Irresistible

Chapter 17

The unfamiliar stench of dung, combined with sweat, made Jade realize that she probably wasn't going to like whatever greeted her when she opened her eyes. So she decided she would keep them firmly closed for the time being. She instead concentrated on listening to the sounds around her while silently praying that she made it out of this mess alive.

"What do you suppose Dominic will do with her?" A hoarse male voice asks from somewhere up ahead. "Hand her over to Noctis I suppose." The giant carrying her answered. She only assumed he was a giant because of how deep and resonant his voice was. There was silence for a few moments until the hoarse male voice asked, "Well what do you suppose Noctis will do to her then?"

Jade felt her heartbeat increase its rhythm, knowing that they were casually talking about hand-delivering her to her worst nightmare. "I don't know" the giant growled "They're gonna do whatever they do. It's not our concern," he grumbled. "Yeah, I know, but . . ."

"But what?" he asked, sounding a little annoyed with his companion. "But she's just such a small little thing. What could they want with her?"

"Don't know, don't care! Now shut up and go find Dominic and tell him we got the girl so we can get the heck out of Vampire Country," he ordered and Jade could hear the other one scurry off to do the giant's bidding. It sounded like they had reached their camp. Jade could hear commotion all around them now. Then she could hear the flap of a tent opening and closing and she could tell by how dark it was that they had entered the tent.

"Org, what have you done? Who is the girl and what happened to her?" a woman's voice demanded to know. "It's the girl Dominic is after. Hopper and I found her in the meadow by the castle. She's got red hair and we saw her about to use a wand. She's the one we're looking for alright." He explained to the woman before dumping Jade onto a hard cot and turning to leave. "Now, don't try anything foolish or Dominic will punish the both of you." He warned before taking his leave.

All the while Jade continued to keep her eyes firmly shut. She didn't know if this woman was friend or foe, but she wasn't taking any chances until she could be sure. Suddenly she could feel the cool hands of the woman assessing her for injuries. Jade tried not to flinch when her hands made contact with the lump at the base of her skull.

She heard the woman's gasp of concern before she started uttering the chant of some spell foreign to Jade. She noticed that the lump on her head immediately started to tingle and the pain quickly started to recede. It was a healing spell of some sort Jade realized. The woman was helping her. Maybe she would help her escape if she pleaded her case with her. Maybe she was a prisoner also and they could escape together, Jade thought. But it was too risky. She didn't know if this woman would help her or not. She decided to wait a bit longer and see what else she would hear.

Suddenly the flap to the tent is flung open and someone came rushing inside. "Where is she? I want to see her!" a male voice demands. "Please, Dominic, do not do this!" the woman pleaded. "She is defenseless. Noctis has nothing to fear from her, please let her go." "You know it's out of my hands, she has a destiny Skylar," he replied.

Jade tried not to gasp, unsettled by the fact that the woman pleading for her was her Aunt. "It's not too late Dominic, you can still let her go. Simply declare that it isn't her. I know that there has to be some shred of decency left in you. Don't hand her over to that Monster."

"That Monster would have my head on a pike if I were to cross him; the cost is too high, and I'm simply not willing to pay the price, Skyler." "Then help me protect her from him. Noctis has to have a reason to keep her alive. Give him a reason to need her if you won't help her escape, I beg you." she pleaded.