The Nightscape

Turning Coats

Lyra was sat at the table with a lot of people she didn't know, and two people she did. Guy was looking over some maps as she tapped her foot against the ground impatiently. Anya had disappeared... somewhere, which meant that she had taken the car. All Lyra wanted was to be told where her father would be so she could try and rescue him. But no, instead she had to sit and wait for him to decide to talk again and it was slowly driving her insane. 

"Lyra, will you please stop that?" He snapped, and that was enough to break the damn. 

"No, I bloody well won't. It's bad enough that you blamed me for what your sister chose, but now you're seriously prioritizing getting her back over my dad? She isn't in any danger, my dad is!" She argued, hitting her fist against the table. Everyone looked shocked that she would speak to their leader like that, but she was too angry to care. Guy's face turned pale and still, but rage was burning in his eyes. 

"Look around you, Lyra. Do you see another red spirit? Oh, wait, you won't be able to tell. Well I'll tell you that you won't. We need to get Ettie back so we can heal the rift, she is more important to our plan than your father, so yes, we will be prioritizing her rescue over his. Need I remind you that you agreed to work for me?" He told her coldly, his gaze boring into hers. Lyra stood up, leaning over the table. 

"And need I remind you that the conditions for me working for you included the protection of my father? So, if you refuse to uphold your part, I won't uphold mine. Good luck to you, Guy." She snapped, kicking her chair out and trying to storm out of the room. As she was going for the door, he grabbed her arm to stop her. 

"You aren't going anywhere, Lyra." He murmured quietly, not even looking at her. No one at the table made a move to stop either of them. She tried to jerk her arm free, but his grip stayed firm. Fury burned through her veins like wild fire, and she called upon her power. 

"Let go." She hissed, voice layered with power. Those around the table stiffened, dropping anything they were holding. For a second, Guy's grip slacked before the purple haze over his eyes was replaced with copper. 

"Be quiet. Stop fighting." He commanded, able to keep the order just to Lyra. She tried to speak but couldn't, and she felt all her energy leave her body. Lyra fell, not able to stand anymore, and Guy let her. 

"Hiro, take her into the Dayscape. Lock her in a room in the bunker with water and then come back before she can talk again." He ordered, going right back to studying the maps. Lyra tried to speak but couldn't, tried to move or call her powers, but she was paralysed to do anything as the man that Guy had talked to picked her up and slung her over his shoulder. He carried her out into the hall, holding up one hand and summoning blue power, enough to be able to shunt them into the Dayscape without letting go of his prisoner. 

Lyra barely had the energy to close her eyes against the bright glare of the sun. The entire time he carried her, she tried to move or talk or flicker, but it was hopeless. Guy's command couldn't be broken, and it took hours to wear off. Being carried like a sack of grain down the ladder and into the bunker was terrifying, as Hiro appeared to be struggling to hand onto the rungs and keep her steady. But even though it took him a while, she was never going to break the hold of the command before she was locked up. 

He laid her on an unmade bed in one of the rooms, which she suspected was Ettie's due to the smell of weed. He went to leave, but paused in the doorway. 

"There's an ensuite, and I'm sure that Ettie has snacks hidden around here somewhere. And... I'm sorry about your father." With that he left, locking the door behind him. She had no way of telling the time other than the ticking of a clock she couldn't see. Slowly, after what seemed like an eternity, she felt the power of  Guy's command beginning to wear off. It was an excruciatingly slow process.