We are at a wedding I think. I see a flash of dark hair against a pure white silk gown cross by as the groom follows her. I begin to make my way toward them, ecstatic to see these familiar figures. I hurry through dozens of people before someone calls my name.
"Willow."
Will. My stomach jolts as I halt mid-step to take him in. Perfection. A smooth healthy tan kisses his skin and his hair is gelled back neatly to match his midnight black suit. Shoes polished to the point of shimmering like a lake in moonlight finish the look. I find myself leaning up to brush back an imaginary hair from his forehead.
"What will we do? You can wear a suit Benedict but it can only do so much." I can feel myself smiling as he naturally catches the mood.
"What about this dress?" he replies running a finger under one of the whisper thin straps. He tilts his head down to place the gentlest of kisses, if it can even have the name, on my shoulder before letting the strap sit back. "Practically indecent at such a formal occasion."
"All the bridesmaids are wearing them." I laugh, letting my head rest onto his shoulder as we fall into the slow song the band begins to play. "And in this heat, I think I should thank Kanti for such light attire."
"I might have to thank her for it tonight." He murmurs, leading a trail of kisses up along my neck.
"Perhaps." I say and turn my head to find his lips...
"Get up! Get up you dipshit!" someone roars as they yank my wrists away from Will. I cry out before being at the wrong end of a sharp slap. Saoirse. She snarls openly when she sees my eyes open, still yanking at my wrists to take my cuffs off. "Oh fantastic to see you awake. Elisavet!" she yells and the door swings open.
It was a dream, just a dream. My eyes sting at the thought as I come back to reality as Elisavet hurries in clutching two backpacks. "Ready to go. I can't get through to Shiyoon or Mintz so you have to take the wheel."
"Who the fuck actually organises this shit." Saoirse mutters as she cuffs me again. "Did you find out from Christophe why Benedicts were up and down this road last night?" It worked! But only so much it seems. I had hoped to melt through my cuffs and get outside before either Saoirse or Elisavet awoke. Irritated with my progress, Saoirse hauls me up.
Elisavet hurls the bags down to double check them. "No, not yet. Boss said to head straight to the shipping yard and we get the boat that was going to Ireland with that shipment." My chest seizes up in fear. Sure I knew parts of Ireland but it could take weeks for the Benedicts to even figure out I had left the country!
Shoving me forward, Saoirse gets her phone as Elisavet zips the bags up. This may be the only chance I get. With all the strength I have, I slam back hard into Saoirse. Completely surprised, she staggers backwards before falling over with a crash. My cuffed hands cause me to lose my balance and I inadvertently follow her down just in time to miss a fist flying toward my face. Elisavet. I grit my teeth, just about manage to keep my footing and send the hottest bolt I can through the cuffs. I scream in agony as I have to duck under another fist. This one smacks me square in the jaw with the force of a pro fighter. I crash into the wall, bashing my head with a horrid hollow thunk and what remains of my cuffs fall away.
Already exhausted, I have no energy to fight the bony hand that makes a grab at my ankle. Saoirse, back and moving. Working solely on adrenaline, I thrust my heel back and the sickening snap of bone confirms a bullseye. I have a mere second to register this as Elisavet dives at my midsection, primal but effective as it whacks the air out of me. I shock her and she loses her grip, arms slipping away for a moment. Saoirse, blood pouring from her cracked nose takes another go at grabbing me only to get the shock of her life- literally. It knocks her out cold, and judging by the flat look in her eyes, is no longer a threat.
I push up onto one knee and stumble as I try to get out in to the hall. I get to the kitchen before I hear her. "Oh darling, you better stay put."
I whip my head around to see Elisavet running at me. My head spinning, I barely slip to the side grabbing at the island table to avoid her attack in time. Sweat bleeds into my eyes and I wipe a hand across my face. The pain in my bloody wrists is excruciating and in trying to breathe through a wave of pain, Elisavet knocks into me and pins me down. This time I know she means business as I feel her force her way into my mind. At the invasion, I scream and writhe underneath her.
"No you do not," Elisavet says, her breathing laboured. Momentarily stopping her mental attack, she grabs my shoulders, pulling me up, only to slam me back down. It stuns me but when the girl goes back into my mind, I redouble my attack. Whoever the hell she is and whatever she is doing, I am not taking it. With crazed desperation, I shock her into oblivion and roll out from her. Without another thought, I run out taking the first set of stairs I see.
What street is this? Where do I go, where do I go? I managed to get outside to an alley I am certain deliveries are only made through. I must have been here before but everything in my head is a mess. Memories feel fractured and ripped but at least I have the sense to run. My chest already aching after breaking out onto the main road, I lean against a set of lights, breathing hard enough to earn glances from the pair of women walking their dogs. Could they help? The light blinks to life and I near sprint across several lanes of traffic. No, not them.
