Enthrall Me (The conclusion to Enchant Me) (9 page)

In the time we had alone together on the plane, we couldn’t come up with a plan or compromise regarding rescuing Alexis. He knew I had no intention to let him escape or harm my Grove, and I knew he didn’t trust me enough to let Alexis go without him. We agreed on only one thing, to release my powers, since neither of us wanted my Grove to know my weakness.

When we drove into town, I surprised even myself when I smiled in pleasure at the vanilla stone buildings, and tropical gardens of my home. But then I remembered, Alexis hovered between life and death here. A feeling of guilt weaved its way into my heart. I was the one who had brought Alexis and Christian to Garron’s attention. If it hadn’t been for me she wouldn’t be here, and I wouldn’t be in this insane truce with my enemy.

As we drove up I could see Garron, and the rest of my Grove, waiting outside. My eyes fell nervously on Lisette. At the moment she was my biggest threat; I couldn’t let her sense my concern for Alexis, or that Christian and I, had a secret. So lightly, I hoped it would be un-noticeable, I shielded myself. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Christian’s fingers twitch in awareness and warning, and I lowered my shield a
little.

We got out of the car, and Christian took off his blindfold, and walked straight to Garron. “I want to see Alexis, now.”

Garron looked at him coolly. “After dinner. I’m sure you’re hungry by now.”

Christian moved to within a foot of him. “No, now.”

Tension rippled through our group, the triplets and Ryker took up defensive stances around Garron. Acting unconcerned, I grabbed our bags and prepared to intervene. How I didn’t know, but I couldn’t let him die, yet. It seemed appropriate that on a strange day like today, it was Tempest who stopped the potential battle. “Let him go, he’ll be much more obedient after he sees her.”

Christian’s fists clenched with tension, but other than that he showed no reaction. Garron studied him, then eventually inclined his head. “Lead the way,” he instructed Tempest.

While we walked through the house down to the wine cellar below, that we used as cells and torture chambers, anxiety filled me. What condition would she be in? Would I be able to hide my reaction? The desire to strengthen my shield was strong, but I knew I couldn’t risk it.

Since Garron didn’t care for modern conveniences, the cellars were dark, with only candle light to go by, but I didn’t need light to sense Christian’s growing tension. I hoped he could hold it together. We wouldn’t be able to get her out if he got injured or killed right away. At the end of the hall, two men I didn’t recognize guarded a cell, they weren’t Druids, but I could tell little else. They didn’t move away as we stepped up, but Christian and I could both see clearly through the bars.

On a bed in the cell, Alexis laid motionless, eyes closed, hands crossed over her chest like she was already gone. She looked thin and pale, her normally vibrant red hair, a dull curtain framing her. My control, stood on a thin ledge, about to fall off, when Lisette stepped near. I bit the inside of my mouth until I could taste blood, anything too distract myself. She turned to me. Then abruptly, Christian grabbed the sell bars and shook them. “Bring her back from the edge.”

Garron put his hand on Christian’s shoulder, which he violently shook off. “We already did. We needed to put her in a deeper than normal Druidic sleep, to get your attention.”

Christian shook with emotion, on the verge of exploding, so I punched him right above a kidney. He slammed hard into the cell doors with a pained groan. Garron looked at me surprised, but smiled. I turned my attention back to Christian. “She looks pretty good, for being half dead,” I quipped, and then I quickly left the cellars. One of us was about to blow our cover, and it might just end up being me.

I couldn’t relax until I was behind the closed door of my own room, but that didn’t last long. The momentary pleasure of hitting Christian faded, and the image of Alexis comatose intruded. I didn’t think it a good sign that Garron had anyone other than our own Grove guarding her. It meant he didn’t trust us. No, more likely, he didn’t trust me when it came to Alexis. Which would make rescuing her more difficult.

Since Garron liked us to dress formally for dinner, I took a shower and threw on a pair of slacks and a shirt, when someone knocked on my door, and swung it open. Tempest leaned against the door jamb, and watched me button up my shirt. She wore her dark hair in shining dark waves that almost reached her waist, and a slinky dress that showed more of her legs than I thought necessary for a dinner with the Grove. “I’m surprised you left them alone,” she taunted.

