Chapter Three~ Angels and Demons
Miya had been led downstairs by Mead, through the long, empty halls until they came before the large doors that closed Venable's (now Langdon's) office from the rest of the Outpost. As she came to a stop, she straightened her back, raising her chin in an attempt to mask the fine tremors that ran through her body. Mead knocked on the door, waiting until they heard a velvety voice call for them to enter. Mead gave her an encouraging smile as she slid the door open and took a step in.
"I've got Miss Johnston, sir." The short woman was standing with a stiff back as she spoke to the man in the room.
"Ah, wonderful! Send her in."
Mead nodded once, then stepped back for her to pass. Miya took a deep breath and entered the room. Inside was only slightly brighter than the rest of the Outpost, partly because of the large fireplace, but mostly because of the sheer amount of candles that were lit around the room. She had never been in Venable's office, and she couldn't help but look around. There were two chairs by the fire, squared ones that faced each other. A spiral staircase led somewhere upstairs. Where? She had no idea. The place was so massive that even in the year and a half she had been there, she still didn't know how everything fit together. The only other décor in the room was a large wooden desk that stood in the middle of a large cluster of candles. It was there that she found the blonde man watching her, elbows resting on the desk, fingers intertwined under his chin. Miya dropped her eyes to her hands, taking a breath before she finally squared her shoulders and looked back at the man.
"You wanted to see me?"
One corner of his mouth quirked in amusement. "I did, yes." Langdon leaned back, settling himself against the arm while running one hand over his lips. He examined her for a moment, then gestured to the seat across from him. "Would you like to sit? You seem a bit unsteady." Miya's brow furrowed, wondering how he could possibly know. She thought she was doing a pretty good job of hiding her weak state. "Your file," he touched a manila folder before him, "It says you were 187.6 pounds the last time you went to the doctor. My apologies for discussing a lady's weight, but you certainly don't seem anywhere near that."
She sighed, "Eating less and less over a long period of time tends to do that." One of her knees buckled a little, causing her to sway on her feet.
Langdon stood quickly, but smoothly, and moved around the desk towards her. "Sit," he took a gentle hold of her arm, gesturing with his other hand to the chair. The sudden contact on her bare skin made her jump. She shied away from him a little, eyeing him distrustfully. Tilting his head to the side, he said softly, "Please. I'd hate to see you collapse again."
Her eyes widened. "How-"
"Ms. Venable told me about the debacle at breakfast the other day. She said you had a fainting spell. Please," he pulled her arm, leading her to the chair and helping her sit. Once she was situated, he returned to his own seat.
"What else did Ms. Venable tell you about me?" Miya was nervous.
"Oh, nothing I couldn't find in your file or see for myself. She mostly spoke about how she didn't understand why you were here." He rested his chin atop his hands again.
"Yeah...that tracks." She shook her head. "To be fair, I don't even know why I'm here. As far as I know, I've never met anyone in the Cooperative."
He sat up, icy blue eyes seeming to pierce her very soul as he watched her closely. "Humor me with a guess."
"Honestly, sir, I couldn't tell you. I'm...I'm not special."
"Oh, but you are," he crooned, smile growing. "You are very special, aren't you? Otherwise, why would you be here?" Miya simply blinked at him. "Tell me about your name." When she scrunched her nose at the request, he chuckled. "It's an interesting name. You don't see many Toras out there, now do you?"
"Um...my parents were spending some time in Japan when they found out my mother was pregnant with me. Miya is the Japanese word for 'temple'. Tora means 'tiger'. At least, that's what I've been told."
"And are you?"
"Am I what?"
"A tiger?"
One of her eyebrows shot up. "I'm not sure what you mean, sir."
He huffed a laugh out of his nose and opened the file. "It says here that you got into a lot of fights in school. Care to explain why?"
Miya shrugged. "My brother and I got picked on a lot. I could handle it myself, but he was younger and couldn't...so I did for him."
Langdon made a small 'ah' sound. "I see. So, you were protecting your brother. Very admirable. But that doesn't answer my question."
"Wha-"
"Many people handle bullies without resorting to violence. Most tell an authority figure, or ignore them until they go away. So...why did you get into fights so often?" he flipped the file shut, turning back to her. When she didn't answer, he tried again. "Tell me about your father."
Scoffing, she shook her head. "Why would you put those two things together?"
"Because," he sighed, standing again. He came around the desk to lean against it in front of her. "Something tells me that he may have been the true object of your anger. Your rage." One of his high-booted feet came to rest on the cushion of the chair beside her. "So, tell me. Why would you go so far as to be expelled for getting a boy sent to the hospital?"
Breath hitched in her throat. Swallowing around it, she cleared it. "Um, my dad...he...he wasn't the nicest of people. After my mom died, he kind of went crazy. Started beating me and my brother whenever he got drunk. And sometimes when he wasn't."
Something sparked behind Langdon's eyes. "He abused you."
"Yeah," she murmured, suddenly wary of this unknown man. This was more than she'd told anyone besides Mead of her life before the bombs. "I tried to keep Lonny from getting hit as much, y'know? Doing what a big sister is supposed to do."
"Protecting your younger sibling," he nodded empathetically. "And what about your mother? How did she die?"
"She...she was killed."
"By whom?"
Hesitating, Miya eyed him suspiciously. Why did she have the feeling he already knew everything about her? Every last detail? "Someone who was trying to hurt me."
"Who?" he insisted, leaning forward to place his forearm against his knee as his eyes bore into hers.
