn't be any older than myself, was more angular and his hair was cut just short enough that his eyes went untouched by its dirty blonde locks. The sharp angles of his jaw and the two scars on his face, one on his eyebrow and another cutting a crease into his lower lip, gave him the look of a warrior lost in time. His eyes, though they were as brown as every Unclean I'd met, held none of the power a vampire's did. He was human.

"I'm sorry." He whispered. His eyes, the only soft feature he owned, were burning with sincerity. "I'm sorry I hurt you. I'm sorry Baine hurt you. I'm sorry I couldn't do anything to stop it." With every sorry his eyes glimmered brighter. At least he means it… I thought to myself. I knew I should feel happy that at least one of the Unclean's number, even if it was only one of their Unclean-to-be, was sorry, but I was past caring. All I wanted was the monster that was my agony to die and for things to be as they were before I'd walked into those woods. Suddenly, I realized that he hadn't been finished and managed to catch the end of his sentence.

"…lessen the pain."

"What?" I forced lips to ask. If there was a chance to escape the beast that held my body ransom, I didn't want to miss it.

"I said, I know who can lessen the pain. She wouldn't be able make it go away completely, but she could heal the inner damage that's causing the worst of it. I…it's not much, but it's all I can do…" Again with that burning sincerity. Whoever this was, he certainly hated what Baine had done, but did he hate what Baine planned to do? Did he even know? From what Baine had hinted at before, it wasn't only the death of the Purebloods he was after. He had something even more unthinkable in mind, something I didn't dare contemplate.

"Why not…all?" My voice came out in a rasp, but louder. I was getting better control.

"Why can't she heal you completely?"

"Mmn…" Why make the effort to form words when a sound would suffice?

"If Baine saw that all your bruises were miraculously gone, he'd know someone had healed you. I want to help, but if he found out you'd only suffer more than you already are." All this time, he'd been leaning over me to properly look me in the eye. As he finished, he finally straightened and walked out of my field of vision. "Her name is Maria, by the way." He added as if it had just occurred to him that he'd been referring to the woman as "she" and "her" this whole time. I listened to his footsteps as he walked away from me, then the door open and shut. Whether I wanted to be or not, I was alone.

Some time later, I was jolted awake by the returning sound of footsteps and the murmur of voices. Heart pounding, I realized that I'd fallen asleep without meaning to and that someone was about to enter my room. Please…please let it be Maria and that boy…please… I begged silently, squeezing my eyes shut. My door opened, and the voices stopped speaking. For a long moment nothing happened. Then-

"Hello? Are you awake?" It was the boy. A relief so strong I could almost taste it rushed through me, and I opened my eyes. They weren't close enough for me to see them, but I pulled at the muscles in my face until a tiny smile played on my lips. I wanted them to see that I was glad they'd come. A few steps took the two, one human and the other obviously a vampire, into my sight. Maria was a small woman, but terrifying nonetheless. Heavy muscles covered her bare arms and were easy to see through her thin shirt. Her body and stature only served to make the kindness in her eyes stand out all the more. I liked her instantly. I'd always been fond of the kind of woman who could hold her own in a room of men but still manage not to be arrogant.

"My dear! What terrible damage he's done to you!" Her voice, infused with a mother's loving care, fit around the endearment so well that it calmed me rather than making my insides seize the way they did when Baine used it. Without another word, she set to work, humming a soothing tune as she did. Her surprisingly gentle hands worked the pain away so quickly I could barely stop myself from laughing out loud at the loss of it. The healing only took ten or fifteen minutes, but I wanted the blessed feeling to last forever.

"There! How are you feeling dear? Can you move? Oh, I wish I could fix your face up a bit! You look so dreadful!" Maria fretted and tutted until I was propped up comfortably against a pillow. My muscles, having not been used in so long, creaked and protested the whole way, but I didn't care. I could move! It took me a moment to find my voice, but when I did it poured out of me as if it had been locked away and was now bursting out all at once. I suppose it had been.

"Thank you! Thank you so much! Don't worry about my face! I can't describe how much pain there was! Compared to that I feel amazing! You're even better than Selena! She was-" I froze, eyes wide with the realization of what I had nearly said. She was the one who healed me after the surgery. It wasn't something that would hurt anyone, but I'd promised myself I wouldn't give any information, no matter how small, if I didn't need to.

"That's ok, sweetheart!" Maria quickly soothed, "You don't have to tell us anything you think we shouldn't know!" She smiled softly, and I could see the open honesty on her face. I was in shock. Since the day I'd been brought into this, I'd been lead to believe that all Unclean were evil, cold-hearted murders, and I'd met several that had inforced that belief, but the two people sitting before me were proof that it wasn't completely true. Which reminds me…

"What's your name?" I asked the boy, annoyed at myself for not asking sooner. He seemed surprised too, and replied with a touch of sheepishness.

"It's Stephan. I forgot I hadn't told you yet…" So he'd been given the older version of Steven. I'll have to remember to make the "ph" sound instead of a v. I nodded, glad to finally know. The "boy" in my head had finally been given a name.

