Forces Collide by Jamie Wilson (ap literature book list txt) 📖

head, and that enraged me.

When I woke up the next morning, was it morning? Someone had covered my eyes again. This time when someone came into the cell, I lashed out with my hands when they were close enough. There was no way I was going anywhere, blind.

To my irritation there were two people, one grabbed my arms in a vice like grip and restrained them behind my hand in their hands. While I struggled to throw them off, the other person undid my ankles. I was getting quite annoyed. “Are you both cowards?” I demanded. “Only a coward would make an elf walk sightless!”

Both humans laughed and one of the laughs chilled me to the core. “You know me, little elf,” scoffed a recognizable female voice.

The vampire from Ciarbera. How could she be here? I thought that Gaelira had killed her back then. Obviously I was wrong. This was so not good for me. I stayed quiet; I was not interested in her getting an opportunity at maiming me. This time I was aware of the massive amount of strength she had and I would not fall for the same mental tricks as I did the last time we met. I
glared in her general direction.

“So you do remember me,” laughed that musical voice that hid a threat that I was well aware of. “This time there will be no escape for you little captive!”

I scowled. She still had no idea who I was by the looks of it. However I did not let on, I knew that even now Drannor would sure be looking for me. I hoped he would get here soon; there was no way I could use the energy I needed to tell him where I was as yet.

I felt them pull me into a room and bind me up. They were laughing as they did so I knew that something was going to happen to me once again. I tensed my body as they removed that stupid blindfold again.

As soon as it was off I got one chance to glare at the vampire and then something struck my back, cutting through my tunic.

I hissed in pain, it had come with no warning and I knew what it was. So they were going to whip me again? It did not work last time and it would not work again this time if I had any say in the matter.

The whip lashed at me several times and every time I tried to dodge it moving my back. Unfortunately the way they restrained me made that very hard to do and more often than not the whip did strike me.

Was she simply hurting me because she could? Or did she have another reason for weakening me this way? One thing I knew for sure was that she was certainly planning something. Something I probably was not going to like at all.

Since I knew what she was I had found out from Barrain a few little tricks I could use in order to stop her voice from affecting me. Those skills I would try to implement against her, hopefully they would work.

If not, I was in trouble now.

I knew she probably wanted revenge for the pain she’d been in when Gaelira set her alight, but this was nothing in comparison to what I’d had happen last time. This was infuriating as I realized she had other reasons for this.

I looked up at her, remembering the other threat she had. Her eyes were vivid blood red so she was not hungry now. To a small extent that made me glad.

But also it made me wonder how long she would be before she was a threat in that way again. Surely she would not go hunt while she still had me locked away in this jail with no way to stop her.

I did not even know where I was and that concerned me. How could I tell him where to find me if I did not know?

Finally she stopped whipping and again they blindfolded me before leading me back to my cell and restraining my ankles again.

For some reason the humans were being gentle with me and I knew that she would not like that at all.

This time after they removed the blindfold I was simply left alone in the room, no one paying me any attention except to give me food and water.

Though I always ate what they gave me I was surprised they were not drugging me at all.

I was getting weaker by the day and after three days had gone past, they whipped me again. Several more days past and I spent most of the time I was alone curled in a ball, my hands around my legs, rubbing at my sore chaffing ankles.

Drannor where are you? I thought getting quite disgruntled. I was never happy now, instead I feared for my life and sorrow was abundant in me. Soon they would get information from me and I knew it.

Then someone reached out and grabbed a hold of my mind, pulling me into theirs. I scowled and struggled against them pathetically. I was infuriated that someone dared to use their mind on me.

‘Gem it’s okay, its me, Drannor,’ a male voice said. The mind was too powerful to be him and his voice sounded wrong.

My thoughts were distrustful as I snarled back at him, ‘I do not believe you. You sound like one of those filthy irrational bloodsucking leeches!’

‘That I can explain Gem. Gaelira sent me to find you. Barrain and his family are with me,’ his voice was pleading now. ‘Please believe me.’