"Just some guy!" she exclaimed, exasperated. "Someone in the neighborhood. He...found out something about me that made him angry and he grabbed me. Tried to take me somewhere to do God knows what. Mom got in the middle of us, he backhanded her across the face, and suddenly she was on the ground. Her head hit the curb, causing major hemorrhaging in her brain. She died before she got to the hospital." By the time she finished, her eyes had dropped to her lap, watching her fingers as tears leaked down her face and her voice wavered. "She died trying to keep me from getting hurt. Dad blamed me, said I was a cursed kid and that he regretted the day he ever planted his seed in my mom. I was nine when he told me that. Who the fuck tells a nine-year-old they regretted them being conceived?" The last part was more to herself, but Langdon heard it nonetheless.
"So, he punished you. For something you had no control over." It wasn't a question. But she nodded anyway.
With a ragged breath, she turned her head away, swiping at the tiny rivers running down her cheeks. Something was placed in her peripheral vision. She glanced back to see him holding out a red handkerchief, a soft look in his eyes. Confused, she reached out, thanking him. This wasn't the man that she had heard all about from the others. It couldn't be. The Langdon they had revealed to her was uncaring, calculating, aloof to the point of rudeness. Gallant had said that he was quietly seducing him, giving him bedroom eyes while asking very particular questions. Coco had said he straight up called her shallow, dismissing the idea of her having any real personality (not that Miya disagreed).
"Don't worry. He's right where he belongs now." The statement made Miya stop dabbing at her eyes and look up at him, brows creased.
"What do you mean?"
He didn't answer, instead deciding to look her over before he asked, "What is your sexual orientation?"
The question left her gaping like a washed-up fish. "I...that's..."
"A question that I'd like you to answer honestly." He finished for her, apparently knowing what she was trying to say.
"I'm bisexual. Guys and girls." She told him truthfully. She didn't know what she was suddenly baring her soul to this man. She hadn't told anyone much about her life before. Now, she was just giving him the answers he wanted without much resistance.
"Yes, I am aware what the term means. How many people have you had sexual contact with?"
Her face flushed with embarrassment. "I couldn't tell you."
"That many?" he chuckled.
"No, not really. I just don't particularly care to remember some of them and tend to forget completely about them."
"A rough estimation, then?" There was something in his smile...it didn't quite reach his eyes.
"I don't know. Ten? Fifteen? It's in the double digits, at least. Why does this even matter? With the fact that this Cooperative is supposedly the dozen greatest minds in the world, it's not like sex is actually needed to make a kid anymore."
"No, you are correct. But we do need to know the chance of some sort of venereal disease you may have."
He seemed to grow even more amused when her face reddened even more. "If you have my entire medical history, then you know that I went to my OB/GYN right before everything went to shit. I'm clean."
"Well, there is always the chance you may have picked something up while in here. Goodness knows what people get up to when they have nothing else to keep themselves occupied."
She scoffed. "The only males I can stand in this place are Gallant and Timothy. One is gay and the other is taken. Also, sex is banned here, as per the Cooperative's instruction."
"According to Ms. Venable."
The statement made her stop. "Yes."
"Well, you should be aware that those rules were completely made up. The Cooperative never forbade any sort of fornication. In fact, they encouraged it. Within reason, of course. Sex can be a wonderful stress reliever when one isn't worried about the repercussions."
"So, Venable lied?"
"It would seem so, wouldn't it?" he grinned at her.
A wry laugh escaped her. "Why is that not really all that surprising to me?"
"Because you could tell from the get go that she was a bit twisted. You haven't trusted that woman since the moment you met her. Now," suddenly he was over her, hands on the arms of her chair, forcing her to lean back in it to not be so close. He was right in her face, breath fanning over her. He smelled like cinnamon and wood smoke. "Why don't you tell me about your dreams."
The scent assaulted her nostrils. She forced her eyes shut to try to focus. Her head was starting to hurt, flashes behind her eyes making her dizzy. "My...my dreams?"
"Yes. The ones that leave you crying out into the darkness. The ones where you are left wanting and empty. The ones that make you want to do things that would make Ms. Venable's ears turn red." He was so close that his hair was brushing against her shoulder as he whispered in her ear with a voice like honey. "Tell me about those."
"I..." She swallowed hard. She could feel the heat from his body on the exposed skin of her face, chest, and arms. He turned his head ever-so slightly at the sound of her voice, his nose brushing the curve of her jaw. Miya jumped. She hadn't had much physical contact at all since coming to the Outpost...and even before that. The feeling of skin-on-skin, even just the lightest of touches, was enough to send shivers down her spine. And she didn't know if it was from fear or excitement. This must have been what Gallant was talking about. Clearing her throat, she shifted ever so slightly. "I mean...humans are sexual beings."
"They are, indeed." He murmured, breath causing more tremors as it hit the side of her throat.
"I'm not gonna say I don't miss sex, because that would be a lie. So, of course, I have dreams. But I've been alone for so long, that it's gotten to the point that I'm used to it."
"Is that so?" Langdon brought his face back around to see her face. As soon as he was able to do so, she dropped her eyes. "Why won't you look at me?" She didn't answer, just shrugged her shoulders as she turned her head away. Langdon sighed through his nose, pressing his lips together. Gently, he placed his fingers under her chin and applied the slightest bit of pressure. Her head shifted, though her eyes were still downcast. "Miya," she didn't answer. "Look at me, darling." The term of endearment rang in her ears, making her eyes flick up to meet his. "That's better. Now, why won't you look at me?"
