Part 13 – Devils and Angels

Eleven days later

When the heavy door at the beginning of the small, humid corridor opened, bright daylight made a small mouse flee with a shriek. A young man looked up at the blurred shape of a person silhouetted against the light and jumped up when he recognized the visitor.

"Sire..." he said and saluted.

Jack Bristow nodded at him. "How is she?" he asked quietly, and the man obviously felt uncomfortable about this question.

"When I brought her the food, she wouldn't take it, and when I opened the door to bring it inside, she jumped up, took it and threw it at me. I thought she would kill me!"

Jack chuckled and took the key from the guard. It had been almost two weeks since Irina and he had entered into a state of war against each other. When they had departed from the small village, he had still been angry and – yes, he had to admit – hurt in his pride that Irina had been able to fool him. He had sworn to himself that he wouldn't make the mistake of trusting her again.

But seeing her, sitting shackled on the horse, had cooled down his anger a little and when they had reached his manor, he was determined to make the three months as comfortable as he could for her – provided that she behaved at least a little cooperatively.

He had given Irina her own room and granted her permission to move freely within the property – including the garden. He knew, three months in a prison cell were like hell and even if he mistrusted Irina, he didn't want her to rot in the prison cell of his cellar.

Yet, obviously Irina had mistaken his patience for kindness and so she hadn't been able to resist tempting him once more. Now she was unwilling to give in, and he was too stubborn to do so.

I guess in a way, he mused, we are a perfect match.

He went down the corridor and finally looked through the bars of her cell. She was sitting on a cushion in a corner, her knees pulled to her chest. When she became aware of him, she jumped up and almost ran to the bars. Her eyes sparkled with rage.

"You..." she hissed, and Jack knew better than to get too close to the bars. He was sure that she would be able to kill him with a barred door between them.

"Nice to see you too, Irina. So, I take it you still don't want to eat."

"I will not eat until you let me out of here!"

"I will not let you out until you apologize!" he countered and leaned against the wall opposite to her cell, observing her. Irina folded her arms.

"Your damned guards should apologize! I won't, since it wasn't my fault!" she announced, and he tilted his head slightly.

"Then... welcome to your new home. I hope it's comfortable enough for the next three months."

"Bastard!"

"Witch!"

Both took a deep breath, knowing that they would get nowhere with a conversation like this. Irina closed her hands around the bars and laid her forehead to the cool metal.

"I told you, I did not try to flee. I simply needed a little fresh air." She started in a calm and rational voice.

"You stole a horse. The whole staff of the stable was after you. Don't tell me you were just trying to have a nice afternoon and then were going to return in the evening." He countered in the same calm tone. Irina slammed her fists so loudly against the metal that the young guard jumped up and ran to protect Jack, a weapon in his hand. Jack lifted his arm to calm him down and signaled him to leave them alone.

"You are scaring my soldiers." He mused and glanced at Irina.

"I wanted to take a ride. I had been sitting in this damned house for over a week. I wanted to see a little bit of the countryside. Your men totally overreacted, the horse got scared and I lost control... It was not an attempt to flee from them! I was too busy to hold on to that horse to even think about any kind of escape."

"I see..." Jack nodded. "And do you remember what I told you when we arrived? You are free to move in the house and the garden, but never ever leave the property AND never ever take a horse – especially not my best one. So you can't blame them for assuming that you were attempting to flee."

Irina scoffed and pierced the man with her eyes. "I did not know it was your best horse. I liked her. She looks beautiful, so I chose her. Of course I didn't know your men would scare her to death! Besides, I told you that I do not take any orders from you. Do you really think that I would try to escape with one of your horses? I'm smarter than that. I know, horses return to their owner. I couldn't have left the animal alone!"

"I see you have given that thought some consideration." His eyes blinked with amusement when he went closer and touched her hands in a tender gesture. Irina pulled them away from him and sat down on her small bed.

She was in fact the toughest woman he had ever met, of that there was no question. A slight smiled played around the corner of his mouth when he remembered how tempered she was. Any other woman he knew would have long sat on her knees, begging for pardon, but instead of asking him to let her out, she insulted and cursed him.

