The Nemesis Syndrome

19. Eliza

There was nothing for her to do after Leo ran other than wait. With a taser in her hand and an unconscious man in front of her.

It didn't take them long to run to her, five men, each puffing slightly as the halted watching her, their eyes wary, their eyes hard. The corners of their lips upturned to heartless smiles.

'Come now.' One of them said. 'Drop the taser and nothing bad needs to happen.'

Eliza snorted. 'I think you should alter that comment to nothing bad needs to happen anymore. Since, I am already in hell in this place.'

The one who had spoken only blinked slowly, his eyes going from her face to the taser and back again. 'You have until the count of three. One...'

Eliza raised the weapon between them, holding it as if it were a sword.

'Two.'

The men stepped forward.

'Three.'

She saw them all brace, closed her eyes ready for it.

Then:

'Stop!'

The woman. It wasn't a much better choice of fighting partner, but Eliza preferred her to the men; at least she would stand a chance against the heartless woman.

'Miss Rockwell, put that down before you hurt someone.'

'That.' Eliza said slowly, as if talking to a child. 'Is the point of holding it.' She was already in trouble, and if the woman was here then Leo was okay. Eliza might as well go down in glory rather than have it beaten out of her.

'Put it down before you hurt yourself.' The woman was so calm, it made Eliza want to use it just to spite her.

'Would be better than having your minions hurt me.'

The woman smiled. 'Let me tell you what is going to happen, Miss Rockwell. You are going to put that down and follow me. Calmly, and nicely. Because if you dont, if you use that on any of us-or yourself- you will be dragged behind me, barely concious and unable to even think about defending yourself. What would you rather, the pretence of safety or nothing at all?'

A second that was an hour long, the woman and Eliza staring each other down. Finally, Eliza dropped her hand to her side.

'I am not violent.' She whispered. 'But know this- if you ever let your guard down around me, if you ever try to talk to me without any of your minions in sight, I am going to kill you.'

'You can try.' The woman blinked. 'Follow me.' She turned on her heel and marched down the corridor.

Eliza could feel  the presence of the men behind her, waiting for her to put a foot out of place. 'Where are we going?'

'Your new home.' Such a pleasant tone. Eliza wondered if the woman even had a heart.

Eliza's new home turned out to be nothing more than yet another windowless room, though it was smaller than the last. And the light worked better.

'An upgrade?' She asked sweetly, walking in and watching the woman close the door. The lock clicked, and Eliza was alone.

It seemed like only seconds later that the pain started. It was nothing on what she knew Leo was going through, but it hurt. But she was being watched. She would not let them see, so she curled up in the corner and buried her head in her arms and tried not to move.

And then the pain went away, and she was left with...nothing. It was funny, how, in such a short time, she had gotten used to feeling Leo at the back of his head. Like a low level hum to remind her he was there, even when he was asleep.

But now, it felt like everything inside her had been taken and she was empty.

'Leo.' She whispered. He wasn't there, he couldn't hear, but she couldn't help but wish for any form of reply.

And then he was back. Her own heart stuttered in response to his.

Had he died? For a second, for a minute, had they killed him?

Anger flooded through her, her hands into fists, and this time, it was her own. She had felt his anger, the bubbling fire that felt like it would burn her, but her own did not steam. It stewed, it simmered below the surface, waiting to be used.

She pushed it back down. Anger was pointless with no direction to aim it in.

And instead, she filled herself with something else; worry. And wondering if it would even work, she sent it outwards, towards the boy who she ought to hate. Towards the boy that, in this second, had a heart that was beating in synchronization with hers.

Nothing happened for a minute, and she let her shoulders drop. But then she felt it, something she couldn't quite put a feeling too- it was like an arm around her, a hand stroking her hair. It was like an anchor on a ship in  a storm.

Reassurance. Despite his pain, despite his fear- for that was there too- he was trying to tell her it was going to be okay.

Stupid boy.

Stupid her.

Some time later, there was commotion outside. Clicking footsteps, shouting voices. His raised over all of them, screaming at them to answer him.

'Your soulmate is safer than you are.' Words so clear it was like they were meant for her, not him. A threat.

A door opening, then slamming shut. Muffled voices. They were next door to her- and Eliza didn't know what was worse. The silence of Leo staring at her across a barrier he could not cross, or being unable to even see each other.

Her skin grew cold, and she shivered; a reaction that was not hers.

'What are they doing to you?' She whispered.

'Leave him alone in there.' The woman called out again. And the door slamming once more.

And then her own door opened, the woman walking in as if there was not a worry in the world, a small smile on her face.

And names in red on her arms.

This time, the shiver really was hers.

'What have you done?' Eliza whispered, shock lacing every word.

'The thing is, Miss Rockwell.' The woman knelt down in front of her, her voice so soothing that it made Eliza more angry. 'We like useful things here. But once you become unusefull, once you break the rules or annoy us too much, we have no reason to keep you.'

'If you think thats going to stop me, you're wrong. I will fight to get free every day, so you might as well kill us both now.'

The woman smiled. 'I can't. You see, you are still far to useful to waste. But you have a weakness.' The woman reached out and touched the L on Eliza's wrist lightly. 'And weaknesses are far better use to us than death at the moment.' The woman stood, still smiling. 'I'll see you in a few days, Miss Rockwell.'