Chapter 118
When Hotch's right hand moved and rubbed down his face, Copper smiled. "Is he awake?"
Hotch moaned. "Yes." He scratched at his cheek and then finally opened his eyes. "How long have I been out?"
Copper shrugged. "A few hours, nothing too bad. How do you feel?"
"Fine," he told him and then looked around. "Where is everyone?" he asked as a panicked look spread over his face.
Copper put a hand on Hotch's chest. "Calm down. They're just over there sleeping."
A sigh of relief escaped the vampire, and then he picked up the small boot that was laying next to him. "Why do I have a dwarf-sized boot?"
Copper laughed. "You tell me." Hotch's frown told him he had no idea, and the faun laughed some more. "You tried to snuggle up to Dag's foot, and he let you keep the boot."
Hotch's frown deepened.
"Were your dreams good?"
"What?" Hotch asked as he rubbed his eyes some more.
"You were dreaming about babies and angels. Were they good dreams?"
Hotch sighed as his eyes slid shut. "I don't remember any dreams," he told him honestly but mentally cringed. He figured the dream must have been about his wife and daughter, and the faun had just misunderstood 'babe' as 'baby'.
"You sure you're fine?" Copper asked him as he studied him.
Hotch opened his eyes and nodded. "Yes, I'm fine."
Copper held up his hand. "How many fingers am I holding up?"
"Three, why?"
Copper shook his head. "Just checking," he told him with a grin, but then got serious. "How's the pain?"
Hotch frowned as he focused on his body. "Not too bad, really." He reached and felt his back where the horn had impaled him and then smiled when he found it healed. When he went to move his leg, though, he moaned.
"Leg still bad?" Copper asked as he watched him.
"Nothing extreme," Hotch told him as he moved his toes. "Just really stiff and sore. I think the bones have healed."
Copper smiled. "Good."
Hotch used his arms and sat up. He nodded. "Not bad at all," he added as he shifted around. "I think I might actually be able to stand."
Copper hopped up and held out a hand. "Let's see."
Hotch took the offered hand and got standing without too much trouble. When he tried to put all his weight on his wounded leg, though, he moaned as he grimaced. "Maybe it's not healed completely."
"Well, it hasn't been that long. Maybe you should stay off it while you have the chance," Copper suggested.
"But I need a drink. I still have that horrible taste of that elthump stuff in my mouth."
Copper laughed. "Sit. I'll go get you one."
Hotch was about to argue, but the faun looked ready to argue right back, so he nodded and sat back down.
Copper smiled at him and went to the water trough, and Hotch looked around. So, the goatman still hasn't shown up. I wonder if that means he found his way out like he said he would. He took a deep breath and studied the room they were in. It was large and empty, and it looked more like a cave than the labyrinth did. One wall on the far side looked different than the rest, and he figured that was where the door was.
When he saw Copper walking back with the metal bowl, he mentally frowned. And there's water in here, so they don't want them dying of dehydration, but there isn't any food. Does that mean they will take us out of here or does that mean that they just die later from starvation.
Copper handed him the bowl and Hotch drank it down. "Thanks." Copper sat back down beside him and Hotch looked at him. "How come you're not sleeping, too?"
The faun shrugged. "Like you said in the maze. Someone needs to keep watch."
Hotch studied him. "You expect something to come in here?"
Copper sighed. "I don't know if I'm hoping something will or afraid that something will."
Hotch nodded. "If they really want us in those pits we keep hearing about, they'll have to come get us soon."
"I don't know how soon, though. There is something messed up with time, and if there is. . ."
"What do you mean, messed up?" Hotch interrupted.
The faun looked at him. "How long do you think it was from the time I was pulled into the water to when you fell through that hole?"
Hotch thought about it for a second. "Well, I'm not really sure. I think I fell asleep at one point, but a little over a day, maybe two."
Copper winced. "Yeah, that's the way it's been for all of us," he started to explain. "But after I woke up in here, it only seemed like an hour or so before you showed up."
"What?!" Hotch asked and then cringed at getting loud.
"Lenny was the first one in here, and he swears that we all started showing up within no time."
Hotch looked around and the wrinkles in his forehead deepened. After a few seconds he shook his head. "How is that possible?"
Copper took a deep breath and leaned up against the wall behind him. "Magic can manipulate time, but the wielder must be very powerful."
Hotch looked up at the ceiling and the hole he fell through and then around the room again. "So, is it the maze or this room that's messed up?"
Copper shrugged. "No idea."
Hotch pinched the bridge of his nose.
XXXXX
Cam handed Nate, the werewolf, a warm bowl. "I know it's not much, but hopefully it tastes better than the stuff he was feeding you."
Nate nodded his thanks as he took it. "I don't care what it tastes like, I haven't eaten in a few days at least." He took a bite, and then quickly took a few more.
When he was finished, he looked up at Cam with a smile as he wiped his mouth off. "That was actually pretty good. Any way I could get some more?"
Cam winced. "In a little bit. You probably shouldn't eat too much right away."
Nate nodded. "I know. One time, way back in the beginning, when I wasn't chained up, I got out of this damn room and found a bag of his groceries. It was just a loaf of bread and a half-gallon of milk, but I scarfed it all down before he came back." He swallowed and then cringed. "And I spent the rest of the day throwing up and wishing I hadn't eaten anything, so I understand."
"You could get out of the room, but you didn't try to escape?" Cam asked as he sat down in the doorway.