Hesitating, Miya swallowed hard. "You scare me."
He seemed taken aback at that. "Why?" There was genuine curiosity coloring his tone, no knowing smirk that made her think that he already knew everything about her on his face. Just pure, unadulterated interest, head tilted like an owl.
"I...I don't know."
"Oh, now, I don't quite believe that. I think you know exactly why. You just don't want to tell me." His voice was soft. It suddenly felt like every crevice in her mouth was dry as the Sahara. She moved her tongue around to try to facilitate the production of saliva that had apparently decided to quit on her. She didn't answer him, but managed to force herself to hold his intense gaze. "Hmm." Then, he was gone. The sudden absence of his presence in her bubble nearly made her gasp. It was like a vacuum had sucked the air from her lungs. Blinking, her eyes followed him as he rounded the desk and sat down. Langdon picked up a pen and opened her file, making a notation here and there on different pages. "Are you hungry?"
"Sorry?" her brows furrowed.
"How long has it been since you had real food?" He still wasn't looking at her, instead focused on the papers in front of him.
"Um...about the same as everyone else. Basically, since we got here. But-"
At this, his head shot up. "But?"
Worrying her bottom lip between her teeth, she fidgeted in her seat. "Ms. Mead found some protein bars in storage. She's been sneaking them to me for the last couple days."
"Besides that?" Miya shook her head. He leaned back in his chair, one hand going to his mouth, fingers rubbing at the skin there. "What part of your cycle are you in?" The suddne changes in his questions confused her, and it apparently showed on her face. "Your menstrual cycle. I understand you suffer from debilitating pain and heavy bleeding periodically."
"Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome."
"Yes, I am aware of the diagnosis. Now, if you could answer my question..." it seemed like he was running out of patience with her.
"Middle of it. That's why Ms. Venable has had me stay in my room. I have a history of making a mess. She doesn't want me soiling anymore of her precious cushions."
"So, your body is burning even more of what little caloric intake you have than the other females." Miya shrugged. "Why don't you join me for dinner?"
The question made her heart stop. "I'm sorry?"
"Perhaps I should phrase that differently." He leaned forward, elbows on the desk as he stared at her so intensely that she felt like he was looking right into her soul. "Join me for dinner."
"But...group dinner is mandatory."
"Well, if Ms. Venable is expecting you to stay in your room, I don't see why that is an issue."
"Won't be much of a dinner. What, with the dwindling store of jelly cubes we've got."
"Oh, that won't be a problem. You see, I made a point of bringing a rather large number of supplies with me, and it would be such a waste if I were unable to eat all of it in the time that I was here. Seeing as there is no refrigeration of any sort, it's not like we can save it for later." The smirk on his face was mischievous.
"What about the others?"
The amused expression dropped. "What about them?"
"Shouldn't you be feeding them as well? Or have you already had meals with the others you've talked to?"
"I'm not so much worried about them, considering that you're the one wasting away. No, I believe that you are in much more need of a good meal. Besides, I'd like to continue our conversation. Off the record, as it were." Miya's eyes narrowed as she looked him up and down as much as possible with the desk hiding the majority of his body. Apparently, her examination of him entertained him, because the smirk grew once again. "Oh, come on now, you can't tell me you're not curious."
"Of course, I'm curious. But...why me?"
He shrugged, "Let's just say that you intrigue me. I'd like to speak to you more in depth without the trappings of our current situation hanging over us." He looked back down at the files before him and waved her off, "I'll have Ms. Mead fetch you when time comes. Until then," the look he gave her was soft, genuine, and it startled her, "I hope you feel better. I may have some things in my supplies to ease your pain. If there is something, I'll have it ready by the time you join me."
Miya couldn't do anything more than nod and struggle to stand. She felt his eyes on her as she finally managed to find her feet. She had to stop herself from bowing or something, but murmured some sort of farewell as she hurried to get out the door. She slid the door open, slipping out between them and nearly stumbling into Ms. Mead who had been waiting for her outside.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, where's the fire?!" the elder woman chuckled as she caught Miya, stopping her from tripping over her own feet. Something about the look on her face must have been cause for alarm, because her smile dropped. Mead looked back towards the office and stiffened.
"Please, make sure Miss Johnston makes it back to her room safely and gets some rest. I'll be sending for her later this evening and I'd prefer she have some of her strength back before then." Miya didn't have to turn around to know that he was standing there in the doorway with his hands clasped behind his back. Nothing else was said as she heard the thick wood slide shut.
She swallowed thickly, straightening up with a deep breath. "What the hell happened in there?" Mead whispered as she pulled her away from the office.
"I...actually, I don't really know." The two of them made their way towards her room, only to be stopped less than a minute later by none other than the Warden herself.
"Miss Johnston," she drawled, eyes roving over her with an eyebrow raised. "I take it you've just come from your interview."
Miya lifted her chin in defiance. "As a matter of fact, I did."
"And?" the younger woman didn't answer, only stared at her with barely contained irritation. Venable had no qualms about showing her own. "Well? How did it go?"
"I'm not sure. But he wants to talk again, so I assume it went alright."
"He's asked to see her tonight
The red-haired woman's usual scowl deepened. "Well, just don't follow Mr. Gallant's lead and fall into bed with him. You know the consequences for fornication."
Miya snorted. "Not that it's any of your business who I 'fall into bed with', but that wasn't in my plans."
