CHAPTER 13
I know some of you predicted this, though there are still many surprises in store! Sorry about the wait. Those unfortunate things known as school and work have been taking up much of my time. Thanks for all your reviews! :-)
Orchid hit the hard ground with a thud, landing face down and hitting her head once again. Pretty stars danced in front of her eyes and she gaped at them stupidly, too out of it to realize the bad situation she'd fallen into. It wasn't until Julian's face appeared in her line of vision that she was jolted back to reality, and even then she could think of little to do but stare at him.
"Fifty seven minutes and fourteen seconds. Not bad." Light danced in Julian's eyes. Orchid moaned and managed to pull herself into a sitting position.
"This is such a chippy day." She growled, resting her throbbing head in her hands.
"You should be proud of yourself. Most people don't last half as long as you did, and you were new at being *human*."
Orchid fought down the now familiar urge to strangle him. She didn't think she could withstand another mental battle with him. Sarcasm and wit just weren't worth it right now.
"So, this is your world, huh?"
"In a sense."
"It sure is ugly." In fact, Orchid noted, it looked exactly the same as the place she had just been in, minus the rocks, trees and fog. The light from the ground now shone pure and bright. She was almost thankful at the moment for her less-sensitive eyes. To her great relief, the horrible minions were also nowhere to be seen.
"This is my world in one of its baser states. I am not influencing it at the moment. I can make it anything I want it to be, though." As if to prove his point, a chair appeared in thin air and dropped softly to the ground. "You look pretty worn out. Would you like to sit down?"
"Don't patronize me." Orchid mumbled, using the chair to pull herself to her feet. She wished she had some Tylenol. Just the thought that she would actually wish for such a thing made her want to hide her head under a paper bag. Yet she was a mess. Her back and leg were bleeding. She was covered in bruises. She knew there had to be a lump on her head, and her entire body felt stiff and sore. As hard as she tried not to admit it, she really was quite helpless. And that made her afraid.
"As much abuse as I was taking from you earlier, I think I deserve some compensation."
Orchid held back an angry remark, because she knew he was right. She had really put on a show all this time and now here she was, beaten and hardly able to stand up. She hadn't stuck her foot in her mouth, she had kicked herself in the face. But she wouldn't apologize to him if that's what he was looking for. There was no *way*.
"Oh, come now, Orchid. Be a sport."
"You won." Orchid said quietly. There was no way of getting around it. Nothing she could do about it. The ring seemed to be burning her finger and she wanted to yank it off and chuck it off some cliff into the ocean. That idiot ring. She had been so devoted to it and in return it had brought her nothing but misery. Her finger tingled as she slid it off. She held it out to Julian and at long last he took it.
Julian stared at the ring. The last embers of Orchid's light spell were flickering out. No one, not even the most powerful witch or sorcerer in the world, could have cast a spell into that ring without some outside influence. Some assisting power. He sighed. This only proved what he had been thinking since she offered him the ring.
"There. You've made your point. You have your ring. Can I go home now?"
Julian gave her one of those horrible smiles and she almost cringed. Almost. "Who ever said the ring was the only prize? You accepted my game without knowing what the stakes were, and you can't back out, Orchid. Not out of *my* game."
Orchid felt her stomach drop and once again kicked herself for being such a fool. She had let her pride run over her intuition and common sense. He could ask for anything, and their bargain was probably sealed with some magical power. Something to make sure she kept her agreement. She clenched her fist and stared him in the eye. "What do you want?"
Julian grinned. "Can't you read my mind?"
Orchid realized that she very well could have done that all along. It might have helped her in some things. But after their last connection....his mind was a cave she didn't want to go into. He was staring at her intently. He wasn't going to tell her, and she figured that he was enjoying making her find out for herself. Then another thought hit her. Could she even read minds anymore? Had she lost all her mental powers as well? Carefully she reached out with her mind, searching for Julian's.
The power was still there, but weak. Slowly she could feel their thoughts merge, and she dutifully scanned his mind for whatever the obscene prize that he intended to claim was. She found it almost instantly and she quickly broke out of his mind, her eyes a bright crimson.
