From Darkness Comes - Book 2 in The Dissonance Series

The Devil's Intentions

I spend my days in the lab studying the items I found when we went outside the dome. Every evening I go down the rabbit hole, popping one of the "up all night" pills, against my better judgment, but it's the only option.

I train with Coven for several hours every night. We use his bedroom, pushing the bed up against the wall and playing romantic music to muffle the sounds of our training. If audio surveillance picks it up, they'd think we were in a relationship. We laugh at the cheesy music accompanying moves that could kill a man.

"Rona, play 'Lady in Red,'" I say as I twist Coven's arm behind his back.

"Rona, play 'The Way You Look Tonight,'" Coven says, as he puts me in a choke hold.

Grunts and moans accompany our moves. If anyone were listening, the noises of us training could easily be mistaken as the sounds of two people being intimate with one another. It becomes a game of who can think of the most corny song for us to train to. We both agree Coven wins when he chooses, Boyz II Men's "I'll Make Love to You." I have to cover my mouth to hide the sound of my laughter.

Coven teaches me karate, jui-jitsu and just about every other type of martial arts. We work on flips and rolls, jumps and tackles. My muscle memory is incredible. In no time at all, I'm pinning him to the ground and sweeping his feet out from under him, despite the fact that he's nearly twice my size.

In the mornings I pop a "wide awake" pill and head to the lab. Thankfully, Cassius Tarquin has not made an appearance in the week since he threatened me with Wyler's life. I throw myself into my work, trying to maintain the small shred of sanity that remains. I carry on with my compliance because Wyler's life depends on it.

***

After a week of training, Coven says he needs a break for a night, so I stay late at the lab. I press my eyes to the microscope, urging myself to concentrate. A clanging sound, like a metal tray falling on the ground, draws my attention away from my project. It's late. Everyone else has already left. I should be the only one in the lab.

"Hello?" I call from the back room. There's no cameras in this room, making it one of my favorite places to work, but also, one of the most dangerous. If someone wanted to hurt me, this would be a good place to do it. An image of Cassius smacking his disgusting lips shoots through my brain. Having places without cameras makes it easier to take what you want.

Footsteps. Coming closer.

"Who's there?" I reach for a pair of forceps, hiding it behind my back. Thanks to my training, I feel more prepared than my last encounter with Cassius.

A tall dark shadow steps forward, filling the doorway. I grip the forceps tighter in my hand. The shadow steps closer, into the light. My heart nearly stops.

"Wyler!" I shout, dropping the forceps and running to him. I smash into his body, wrapping my arms tightly around his waist, nestling into his chest. I pull back just to double check that it's actually him.

"Easy," he says, smiling. Oh, how I've missed that smile. "I'm still pretty sore."

"Oh, right, sorry." I cringe, looking down at his abdomen. The bandage can be seen through his thin white cotton T-shirt, so can his six pack. My heart pounds in my chest. My eyes flick up to meet his. I don't know why I've tried for so long to keep my distance from Wyler, when all I want is to be close. I almost lost him.

"I thought you might have..." I can't say the words. My eyes brim with tears and before I can stop them, they spill over, streaking down my cheeks.

"Hey, don't worry about me," he wipes the tears away gently, with his thumb. His touch is soft against my skin. "I'm like a cat. I've got nine lives."