"Not my business?" Venable's voice was low, dangerous. She took a step forward, emphasizing her domineering figure with the sharp tap of her cane. "Everything that happens in this Outpost is my business. I am the face of the Cooperative, and you will follow the rules, to the letter."
"Oh, you mean the rules you made up?" The look of shock that crossed the warden's face was exhilarating. This was the first time since staining her chair in the library that she had managed get a real reaction from the woman. If she had been paying more attention to anything else, she probably would have seen the look of horror on Mead's face. "Yeah, Langdon found out you've been making your own rules around here, ones that are completely out of left field from the Cooperative you so vehemently claim you represent."
Venable's nostrils flared. "And just why would he tell you anything? What makes you so special for him to divulge such information?" Then her eyes narrowed. "How do you know him?"
"'scuse me? Same as you, met him the other day."
"Then why," she stepped ever closer, now standing nose to nose with the younger woman, "would he tell you, but not anyone else? Who is he to you?"
Miya took a large breath, preparing for the hostility that was bound to be unleashed. "The guy that might get me out from under you, you psycho." She didn't really feel the connection of skin on skin at first, mostly just heard the crack of Venable's hand against her cheek. Her head snapped to the side. She could hear Mead gasp. She didn't react at first, slowly feeling the pain blossoming across the side of her face, growing sharp in a small line on her cheekbone. After a moment of disbelief, she brought her fingers to the point of impact. It came away with the line of red on the tips. The woman's ring had caught her skin. Turning her head, she leveled Venable with the harshest look she could muster with the appearance of a skeleton. Her nostrils flared, her eyes narrowed, and she stepped forward to be almost nose to nose with the other woman. Her next words dripped with venom. "If you ever lay a hand on me again, I promise you, it will be the last time you lay that hand on anything."
The look of anger immediately melted away into one of pure shock, with maybe just the smallest hint of fear in her eye. No one had ever dared to speak to her in such a way. Most people would have shrunk away with a small 'yes ma'am' and moved on. And, honestly, Miya would have been one of those people if she were not bolstered by the fact that she apparently had the interest of their possible savior, as well as this new information that might just make the rest of them rise against their warden.
Then, her expression hardened again. "If you think this new friend of yours will protect you if you so much as breathe wrong in my direction, you are sorely mistaken. He didn't even keep Gallant from his physical punishment, though he did have us keep him alive. Most probably to continue their little tryst. If only to keep himself entertained while he's here. You know, he had several meetings with the hairdresser as well. Do you really think you're so special?" The smug expression on her face made Miya want to throw a punch. But she knew that if she did, Mead would most likely execute her on the spot. The older woman may have liked her, but she was still Venable's subordinate and would follow her every command. Never breaking eye contact with Miya, the red-haired woman addressed Mead. "Take her back to her room. And make sure she stays there." To Miya, she said, "Can't have you ruining anything else." As she passed them, she smirked, "Like that wreckage you called a life."
This made Miya see red. She spun around, fist balled and rising. Only to be caught mid-strike by a strong arm hooking through hers. "Don't!" Mead hissed in her ear, holding her tight as she struggled to release herself. How the hell was this woman as strong as she was to not even seem to have any issue keeping her in place, Miya had no idea. "You'll only make things worse for yourself if you do." From the swagger in her walk, Miya could tell that Venable was grinning as she left the hall, disappearing around the corner. The young woman stared after, breath coming out harsh as the adrenaline slowly faded from her body. As it did, she suddenly collapsed, knees giving out finally. "Whoa, now. You're alright, girly."
Miya fought back the darkness that was creeping in at the edges of her vision. "I-I think I need to lie down."
"Yes, I think that would be a good idea. Come on, I gotcha." Mead hauled her up, placing herself under the younger woman's arm to steady her.
They managed to get to her room with no more incidents, where Mead set her down on the bed and grabbed the rag she had been keeping on the bedside table to wipe away the blood that had gathered on her cheek. When she was done, she moved to the small dresser where Miya had put her pajama clothes, the ones she wore when she was allowed to relax in her room. "There's no point in that..."
Mead stopped her movements. "What do you mean?"
"He wants me to join him for dinner tonight, remember. There's no point in getting out of this dress only to put it back on in two hours."
"You don't have to go. You need rest."
"I need to figure out what's going on here. Besides, the way he phrased it, I don't think he was really asking." She sighed. "He also said he might have something that can help with the pain."
"What pain?" Miya gave her a look. "Oh, that pain. But...why would he even care. It's not his job to make you comfortable, just to make sure you survive."
"Didn't Venable say when I first got here that my comfort was of the top priority to whoever made sure I made it here alive?"
This made the older woman stop. "She did...but that still doesn't explain why he would care."
Miya shrugged. "Maybe he's just a nice person."
The bark of laughter that escaped Mead made her jump. "You can't be serious?" she asked when her guffaws finally stopped. "You've seen the way he's been acting. All high and mighty. 'This is classified.' 'That is classified.' There is no way in hell that man is nice in any way, shape, or form."
"You weren't in there when we were talking, Ms. Mead. He...there was something in his eyes when he asked about my PCOS, when I told him about my mom."
"You told him about that?"
"I had to. It felt to me like he already knew everything. It was just a matter of if I was honest with him about it. I don't want to stay here and die, Ms. Mead. I want to survive. I want to live. And if that means dining with the devil, then so be it."
Mead shook her dark head. "I can't tell if you're being brave or stupid. But...if it means you get to go on, then I supposed we have no choice."
