Tegan sat in the corner of the room that she had been put in after she took Cord’s hand five days ago.Five days. The Castor had held out his hand to her and asked her to come with him, and she hadtakenhis hand. She banged her head against the wall as she sat on the floor, watching the door. He had so many things to tell her, so many things to explain, and she had gone with him to get that explanation. She had not gone with him to be locked in a room for five days.
The Castor was smart. He didn’t let anyone else into the room. Tegan knew there had to be others in the…building? She didn’t know what she was in or where she was. All she knew was that she was in a room with no window. There was no way in or out other than the door. The door had a small hatch that she couldn’t open from this side, and every day a tray was pushed through with food.
The Castor had not yet shown his face since he put her in here. Tegan was waiting for him. She had beenreadyfor him for five days, and by the Ancients, she was going to commit bodily harm to him if he didn’t come for her soon.
Her small pouch of spells was useless. She had wasted a few spells on the room already and hadn’t been completely surprised when they had failed to work. Yes, Tegan was more than ready for the Castor to show his wretched face. As it so often did in the silence and solitude of the room, her mind wandered back to the day she had taken the deceitful Castor’s hand.
“Come with me.” Cord held his hand out again. “Little tiger, do you trust me?”
“No,” Tegan whispered, her eyes filling with tears as she looked at him. “Not even a little bit.”
“Good.” Cord smiled softly, his hand extended again.
“Tegan, no!” Salem cried as Tegan reached out.
Cord became solid for a moment, his warm hand enclosing around hers. “I’ve got you, little tiger.”
He portalled them to a room and immediately let go of her hand. “Really didn’t think you would come with me,” Cord laughed in almost shocked disbelief.
“Was I not supposed to?” Tegan asked in confusion. “Why am I in a bedroom?” Tegan demanded as she focused on the bed with a single sheet before she looked around the room. The walls were bare, not even a window. There was a bed, a toilet, a pitcher of water and a large bowl, and that was all.
Cord watched her for a long moment, his face impassive before his eyes softened. “It’s not a bedroom, little tiger, it’s a cell. You must believe me that when I can, when I know more, I will tell you.” Cord took a deep inhale. “Until then, I just need…” He ran a hand over his face before he looked away from her. “I just need to know where you are.”
And then he portalled out of the room, and she was alone. In acell.
Five days. Five food trays. They didn’t take the empty food trays. Probably because Tegan was stacking them up in a corner of the room; if they wanted it, they could come in and get it. No one came for them. No one was brave enough to come through the door and get them, she scoffed as she sat and considered her situation.
She knew Cord wouldn’t come in through the door. No, he would portal in because hecould. The fact that the toilet was open with no privacy made for a very nervous morning and evening routine. Tegan hadn’t washed properly since he took her, so she knew she must stink by now. She had been training with Elite Sentinel Jasper when she had been asked to go to Salem’s, the Principal Elder’s, office. She had used the water bowl and pitcher to wash her face and parts of her body, but she would be very,verygrateful for a shower.
Five days. Her fury was insurmountable because a small part of her knew that Cord had been in the room. Tegan was a Sentinel. No, notaSentinel, anEliteSentinel. She was a soldier, and she was one of the best. Trained by one of the best to bethebest. However, much to her chagrin, she was not invincible. Tegan still needed to sleep. It was exactlybecauseTegan was a Sentinel that sheknewthe worthless, miserable Castor had been in the room while she slept.
While sheslept, he came into the room.Like a coward.
He didn’t need to check on her. He didn’t need to make sure she was there,because she had nowhere to go.
While her anger mounted and her temper frayed, she sat in the corner and shewaited.
Her head drooped forward, and she jerked upright. Cursing herself for falling asleep, Tegan was about to stand when she noticed the pitcher and bowl were gone. Glancing to her right, she noticed the trays were also gone.
Tegan took a deep breath and looked across the room. The Castor stood in the corner, hands folded across his chest, his robes a deep crimson red. He looked better than he had done when she saw him previously. Thatbriefperiod of time that she had spent with him. He was clean now, his hair swept over his forehead, still too long to be fashionable, but her fingers itched for the feel of the silky strands anyway.
His cool grey eyes watched her steadily, his ever present mockery dimmed but not gone. The corner of his mouth hooked up slightly as he watched Tegan stare back at him. Slowly, Tegan rose to her feet. Cord didn’t move as she took a step forward. Another step and he remained still. Tegan gave him a hesitant smile, and Cord’s eyes narrowed fractionally.
Tegan moved like lightning and was satisfied when her elbow caught his chin, her leg swept his from under him, and as he went down, she raised her leg, pushing him down with her foot on his neck.
“Little tiger…” Cord gasped.
“No,” Tegan snapped as she glared down at the prone Castor, her anger welling over inside. “Do notlittle tigerme, you worthless son of a Drakhyn.” Tegan’s foot pressed harder on Cord’s neck, and she gloried in the fact she had him underfoot.Literallyunder her foot. “I’ve been in here forfivedays.Why?”
“If you let me up, she-demon, I can explain.” Cord glared at being caught unawares.
“I like you where you are.” Tegan’s smile had a lot of teeth, and Cord groaned in acceptance.
“Fine, you’re pissed at me, but…” He portalled from under her foot and appeared in the other corner of the room. “I will not talk to you, laid out on the floor like a Drakhyn about to be decapitated.”
Tegan snorted at him in contempt as she stalked over to the bed and sat on the edge of it. The adrenaline was still running through her, and she wanted to hit him again.Harder. A small smile escaped her as she thought of the satisfying thud her elbow had made on connection with his jaw. “I doubt decapitation would kill you,” Tegan muttered. “Can you evenbekilled with that on your back?”
Cord glanced at the door quickly. “Be quiet,” he hissed.