'Time to wake up ssssleepy head.'
Alexis shot upward against the protest of her body. Her head weighed heavy, her vision was blurry. She felt uncoordinated, trying to move her limbs was like dragging dead weigh. As she struggled to sit up higher, she felt herself being poked in the arm for the second time. Turning, she meet the gaze of Diana, clad in skin tight red leather and a what looked to be a diamond choker, its rainbow sparkle bright to the eye.
'Massster wantsss to have dinner.' Diana stood, scrapping up a piece of fabric from an embellished chair and throwing it in Alexis' direction. It was only then Alexis took in her surroundings. She remembered meeting the vampire, but then things seemed hazy.
The room she was in was so ordinary a total contrast to last night's location. The bed was dressed in simple linens, the rooms painted a neutral colour with pieces of abstract art and random bursts of colour. Much like her room at home. She rubbed her temples. Clearing her throat she turned back to the faerie. 'What time is it?'
'Dinner time ssstupid, you ssslept a long time. Master asssked me to check on you.'
'Alistair?'
Diana nodded and stood, the squeak of her outfit evident. 'Put on clothesss, Bathroom that way.'
Diana pointed over her shoulder to the closed door in the corner of the room. She moved towards the other door in the room and knocked three times in quick succession.
Alexis heard the lock move and the door creak open. It looked heavy and old school solid. No busting out of that one. Taran was on the other side. Diana smirked and exited in front of the big man as the door closed once more, the sliding and click of the lock booming though the space.
Alexis picked up the garment at the base of the bed and dragged herself upwards. Clutching the soft navy blue material to her chest, she carefully moved to the bathroom. She needed to scope around and find the layout of this place, so she'd play along with things...for a while.
As the light flicked on in the small space the image looking back was dim. Alexis shakily touched her own face with tentative fingers, letting the material in her hand slip through her hand. She looked so different. She felt aged. Her skin was pale, marred with old dirt and dried blood on one side. Heavy dark bags under her eyes along with several bruises along her upper arms. The red puckered injury on the right of her neck was clearly the worst and most recent. Its swollen appearance looked angry.
'THAT BASTARD.' She told no one in particular. He'd bitten her! She looked down at the remains of the cocktail dress she wore. It looked like she felt, torn and battered.
She remembered the loving care she'd taken only weeks before in choosing the gown, dressing in the gown and now it was nothing more than rags. As she fingered the torn hem, she remembered Jensen and dressing his injuries and waking in his arms. Safe.
Shaking her head, she spun around in the small space, observing the items ascrew on the counters and the shower stall. Her favourite shampoo, body wash and a few other niceties.
'This is weird' She murmured, 'How would he know?' As abruptly as that thought came into her head. The answer was blatantly obvious. Dominic. He'd know these things. Comfort in a prison, how ironic.
The light knock on the bathroom door had Alexis spinning round to face her entrance route.
'Alexis?' The smooth voice of her captor emanated through the wood. To avoid answering him or something worse, Alex flicked the flimsy lock on the door and bent into the shower cubicle turning on the water. She quickly undressed and stepped under.
As the water pounded on her sore skin her palms began to tingle, she felt her power rising. Could she take on a vampire?
'I doubt it, but if you wish to try, maybe we'll both be surprised.' Alistair was leant against the door jam as Alex looked round. His outline was marred slightly by the steam. His arms and legs were crossed as he propped himself up dressed in an elegant pinstripe suite.
Bastard, Bastard, Bastard. The only thought that passed through her mind. She carefully switched off the water refusing to feel intimated by him, He's taken from her without permission and kept her captive. The time of being unsure was over, she need to get out of here. She turned to Alistair unashamed and completely naked. She held out her hand. 'Towel?'
Alistair simply raised an eyebrow, 'No please?'
'You can have a fuck you for free.' She smiled tightly and stepped from the cubicle, snatching the towel he taken from a rack on the wall behind him. She roughly rubbed at her hair, flinching when she nudged the sore on her neck.
She could feel his eyes on her, watching her. As she bent and rubbed her legs, she heard him suck in a breath. The action repulsed her but she continued, trying to remain unaffected. He watched every action, until she was fully dressed in the item she'd been given. The colour was beautiful, but the cut was not her usual taste, as much as she had when she was just naked in front of Alistair she felt on display. She pulled at the v neck which plunged to her waist.
'You look wonderful.' She met Alistair's gaze in the mirror. His smug smile made her nauseous.
'Come' he motioned to the door, 'You need to eat and we have much to discuss.'
*..................*
Paul came awake with a start, he felt cold, Inside and out. As he frantically scanned his own room, he gaze locked onto his father, who stood at the door with a tray in his arms.
As he stepped into the room, setting the tray on the bedside table George touched Paul's forehead, no doubt reading his body's functions. A clever skill he'd learned from Karl.
'How are you feeling?'
'About as weak as a kitten and about as much use' Paul rubbed his forehead.
'Drink this and take these.' George handed his son a glass of water and two white capsules.
'So...' Paul said around his glass, 'You want to know what I saw.'
George nodded.
Paul closed his eyes and took a breathe, sitting a little higher on the bed. 'It was dark, like a cave, solid ways, stale air.' Paul took another drink, 'Something was pulling at me, draining me magically, strong, sort of compelling.'
'Did you see Alexis? Or anyone else?' George sat on the bed side.
'A little.'
George nodded.
Paul frowned, 'you know where she is, don't you?'
'No' George answered with a deep sigh, 'but I know who she is with. What you felt was probably a magically null, it drains a prisoner, captive, visitor. Depending on where you place the stones,'
'Stones?' Paul inquired.
'The white quartzes, they can absorb and store a lot of energy, residual or otherwise.'
Paul nodded, 'draining energy would make a wizard more perceptive to influences but serious this old school shi-' Paul caught himself at his father look. 'The old magic s have fallen out of favour dad.'
'Which is exactly why they can be undetected and easily used, especially by certain super naturals.'