"Is there anything else?" Irina asked coldly. "If not, I advise you to leave. You won't hear an apology from me."

"Fine, then... enjoy the rest of the day." Jack said. He turned to leave when he remembered something else. "Oh, and I take it that you won't start to eat again during the next days. Do you mind if I reduce your meals to bread and water then? Because it's such a pity to have the cook prepare a rich meal for you if you just throw it against the wall. Water and bread are easier to throw and cost less."

She pounced on the metal door and cursed loudly, mixed with frustrated cries while she shook the door violently. "I hate you, Jack Bristow! I HATE YOU!"

Jack couldn't help but chuckle, when he passed by the young soldier who looked at him with eyes huge in shock. The young man just could not understand how Jack could be so cool and controlled when in presence of that woman. He himself was always happy when his shift was over and she hadn't caused more than the usual trouble – like throwing food and cursing. But Jack Bristow seemed to enjoy fighting with her.

"Sire," he said and saluted when Jack looked at him.

"Call me if anything happens... oh, and make sure Miss Derevko receives the two books I asked Harold to take from the library."

"I shall give them to her?" the young man asked, his voice not hiding the hint of panic that hit him. Jack tilted his head, his eyes sparkling amused.

"Of course! Is there a problem with that?"

"No, Sire... not at all... Sire... it's just that..." The man hesitated and obviously considered whether he should say his words or not.

"What?" Jack asked.

"Well... it's just that books hurt more than food when they are thrown."

Jack stared at him, not knowing whether to yell at the man or to laugh, then he shook his head and went to the door. "I can't believe my soldiers are more afraid of a woman than of war." He murmured before he closed the door. The young man looked after him and gulped, then he looked at Irina's cell. In a way, Bristow was right... yet, he still hoped that the books would be brought when the next soldier had shift.

Somewhere in Northern England – Evening of the same day

The young woman moved aside to leave the bed and collect her clothes from the ground. It was time for her to go, she had a meeting with a contact in two hours.

An arm grabbed her around the waist and held her softly.

"Don't leave just yet..."

"I have to..." she replied and freed herself. "I told you I have a meeting."

"Katya, please, could you just forget about the meeting?" He sat up and touched her shoulders to kiss her velvet skin. Katya moved out of his grip and grabbed her underwear from the ground.

"Julian, if I just forget about the meeting, the information you gave me is worthless. Besides, my maid is waiting for me... I'm sure she's scared already." Katya pulled on her underwear, then her dress.

"When will I see you again?" Julian Sark admired the perfectly shaped body of his newest conquest. She was already a little older than him, but that didn't disturb him. It had never disturbed him – on the contrary.

Katya turned at this question, placing a soft kiss on his lips. "Soon, I promise... And then we'll do everything you ever dreamed about."

With this sweet promise she got up and went to the door. "I'll be in contact."

Julian watched as she left and wondered why he had the feeling that this time he was not the one in control over the affair.

Katya went along the dark corridor and left the house through the back door. She knew Julian Sark... she had met him several times in London and his interest in her had been pretty clear. And knowing that he was in contact with some higher ranking men of their terrorist ring, she would use him until she didn't need him anymore.

Interesting, she mused, that those men who think they are the best lovers are usually the worst ones ever. Well, she would have a little time to teach Julian a few things.

His information was really valuable, and he had managed to arrange a meeting with a higher ranking officer for her. All she had to do now was gain the trust of that man – the rest would be as easy as a game of chess.

Another two days later

"WHAT?"

The young soldier made a step towards the wall, when Irina stared at him, the look on her face proving that she was prepared to kill.

"How dare he?"

"I'm... I'm...I'm sorry... Milady." He stammered. "It's just what I was told to give to you..."

Irina looked at the young man on the other side of the barred door, then at the sheet of paper in her hand.

Dinner is at 9pm. I expect you

to be there in an appropriate dress

and mood.

Jack

After having read the words once again, she crumpled the sheet in her hand and threw it against the wall. No please, no kind word. Just an order.

