“Lavender,” a gruff, deep voice said, causing all other conversation to quieten. The man who spoke was not old but there was something about his face that seemed like it had aged before its time. He was not handsome, nor was he unattractive, but he did share the same golden hair as Lavender. “What’s the matter?”
I felt her take a steadying breath before she answered. “I’m sorry, but like we discussed before, Ava’s awake and feeling well enough to talk with you, face to face.” Her words were followed by an uncomfortable and intense silence. “She’s becoming quite distressed with the isolation she’s facing and she has so many questions that I wish to answer but can’t.”
“I’m sure her questions will stop in time. We saved her life and are keeping her safe for now. That’s all she needs to know,” the man said dismissively. “If she starts to irritate you, you can always gag her.”
I bristled at the thought. Lavender continued, “I thought that too in the beginning but, Alistair, it’s cruel. If she’s going to live like a caged animal, I believe she deserves to know why.”
“No,” he said shortly.
“Won’t you at least meet her? Ava’s been here for a fortnight already and you haven’t made any effort in making a fair judgement on her. If she’s going to stay for a while, she can’t be locked in that room. Speak to her. It might calm her nerves.”
Another silence extended longer than the last by the time Alistair finally spoke. “Very well, bring her down.”
Lavender chuckled nervously. “I’m already ahead of you,” she said as she grasped my arm and dragged me into the room. “I figured you’d say yes eventually.”
The man before me was intimidating in a totally different way. His features were stern and cold and he did not smile in greeting. Even though he remained seated, I could tell he was far taller than my medium frame from the way his body curved in the chair. He was slender but strongly built like a predator and his eyes were that of black ice, similar to Willow’s but much darker.
“I see you two are becoming cosy,” Alistair grunted, “that’ll only lead to trouble.”
“This incredibly grumpy old man is Alistair,” Lavender said, motioning toward him.
“I take it everything is to your liking.” Alistair said forcefully. I tried to speak but it came out as a strangled croak. Instead I nodded and he seemed to sigh at the sight of me. “You needn’t be so afraid.”
Honestly, after everything I’d been through… “I’m not afraid, sir.”
He eyed me curiously. “You certainly sound choked,” he said, looking at the print on my throat. “How are you feeling after Willow’s treatments?”
My hand found the bruise on my neck before I answered. “I’m still conscious and still breathing.”
“Did you eat?” Willow asked.
“Yes, it’s nice to have such delicious food.” I smiled, feeling the eyes of Alistair upon me.
I could feel his eyes burning into my skin and I looked at Lavender who in turn nodded, as though everything was fine. “Are you Lavender’s father?” I asked, turning back. “Only, you have very similar hair.”
“I’m her uncle.” Alistair looked to Willow and back. “My brother, her father, died a few years back.”
“I’m sorry.” I wanted to kick myself for asking.
“People die.” Alistair stood from the chair and walked to the kitchen. I found myself leaning towards him, aching to run and shake him and plead. Instead I stood strong and tried to disguise my desperation.
“Please,” I said, “I only want to know what happened and where we are.”
“After Ethan found you outside the city you were brought here to stay for a little while,” Willow said.
“And where is ‘here’?”
“Somewhere where you’ll be safe.”
“You keep saying that. Safe from what exactly?”
“At the moment you’re vulnerable.”
“Vulnerable – what are you talking about? A couple of days of rest and hot wraps and I’ll be right as rain.” I started pacing. “I could be at home doing this. My father doesn’t know where I am and I need to be there when he returns. I’m all he has left. My brother, I – I left on such terrible terms and have to put things right. The farm...I have animals to feed and lambs and calves to birth, and fields to plough, and seeds to sow, and-”
Before I was aware of it I’d paced in so many circles that my head spun. The others looked at me with such irrepressible pity that I could hardly stand it. I started towards the door but Alistair caught my arm. “You can’t go,” he said sincerely. I tugged against him but it had no effect.
“I have to go back,” I said through my teeth, swallowing a whine as the strain on my shoulder became too great. He released me as something moved in the corner of the room.
“Ava,” a memorable voice rang out, “stop before you hurt yourself.” One of the other men stepped forward, his dark mess of hair shimmered deeply against the brightening lamps. “You can’t go back, not yet.” Ethan’s eyes were soft as he spoke but it only frustrated me more that everyone was trying to be so damn gentle and understanding.
“Why? Of what benefit am I to you?” I spat, growing tired of the charade. His gaze was dizzying and I felt the weight of defeat pressing down upon me.
“Careful.” Lavender grabbed my arm as the room began to spin and I shut my eyes, shaking my head clear. Several pairs of heavy, hurried footsteps started towards me before Willow spoke out.
“Ric, fetch her a glass of water.”
Everything at that moment seemed to stop mid-motion. When my eyes opened I was back on the dusty path, broken and bloody under the waning moon. I shut them tight. It could be a different Ric. But reality returned at the sound of heavy feet clomping towards me; the smell of damp earth after the rain. The air was suddenly thin and when I dared to look, I stared at a man with lapis eyes ringed with violet and I felt sick.
“You...” My voice was barely more than a whisper.
“Ava, please, it’s not what you think-” he started, reaching for my arm.
“Don’t touch me!” I screamed, pulling out of Lavender’s arms so viciously that the back of my head hit the doorframe.
“Please, please listen. That night I wasn’t the one trying to kill you-”
“You organised it. You led me there.” We backed into the hall.
“For a different purpose-”
“What purpose? To see me struggle and scream and beg for my life? Or do you get some kind of sick satisfaction in watching people like me get gutted and torn apart and-” I shuddered as Gabriel flashed into my mind and my hand stroked the bruise once more.
“No! Please, I didn’t know. You weren’t supposed to be part of the plan-”
“What plan?”
“You don’t need to know,” Ethan’s voice intervened.
“Enough already with the mystery of it all. I’m not a child.” I turned back to Ric, readying myself for another attack but stopped as his expression reflected the one he wore outside of the collapsed house. Shame. I turned from his pitiful stare and sighed knowing he would kill me sooner or later.
Melancholy set in, too tired to care. “Who is it going to be, then?”
“What-?”
“Please, I get it. I can’t leave here...alive.”
“Ava, don’t be so stupid,” Ric scoffed. “No one is going to hurt you.”