"No, we don't." Miya sighed, leaning forward to rest her elbows on her knees. Taking her glasses off, she rubbed her eyes. "I'm so fucking tired." She felt something against her hair.
"I know, sweet girl. You've been through so much, and now you're having to jump through hoops for the chance not to rot in this godforsaken hole." Mead's hand swept down her mahogany locks to the side of her face. "But it's just dinner. So, it shouldn't be anything too strenuous. In any case, hopefully he'll give you some real food."
"I don't know how I feel about that, to be honest." Her blurry gaze found the older woman's face. As close as she was, she could vaguely see that she was confused. "I mean, why should I get to eat when no one else does? That's not very fair. Coco's father paid for her and the three that came with her to be here. Timothy and Emily are quite literally perfect. I'm just...I don't know, some old man's fetish? Someone I don't even know? Why does that make me any more special than the others?"
Mead squatted down so that she was level with Miya, taking her bony hands in hers. "You are more special than you know. You have a way of caring for people, even those you don't particularly like. You have put everyone else before yourself for your entire life if what I've read of your files are to be believed. But right now, it's time for you to worry about yourself first and everyone else second. Do what you can to get out of here, to have a chance to go on."
"Why, though?" The question seemed to take the older woman aback. "My family is gone; I have no friends besides you and Anna; everyone else here seems to only mildly tolerate me at best, and despise me at worst. Why should I go on? I've got nothing..." she trailed off, eyes sliding to one side as tears blurred her vision further. "I can't just live the rest of my life by myself, with only books and snobby ass rich folks to keep me company. I can't do nothing forever." Her voice had lowered to a near whisper.
"Darling girl," Mead sighed sympathetically, rubbing her cold hands. When had she started getting so cold? "Sometimes, it's all we can do to just keep on going. To survive. And that's what you do, isn't it? Survive?" Miya snorted softly. "You've done that your whole life, and I know it's exhausting. But if you won't do it for yourself, at least do it for me. I couldn't bear to see you wasting away anymore." When Miya finally met her eyes again, there were tears shining there. She'd never seen Mead cry, not even when recounting the most traumatic parts of her life.
When she finally spoke, her voice was soft. "Ok," she sighed, shifting so that she was seated farther back on the bed. "What time is it?"
With a small sniffle, Mead checked her watch. "4:30. You've got a little bit of time before dinner. Do you want to lay down?"
Miya shook her head. "If I fall asleep right now, I'm not going to get back up tonight."
"You don't have to do this tonight, sweetheart. You could always rest up tonight and then meet him tomorrow."
"I have to find out what is going on here, Ms. Mead. The sooner the better. No, I'll meet with him tonight."
With a nod, Mead placed one hand on her head, stroking her hair. "Well, then, you be careful. He's liable to make me leave as soon as I drop you off, instead of letting me stand guard inside."
Miya's eyes slid shut. She couldn't remember the last time she'd felt someone touch her with such gentle affection. It was a motherly action, one that would have sent her into tears if she wasn't focused on something else. "I'll be fine. He hasn't done anything to harm anyone here." Mead's lips pressed into a hard line. "Besides supposedly crawling into bed with Gallant and getting him punished. The most he's done as far as I'm aware is call Coco a shallow bitch...in nicer terms. And he's been...kind to me, almost. Like, he's not as rude or anything as the others led me to believe."
"Maybe he's only nice to you."
"Why though? I don't know him. There's no reason for him to single me out, not when there are eight other people in here that have either paid to be here or are supposed to help repopulate the Earth after everything is over and done with. I'm just...me."
"Now, you listen to me." Mead took her face in her hands. "Just you is still worth 100 of each of those sorry excuses for humans, as far as I am concerned. Now, I'm going to go oversee preparations for dinner, both dinners. You stay here and try not to over exert yourself. Ok?"
Miya nodded, "Yes, ma'am."
Once Mead had straightened up, she nodded once, then turned smartly on her heel and all but marched out the door. Miya chuckled quietly to herself before sighing deeply as she slid her glasses back into place. She stood shakily and made her way over to her vanity, sitting down in front of the mirror. Turning her head this way and that, she examined her reflection. To her it seemed like the angles of her cheekbones and jawline could cut glass, though not in a good way. Her hair and eyes, which she had once taken such pride in, were now nowhere near as shiny as they had once been. Her hair lay limp against her scalp in the braid that Gallant had done up for her. Her eyes looked dead, ringed with dark circles. On her cheek, a bruise was starting to form, bright and angry around the small cut. Her skin had become pale due to not having seen the sun, so it stood out all the more. Lowering her eyes to her fingers, she noticed they had a bluish cast to them, like she was slowly freezing to death. Then again, that was probably from her blood pressure being so low that the blood wasn't circulating to her extremities like it was supposed to. She looked terrible. No wonder Langdon was different with her. It was pity. He pitied her skeletal appearance, pitied how she seemed to be slowly dying just a little faster than the others.
It seemed like she had slipped into a trance, because it only seemed like moments later that someone was knocking on her door, pulling her out of it. She was still sitting in the same position. When she called for the person to come in, it turned out to be the younger of the two head guards. "Where's Ms. Mead?" she asked Anna.
"Overseeing the last preparations for dinner. I'm to take you to meet with Mr. Langdon."