"Tell Mr. Bristow that I won't have dinner with him." She snapped and folded her arms. "And advise him that he should work on his tone. Giving an order for dinner is certainly not an appropriate way to make a woman peaceful – not even at court!"

"But Milady... I told you that he said explicitly, he wouldn't accept a no!" The man had gotten more courageous during the last two days after she had talked to him in his night shift. She had asked him about Jack, then later they had talked about common things. He had learned that she was a very nice woman who treated him with respect. Still, he didn't want to be the one who outraged her in any way.

"Well, then greet him from me and tell him, that I still don't accept orders."

Young Andrew knew, that Irina wouldn't change her mind. It amazed him how much she resembled Lord Bristow in her reaction and stubbornness. He shrugged his shoulders, knowing that any attempt to convince her to attend dinner would only strengthen her in her unwillingness to go, and then turned to bring the message to Jack.

Irina was prepared to see Jack any minute, furiously yelling at her and asking her what she was thinking to turn down an order of his, but to her surprise he didn't come. She sighed. The last days she had spend mostly sitting on her bed. The books that had been brought to her had been lying on the small table for a whole day before Irina had finally overcome her stubbornness and admitted that she was indeed bored. Then she had started reading. It hadn't taken her more than the last night to finish the literature and now she felt bored again. Yet, she would rather die than ask for more.

Her stomach hurt from hunger, but she was too proud to take any of the food that had been brought to her. That would be like surrendering to Jack, and she was not willing to do so. She was afraid of him – actually she was afraid of the power he had over her heart and her body.

She had never reacted uncontrolled when provoked by an enemy. She had never lost her self-control and yelled at somebody. But for some reason Jack managed to make her rage with fury, and she didn't understand why.

She paced up and down in her cell – although it could barely be called a cell anymore. She had a small table, a commode, a mirror, a bathtub – still, the fact remained that she was a prisoner. She longed for being out and free to move wherever she wanted.

At 9pm Irina had already forgotten about the dinner 'invitation', when suddenly the corridor was filled with rumbling and voices. A soldier opened the barred door, and maids started to bring in plates and glasses. They ignored Irina's protests and questions about what they were doing, but chit-chatted about the newest happenings and affairs.

When they were finished, they left the room without taking any note of Irina. The woman looked at the rich dinner and felt her stomach hurt.

"Don't even think about it." Jack warned when he entered the room, fearing that he would be greeted by a flying plate. The soldier locked the cell behind them and then left. Irina stared at Jack, then at the door and folded her arms.

"You're courageous. Letting yourself be locked in here with me when you're in danger of being killed." She stated, and he chuckled, but didn't comment on her provocation. Instead, he sat down at the small table. Irina didn't move.

"Sit down," Jack said frankly after a few minutes. The woman didn't make any effort to comply. "Irina, I want to talk about some kind of truce, and I don't want to do so with you standing."

"Truce?" Irina asked, but sat down now. She didn't look down at the food but kept her eyes locked with his.

"Yes," Jack replied. "It can't go on like this. You've been in this cell for four days now and all the time you haven't eaten anything. This is ridiculous. I won't let you starve to death, so we should work out a compromise."

"Like what?" Irina asked neutrally, unable to resist the smell of the food. She took a strawberry from a plate.

"I will let you out of here. In return you promise to not leave the property without company." He offered her some wine, and she gave him her glass.

"Company?" she asked, savoring the taste of the strawberry. Never in her life had she worshipped the fact that she had food more.

"Me." He explained. "If you want to go for a ride or take a walk, you can just come to me and I will accompany you. You're free to move everywhere inside the manor and the garden, but the moment you try to leave it on your own, without me, you'll be returned to this cell."

Irina scoffed and took a sip of wine, then she got up and walked around. "I don't like the sound of this..." she finally explained. "I told you I don't take orders and I..."

"It is not an order," Jack corrected her friendly. "It's an offer which you can take or turn down."

"You can't lock me down here forever." Irina explained neutrally, and Jack chuckled while he got up slowly.

