Page 57 of Torn Between Two Worlds

He tore down the hall from his bedroom and jumped over the railing to his living room below. A shimmering doorway, no doubt opened because she was in trouble, showed her bedroom. He raced to pass through to her world, but he was too late. She was gone.

She heard a groan, and it took her a moment to realize it had come from her. Opening her eyes, she felt a wash of pain drift over her. She bolted upright, retched and let her body lay back down on the floor. Eyes closed once more, she did her best to breathe slowly.

What had happened? She'd been on the way to Stryder, and then, she was suddenly in pain. Her hand ran over the floor under her. It was rough and cold like cement, and she opened her eyes again. It was dark wherever she was, but there was enough light that she could just make out the rocky walls around her. Where was she?

Forcing herself to sit again, she found that, if she leaned back, her body connected with a cold rocky wall. She let herself sag against it. Her breathing was still shallow, but she ran her hands over body. Not feeling any sticky wetness to indicate blood, she sighed in relief.

“Oh, my dear, I wouldn't think you're out of the woods just yet.”

The voice pinged in her mind, and bile rose in her throat. “Jonathan.”

“But of course.”

A light flicked on, and she gasped, realizing she wasn't just in rock, she was in a cell. He was holding a knife and flipping it from hand to hand, the smirk on his face a mask of pure evil that sent a chill through her.

“What do you want?” Even as she asked, she was trying to calm her panic and focus on the powers she had. When she didn't see a response, she cursed.

“Now, now. I didn't even tell you anything, and you're cursing.” His laugh echoed off the walls, and he walked forward to squat in front of her.

She focused on creating a doorway. Maybe, she could get herself through it and close it quick enough.

Again, nothing but his laughter.

“If you're trying to use those little gifts of yours, Ciara, I have some bad news. You see, the rules of this world are that this cell dampens all magic and all demon strength. Guess that means you're just going to have to sit there.”

“He'll find me,” she said the words, but honestly didn't know if he would come.

“Ahh yes, we are counting that. However, I know you think we can't defeat them, but they can die. Painfully too.” Her gasp made his smile grow. “Just like in all good lore, Angel's blood is poison to them. So if they cannot get to each other to feed...” He ran a finger across his neck. “So, you see, my dear, all it takes is a bit of isolation. And where better to do that than in our own tunnel systems. So I invite you. Call out to him. You're to be killed anyway, so the sooner you do it, the better.”

She felt paralyzed. It wasn't one of those call the villain's bluff scenarios. She knew from what little she'd read, the man had very little in the way of a soul. Dale had shown her a little on how to block her mind. It wasn't something that was a gift so much as, if she focused, no one could get in there. Except maybe that pair of brothers jerking the strings, but she wasn't about to try with the only one she'd met.

“Then just kill me because it's not going to matter.”

“So glad to hear you say that, Miss Miller.”

The voice that wrapped around her seemed to suck the air from the room. Coming into view from just behind Jonathan, a man seemed to pop in. A man she knew. The man in the trench coat, but not. The laugh the man let out as she scrutinized him made her skin crawl.

“By the look on your face, I can tell you've never noticed me watching you. Well, that's okay. Just call me brother number two. Or brother number one, but I seem to sense, in your book, my good for nothing brother takes top spot.”

She was going to be sick. He was the brother Dale had told her about. Dale was right about the overwhelming evil that flowed off of him. It was a thick presence, and she swore his power pressed against her neck, making it harder to breathe.

“Ask, and you shall receive.”

Both men turned to her, and she laughed. Hysteria must have been building as she sat there, and it was taking hold quickly. Tears streaked down her face, and her body shook.

“Guess you really can't read me when I'm blocking. All powerful my ass.” The streak of pain that shot from head to toe startled her, and the laughter died off as quickly as it had begun, her eyes widened at the man walking toward her as he literally kicked Jonathan out of the way.

“Little Word Speaker, do not insult me. I have no intention of letting my power even drift into your mind. You are not one of mine, and no correction could make it so. However—”

His voice trailed off, and suddenly she felt as if someone was massaging her brain, only she didn't like it. A small yelp escaped her, and she bit her lip until it bled, clenching her fists, to stop him from knowing he was hurting her.

His grin was the same as the man in the trench coat, beautiful and perfect, but it didn't reach his eyes in quite the same fashion. “What an interesting turn of events. It would seem, little Miss Miller is without her Guardian's affections. My, my, my. Wouldn't that be such a shame if there was a way to channel all that anger and hurt into something destructive? If there was a way to change everything you've ever thought to be good in that pretty little head of yours?”

His taunts unnerved her, but what was worse, he sounded like Jonathan. Which meant Jonathan wasn't in control anymore. Everything was this man. Had this brother been in charge the whole time? Were they ever following the course of the books or had they been derailed the moment Ciara took an interest in Stryder?

“It doesn't matter what is happening between us. I know the score, and frankly, if you work with people like these incompetent idiots, your side stands no shot, anyway.” The pain was a physical force as he wrapped his hand around her neck and slammed her head backward into the wall.

“I've had about enough.” He turned to Jonathan who had stood up but had made no move to walk closer to the two of them. “Change of plans. You kill her, I kill you. You let her find a way to kill herself, I kill you. Understood?”

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