Nate looked at him like he was crazy. "Of course, I tried! I couldn't get out of this damn hallway. There weren't even any doors, but I couldn't get through for the life of me. The barriers were too strong." He huffed. "Course, he realized I got out of the room and ate his food, and that's when he chained me up twenty-four-seven. Before that, he'd just chain me before the moon reached its cycle."
"Where were you before you were abducted?"
Nate studied him. "You're wondering if I went around killing people every full moon?"
Cam took a deep breath and then shrugged. "I guess. You're the first werewolf I've met."
"In the beginning, I think I did. You know, before I figured out what I had become. Once I knew, though, I built a werewolf proof cage down in the basement. I would lock myself up every time, and it kept everyone safe."
"We can make sure you get back to it," Cam told him.
Nate huffed. "That was over five years ago. I certainly haven't been there paying payments on it. God knows if it's even still standing," he explained and then buried his face in his hands. "Oh God, you guys aren't going to let me go, are you?" he asked as he started rocking. "You can't because you know I'll turn into a monster every month and you have to keep people safe," he continued.
Cam winced because he could tell the man had started crying, so he got up and went and put a hand on his shoulder. "We'll figure something out, I promise." The man huffed. "And whatever solution that is, I assure you it will not include locking you up permanently."
Nate looked up at him, and Cam could see the doubt in his eyes, but Nate nodded.
"You can go to my house," coming from the door made both men turn, and Sebastian nodded at them. "It's big, secluded, and there is a room in my basement that would fill your needs. You could stay there until you fully recover and while you're doing that, we can help you figure out something permanent."
Cam smiled at him and then looked down at Nate. "I've seen his place. It's amazing."
"It's in the Colorado mountains," Sebastian told him.
"Colorado? I've never been there, but I've always wanted to," Nate told him as he wiped his face.
"Then it's decided," Sabastian insisted and then looked at Cam. "Charles wants you."
Cam pat Nate's back and then went out of the room, and Nate locked eyes with the detective. "Why? Why would a vampire help a werewolf?"
Sebastian smiled. "I am a very old vampire, and I have learned through the years that it's better if all of us supernatural beings stick together instead of fighting each other, but if you don't want to stay at my place, we can find something else. Between all of us here, we have many resources."
Nate took a deep breath and then smiled. "Your place sounds great. To be able to roam around freely in the wilderness after being locked up here for so long. . . I'd really appreciate that."
"Yeah, but did you see how cute they are?" coming from the hall made Sebastian turn.
He sighed. "I better go check on them."
Nate laughed. "Damn humans, it's like babysitting a bunch of kids."
"It is indeed," Sebastian agreed and then went into the hall.
XXXXX
"Can I ask you a personal question?" Copper asked Hotch.
He looked at him. "Sure, I guess."
"Well, I've never met a vampire before. I don't think any of us have, but we've all heard stories and such."
"And?"
"How do you heal so well? I always thought that a vampire had to feed to heal."
Hotch smirked. "I don't honestly know." He shrugged. "I'm normally not like this, so I don't know why."
Copper studied him. "With all the healing you've done. . . are you hungry?"
Hotch sighed. "You don't have to worry, Copper, I wouldn't. . ."
"I know you wouldn't. I was just wondering."
"You all are, I bet."
Copper winced. "Yes, sorry."
"You don't need to be sorry. I know the stories, too, but no, I am not hungry yet. I don't know why that is either, but I'm not." The full feeling he'd felt after the leprechaun had whipped him was gone, but hunger hadn't replaced it.
Copper thought about it for a second and then smiled. "Maybe the time thing is effecting you in a good way."
"Maybe." He took a deep breath. But why would it affect my hunger and not theirs? He noticed Copper's hand moving over his thigh. He'd seen him do it a few times before that, too, and was worried about what that could mean. "Can I ask you a personal question?"
Copper smiled. "Of course."
"Is your leg hurt?"
Copper frowned and then looked down at his hand and then winced as he made a fist. "Sorry. I didn't realize I was doing it."
"That didn't answer the question."
The faun sighed. "No, I'm fine. It's nothing. It's stupid, really."
Hotch studied him. "What's stupid?"
Copper licked his lips. "They took my flute, and I miss having it in my hands as silly as that is."
Hotch recalled all the pictures he'd seen of fauns playing their pan flutes and mentally winced. "It's not silly. It must have meant a lot to you."
Copper nodded. "Yes, one of the elders gave it to me when I was young, and I was pretty good at it, if I do say so myself."
"I'm sorry. I've heard a few played, and they sound beautiful."
Copper huffed. "No human could ever play a pan flute as well as a faun."
Hotch laughed. "I bet."
XXXXX
Kahlan and Rossi came back through the door wearing massive smiles, and Cam frowned. "That's just creepy."
"You would not believe what we found," Kahlan assured him as her grin grew even bigger.
"Why is this one still closed?" Chuck asked as he came out of one of the rooms carrying a little wooden and iron cage and then noticed Kahlan. "Oh, hey, it's about time."
When his hand moved to the latch that held the box closed, Christian held up his hands as he yelled, "No! Don't op. . ."
He couldn't get the warning out before Chuck lifted the latch, and the little door snapped opened causing Chuck to flinch. Before any of them could react, Chuck flipped up into the air as startled yelp fell from his lips. He was suspended for a moment, flipped again, and then was slammed down, back first, onto the hard floor.
