Disclaimer: See previous chapter. :)
Halfway to the door Morgead noticed an obvious problem. "Jez—how are we going to get from here all the way to San Francisco on foot?"
Jez didn't even take the time to pause. Instead, she shook out her long, fiery red hair and unpocketed a silver cell phone.
"I don't know about you," she said. "But I think it's about time for a little gang reunion."
Maggie's Point of View:
"Do you think they're coming?"
Maggie Neely cast a look at Hannah and gave her a grim smile. "Of course they're coming. They're probably on their way right now."
They both gave a grim sigh…because, truthfully, they didn't want them to come. Sure Maggie was hurting both physically and mentally, but she knew how to be strong, and Hannah wasn't in hysterics yet, either. But if Delos came to get her, then the enemies got what they wanted. Why else would they have captured the two? Maggie thought back to the initial scene…it had all happened so fast.
She had been searching near the master bed room, a few feet away from a sliding balcony exit. A small noise from the closet had startled her. She walked over hesitantly, wondering if she should call for the others…but then she was probably just paranoid. She placed a hand on the knob and turned…and let out a breath that she hadn't known she had been holding. There was nothing there…and that's when the hands grabbed her from behind. One snaked around her waist and the other pressed down on her mouth—she couldn't make a sound. They were out the sliding door before she got over the initial surprise, and it wasn't until they were halfway to the tinted SUV that she began trying to claw her way out of her attacker's grip. She wasn't a half bad fighter, actually—she had gotten Jez and Rashel to give her a few pointers, but her captor had the element of surprise and backup. She hadn't stood a chance, and had gotten multiple bruises, cuts, and scratches for her effort.
"Do you think Poppy's brother is nearby?" Hannah's voice brought her out of the brief reverie.
"I think he must be." She replied. "Any luck with those ropes?"
"Besides getting a nasty case of rope burn?"
"Same," Maggie gave a sigh. She a very nasty feeling that was growing inside of her—a feeling that said if Delos managed to find her, things weren't going to be pretty.
Bang. Bang. Bang.
The door opened, and in came an auburn headed, green eyed man carrying a couple bottles of water. Maggie thought he looked somewhat familiar, but couldn't quite place him.
"H-here, I've b-been ordered to bring you some w-water." He stuttered, looking uncomfortable and awkward. He untwisted the cap on each of them and poured some of the liquid gold into their mouths. It was good, but she'd tasted better…like the day she had arrived in Delos's kingdom for the first time. The water he had shown her had been pure bliss. Hannah wasn't gulping the stuff down, either, but then she had probably been through a good deal of drought in the umpteenth lives that she had been through.
"Will y-you two be needing any-anything else?"
"A nicely sharpened stake and a way out of here would be nice."
Maggie had to give credit to the guy—he didn't snarl out a threat or hit her. In fact, she thought she saw something like regret as he quickly hurried out the door, but she couldn't be sure.
"He didn't look familiar to you, did he?" Hannah asked quietly, thoughtfully.
"Yes, actually, he did."
"Hmm…that's what I thought. Because his eyes reminded me so much of—,"
Bang. Bang. Bang.
The door once again opened up, and Maggie briefly wondered why the people over here bothered knocking if they weren't going to bother waiting for a reply, but the thought faded as a very defiant looking Phillip North was shoved into their room, his hands tied behind him in roughly the same style as theirs. With him marched a twenty or so man—well, dragon actually, Maggie amended as she counted four little poky horns sprouting from his head.
"Have a seat Phillip," the dragon half asked half commanded in the most velvety, charismatic voice Maggie had ever heard. For one hazy, confused second her brain told her that she could relax now—that there was nothing to fear. That this man was a genuinely nice person, a person who Maggie could be friends with, and tell all her deepest secrets to…and then she stole her mind back. She was utterly furious and ashamed that she had let herself—for even that teeny, tiny second—fall for the melodic tone to his voice. She vowed that it wouldn't happen again.