Scanning the street I take in the cafés, shut up takeaways, a few trinket stores and the grand apartment block I just left. From which I see a pretty familiar tall, pale girl emerging on the prowl. I barely check to see what state she must be in before peeling down the first side street I land upon. I know the Benedicts were looking for me but I cannot stay here.
It is still dark and dull, though the sun looms in the distance, so I run in near pitch black as awnings and narrow overhead balconies block the weak light. Where was I? I could feel the tears whip off my cheeks as I ducked around bins and boxes. It was petrifying not having my memory and as I made a random turn further into the darkness I was relieved to remember the pale girl could not confuse me further. She could… Shields! I could call Will.
Breaking out onto a wider street, I duck into an all hours supermarket. The sole guy on the tills barely lifts an eye from his phone as I walk as quickly as possible to the very back of the store.
Will!
Willow! Is it really you? Of course it is, are you ok? His relief is practically palpable and I let out a breath I never knew I was holding.
Yes! No. I don't know. I cannot remember. She… The girl messed with my mind I think when I escaped.
Even though he only takes a moment to respond I can feel the rolls of fury pouring down the connection before he reins it in. Ok, ok. Where are you? Crystal thought she knew where when she saw a news report late last night but…
I was there but high up in an apartment block. I am not sure where I am. Scared, I peer outside figuring I can walk and talk, keeping distance between the girls and myself. Further along are an herbs store, another shop filled with spiritual trinkets and a grimy vintage store. Frowning, I cup a hand over my brow and have a look in.
Can you give us anything? He asks desperately. Nearly everyone is here, I am heading outside right now, I stayed in a hostel a street over.
Hearing too quick steps, I sprint away at breakneck speed and duck into the next street. The shop. Wait a sec! Quickly looking for Tulip I redirect to her. Tools, you with Will?
Thankfully I catch the sense of her jogging down the steps from the hostel with Will, Crystal and Xav. Yes! Yes! Wh-
The vintage shop! Do you remember that place we got our Halloween costumes?
Yes! She shrieks and I feel Will recoil beside her. Looks like the shriek was yelled aloud. I smile in spite of myself, breathing hard. Sticking close to a closed up store front, I glance down fearfully at my wrists. I let out a hiss in shock. I had done my best to control the current but directional control was always difficult with electricity.
I begin shivering in fear as I turn my arms to inspect the charred skin. It resembled cracked leather and in my horror, I get even more confused. While lances of pain shook my entire body, it was not half as painful as it appeared. Had I burnt off my nerves?
Willow are you ok? We are on the way. Will asked, sensing my fear.
Yeah, my wrists… My wrists… I burnt them a lot. I knew my anxiety was leaking through though I felt a wave of reassurance sweep through the bond.
Oh my Willow. He seemed to whisper and for some reason this sprang tears to my eyes. How come sometimes accepting the love of someone else was much harder than giving it. Xav is with us, just sit tight. We should be there any second.
Remembering the pale girl whose name I was sure I knew at one point, I backed into a doorway and glanced down the length of the street. Was she not just behind me? Too nervous to stand still, I decided to cross the street and hide out in a narrow side alley between two buildings. I was far too exposed here. I began to relay this to Will before feeling something thick and dense grow between us.
Will! She- but I was cut off abruptly as a wiry arm knocked my chin up as she locked her forearm around my neck and whispered in my ear.
"You will go quietly. You will comply with my every word unless you want to go back to Elisavet. Or better yet have her play with... Will, is it?" I bucked against her arm but she only pulled me back further into a barred up door. "You realise Elisavet can send people crazy right?" She felt me stiffen. Elisavet must have been the dark haired girl to mess with my head. "Take years and years of memories and it really fucks with a person. They are practically a child and trust nothing and no one." She finished nonchalantly. "So get with the program."
A black SUV screeched to a halt in front of us. While Elisavet looked worse for wear, she was still up and glaring at me through the open window. "Fine." I snapped. I was relieved neither of them seemed to have anything else to tie my wrists with until Elisavet got out and shoved me in the back seat.
"Step on it Saoirse," Elisavet ordered. Saoirse replied with a rev of the engine. Clenching her teeth before looking at me, Elisavet gave me a mockery of a smile. "I think you better not fuck about with me this time darling."
"So noted." I mumbled. I had my chance and I was still going to… My stomach sank. Ireland. How on earth was I getting out of this one?
Author person babble time,
funny, I barely had to edit this chapter. That was a nice surprise. And I said I would post around the 18th of this month and since I am working the 16th, 17th and 18th I figured why not post it early instead of late as I had the time to do it today!
Also, did you like that little bit of Willow's dream at the beginning of the chapter? I can even visualize that bridesmaid dress so clearly but I will not ruin how you see it by describing it further than its straps! Maybe in my babble in the next chapter?
Hint time! It is a nice lengthy chapter next with 6/7 Benedict brother appearances and lots of fighting ;)