When Night Falls by Kaitlyn O'Connor

Author:Kaitlyn O'Connor [O'Connor, Kaitlyn]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: mf
Publisher: New Concepts Publishing
Published: 2011-03-17T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Ten

They rested for a full night before moving on again. Bit by bit, the city yielded to countryside. Occasionally, Tessa spotted a strange animal, but that was rare and she couldn’t decide whether or not it meant the animal population had been as devastated as the higher beings, or it if was only because the animals were wild and naturally cautious.

The flora seemed to be thriving. The wooded areas had crept up to the edges of the paved roads they followed. Wildflowers created carpets of multi-colored blossoms beneath the towering trees. An occasional insect buzzed past her.

She never saw any birds. She didn’t know why she expected to, but most worlds did have flying creatures.

This one too, but they seemed to be the higher order of animals.

They didn’t see any Saitren, not even in the distance. Once they’d left the city behind, Lucien didn’t show any indication that he expected to.

They had traveled two days beyond the city before Lucien seemed to find what he’d been searching for, a relatively comfortable and isolated structure that looked as if it had belonged to someone of extreme wealth. The building itself was huge, and surrounded by a thickly wooded park, which was hemmed in by a ten foot tall, spiked wall. It looked like what it was, a luxurious fortress.

Lucien had not touched her since the night they’d left. Tessa wouldn’t have admitted it under torture, but she was far more disappointed than she was relieved. She told herself that she was relieved. She tried to make herself believe the lie, but she knew better. On a conscious level, she was relieved. Unfortunately, physically, she was already addicted.

When Lucien had settled her, he set about searching the building for the furnishings that were available that remained intact. For days they worked in virtual silence, building a comfortable ‘nest’. Contrary to what Tessa had hoped, and expected, he did not release her. The chain was long enough to allow her a good deal of freedom, and privacy when she needed it, but she could not go far.

After several days, when he had scavenged what was available, Lucien began to make short excursions for supplies. Each time he left, he was gone a little longer, which meant he was having to travel further and further a field to find the things he wanted.

When it finally dawned on her that Lucien didn’t trust her at all—certainly not enough to allow her enough freedom to escape--and wasn’t likely to any time in the near future, Tessa began timing him. She spent the time while he was gone searching for something she could use to pick the lock on the collar. When she finally found several thin metal tools she thought might work, she hid them and waited for the next opportunity.

The moment he left the following day, she grabbed the tools and moved into the bathroom where she could use the mirror to see what she was doing. She was so nervous it took her almost an hour to pick the lock.

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