Haeven

Chapter 23

I didn't want to believe it! It couldn't be possible. Avery, Daemon and the others had been so sure they knew where Artur was but they must have been wrong. "How could they have been wrong?" I wondered. "Or...oh, no...did they find him..." I glanced up at Artur, "did he realize they were coming for him? Was he waiting? Did he kill them?" my thoughts came one after another.

There was no way for me to know. After he came forward and spoke Artur stood there, very much like Herrik, expressionless, emotionless. My mouth fell open, my disbelief written clearly in my face.

"You look surprised and a touch...disappointed," Freya stood up.

She moved towards me and though my impulse was to run and hide, I felt paralyzed. I couldn't turn myself or even just my gaze away I was so stricken by her as she approached. When she was near enough Freya took my chin in the tips of her fingers and peered into my eyes. I covered up everything in my mind with a frantic determination.

"Still up to your old tricks, huh? No matter, if I wanted your thoughts I'd simply take them," she bared her fangs at me. Then her lips twitched into a smile. Freya eyed me for a moment and shrugged, "Another time, perhaps. It's not as though you'd be able to cause much harm at this point, since you're so sorely at a loss for friends and allies." She glanced from Artur to Herrik then turned back and looked meaningfully at the marks Finn had left on my neck. "Poor, Emily," her voice feigned.

Almost as soon as she said it she frowned and turned her gaze back to Herrik. I wondered if they shared some secret exchange or if she was simply trying to get a sense of whatever he might have been thinking or feeling. After taking a deep breath she lifted her chin and shifted her attention to Finn.

"What was it you wanted in return for bringing me this sweet gift?" her smile flashed, full of false charm.

"D...Davit," Finn mumbled. "I want you to..."

Freya interrupted him before he finished, "Oh, yes...Davit," she motioned to one of the guards who hurried off.

Finn tried to speak again but Freya held her hand up and his mouth snapped shut.

There were several moments of confusion as we waited for Freya to make whatever point she was trying to make. While she dealt with Finn, I looked longingly from Artur to Herrik and wished there was some way to break whatever hold Freya apparently had on each of them. I couldn't keep my eyes on Herrik for very long. I was afraid that if I did, I might have an uncontrollable emotional outburst and in desperation launch myself at him heedless of the consequences.

But Artur.

The longer I looked at him the less inanimate he seemed. Artur didn't appear to have the same aura of stupefaction that Herrik possessed. His eyes were so unusual and unless you knew him well, Artur was impossible to read. I felt like there was something there, though; something different as I glanced from one to the other.

"It's the dim light!" I assured myself and refused to believe it.

We heard the guard Freya had sent off returning and I forgot the foolish hope I had just had when I realized there was someone with him. There was a great deal of protest and cursing as they approached and while I strained my eyes and ears I soon learned why. He and another guard each had a hold of Davit's feet and they were dragging Davit along behind them. There were thick shackles circling his wrists. As I looked closely, I noticed the cuffs had vicious barbs wrought into them. Despite the obvious pain and discomfort they caused, Davit fought them every step of the way.

"Fucking cowards!" he bellowed. "Take these off and I'll show you what I think of your shit-forsaken little coven of whore-worshippers!"

Freya shook her head disappointedly, "Stand him up."