Page 38 of Elemental Hope
“Imelda, much as I hate this, you have a point. If you’re not after Evrain then it will be someone else. I want a semblance of peace in our lives but Evrain is going to take some convincing. It’s time you put a bit of trust in me, don’t you think?”
“Very well. I will give you the time with him. You have my word that you will not be observed.” Saying this, she turned off the monitor. “In the drawer next to you you’ll find some overalls. I’m afraid I must insist you leave all your clothes here. The collar he wears blocks his power, but I have still been very careful to ensure Evrain has little access to the elements and even natural fibers are of the earth.”
With a mental sigh of relief, Dominic slid the drawer open. He removed a roll of white nylon fabric. He shook it out. The one-piece garment seemed to be identical to the one Evrain wore.
He stood. Imelda didn’t budge. It was clear she had no intention of leaving while he changed. He hoped that Gregory’s assurance that only a select few people could see the patterns on Dominic’s skin held true. He stripped off his shirt first then toedoff his shoes. Socks and pants came next. He hesitated, standing in his underwear while Imelda stared at him, unblinking. He sighed, then rolled down his shorts. Dignity seemed to be a thing of the past for him. He stepped into the overalls, pulling them up with a jerk. He wriggled into the arm holes then closed the zipper with some relief.
“Thank you.” A brief smile crossed Imelda’s lips, making Dominic wonder exactly what she was thanking him for. “Do what you must to convince him, Dominic. I really don’t want Symeon to hurt you.”
“His hands…”
“Stay bound. Symeon is right to say that Evrain is dangerous. I’m giving you some latitude but I cannot free him completely.”
Barefoot, Dominic trailed Imelda from the small office to the elevator where she pressed the button for the sub-basement level. Their destination had to be on the same floor as the parking garage. From the elevator it was just a short walk down a dim corridor to a single door, which opened into a vestibule of sorts.
“The door to the passage will be locked behind you,” Imelda said. She gestured to the door in front of them. “This leads to Evrain’s cell. The other to a small bathroom. Feel free to use the facilities if you need to. I will leave the cell door unlocked.” She typed a code into the key pad next to the door. It slid open with barely a hiss then Dominic stepped inside.
The room in which Evrain was held was so white it was painful to look at. There was no relief for the eyes and, when the door closed behind Dominic, it became quite disorienting. He imagined it was akin to snow-blindness, not that he’d ever been skiing. He walked across to the cot, knelt beside Evrain’s prone form then touched his bare arm.
“Evrain, it’s me. Please wake up.”
He was rewarded with a snarl. “I’m not asleep, just pretending in case you were Symeon.” He rolled on to his back and sighed. “What in the fires of hell are you doing here, Dominic? You should be safe at home behind layers of protective wards.”
“I’ll explain everything, but what about you, did they hurt you very much?”
Evrain sat up awkwardly. He patted the cot. “Come sit here with me.”
Dominic took a spot next to him, pressing close, thigh to thigh.
“I think my arms are a couple of inches longer, but other than that not really. Symeon roughed me up a little. The worst thing was having to listen to him gloat—that was painful on the ears.”
“He showed me pictures of you hanging from the ceiling.”
“Great. He’ll probably have full-sized prints made for his bedroom wall.”
“There’s a camera in this room somewhere.” Dominic examined the blank walls. “I can’t see it though. Imelda promised me she wouldn’t watch us.”
“She will.” Evrain rested his cuffed hands on his knees.
“Why are your wrists bandaged?” Dominic asked, touching Evrain’s hand.
“Symeon used cable ties when he hung me up. They cut into my skin. Imelda didn’t appreciate what he’d done. I don’t think she sanctioned Symeon’s violence.”
“I got the same impression. She reamed him good after he threatened me. They aren’t the best of buddies.”
“I can’t believe I walked into such an obvious trap,” Evrain said. “I feel like a complete idiot.”
“You were an idiot because you think more about my safety than your own.” Dominic ran a comforting hand through Evrain’s hair. He stared into his green-gold eyes. “It was only a matter of time, Evrain—the Coven would never have given up. That’s why I’m here.” He rested his head on Evrain’s shoulder.With his mouth close to Evrain’s ear, Dominic whispered the details of Gregory’s plan. Then he unzipped his overalls, exposing the strange designs across his chest.
Evrain stared, his eyes wide. He raised his hands but didn’t quite touch. “How do they look to you?” he asked.
“Like silvery green tattoos just beneath my skin,” Dominic replied. “Gregory told me that apart from him and Nathaniel, only you and I would be able to see them. Imelda didn’t notice anything and she watched while I changed into this stupid suit.”
“She saw you naked?” Evrain’s eyes narrowed.
Dominic shook his head. “I think we have bigger issues to worry about, don’t you?”
“I suppose so. The designs seem like holograms to me. They sort of hover over your skin. When Gregory put these on you, did it hurt?”