I sneered at her, but didn’t make eye contact. “Its not like they can even talk to each other, she’s comatose, you know,” I replied, forcing a lightness into my tone.

“You’re not fooling me,” she responded ominously, and left.

I stared after her, feeling hunted within my own Grove. Wasting no time, I shoved my shirt in my slacks, and buttoned my cuffs, popping one off in my haste. I wondered if Christian and I would survive the night. Maybe I should’ve given Tempest the attention she so obviously craved.

When I sat down in the dining room for dinner, I had to control the urge to keep from glancing around me. With more people around, especially ones I didn’t know, the higher the risk of being discovered. A feast had been laid out, and the atmosphere was definitely one of a party, with the exception of Christian, who sat in a place of honor at the end of the table. His tightly controlled expression said more than words. He didn’t acknowledge my arrival, but I knew he was analyzing and cataloguing everything he saw and heard. The others seemed to be leaving him alone, and since I saw no bruises or injuries, I assumed nothing more had happened after I had left him.

With a light shield up, I took my seat with a smile. I briefly glanced at Sebastian who sat at my side, as usual. He gave me a weird scowling smile, and I assumed he had forgiven me for his injury. Without thinking I cuffed the kid on the back of the head affectionately, then realizing what I did, I turned back to my food, and ignored him for the rest of the meal. Oddly I had a feeling he understood me, which I liked even less.

At the end of the meal Garron raised his glass. “Tomorrow will be a new beginning, Tomorrow we start on our path for freedom.” Our Grove roared in exhilaration, and clinked their glasses. I avoided making eye contact with Christian, not wanting to risk getting him anymore riled. I had learned the hard way not to underestimate my enemy.

The room was filled with shared talk of how wonderful life would be soon, but I kept my thoughts to myself. As I quietly ate, I got the feeling someone was staring at me. I looked up to find Tempest’s glacial blue eyes considering me; she glanced over at Christian then back at me. Eventually she leaned back in her chair with an enigmatic smile, but a confused look in her eyes, like she knew something was up. I leered at her until she got uncomfortable, and looked away.

More than ready to relax, away from all the watchful eyes, I stood up to go to my room, when I overheard Christian and Ryker in a low, but heated discussion. I turned away, happy to let them go at it. Then I thought of Alexis. Was I ready to sacrifice her? I needed Christian to help save her. Angry, I whipped around, and threw a shield around him, one tight enough to have him gasping for breath. Ryker laughed, and Garron and Lisette smiled in approval.

Christian glared at me, but we both knew he couldn’t afford to show he could overpower me. “Come on, it’s time to lock you up for the night.” I loosened the shield, and waited for him to walk in front of me, and then we left. As soon as we were out of sight and heading up the stairs, I released the shields around both of us. “You couldn’t keep it in control for a couple of hours?” I challenged. He shoved me against the wall, and the sound of my own head cracking against the stones, got me more than ready to throw down. Right now.

He looked back at me calm, but with murder in his eyes. “You should’ve heard the threats he made towards Alexis.”

I shoved him away from me. “What!”

“We need to take him out,” he answered, going up the stairs.

I followed him, and decided I didn’t need any further explanation of what was said. “If we start killing anyone in my Grove, it will be a little suspicious.”

“Doesn’t matter. It has to be done. If you can’t do it, I will. The next time I see him.”

Damn it. I rushed to catch up with him, grabbed his arm, and yanked him back as we reached the landing; completely aware of the two guards stationed at the door to the room he’d been assigned. In response, he grabbed the collar of my shirt; the fury he’d held back all day, stared back at me. I ached for this fight. It would almost be worth it. At the sound of the guards feet as they raced down the hallway, I pushed him away. “You’ll do what’s best for Alexis, getting us discovered isn’t it. By the way, whatever you do tomorrow, don’t increase Lisette’s powers, she doesn’t need to see through us,” I rumbled, and walked away. He had never asked why my Grove wanted him, but I knew he had guessed correctly before he even came. His Grove was risking a lot to save just Alexis, and I hoped Christian would live long enough to make use of it.

After breakfast the next morning, Christian was marched downstairs by his guards, and led to the cellars. The space was filled wall to wall with Druids, but I had to give him credit, he didn’t falter once. They escorted him to the end, next to Alexis’s cell. I peeked at her briefly, she didn’t look worse, but she didn’t look any better either. The meaning of being within eyesight of her wasn’t lost on me, and I doubted that Christian missed it either. An obvious threat for compliance.

