Page 26 of Pieces of Halves

Swinging the doors open, I find the room empty. My heart goes into my throat, and my mind spins with all the worst scenarios. Taking a deep breath, I calm myself and focus.

“Tengu, where the fuck are you?”I snap at him through the mind link, my tone harsh.

“In the basement.” His answer is short and quick.

Fuck! Fuck. Fuck…I bolt out of the room as fast as I possibly can. The reason why this Inn is so secure is because of the basement.Shit. The basement door is tucked away in a dark corner. I did not think Izzy would go down there. I should’ve known better; Izzy has a curious mind.

My surroundings are a blur as I run through the hall, down the stairs, and frantically search for Izzy among the locked doors. She is nowhere to be found. I keep going further, my heartracing out of control, until I reach a wide, arched opening with a small table behind it.

The room is cozily decorated, but all I can concentrate on is Izzy sitting across from Clara, the fairy who owns that establishment. Izzy’s face is puffy, and her eyes are red.

She’s been crying. My heart shreds at the idea. Ignoring Clara, I hurry and drop on my knees in front of Izzy.

“Izzy, baby. Are you okay?” I reach to hold her face.

“I’m okay.” She smiles tenderly.

Izzy’s eyes go from me to Clara. She is healing. This place has things that could be misunderstood by someone as fragile as her. Izzy bites her lower lip and timidly looks down at me, her cheek pink. My eyes searching hers, I feel like I am missing something. I need to get her out of here.

“We should go.” I run my thumb along her cheek.

She gives me a small nod, looks behind me, and says in a quiet voice, “Thank you, Clara.”

“Come down if you want to chat some more,” Clara says, and I whip my head to glare at her.

Not a chance in hell. Izzy has been through enough.

The walk upstairs is fast as Izzy follows me silently. I have the urge to kill Tengu for letting her go down there, but I also want to know what is on her mind. Walking into our room, I exhale and try to find the words to get her to talk to me.

“I told her about my monsters,” she whispers, and without looking at me, sits in the middle of the bed, her legs crossed.

Staring at her hands, she plays with her fingers. The humiliation in her face and posture is evident. I’m not sure howto make her believe that there is nothing for her to be ashamed of, so I stay silent, my mind spinning.

“She showed me some things,” Izzy mumbles and picks at her nails.

Dammit.Her fingers can’t be that fascinating. I need to see her eyes so I can find what she’s hiding in her soul. Doing my best not to startle her, I get on the bed andsit in front of her. Placing my hands on her waist, I tug at her and position her on my lap. She gasps, parting her legs to straddle me, her eyes never meeting mine.

“What did she show you?” I take her hands and move them up around my neck. She looks up, her eyes locking on mine. Uncertainty floats in those beautiful greens, but I wait for her to answer. She doesn’t. “Izzy, talk to me, baby.” I place my palm on her cheek.

“She said that the people down there go to the basement for healing. The pain helps them…” she mumbles and looks down.Shit. In a way, yes. There is so much more to it, though. “I want to heal.” Her voice breaks, and I think my heart does as well.

If she wants to experiment in the basement, I won’t stop her, but I don’t think I can handle another man touching her. It burns my chest just thinking about that.

“Do you want to go down there to have someone –” I inhale, struggling to ask the question.

Her head shoots up quickly with her eyes wide. “No,” she answers quickly.Thank God…“I was wondering…” she starts, her hands twitching around my neck.

“Yes?” I encourage her.

“How much do you know about things like that?” Her voice is small and timid.

A lot.The possessiveness and control that makes one feel alive, the ability to give away freedom to someone to escape, or the ecstasy one can feel after rough play in a safe place. It is all a matter of trust, understanding, and respect.

This is a fine line I need to tread lightly on. I’m not sure if she is asking if I am as dark as those men in the basement or if I am aware of why that place exists.

“I know some things.” Leaning my face closer to hers, I ask, “What do you want to know?”

“Well… Um…” she starts and tries to look away, but I hold her steady. “Me and you…” she tries again, her cheeks turning red quickly.

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