Enchanting ch 22
The days turned into months and like most people Xandria put her worries on the back burner. Reid was back to his old self but he was at least talking to bunny again. He had thanked Xandria profusely and was now her constant companion. Alongside Tyler of course. He still made faces when they made out and sometimes they got all mushy just to gross him out. They still went to Nicky's on the weekends and the girls were becoming fast friends.
It was two weeks until Tyler's ascension; he would be the last member of the covenant to ascend. He was nervous but the boys' would be there for him. He hadn't used as much as Reid had. Despite his natural inclination to try and impress the older boy. In fact Reid had actually toned down his using.
He had apparently scared himself enough for one lifetime. His near death brought on by his own inability to curb his own use. Had changed something inside him. Or the brief contact with Xandria's power had. The rest of the group was unsure but grateful for the sudden onslaught of maturity. Or at least in that department anyways. Reid was still a troublemaker, but that was his personality.
Tonight was Tyler's ascension. The boys had agreed to meet the girls at Nicky's later that evening. They weren't anticipating any problems with Tyler's ascension like Reid's had been. They should have waited and gone in a group, but hindsight is like that.
They were inside the bar sitting at a table. They got up briefly to dance with each other. Before heading back to the table for drinks. Xandria excused her self to go use the bathroom. She passed behind one of the pillars in the room and a group of people blocked her view of the table. That's when all hell broke loose. She had just come out of the bathroom when someone grabbed her arm and steered her towards the door. "Scream or make any sound and I level this place" said a familiar voice next to her ear.
A lump of fear formed in her stomach as she was led outside. Once they were outside and away from the door the man gripping her elbow spun her to face him. "Hello Ozxandria long time no see," said Hanadrin. She swallowed now suddenly very afraid. "What's the matter my dear no longer recognize your Fiancé?" he questioned. If she couldn't see through his glamour she wouldn't have.
She was surprised that he wasn't being mobbed by people thinking he was the man whose image he was wearing. She would have thought a David Boreanaz look alike would at least draw some glances. Even if his hair was a bit longer than the star's.
He didn't seem interested in her answer however he just wanted to throw some fear into her. The only problem was it was working."Ozxandria, you wouldn't happen to know what happened to Mordran, now would you?" he said. He was leaning forward and pressing her against the wall so she couldn't pull away. His eyes told her that he already knew what happened. She swallowed; the boys wouldn't be here for another hour at least. The girls would not be able to handle this and would just get themselves killed if they interfered. "Its all right if you don't want to answer me, I think I know what happened already" he said. He was leaning close enough she could smell his breath.
"I can see it on your mortal friends, perhaps I'll test it?" he said
Xandria swallowed in fear. "What you don't like that idea?" he said. "You really like these pathetic creatures don't you?" he said with a sneer. Xandria didn't know what to say, he was angry and she didn't want to make it worse. She looked down faking shame that he apparently wanted. "Maybe I'll cure you of your distaste full preference?" he said darkly. He stood back letting her stand up, and then he walked towards the door. "Tell me Xandria how long to you think your wards will hold when the building is burning down on top of your friends heads?" he said coldly.
She found her voice "no you can't, there's innocent people in there" she said. "Innocent, Ozxandria like you are my unfaithful bride to be?" he all but snarled. "Is this what you prefer? You want mortal I'll give you what it truly means to be mortal," he said cruelly. There was no doubt in her mind that he would do exactly what he said he would. He would lock the doors with magic and light it up just to make a point to her. "Did you think I wouldn't find out about him?" said Hanadrin. "Is he inside?" he said Advancing on her and grabbing her arms. He shook her with each word lifting her off her feet as he did so.
"No, it's a girls night out" she managed to gasp out between teeth rattling shakes.
He abruptly dropped her and she hit the floor. He must have wanted to catch the boys in there. He turned his back on her and started towards the building. Xandria scrambled to her feet and grabbed his arm. He was drawing power to make good his threats. "Please Hanadrin, I'll go with you, you don't have to do this, I swear that I'll go willingly, just don't hurt anyone" she pleaded. He let out a frustrated growl and dissipated the energy.