"Are you insane?" She growled, awed at his nerve. "You can jump off a cliff!" Not that. Anything but *that*. She would *not*.
"We made a deal, Orchid. I know you realize that a bargain with a Shadow Man cannot be recalled."
"You're disgusting."
"It doesn't matter if you like the circumstances. It's a matter of fact." Orchid noticed that Julian was suddenly very close to her. She stepped back, or at least tried to. Her body seemed frozen. He took her by the shoulders. "I could just force you, but I'd rather not."
*Stupid, stupid, stupid! How could you be so stupid!* A single angry tear fell from her eye and rolled down her jaw. Orchid felt a wave of heat flush through her cheeks. And then- her whole body felt warm. She gasped as her strength returned. The light around her became nearly blinding. She could hear Julian's heartbeat and the deafening silence around it. She could feel his emotions- not just read his thoughts but taste and smell and feel them. The energy he gave off made her arm hairs stand on end.
She glanced down at her wrists and saw that the shackles had vanished. Besides still being a bit sore, she felt a hundred percent better. She was her old self again and more so. She stared at Julian in confusion.
"Is that better?" His voice was different, as though he was trying to keep the coldness in it but wasn't succeeding.
"What's wrong with you?" she whispered, feeling dizzy from her suddenly expounded senses.
"You have your power back. Now will you let yourself see the truth?"
Orchid didn't want to see the truth. She wanted to be away from here! She began to struggle, trying to pry him away from her. Julian only tightened his grip on her shoulders and pulled her in closer.
"Don't fight me, Orchid!" His voice was harsh again, but it cracked just enough for Orchid to get a final burst of his thoughts. He was practically screaming out his deepest emotions, and suddenly she realized that she didn't want to fight him. She didn't need to. All of her defenses seemed to melt away, whether she wanted them to or not. She stopped struggling and stared into his dazzling blue eyes.
She could distantly feel Julian release his grip on her shoulders and wrap his arms around her waist. In a sudden burst of determination, she clumsily put her arms around his neck and kissed him.
I know some of you predicted this, though there are still many surprises in store! Sorry about the wait. Those unfortunate things known as school and work have been taking up much of my time. Thanks for all your reviews! :-)
Orchid hit the hard ground with a thud, landing face down and hitting her head once again. Pretty stars danced in front of her eyes and she gaped at them stupidly, too out of it to realize the bad situation she'd fallen into. It wasn't until Julian's face appeared in her line of vision that she was jolted back to reality, and even then she could think of little to do but stare at him.
"Fifty seven minutes and fourteen seconds. Not bad." Light danced in Julian's eyes. Orchid moaned and managed to pull herself into a sitting position.
"This is such a chippy day." She growled, resting her throbbing head in her hands.
"You should be proud of yourself. Most people don't last half as long as you did, and you were new at being *human*."
Orchid fought down the now familiar urge to strangle him. She didn't think she could withstand another mental battle with him. Sarcasm and wit just weren't worth it right now.
"So, this is your world, huh?"
"In a sense."
"It sure is ugly." In fact, Orchid noted, it looked exactly the same as the place she had just been in, minus the rocks, trees and fog. The light from the ground now shone pure and bright. She was almost thankful at the moment for her less-sensitive eyes. To her great relief, the horrible minions were also nowhere to be seen.
"This is my world in one of its baser states. I am not influencing it at the moment. I can make it anything I want it to be, though." As if to prove his point, a chair appeared in thin air and dropped softly to the ground. "You look pretty worn out. Would you like to sit down?"
"Don't patronize me." Orchid mumbled, using the chair to pull herself to her feet. She wished she had some Tylenol. Just the thought that she would actually wish for such a thing made her want to hide her head under a paper bag. Yet she was a mess. Her back and leg were bleeding. She was covered in bruises. She knew there had to be a lump on her head, and her entire body felt stiff and sore. As hard as she tried not to admit it, she really was quite helpless. And that made her afraid.
"As much abuse as I was taking from you earlier, I think I deserve some compensation."