"So what now? Will my friends and I ever get out of here?" I asked after a slightly awkward pause.

"Well…" Maria began sadly. Her eyes said it all. They couldn't do anything but wait until my next interrogation and hope there was still a living person to heal. Stephan had understated things when he'd said that she would only be able to lessen the pain. There was still a very real chance I would die.

"I wish we could-" Maria started to continue, but I raised my hand and shook my head. I didn't want to hear it said out loud.

"Maybe there's a way…" Stephan said softly. Maria looked confused for a moment, then very alarmed.

"Not that way! There're too many guards and members of the clan between them and that route! They'd never survive the run there!" She replied furiously. I liked that she said "Them", since it meant we'd be rescuing Atton and Sakuya as well, but not the odds she was making me envision. A sudden memory of Sakuya bleeding silver blood made me shutter. I never wanted that to happen again. However, if there was a chance to get out of this hellish place, I wanted to at least hear him out.

"Go on." I said sternly, trying hard to ignore the aghast look on Maria's face.

Looking a little surprised himself and more than a little impressed, Stephan said, "We can probably get the boy and vampire free for you, but getting to the way out I'm thinking of is something you three must do on your own. In the basement there's a large wardrobe sitting in the far right corner. Underneath it is a trap door leading away from here that opens in the woods. Once you get out, it's a left turn and a two mile walk to civilization! The difficult part is getting through the first floor to the basement stairs. The first floor is where half of the coven, including a good many of our trackers, is waiting to hear what information Baine can glean from you. The attack on the Bricks mansion was a failure, and we lost quite a few of our warriors, so they are anxious for some good news. Their guards will be up."

As he spoke, I visualized what he was saying in my head, but without any knowledge of the mansion we were in, how on earth could I make a plan to get through that floor? Still, they seemed to believe it was the only way, so of course I would have to try it. What other choice did I have? At least this way Atton and Sakuya had a chance of surviving. It was wonderful news indeed that the attack had failed, but If they stayed here, there was no doubt in my mind Baine would get rid of them before Amilio found us. All I wanted was for them to be safe.

"How are you going to set them free? Sakuya is being held with magic! Can't only vampires dispel something like that?" I asked, determined to know the plan in detail before I made my decision final.

"I don't know yet, but I have more freedom than you do." He said, pointing out the obvious. His confidence that everything would work out showed plainly on his face. "Besides, we have Maria here to release the vam-Sakuya." Well, he got points for determination, if anything.

"Baine is distracted right now with getting our warriors ready for another battle with the Purebloods and thinking of a new way to get information out of you and your friends." Maria put in. This truck a cord in my intuition. I'd just heard something I shouldn't have.

"Baine interrogated the others too?" I asked worriedly.

"Of course, dear! But no worries! They didn't tell him anything he didn't already know!" Maria replied quickly. I let out a sigh of relief at the ring of truth in her words.

"How badly are they hurt?" I asked. Maria opened her mouth to answer, but just as quickly shut it again and started pushing me back down into a laying position. Her eyes wide, she quickly motioned for Stephan to follow her.

"What's-" I started to ask, but Stephan quickly covered my mouth and shushed me.

"Maria can sense when another vampire comes near." He hissed in my ear before hurriedly turning and following her out the door. I was alone once again, and I still had no idea how we were going to get to the basement. Maybe, with a bit of luck, a chance would present itself. Refusing to let my hopes die, I settled on the bed in as close to the way I'd been laid as I could remember and waited for my company to arrive. I didn't have to for long.

"See? The filthy girl is still sittin' there as if she forgot how to make herself move!" It was Tom, and he'd brought someone with him. I didn't dare lift my head to look.

"I see." So it was Baine. At the sound of his voice my mind twisted in terror. Every injury, even the ones that weren't there anymore, came alive with the remembered blows that had caused them. "Call for Maria. If she can't move, she more than likely can't speak either. Tell her to heal only what must be healed. Bruises mean nothing. And fix that ridiculous position she's in!" Before another word was spoken, the door opened and closed once more, and Baine was gone. It took more effort than I thought to hold back my sigh of relief.

Tom's dirty shoes came into view for a second before I was heaved onto my back and the pillow was shoved under my head. It wasn't as comfortable as leaning against the headboard, but it was better than being stuck lying at an absurd angle on my stomach. For a moment, Tom stood in my view, a look of disgust on his ugly features. It was hard to believe that he, Stephan, and Maria were part of the same family. Finally, he turned away and left to find Maria. I hoped she'd gotten far enough away that she didn't cause suspicion. Glad to be able to blink without having to consciously move as slow as I had been before, I tried to imagine what Maria would act like under Tom's hateful gaze.

"…says to only heal the biggest wounds." Tom was finished as he and Maria walked back inside several minutes later. So she got far enough away after all… I smiled inwardly. So far everything was still going well. Whatever everything was.

"Baine seems to have really done a number on her." Maria's voice replied, full with disgust just as cold as Tom's. It was a voice that despised humans, plain and simple. I hope all of that is just acting… Hard fingers prodded at my bruises, and a small whimper escaped my lips before I could stop it.