With a sigh, Miya nodded and stood gingerly. Anna surged forward to help her up, only to be waved off. "I'm ok. I promise." The Fist said nothing, but pressed her lips into a harsh line and stood straight with her hands behind her back. Miya gestured for her to lead the way, following slowly behind the large woman. "So...I take it Venable isn't too happy about Langdon taking over the dining room." She stopped short with Anna turned left instead of right. "Where are you going?"
Anna turned to see her staring, confused. "Mr. Langdon has asked that you join him in his rooms, so you won't be disturbed."
Miya's stomach dropped out her ass. Surely, he didn't think this was a good idea. Venable already thought that there was something going on between them. "A-a-and where is everyone else?"
"In the parlor for now. They will be going to dinner shortly." Then, the tall woman turned and continued down the hall, not looking back to make sure Miya was following. Hurrying to catch up to her friend, Miya was breathless by the time they made it up a flight of stairs and around the circle corridor where the strange man's room was. Anna knocked twice, waiting until she was bid to come in and opened the door, standing back to allow Miya to enter. She instantly started salivating at the scent of real food that drifted around the room.
Langdon glanced up briefly before turning back to filling up a wineglass. "Ah, there you are. I was beginning to wonder if you'd decided to join the others after-" he stopped short upon turning and fully seeing her face. His brows furrowed as he set the bottle down, crossing the room in three long steps, until he was right in front of her. It startled her a little, but she managed to keep her face neutral. Until he reached up to brush his fingers across her injured cheek. "What happened?" his voice was low, slightly menacing.
"It's nothing. Ms. Venable and I had a minor disagreement is all."
His eyes narrowed at her, but he didn't comment on it for the moment. Instead, he addressed Anna without looking at her. "Thank you, you may go now."
"Sir." Was all she said before exiting the room, closing the door quietly behind her.
"Must be nice to have people follow your every order." Miya stated, having to keep herself from drooling all over the place.
"It is. Though it does get rather boring eventually. No one to question, to debate with. Just unfailing loyalty, mostly out of fear." He sighed, the smell of cinnamon and smoke swirling around her. It made her realize he was still touching her face, staring intently at her the entire time. "What happened?"
Knowing what he was referring to, as he was still running his thumb over the cut, she rolled her eyes. "I told you-"
"You and Venable had a disagreement. Yes, I know. But what happened to cause this." To emphasize his point, he gently pressed the spot.
Miya hissed quietly, moving her face away from his hand. "I said something she didn't like, she smacked me. Is that what you wanted to hear?" His eyes turned dark as his hand dropped back to his side. "It's not that big of a deal. She's slapped Coco once or twice, too." He didn't respond, only seemed to stare off into the middle distance to the left of her head. "Mr. Langdon?" That seemed to snap him out of it. With a small intake of breath, his eyes focused back on her own.
"My apologies. I was...remembering."
That took her by surprise. "Oh?"
"Someone I once cared very much for, she...well, she was not treated very well by those that were supposed to protect her." This was more personal than anything he'd let slip with anyone in the entire Outpost. At least, as far as she knew. There was still the fact that he had apparently slept with Gallant, so maybe there had been some sort of pillow talk between the two of them.
In a moment of pure instinct, Miya reached out and put a hand on his arm. "What happened to her? Did she..."
"She may as well have." Was all the answer she got as he moved away and turned back to the table. He finished setting things up, the hard line of his shoulders telling her that it was an especially sore subject for him. Then, he turned back around. There was a grin on his face, and he swept a hand around, gesturing for her to come to the table. Was this guy bipolar or something? He seemed to be able to switch between emotions just as well as he could subjects and questions. "Please, join me." He told her, reaching out a hand when she didn't move at first. "I won't bite." He smirked when he saw her continue to hesitate. Miya huffed out a small laugh, slipping her fingers into his palm and allowing him to guide her to her seat. As she sat down, he pushed in the chair for her, then leaned down and said in her ear, "Unless you're into that sort of thing." The statement, along with the feel of his breath on her ear and cheek made her face burn bright red. It felt like she had swallowed her tongue, which made her make a small choked sound. This only made him chuckle behind her as he straightened up and moved to the side of the table, taking up a matchbook to light the extra candles that sat in the middle of the table.
Clearing her throat, Miya looked around the room, anywhere but at him. If she had, she might have seen the strange smile that came over his face, almost like a sort of fondness. Before she could look back at him, he schooled his features into something more akin to slight amusement. "So, where is everyone?"
"What do you mean?" a quick poof of breath, and the match was extinguished, having done its job.
"The Greys. I figured there'd be someone assigned to serve dinner in here tonight."
"Ah. No, I thought it would be best if there was no one else in the room. Can't have anyone eavesdropping on our private conversation, now, can we?" The smirk that graced his angular features was one of those that lets you know that they think you're a little bit dumb.
Miya rolled her eyes at him. "Why? You think it'll get too..." she tried to think of something quick, a way to get back at him for the moment earlier, "personal?" Smooth move, idjit. She thought to herself. She'd never been good at witty retorts.
Another laugh, a real one this time, from his belly, like what she'd just said was the most hilarious thing ever. "Of course, I do." He told her once he'd calmed down. Her eyes widened when he started stalking towards her. "Why else would I invite you here?" He put his hands on either arm of her chair, just like earlier that day, but this time he was staring her directly in the eye. "All alone? In such a..." his eyes drifted across her face, down her throat and over the rest of her skin that was exposed to him, making her breath hitch, "how did you put it?" His eyes flicked back to hers, icy blue on dull hazel, "Personal? Yes. Such a personal place." One of his hands left its post on the arm of her chair to play with one of the wavy tendrils that Gallant had so artfully left hanging at the side of her face. As he twirled it around his index finger, Langdon continued to stare at her, an expression of predatory glee on his handsome face. Miya's throat bobbed as she tried to swallow past the knot that had settled there, something that was not lost on Langdon. He huffed a soft laugh through his nose before releasing her from his gaze and retreating back to the side of the small table. "I take it you're not a vegetarian."
