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There was this sensation akin to sympathy because of the way he looked. The thought that no one had shown him an act of kindness seemed so foreign to me, that someone could be starved for it yet never say the words out loud.
“Is there anyone else here?” The change of subject was starting to become obvious when he didn’t like where the topic was headed. But I let it switch seamlessly.
“I haven’t seen anyone else, but I’m sure there are plenty of others. Anyone who was within the vicinity of the facility had to have gotten blasted either within this dimension, or was killed on the impact.” I shrugged “I really don’t know how this works. I’ve never been in this situation before.”
He nodded but didn’t respond and looked out toward the entrance again. “And you said you’ve been here for two days and the sun hasn’t set?”
I nodded just as he looked back at me.
“I assume it’s been two days. I really couldn’t tell you because everything feels upside down here.”
I felt fatigue start to settle heavily within me. “I have a little bit of water left, almost all the food still. I’ve been rationing what I can. Eventually I’m going to have to venture out.”
“It’s not safe.” His tone brokered no argument, as if he expected me just to obey him without thought. “What if you got hurt? I couldn’t be there to protect you.”
The side of my neck throbbed, and his gaze landed on the twin puncture marks as if he’d sensed it, felt where my thoughts had gone.
But I wasn’t afraid of him and didn’t bother reminding myself that just moments before I hadn’t been safe with him either.
“No, it’s probably not safe out there, but I really don’t have any other options. I can’t just stay in this cave and hope a Leandrean comes to me. And my supplies are only going to last so long, even less now with both of us. So I’m going to have to venture out eventually.”
But that wasn’t right now. I’d been up for longer than I could even contemplate, and my body sang with the idea of just lying down and sleeping.
“The only way that I know to get out of here is to hope like hell there’s a Leandrean on this plane and have him open the portal.” After revealing that, I didn’t say anything else and grabbed the pack and lay down, using it as a cushion underneath my head.
This had been the most uncomfortable sleep I’d had, with the uneven, craggy ground and the lumpy “pillow” under my head. And I hadn’t gotten much sleep since arriving for obvious reasons.
But I was warm with the fire, not dying of thirst or starvation, and I felt even safer with Sebastian here.
But I didn’t think too hard on that last topic.
I couldn’t fall asleep, just tossed and turned because I could acutely feel Sebastian watching. I opened my eyes and looked at him. He was crouched by the fire just staring at me, zero emotion on his face.
“What?” I tucked my hands underneath my head and tried to relax. Inside of me there was this carnival of emotions and sensations, fireworks that were exploding in an array of colors and sounds.
It was unlike anything I’d ever experienced before.
And it scared me.
“I’ll stay awake to make sure you’re safe.”
I didn’t know what to say at first, because the serious look on his face told me he wouldn’t be persuaded any other way. Not even if I reminded him I’d been here alone before I saved his ass.
“Suit yourself.” I turned my back to the fire and closed my eyes again, but I knew this was going to be one hell of a long night.
5
Ada
“You’re a pretty little thing with these freckles and green eyes.” He leaned in and I felt his humid breath rake across the shell of my ear as he whispered, “I could almost pretend you’re human.”
I was proud of myself for not throwing up all over this piece of shit, but feigning indifference was what kept me sane.
“They said you were kind of feisty, but you seem pretty docile to me. It’s a shame really,” he tsked and grabbed a lock of my hair, tugging on it as he looked over his shoulder toward the open doorway.
We were the only ones in the session room, something I knew he was hoping stayed that way for a bit longer.
I realized upon first being captured they’d gone “easy” on me, as if they wanted to build up my tolerance before making things worse. And the reason for that pain and suffering at their hands? So the viewers on the other side of the window right across from me could get off on watching.