I was grateful that Garron was a spell caster, his power couldn’t be increased, but it also meant he was safe from Christian’s specialty of mind torture. Unfortunate, cause that could have been helpful to us. As I looked at the twenty to thirty people gathered around us, eagerly awaiting their turn, I wondered if Christian would be able to do this.

All of the sudden, Christian’s two personal guards attacked Garron and Ryker, while the two guarding Alexis’s cell abruptly opened her cell door and they rushed in with Christian at their back. In shock I stood immobile, uncomprehending the chaos around me. Before I had a chance to react, help, or do anything at all, the four human guards were attacked and killed, and Christian was dragged away from Alexis.

“What was this?” Garron demanded, jerking Christian’s head back by his hair.

Christian struggled against his guards, ignoring the question. “You can control minds too?” Garron seemed to mull this over. “But I don’t think you can’t do it to those with powers.” Garron glanced at Ryker. “Have all the non-Druids, including our servants, sent away, we can’t have them turned against us. Also dispose of these bodies too.”

Garron then leveled a suspicious glance at me. “Did you know about this?”

“No,” I answered honestly, glad that Christian hadn’t told me about this power. Then again if I had known, maybe we could’ve come up with a plan that would’ve succeeded.

“Now I could punish you, but I doubt that would get the results I need. So that leaves Alexis.”

“No!” screamed Christian, fighting harder against the men that held him.

It took everything I had, to stay in place as the Druid in charge of Alexis moved forward, tipping a flask against her lips. Christian and I both helplessly watched as more of the Druidic sleep potion was dribbled into her mouth.

“How close to the Veil should I get her this time?” Garron taunted Christian.

Christian stopped fighting and stared at Garron with hatred in his eyes. “I’ll do what you want, just leave Alexis alone.”

Garron nodded at the Druid inside, who stopped and moved away, but he didn’t leave her cell.

Christian stood up, shaking off the men that held him, and motioned to have the first person brought up, and so it began…

Hours passed, and one after another, he increased our ranks powers, building our army, but he was fading fast, and shaking from the effort. My fantasy of seeing Christian burn out, would come sooner than expected at this rate. Garron didn’t care, his eyes lit up with unholy glee. Lisette, who had come down out of curiosity, was no better, urging that he could go further.

Eventually Christian fell back against the wall exhausted. I glanced at Alexis then back at Christian. He needed a break if he was to survive, and it looked like I was the only one that could give it to him. Not really wanting to help him, but needing to, I built a thick shield around him. “You weren’t told to quit,” I snarled, then squeezed the shield around him so fast he immediately passed out. “He’s worthless,” I complained, stepping casually over him, and stomping out, aware the whole time of Lisette’s eyes on me.

As soon as I was in the stairwell alone, I leaned against the wall. Uncertainty washed over me. Why was I putting myself through this? Christian wasn’t my friend, and Alexis wasn’t my girlfriend. Garron and the Grove had resurrected me, was I really going to betray them?

CHAPTER 11

A weird air hovered over breakfast, and I couldn’t place the what or why. Since the regular servants were gone, the food wasn’t up to Garron’s standards and he picked at it dissatisfied. I took a quick glance at Christian, wondering if he had done something else. I’m sure I wasn’t the only one wondering if he had any other powers we hadn’t seen yet. He sat in his chair, eating comfortably, not like a man who’d almost burned out, then been slammed into a cell head first. I felt slightly dissatisfied at this; I would remember not to be so gentle next time. Even though he ignored us, I knew he was watching and learning as much about us as possible, but the source of my unease didn’t come from him.

Sebastian, Tempest, and the triplets were acting normal, at least normal for them, which left Garron, Lisette, and Ryker. I couldn’t decide whether to strengthen my shield or not. A cold trickle down my spine, warned me not to do anything that would bring attention my way. As casually as I could, I glanced over at Ryker. He was watching me, and I realized, he had been for some time. His look wasn’t friendly as we stared at each other, and I turned to Lisette to see if I could guess what emotion she was reading from him, but she was studying me with the same unblinking stare. Hiding my worry, I raised a brow at her in question.