Orchid held back an angry remark, because she knew he was right. She had really put on a show all this time and now here she was, beaten and hardly able to stand up. She hadn't stuck her foot in her mouth, she had kicked herself in the face. But she wouldn't apologize to him if that's what he was looking for. There was no *way*.
"Oh, come now, Orchid. Be a sport."
"You won." Orchid said quietly. There was no way of getting around it. Nothing she could do about it. The ring seemed to be burning her finger and she wanted to yank it off and chuck it off some cliff into the ocean. That idiot ring. She had been so devoted to it and in return it had brought her nothing but misery. Her finger tingled as she slid it off. She held it out to Julian and at long last he took it.
Julian stared at the ring. The last embers of Orchid's light spell were flickering out. No one, not even the most powerful witch or sorcerer in the world, could have cast a spell into that ring without some outside influence. Some assisting power. He sighed. This only proved what he had been thinking since she offered him the ring.
"There. You've made your point. You have your ring. Can I go home now?"
Julian gave her one of those horrible smiles and she almost cringed. Almost. "Who ever said the ring was the only prize? You accepted my game without knowing what the stakes were, and you can't back out, Orchid. Not out of *my* game."
Orchid felt her stomach drop and once again kicked herself for being such a fool. She had let her pride run over her intuition and common sense. He could ask for anything, and their bargain was probably sealed with some magical power. Something to make sure she kept her agreement. She clenched her fist and stared him in the eye. "What do you want?"
Julian grinned. "Can't you read my mind?"
Orchid realized that she very well could have done that all along. It might have helped her in some things. But after their last connection....his mind was a cave she didn't want to go into. He was staring at her intently. He wasn't going to tell her, and she figured that he was enjoying making her find out for herself. Then another thought hit her. Could she even read minds anymore? Had she lost all her mental powers as well? Carefully she reached out with her mind, searching for Julian's.
The power was still there, but weak. Slowly she could feel their thoughts merge, and she dutifully scanned his mind for whatever the obscene prize that he intended to claim was. She found it almost instantly and she quickly broke out of his mind, her eyes a bright crimson.
"Are you insane?" She growled, awed at his nerve. "You can jump off a cliff!" Not that. Anything but *that*. She would *not*.
"We made a deal, Orchid. I know you realize that a bargain with a Shadow Man cannot be recalled."
"You're disgusting."
"It doesn't matter if you like the circumstances. It's a matter of fact." Orchid noticed that Julian was suddenly very close to her. She stepped back, or at least tried to. Her body seemed frozen. He took her by the shoulders. "I could just force you, but I'd rather not."
*Stupid, stupid, stupid! How could you be so stupid!* A single angry tear fell from her eye and rolled down her jaw. Orchid felt a wave of heat flush through her cheeks. And then- her whole body felt warm. She gasped as her strength returned. The light around her became nearly blinding. She could hear Julian's heartbeat and the deafening silence around it. She could feel his emotions- not just read his thoughts but taste and smell and feel them. The energy he gave off made her arm hairs stand on end.
She glanced down at her wrists and saw that the shackles had vanished. Besides still being a bit sore, she felt a hundred percent better. She was her old self again and more so. She stared at Julian in confusion.
"Is that better?" His voice was different, as though he was trying to keep the coldness in it but wasn't succeeding.
"What's wrong with you?" she whispered, feeling dizzy from her suddenly expounded senses.
"You have your power back. Now will you let yourself see the truth?"
Orchid didn't want to see the truth. She wanted to be away from here! She began to struggle, trying to pry him away from her. Julian only tightened his grip on her shoulders and pulled her in closer.
"Don't fight me, Orchid!" His voice was harsh again, but it cracked just enough for Orchid to get a final burst of his thoughts. He was practically screaming out his deepest emotions, and suddenly she realized that she didn't want to fight him. She didn't need to. All of her defenses seemed to melt away, whether she wanted them to or not. She stopped struggling and stared into his dazzling blue eyes.
She could distantly feel Julian release his grip on her shoulders and wrap his arms around her waist. In a sudden burst of determination, she clumsily put her arms around his neck and kissed him.