I was fiercely against his words. ‘I don’t believe you!’

‘I don’t have time for this Gem. In a minute you’ll see me,’ he said, withdrawing from me.

I wondered what he meant by that as I rested my head on my knees, certainly obedient to my torturer’s will. Then something growled in a menacing way and I heard the soldiers yelp in shock.

Some one appeared at the door but I did not look up to see who it was. With a loud crunching sound the hard iron door was torn from its hinges and thrown away.

That sound made me look at the door. Dread filled my eyes as I recognized Drannor. The reason for that was that my captor had appeared and was moving towards my cell.

Drannor slowly made his way into the tiny room and the other vampire sprang, knocking him off balance.

“Drannor!” I shrieked in terror. I got a good look at the vampires eyes, and they were black. Thirsty. Hungry. It was obvious she longed to rip into my throat now and I knew she would.

Drannor regained his balance within seconds and was crouching, facing the vampire. “Don’t worry about me,” he said gently. “I can handle her.”

The female hissed threateningly. I knew she thought I was dinner now. Then Drannor growled. It was a loud deep sound that told me he was infuriated. To my surprise, the woman hissed at him.

“Get away from my mate,” Drannor hissed, he spoke slow enough that I heard all the words. Swiftly within seconds it seemed, he was blocking me from her.

The female sprang at Drannor and I shrieked as she collided with him. To my surprise Drannor did not even budge. Instead he just took the impact and grabbed onto her, holding her away enough that she could not bite, but also so she could not get to me.

Then Luala leapt into the room and Drannor let go of the female who was immediately tackled by Luala. That just looked wrong; Luala was so tiny in contrast to the female.

Drannor had turned his attention to me now and was moving across to me slowly. On his face was the same loving expression he’d always had when he looked at me.

If it were not for the fact my instincts were blaring at me that he was dangerous, I might not have tried to get out of reach when he reached out to me.

Also there was the fact that he was showing a side that had me completely terrified right now. Unfortunately, like Barrain and the others of his kind, Drannor was unavoidable, he moved quicker than anything I was used to.

He paused when he took in my terrified form to sniff the air. Then I saw him grimace and I wondered why. What has gotten into Drannor? He’s so different, I thought.

“Yes, I have changed a bit. I don’t have time right now to explain anything, we need to get you out of here,” he said gently. Then he closed the rest of the distance, tiny as it was between us and bent down to gently kiss me.

The instant he touched my naked skin I shivered. He was freezing cold. I winced and moved a little way away from him, which made my torn back sting. “I don’t know whether to trust you right now, Drannor.”

“I’m still the elf you married Gem. I’m just a little more durable than I was before. I need to get you out of here, but I am going to have to touch you to do it. Please let me,” he said soothingly.

I sighed and nodded slowly. Though he was the person I loved I was not sure if he was entirely in control of himself.

He did not take his eyes from my face as he slid his hands down to where the shackles were firmly around my ankles.

Then he carefully wrapped one hand around the thick shackles and tightened his grip. I watched as the metal splintered under his hand and broke away from my ankle. I gasped in shock. “I tried to lay a hand on them both with my hands and magic and both were repelled. Why should they shatter for you?”

I scowled. Then I answered my own question. “You’re like them!” The comprehension made me twist away from him in revulsion.

“I’m not going to harm you Gem. Its time we were out of here,” he said.

I nodded and he tenderly picked me up in his arms. I noticed he was being very careful, maybe he could tell that my blood had newly been spilt and he had no wish to irritate himself.

Once we were moving out of the cell, I leaned my head on his shoulder, too overcome with sleepiness to hassle about the fact he was a predator now.

He lowered his head and kissed my brow as I wrapped my arms around him so I did not fall. I shuddered at the contact but let his relaxed little kiss pass.

Then we were all moving and I noticed that the guards averted their eyes when they saw us coming, even opened doors by accident causing