Wouldn’t you like to know? You think you’re so smart. Figure this out. I try to yank my arm away from him, but he tightens his grip. I stumble forward. We pass a couple Gadramicks in the hall, who step aside and let Dravin pass. Each gives me an evil glare as we make our way further into the compound. I recognize a few of them as men that Dravin tried to make me fight earlier. He stops in front of a set of doors and grabs the key ring out of his pocket. This door looks nothing like any of the other doors in the compound. Instead of the heavy metal gray doors, this one was is mahogany. Deep black swirling accents decorate its exterior.
“Dravin, what’s going on?” Again, my attempts to get free are futile. His grip is too strong and while I could use my magic, there’s no way I’d be able to get out of this compound alive on my own.
Instead of answering me, he thrusts an old key into the lock and turns. I try to move away, but Dravin is physically stronger than me. He forcefully pulls me forward and continues maneuvering through the compound. This section looks much older than where we previously were. Instead of electric lighting, the room is lit by candles. This was where I was when I rescued Larkin from Dravin. This is the hall from my nightmares. My airways constrict the further we go down the halls from the lack of fresh air.
Dravin’s grip on my arm tightens. I bite my tongue to keep from crying out. I know that I’ll have a bruise from this later. Just another bruise to add to my collection, I guess. Dravin stops in front of a door and knocks once.
“Dravin!” I yell at him. He turns and looks at me. I shake my arm out of his hand. He grabs my wrist to keep me from running away. “What is going on? Where are we?”
“Come in,” a deep voice yells from the opposite side of the door. Dravin grabs the faded brass handle and pushes open the door.
If this were a movie, eerie organ music would be playing in the background setting the ominous scene. I can’t see anything in the room in front of me for it is pitch black. I look back at Dravin. I have no idea what he’s trying to do here. Dravin throws me inside the room and quickly closes the door. I fall to the floor, surrounded by darkness.
I cry out from the impact of the fall. My arms and legs start burning from scraping the hard flooring. I pause for a moment to collect my breath and let my other senses take over. Getting on my hands and knees, I feel the ground around me. “Really?” I mumble as I crawl forward…or what I think is forward.
I can’t feel anything around me. The floor is rough. Old wood? Dirty concrete? I can’t tell based on texture alone.
“You’re getting closer,” the deep voice warns. I instantly stop moving and turn to the right—toward the sound of the voice.
“Who’s there?” I ask.
The room is suddenly flooded with light. Small flames from hundreds of candles light the room. How did that happen? I look away from the candles and look toward the right corner. A tall man, around Bragden’s size is standing there, smirking at me. Without taking my eyes off him, I push myself up and stand.
Black hair, so dark the night is envious, is pulled back into a ponytail at the base of his neck. A long scar runs across his jaw line and down his neck, disappearing beneath his shirt collar. Dark brooding eyes watch me as I assess him. He’s wearing a fitted black shirt and dark cargo pants. The tight shirt and the crossed arms accentuate his muscular physique. Involuntarily, I take a step back. This man could snap me like a twig if he wanted to.
“It’s nice to finally meet you, Ryanne. I’ve heard so much about you,” he tells me with a fake smile. I take another step backward when he pushes away from the wall and saunters toward me.
“You must be Zahtri.”
Chapter Eighteen
Colton
I duck the punch Travis throws and firmly plant my feet on the ground. When his arm stops its forward motion, I jump up and thrust my fist into his gut. He grunts, but doesn’t stop fighting. If a simple punch stopped him, I’d be concerned.
I hear the sounds of the others training around me. Bragden and Incendia are working on their magic. Streams of fire are soaring over our heads, as they work on their directional commands. Larkin and Kyril are sparring together, seriously this time. Usually Larkin transports to random spots through the training room and scares everyone instead of actually training. Logan and Lily are training together, while bickering like a married couple. They still won’t acknowledge their feelings for each other. If they don’t act soon, James will intervene. I’ve noticed him watching them more often lately. His “Cupid” senses must be tingling.
I turn my attention back to Travis. I bring my left arm up to block his swing as I thrust my other fist forward. Travis easily dodges my hit. My head starts to feel fuzzy. I can see Travis’s arm coming toward me, but I can’t bring my arm up to block his move. They fall to my side limp. My arms and legs feel like lead. No matter how hard I mentally demand them to move, they remain frozen at my sides. Travis’s arm connects with my shoulder sending me backward.