"No..." she murmured, confused for what felt like the thousandth time that day. "Why would that-" He didn't let her finish, instead lifting the silver domes from the dinner plates that sat in front of each chair. The smell hit her before she could even move her eyes from his. She had almost forgotten about the smell, and not being able to identify it immediately, was taken aback to see the most amazing thing she'd witnessed since coming to this godforsaken tomb. "Is that- How-"
"At the Sanctuary we have," he paused as he sat down across from her, "certain resources at our disposal. Genetically modified cattle being one of them." With another one of those annoying fucking smirks, he waved at her to go ahead.
The sheer amount of saliva that was pooling in her mouth was almost enough to drown her until she swallowed thickly and took up her silverware. As soon as the fork slid into the steak, she could tell it was real. There was no way that any sort of vegetable biproduct could have that same sort of soft resistance. Ever so slowly, as if afraid that it might disappear from her plate, Miya sawed off a small chunk and lifted it to her lips. Langdon was watching her over the rim of his wineglass, waiting to see her reaction. The moment the meat touched her tongue, she melted. The first real food she'd had in over a year and a half. The first morsel of protein she'd put in her body since being abducted by her Men-In-Black guards. Her eyes slid closed and moan made its way from her throat, and she didn't really care in that moment that it was an extremely suggestive sound. All she cared about was the texture of a perfectly medium rare steak being decimated under the crush of her teeth. She swallowed. "Oh, my god."
"Is it good?" he chuckled.
Miya's eyes flickered open, landing dully on him. "That was the most amazing thing I've put in my mouth in...ever, I think."
"Then, by all means, please, continue." He saluted her with his glass, took a sip and then put it down gingerly. She did as she was told and cut off another bite-sized piece of meat. The second bite was even better than the first, if that were physically possible. It wasn't until the fourth bite of steak and a forkful of baked potato that she noticed something.
"Why is your plate so much bigger than mine?" she asked around a mouthful of food. It was, indeed, nearaly twice the size of hers. He raised an eyebrow at her and she quickly covered her mouth with her hand, attempting to finish chewing so she could talk.
Langdon took the chance to answer her. "I had a smaller portion made for you because you have been essentially starved these last eighteen months. Your stomach would not be able to handle the same amount as mine, seeing as I have not gone hungry at all since the beginning of the End."
It made logical sense. Miya swallowed her food, only to feel her stomach churn in a way that told her she needed to stop, lest she make herself sick. "I do believe you are correct, Mr. Langdon." Instead, she decided to try the wine that had been placed before her, but had remained untouched until that moment. It was dark and thick, almost like blood. But it was like silk on her tongue, rich and tinged with the flavor of some sort of citrus on top of the usual taste of wine. She'd never been much of a connoisseur of wine, but she still liked to drink it regularly. In fact, when she wasn't at an actual bar, that was all she drank at home. If it tasted good, it was gone. If it didn't...well...it would be gone, too. Albeit a little slower. She wasn't one for pouring out drinks. That was alcohol abuse in her mind. What was the point of buying something if you weren't going to drink it?
Her enjoyment was cut short. "So..." she nearly choked on her next sip, having not expected him to start talking. They hadn't said much of anything since the start of the meal, brief though it had been. "How are you feeling?"
"Um..." she set the glass down. "Fine, I suppose."
"You cycle is not bothering you at the moment?"
Her face flushed a little. "Well, yeah, but I'm used to it." She told him honestly. "I've lived with this stuff since I started having my period at eleven."
"That young?" he seemed shocked. "I was under the impression that the average age for the beginning of menstruation was thirteen or later."
"For most girls, it is. I was an early bloomer. That's part of the reason girls in middle school hated me. I got boobs before the rest of them. Ended up getting called a slut by one of the bullies."
"Why would she do that?" One of his brows lifted.
"Because she was flat as a board in eight grade and I already had B-cups. She caught her boyfriend staring at me. So...she spread a rumor that I was sleeping with multiple of our male classmates."
"Did they not refute such claims?"
It was her turn to laugh. Or, more like snort. "You obviously never went to public school. It's kind of a badge of honor for guys to sleep with a girl, the more the better. They're considered studs. But," she raised a finger to emphasize her point, "if a girl does the same thing before she's married, may God have mercy on her soul, because she's gonna be branded as a whore by everyone she knows."
"Why is that?"
Miya shrugged. "Dunno. Misogynistic tendencies left over from thousands of years of women being looked down upon as the lesser of the two sexes?"
"Well, that's just silly." Langdon shook his head slightly.
"You're right, it is." She agreed, having to shake of the feeling that what he said was oddly familiar to her. It was almost ringing in her ears. "In fact, most 'uncivilized' peoples saw their female counterparts as higher beings. Closer to the Earth or whatever deity they worshipped. The Vikings believed that women were the only ones who should keep number records for things like trading, because they saw math as witchcraft and only women could do such a thing." She took another sip of wine. "Men were thought to be inferior when it came to the magical side of things. Most tribal communities thought similarly. It was only the Western European peoples who treated their women like shit. Then, as they expanded their empires, their philosophy towards women did, too."
