Thicker Than Water

Chapter Five

            I couldn't move, I couldn't open my eyes. The world wasn't spinning anymore, but I was on my back and I felt paralyzed. Although I couldn't speak, I could hear voices around me.

"Look at her, you idiot. You overdid it." A woman's voice.

"Well she was squirming so much I had to stop somewhere to get a better grip on her! It's not my fault I had to do it twice. If she hadn't-" A young man's voice.

"Just shut up. What are we supposed to do with her?"

"Just hold onto her until the boss gets here."

"Why can't we just do it?"

"Because she's the only one who can do the spell, dipshit."

What were they talking about? Spell? Who was their boss? And why did they need me?

The woman and young guy moved around the room, silently going about their business. I tried to focus on all the sounds around me, to see if I could figure out where I was. I tapped into that part of my vampire abilities that controlled my senses. If I could activate my 'superpowers', maybe I could hear beyond the room I was in. I focused harder, trying to put all my energy into it. At once, I could hear everything.

I could hear the sounds of heavy traffic outside, car horns, street vendors, and people walking on the sidewalk. Someone farther away was heating a kettle on a stove- the high-pitched whistle rang out, disorienting me for a moment.

Bridget? Can you hear me? Hello?

My heart practically danced in my chest.

Apollo?

Oh my god, Bridget! Are you okay? Where are you? What happened?

I don't know what happened. Someone grabbed me and it was like the whole world turned upside down. Now I'm lying in a room somewhere, but I can't move. I'm paralyzed with some sort of spell. I can't even open my eyes.

Spell? That doesn't make sense. Witches have always been our allies. Has anyone said anything? Do you know where you are?

I think I might be somewhere in the city- there's a lot of traffic outside. And there were two people talking about their boss coming here; they said they couldn't perform some spell without her.

I've been having a hard time finding you like I did last time. You really must have been put under a spell- there really isn't any other reason I would be deaf to your thoughts. I thought you were... well, that doesn't matter anymore. Now that you're conscious, it'll be doable. I just need to keep this connection with you. Try to stay awake. Don't let them take you anywhere else.

Okay.

A heavy door opened on a floor above me- meaning I was most likely in a basement- and the two witches in the room hurried out the door, probably to greet whoever had shown up. I focused on the sound of them, hoping to hear anything else that might aid Apollo in finding me.

If I could just move, this wouldn't be so bad... I could hear three sets of footsteps coming down the stairs toward me.

Shit, they're coming. If they give me control back, I'm going to try to escape.