“Last night was the best night of my life,” he said.
“Me too,” I agreed with a goofy-feeling smile.
“I knew it!” an eavesdropping Phoebe screeched, as we heard her feet scrambling back down the stairs to tell everyone else what we’d said. I rolled my eyes as I shut my bedroom door and began to undress.
The hot shower felt so good I stood in there for what seemed like hours. The rolling steam and lavender body wash I’d brought infused my senses and relaxed my muscles. I replayed my night with Finn in my head again and shivered. I couldn’t believe I’d lost my virginity. But at the same time, there was no one else in the entire world that I would entrust that part of myself with, so it felt completely right. I shivered again as I realized the gravity of what we had done. I was his and he was mine. No matter what challenges this Chosen life threw our way, we would tackle it and come out stronger. Together.
Chapter 20
It wasn’t the cold stone floor that pressed into my bare shoulders or the pounding of my head that woke me. It wasn’t even the uncomfortable way my left leg was tucked up under my body, or the vague knowledge that there was blood trickling down my temple. It was the sound of her voice as it exploded inside my head, awakening the tightly twisted rage that had been woven within my heart.
“The itsy bitsy spider crawled up the water spout,” Nadia’s breath heated the side of my face as she ruined one of my favorite childhood nursery rhymes. I felt a slight tickling sensation on my right arm, jerking it spastically in an effort to rid my body of an unknown invader before my eyes flew open.
“Get away from me!” I growled at her. The fact that I was in a reverie did nothing to dull my irrational panic, as the tickling on my arm remained despite my attempt to swat at it. My movements were measured and labored, and I groaned when my hand completely missed my arm; instead flopping down onto my stomach. My panic quickly changed to a very rational fear as I laid eyes on the dark brown spider that was making its way up my forearm.
“I wouldn’t fight her if I were you,” Nadia wore a sharp grin as she crossed her arms over a gray silk blouse and watched the spider with tenderness. A shiver ran down my spine as I swallowed and tried to suppress my rising hysteria. It was just a spider, a simple, harmless insect. So what if it had eight hairy legs and black beady eyes? I was a thousand times larger and a million times smarter.
Unfortunately for me, something about those eight legs trumped any amount of intelligence or size.
“She’s a Darwin bark spider,” Nadia explained proudly through dark plum lipstick. “Isn’t she beautiful? She chose me to be her master.”
“You should choose to lay off the drugs,” I muttered in disgust. Her eyes flickered, razor sharp, before a wistful smile crossed her lips and she diverted her gaze back to the spider that was literally making my skin crawl. The mountain-size goose bumps that had risen on my arms only amplified the tickling sensation, and threatened to expose the true horror I was feeling inside.
“I found her magnificent silk web spanning the banks of my river,” she sighed. “I would watch for hours as she expertly weaved her deadly web. She’s the perfect predator.”
So her role model was a spider. How fitting. My arms shook involuntarily as the tiny torture device made its way around my forearm, and stopped in the crook of my elbow. Its thick body was only the size of a quarter, but I could see the black hair covering its eight legs quite clearly. I could also feel the bile collecting in my throat, on its way to the outside world. I pushed it down and fought to harden myself.
“Get it off of me,” I demanded with what I hoped was an unimpressed tone.
“It can also kill with one bite of its venom,” she cackled knowingly. So much for the ‘its-just-a-spider’ angle. “And these are her children.”
Nadia swept her arm out to the suddenly crowded room I now found myself in. My vision zeroed in on at least a hundred identical spiders littering the mass of webs that spanned the rooms’ walls and ceiling. The sunlight shining through the lone open window lit up the strands of silk, which glittered and swayed in the slight ocean breeze. Ocean? My senses sharpened and I tucked away the dizzying déjà vu feeling I was beginning to feel into the back of my mind. The white stone of the walls poked at my memory, but the air that smelled of sea salt and sand only caused a thick longing for the safety of the sea.
I shut my eyes and focused on my body back at the villa on Cyprus. Unfortunately, just as in her underground cavern, nothing happened. I felt the spider being snatched off of my arm as Nadia chuckled at my increasing number of failed reverie-ending attempts.
“I have to admit, that never gets old,” she snickered and waited patiently as her spider crawled back onto one of the webs nearby. “I love watching you fail miserably. It just proves how little you belong in our world.”
“Where am I?” I asked calmly, refusing to take the bait. She stood with grace, brushed off her black skinny jeans, and swept her golden hair off her shoulders into a low pony tail.
“Exactly where you should be,” she retorted matter-of-factly. I watched as her golden eyes darkened and the light evil smoke twirled off of her skin. “Out of my way.”
“You think a bunch of spiders are going to stop me from escaping?” I tried to laugh convincingly. I was pretty certain a bunch of spiders was the best way to keep me from escaping. I pictured my body wrapped in the webs as a hundred spiders ate me alive, and shuddered.
“Of course not,” she grinned sharply. “The absence of your essence should take care of that for me.” My heart hit the floor as she picked up a full syringe from the window sill. My trace had faded to gray, and understanding filled my mind, quickly trumped by rage.
“Why are you doing this?!” I yelled at her, and tumbled backwards as I tried to move toward her. With a twitch of her finger something tightened around my ankles in a faint glow. Enchanted chains connected to chains secured my ankles to the stone wall; further ensuring that I had no access to my abilities. Nadia twitched toward me with a smile and pointed at me with one red manicured finger.
“Because I can.” In one quick motion, something solid and cold connected with my skull; taking my breath away and knocking me unconscious.
“He loves me. He loves me not. He loves me. He loves me….not. Well, crap.” I chucked the bare flower stem aside and plucked another yellow flower from the thick, lush grass beneath me. The neighborhood park had proved to be a formidable safe haven that was rarely frequented by any of the any other kids. They were too busy playing video games or spending time with their normal families.
I wasn’t jealous at all. I shifted my attention back to my flower and plucked the first petal.
“He loves me. He loves me not…”
“Love is never left to chance, dear.”
“Huh?” I started a little at the raspy voice behind me. I spun around to see an older lady with a cane peering down at the daisy in my hand with an amused grin. Her starched light blue pants matched her striped white and blue top, and I looked around to see who she was with. She must have grandchildren playing on the swings or the jungle gym, but I was the only kid around. I looked up at her, confused. “Do I know you?”
“No, dear. I’m only visiting.” As she smiled warmly, the corners of her bright blue eyes crinkled from age and I was instantly captivated by those kind eyes. They held such tenderness and wisdom, I found myself unable to look away. They danced with joy, and I got the odd feeling that I should know who she was.