"Your voice…" from beside her Hannah let out a contented sigh. "It's so beautiful."
Maggie, with no other choice, leaned back in her chair and then head butted Hannah as hard as she could. The momentum from her shaking caused both of their chairs to topple over, landing Maggie with another biting bruise on the back of her head. That, however, was the least of her troubles as the dragon man quickly strode over to her and forced her back up by the roots of her hair. Once up, he looked her straight in the eye and slapped her. Her eyes closed as unshed tears welled up behind her lids; she let out a strangled yelp, but did not scream. She heard Hannah mutter a grateful, but ashamed, "Thanks," as the dragon yanked her up as well.
Maggie felt her body automatically tense for whatever was to come while Phil reluctantly sat down next to her.
"Now," said the dragon. The allure to his voice was still powerful, but Maggie had only to remember the way his flesh bit at her cheek before she was back to herself. "I'd say it's about time for some group sessions. I've already spoken to Philipp here, but he seems reluctant to tell me anything."
"I've told you before," Phil said impatiently. "It's hard to be 'reluctant to tell' you anything if I don't know anything in the first place."
Apparently they had been through the argument before, because the dragon man didn't even flinch at the words, instead coming over and resting a hand on her head. She resisted the urge to shiver.
"Now Maggie…you love Delos, right?"
Maggie, surprised at the direction his questioning had taken, told the honest truth. "Of course."
"And Hannah—such a lovely young thing. Young in appearance anyways…I am so glad that you and Thierry have managed to work things out in this life. You must be very glad, no?"
A bit more wary than Maggie had been, Hannah nodded.
"And I don't even have to ask how much you love your sister, do I?"
"No." Phil's voice was deep with emotion and wavered a little at the end, but his face was stony and set.
"Well then…I think we can afford to make a deal, can't we?" He paused, savoring the guarded expressions on the trio's faces. "But before I tell you my idea, I would like for you to listen to me. Now, I know for a fact that at this very moment all three of your precious loved ones are travelling as fast as their fancy little limos can take them, trying to get to our hideout. Now, if your special little physic hasn't already 'foretold' where we have you holed up, then they will most definitely find the little 'hidden' hints my men have scattered around town. Either way they will soon be arriving…and if they do, they will die. Wildpower or not. Lord or no. Feisty little vampire...doesn't matter. They set one foot into this building, and they will cease to exist. I've had my men sharpen three pretty little stakes just for the job…you three can watch if you wish."
Maggie clenched her teeth, too horrified to speak. Luckily, Phil did the job for her. "We get it. They get here, it's a problem…now would it trouble you too much to get to the point?
The dragon chuckled. "Phillip…your incessant straight forwardness is somewhat endearing to me. It will be a pity if I am forced to kill you. But, I will, as you advice me—'get to the point'. I am willing to let all three of you go. You will be free to leave the building, and I can give my word that none of my associates will so much as touch a single hair on your heads. You will be allowed to meet your frantic search party at the door and can be ensured that no one will get hurt."
Maggie paused, taking it all in. "I see. So what do you get in return?"
"Nothing much, nothing much at all, my dear—all I require from you, from anyone of you, is the location of your hideout."
Maggie inhaled, her eyes fluttering closed for a moment. He was offering them an incredible deal…an incredibly selfish deal, to be sure…but an incredible deal all the same. She didn't know what to think.
"But that will mean other people will get hurt…maybe even Thierry and the rest of them, just at a later time." Hannah said, her voice sounding sad and just a tad bit haunting.
"That's true." He replied cheerfully. "But if you turn my offer down now, there will be absolutely no hope at all. And either way we will find your hideaway…it might take a week. A month. A month and a half. But we will find it. Now, please…may I have your answer? And hurry now, because if they get here first, then I'm afraid I'll have to resign my generous deal. And that, my dears, wouldn't be good…for any of you."
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