"We are married, so practically I can do everything I want." What he said was true, still his eyes betrayed that locking Irina down here was the last thing he wanted.

Irina's eyes sparkled in a silent challenge, seeing how he looked her up and down. She remembered the nights she had shared with him and shivered slightly.

No, she finally stopped herself, he is not going to win this game.

She would not give in just because he said something charming or tried to be nice. She would teach him a lesson about using the means he would use with one of the cheap ladies at court.

"Jack, I would do almost everything to leave this goddamned cell..." she started and leaned against the cold stone wall behind her, her hands on her back, while she held Jack's eyes seductively.

"All you have to do is to agree. You can either choose this place to be your prison, or you can choose it to be a comfortable home." His voice was low while he slowly approached her, his eyes gleaming in rising desire. Everything in her behavior reminded him of how passionate she could be and how sweetly they could take each other into the heights of ecstasy. It could have been be so easy – if just one of them had been willing to give in to the other.

Finally he reached her, his hand finding her waist and his lips grazing the skin of her cheek. Irina closed her eyes, for a moment giving in to the overwhelming warmth his closeness caused inside her. It had been too long since she had felt him close to her – too many nights where all she had was her imagination.

Her tongue started to play at his earlobe while her hands ran down his chest over his stomach and then rested on his abdomen. He pushed her against the wall and claimed the skin of her neck in a passionate exploration. Irina bit her lip to focus and not lose herself in his touch.

"Tell me what you want..." she demanded softly and bit his earlobe. When she heard him moan, she smiled triumphantly.

"I want to make love to you... I have missed that over the last two weeks." He confessed honestly and looked into her eyes. Then he lowered his head to claim her lips, but she turned her head away, knowing that she would be lost if she allowed him to kiss her.

"Tell me more... how do you want to make love to me?" she demanded, her voice thick with desire and unable to hide her arousal. Still, she was careful not to lose her last remains of control.

"I want to kiss you... everywhere. Here..." He kissed her chin. "And here..." His lips wandered to the sensitive spot under her earlobe, where he teased her now thoroughly with his tongue and lips until he was contented by her moan and felt her body shiver against his. His hands ran over her shoulder and then down her body. His fingers teased her breasts through the material before they continued their journey down.

Irina laid her hands back against Jack's chest. She had actually planned to go further, but she wasn't able to do so since she felt that she would surrender any second. There was no way she would allow herself to give in to her feelings. She had planned this to show Jack how much power she had over him, therefore she couldn't let him end this – although, she had to admit silently, she wanted nothing more.

In a sudden movement she pushed him away and fled from his touch to the other side of the room. Her eyes were dark with need and it took all her strength to gather her control. Jack turned in confusion, taking a step towards her.

"Stay away from me." She hissed and folded her arms. "You want to sleep with me? Then let me out of here... no orders, no restrictions. Otherwise, all you will get from me are little turn-ons."

Jack laughed ironically, unable to believe that he had fallen for her trick. "I should have known it when you suddenly seemed so cooperative. But I have to disappoint you. You will not blackmail me with your body into letting you go."

"We'll see... " Irina murmured, her eyes still gleaming. "You can't lock me down here forever and we both know what I can do to you when I want... it doesn't even take much of an effort."

"You are a witch, do you know that?" Jack said almost amused, then he went to the door and yelled for the soldier to open up. "You should be a little more careful about the wars you start, Irina, because I think both of us also remember what I can do to you without much of an effort." There was a silent threat in his voice and the dangerous promise that he would take revenge for her little game.

The soldier arrived and unlocked the door. Irina watched Jack leave and didn't even take the slightest notice of the soldier who closed her prison again.

Finally she was alone – as she had been the last days. She looked at the table with the food and eventually sat down. She had won this day, he had left frustrated, so why not celebrate her success with a nice dinner?

She was sure he would think his decision over soon – after one or two more nights alone. Ignoring the voice inside her that said she might as well think her resistance over given the frustration of the lonely nights, she enjoyed the rich meal.

To be continued...