Xandria released the breath she didn't know she was holding. He grabbed her arm with out preamble and dragged her away. She went with him, she had given her word. If she didn't the people inside would pay for her defiance. Xandria didn't want that on her conscious. She just hoped Tyler would understand, because she had the bad feeling she might never see him again.
They rounded a corner and they vanished from view. They came out of the teleport in a forest clearing. Ironically the same clearing that her and Tyler had made love in. she swallowed when she recognized the place. How had he known to find this place?
"Did you think I would just let you make a fool out of me?" he said coolly. Xandria backed away from him, fear taking over her heart. "I know about you and the boy Ozxandria, Mordran watched you that night," he said.
He shed his glamour and was standing there staring at her. He wasn't moving, which for some reason was all the more terrifying. The dark hair was naturally that long and his eyes were more of a sickly green than her bright emerald eyes. They were slitted just like hers though.
"What have nothing to say for yourself?" he sneered. She didn't answer him at first but if she were going to die tonight it would be for her own words not Mordran's. "I do not deny that I took a mortal lover," she said boldly. It was just she and he in this spot. Something that worried her, usually he traveled with an entourage. "Do you have any idea how embarrassing that is for me, to hear the whispers that my bride prefers a mortal boy to my arms?" he said. He was angry with her but right now she didn't care the longer she kept him here the safer her friends would be.
"Do you deny that you gave me your pledge?" he yelled at her. "My father made that pledge not I" she retorted. He gritted his teeth "I wouldn't give you the time of day you murderer" she hissed at him. She dropped her own glamour in anger and her wings flared out ward.
"No one has ever proven that" he said "no one needs to your own ambition speaks clearly enough" she said. He stepped closer to her. She was heedless of his proximity. Until he backhanded her in anger. "Whether your father gave the pledge or you did yourself, it was given, and you will honor it!" he yelled. "I would rather die than be your bride!" she yelled back. "That can be arranged, my love!" he angrily yelled back. Then he struck her with his fist knocking her to the floor. When she hit the ground he proceed to kick her in the ribs.
At some time during the beating she must have lost consciousness, because when she woke she was leaning against a tree. Hanadrin had thick gloves on and was walking around the tree. Binding her to its surface with some sort of metal wire. "Good morning beautiful, so glad you could join me again" he said mockingly.
She struggled against the bounds and found out the hard way that they had sharp metal points on the wires. "What are you doing?" she gasped in pain. Her ribs were on fire and the wire was biting into her skin. She was also absurdly cold.
When she glanced down she realized why. She was nude and tied to the tree. She panicked for a moment and realized her mistake when she was rewarded with painful cuts in response. He laughed at her cruelly "do you like my little purchase my dear?" he said. She leaned back against the tree. Trying to get away from the cruel restraint. "Why are you doing this?" she whispered. Her voice cracked and her throat was sore.
"Why, isn't that obvious, my dear you publicly embarrassed me, do you think I would just let that go?" he said. "Please you can't leave me like this" she pleaded. "Oh I can and I will, try not to move too much my dear, that wire is made of steel," he said. He was smiling when he said it. Her eyes widened in horror "you tied me up with death metal?" she said in fear. Not bothering to hide her horror in the slightest. "Yes it's a lovely invention the humans call it razor wire" he said. He reached out to touch the area above where the wire ran across her chest. She hissed in pain when his fingers pressed her skin against the wire.
"Please, I'll die" she pleaded. "You said you preferred death to me, I'm just giving you the option to get to know it," he said cruelly. "I'll be back in a few days to get you, wouldn't want you to miss your own wedding" he said "please wait don't go don't leave me like this, please" she pleaded. Her mind was in full panic now. If she hadn't been she would have kept her peace and not pleaded.
"Oh yeah your right I can't leave you like this, you might run away" he said. His eyes held a cold glint to them and Xandria instinctively shrank away. He walked over to a rock and pulled something with a long wooden handle from behind the rock.
As he got closer she could see it was some sort of hammer. As he raised it and took aim at her legs she prayed that she would pass out again.