"The inner injuries are severe…" She muttered to herself. Her face swam in and out of view as she checked up and down my stomach. "It'll take a few minutes, but I can heal her." She said louder to Tom. Her fingers moved more gently as they began to pump energy into my muscles. I gasped at the rush of it, aware that she was giving me strength and tricking Tom at the same time. It was glorious, like she was filling me with liquid sunshine. From near the door I heard Tom snicker. My gasp must have made him think that Maria was hurting me as she healed. After hearing the voice she'd spoken with, it was easy to imagine why he would.

I squirmed around, fighting not to laugh at the exhilaration of every cell in my body humming with renewed strength, but only succeeding in softening it urge into more whimpers. Thankfully, this only strengthened Tom's belief that all was well. When she finally finished "healing" me, I felt as if I'd burst if she gave me anymore, and yet I desperately wanted her to. I very nearly called out to her to come back when she turned to leave, but I got a stronger hold on myself and stopped at the last possible second. A vampire's magic was a dangerous thing indeed.

"She'll survive now." Maria stated simply, earning a grunt in reply.

"Sit up!" Tom ordered as soon as she was gone. Very slowly, I did as I was told, knowing that if I went even a little faster, I'd do something stupid. I was stilling feeling much too reckless.

"You feel better, filth?"

"Yes…"

"Good. Are you hungry?"

"Yes!" I almost cried the word. I wasn't hungry at all, but I knew it was a chance to see Atton and Sakuya again. I wanted to see with my own eyes that they were ok.

"Then get up. The other pigs are already eating." He snarled at me harshly. Grimacing in my efforts not to smile, I swung my legs over the edge of the bed and carefully let my legs take my weight. They shook for a moment, but it was with the yearning to run, not from being unable to hold me up. My hands, which had come untied at some point, were quickly, and painfully, rebound, before he would let me take another step.

I tried to memorize as much of the way to the dining room as I could on the way. With my racing mind, it was much easier than I thought it'd be. It was an even shorter distance than it had been from my other room. Left hallway, second door on the right. Left hallway, second door on the right. I chanted the directions like a prayer as I was tied to my armrests. Sakuya, who'd already had her blood if her mouth was any indication, and Atton seemed the same as the last time I saw them. At least, I thought so until I saw the bruise peeking over the top of Atton's collar and the five inch gash on Sakuya's arm that was steadily bleeding the silver liquid that was her blood.

"Wednesday! I going to kill him! Are you ok? I'm so sorry!" Atton said in a strangled voice when he saw my face. How bad do I look? I thought to myself. I'd forgotten completely that I was still covered in bruises. I got my answer when I caught my reflection in Sakuya's goblet. The entire left side of my jaw was an ugly shade of purple and a jagged, half-healed cut decorated my forehead. By some stroke of fate, Baine managed to miss the main features of my face. I didn't even have a black eye. Still, the damage he had caused was frightening, and the fact that I couldn't feel it at all was testimony to Maria's skill as a healer.

"I'm ok, really." I said around my bite of mash potatoes. They didn't have much variety when it came to human food. Then again, I suppose vampires have no real need for it. "The healer did really good at getting rid of the worst of it. More importantly, how are you two doing?"

"More importantly?" Atton gasped indignantly. He was silenced from continueing by a huge bite of peas.

"We're fine. I don't know how much longer they're going to let us live, though. Baine must to have figured out that we won't give anything away by now." Sakuya said, taking advantage of Atton's occupation. I sighed. It was one thing to think something to yourself but quite another to hear it said aloud by someone you knew.

"Do you think we'll ever make it out of here?" Atton whispered, his face grave.

"Don't ask things like that!" I said firmly. I couldn't tell them anything in front of our feeders, but I refused to let them give up hope. "Lets just keep surviving for now and hope that something happens. Who knows? Baine may even let us go." Even as I uttered the last sentence, I knew it was a ridiculous notion. Baine wasn't letting us go anywhere without a fight.

"Yea…" Atton said without any conviction. Without anything to say, we continued eating in silence. I hated not knowing what was in store for us, but who knew when I might get another chance to speak with Maria and Stephan alone. I had to face the fact that we could be stuck here for days, if we even lasted that long.

"Ah, it seems as if you are doing better, dear Wednesday." Baine's voice cut into my train of thought like a heated knife. Fear twisted my stomach, making me regret eating anything at all, and I turned to see him standing in the doorway. To my shock, Stephan was standing next to him, a grim look on his edged features. Following my gaze, Baine smiled wickedly and stepped aside to give us a better view of the boy behind him. "Where are my manners? I've forgotten to introduce you."

"This is my son, Stephan."

Yayayay! AAAlll dooonnee! Did you like it? Huh, huh? oh gosh...sorry, im running on a huge cup of coffee right now...0_o...anyhoo! pleeeeassseeee review! I hope you enjoyed it as much as i enjoy writing this book! :) REVIEW THIS CHAPTER KIRA! (Shes my bff! XD)