"Is that so?" He placed one elbow on the table, propping his chin against his fist. "Fascinating."
"Isn't it?" she grinned. Miya was proud of herself for apparently teaching the all-knowing Langdon something.
"And this girl that spread these rumors about you..." the hair on Miya's arms suddenly stood on end, "was she one of the bullies you beat to a pulp?"
Nostrils flaring in anger and embarrassment. "As a matter of fact, she was not. I clocked her once good enough to black her eye for a week, and she never messed with me again. Her boyfriend, on the other hand..." she didn't finish her thought.
"He was the young man you sent to the hospital. The one who was picking on your little brother, whom you were blood-bound to protect."
Her brows furrowed. "I don't know about you, but I know of plenty of people who don't give two shits about their blood. Some would rather see them die in a car crash than deal with them."
"Your father being one of those people?" He watched in fascination as the blush that had colored her cheeks and tips of her ears now spread down her neck and over her exposed chest. It looked like she was about to explode. "Are you alright? You seem a bit overheated," he stated smugly.
"You...you-"
"Me, yes? What about me?"
Her eyes narrowed dangerously at him. "You like getting people riled up, don't you?"
"Ah, clever girl," he chortled. "As a matter of fact, I do enjoy seeing people in a heated state. That tends to be the best time to get real information out of them. Now, whether that state is a result of anger or some..." his eyes roved over her again. "Other intense emotion, it doesn't really matter. What matters is getting to the root of the truth."
"I've been telling you the truth!" she exclaimed. "You don't need to make me angry for that!"
"Maybe not, but it's still more fun than I've had in a long time."
She suddenly stopped, skin quickly resorting back to its natural shade. "Is that why you slept with Gallant?"
The question took him aback. "I beg your pardon?"
"Venable told me that you visited Gallant the other night. That they punished him for it, but didn't kill him...on your orders. Did he give you any good information after the five minutes of pleasure were over?"
The smug grin on his face was enough to make her want to run and hide. "Oh, darling, I dare say that if I had taken the time to spoil Mr. Gallant with the pleasure of my company, it would have lasted quite a bit longer than five minutes. And, if you think that five minutes is all a man, or anyone for that matter, is good for, then you have been very poorly taken care of."
She could feel her ears burning now. "And what makes you say that?"
"Well, let's start with the fact that you have sought companionship from those of your own gender, yet seem to stray back to men time and time again. Then there's your...obvious distaste for me. And yet, the way you react anytime I come anywhere near you, let alone actually make contact with your skin. Yes, I do believe you have, unfortunately, been left wanting. So much so that any form of human contact sets your body alight. How am I doing?"
Miya only sat there with her eyes wide and mouth agape. Suddenly, she started getting dizzy. Something...something was niggling at the back of her mind. Something trying to get her attention. Her whole body was screaming at her to get away, that he was bad news. That he was dangerous. Shoving away from the table, she staggered backwards, trying not to trip over her skirts or the chair as she did so. "Wh-who the fuck are you?" There was something in that smile, the way the corners of his mouth turned up, the mischief in his eyes, that set her blood to the boiling point.
"You know who I am." He said nonchalantly, almost like he was bored. Like this whole thing was a game that he had suddenly grown tired of.
"No, I-I don't!" she continued to back up until her legs hit something and she started to fall backwards. In an instant, he was there, grabbing one of her arms and wrapping his other hand around her waist to keep her from crashing to the ground. She hadn't even had time to cry out before he had appeared. "What the fuck?!" She managed to ground out when he pulled her back up, rather forcefully against his chest.
"Easy," he drawled. "Don't need you hurting yourself."
"Let go of me!"
"Now, why in the world would I do that?"
"Because fucking I said so, that's fucking why!" Miya started weakly smacking him on the chest and arms, trying to get away, but not wanting to really hurt him.
"My, my. Do you kiss your mother with that mouth?" another somewhat condescending laugh escaped him.
That made her stop dead. She'd heard that before. Maybe not in that tone, but the voice, the way his arms felt as they kept her from moving too far away, the vibration of his laugh through her body from being pressed against him. Something snapped in her brain. Her eyes widened, turning to face him. He was staring down at her with his brows raised. The exact shade of his eyes, though not accentuated by the smudge of red in the corners, burned in her mind's eye. Her breath started coming in quick gasps as everything she'd ever known came flooding back.
"Michael?" she whispered.
The man in question rolled his eyes exaggeratingly. "Finally!" he exclaimed. "It's about fucking time."
It was too much.
The darkness that had started creeping up on her when she first stood up finally overtook her. If he hadn't already been holding her, surely, she would have hit the floor.
"Shit..." he muttered to himself. With a sigh, he looked around, trying to figure out what to do.
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A/N: Hello, my lovelies. I know it's been a minute since I last posted. Not as long as some of my stories, but I'm still following the dopamine right now. And unfortunately, that has been in rather short supply recently. BUUUUUUT, my doc finally put me on ADHD meds, so hopefully, I'll managed to get more of this and other stories done. It's currently 1 a.m. and I've been up since 6 a.m. yesterday...
Also, yes, I know there's a lot of similar stories like this, where the character knows him, but doesn't know him, and it all comes back at some point, but I like to think this one is a little different at least.
Anywhooty, y'all Read and Review. The reviews make me ever so happy and entice me to continue writing, knowing that there are actually people out there that appreciate what I'm doing.
Ta-ta til next time, my lovelies.
AcaciaDawn
