Page 23 of Tethered to the World
Her knees shook pathetically at the thought of being dragged down those stairs.
Of being trapped.
She shook off the horrors, wishing they were that easy to forget.
Mason opened the fridge and offered her a glass of water, thankfully distracting her. “We patrol the grounds three nights a week. Though we are given some leeway, we’re expected to keep up with our schoolwork. You’ll be entered in some basic classes to teach you about our world. Your general testing will take place Monday morning, before your first class, so they can determine where you’ll be placed for the rest of your studies.”
She nodded, then smiled when his hair seemed to sway, and she couldn’t help her fascination. “Why does your hair do that?”
To her surprise, he blushed, quickly patting down the strands self-consciously. Behind him, Logan burst out laughing as he sauntered into view. “Think of it like an erection. His kind attracts mates by having the biggest horns and the most expressive hair. It requires a lot of practice to control.”
He slapped Mason on the back, then walked past them to head up stairs. “I’m going to get a couple of hours of sleep before we have to be up.”
Leaving behind an awkward silence in the kitchen.
“Sorry, I don’t know much about trolls.”
Mason shrugged. “We mostly keep to ourselves.”
When he said no more, she turned to go to her room, and he cleared his throat. “And what he said is not exactly true. My hair is an added sense, like sight or smell or taste. But there’s something about you I can’t place, an energy that draws me closer.”
He took a step toward her, and she backed up the stairs until they were eye level. He was a large man, but he moved with such lethal silence that she couldn’t help but watch the way his muscles flexed. The fragrance of fresh pine and earthy copper curled around her, and she watched as his hair slowly stretched toward her, a tentative offer of friendship.
Unable to refuse the invitation, she lifted her hand, then marveled as the coarse strands tickled the palm of her hand, tangling her fingers into the mass.
“You feel...beautiful,” he murmured.
Her face heated, her belly did a slow roll, and she shuffled closer, enchanted by the blissful look on his face. She carefully touched her hand to his jaw, noting again his differences from humans. Something about him made her feel safe, something she hadn’t experienced in so long that she knew her emotions were getting tangled up.
“You will be safe here. I won’t let anyone hurt you.”
Her enjoyment dimmed at his husky promise, and she dropped her hands from him. “You can’t promise that.”
The last thing she wanted was for him to get anywhere near her uncle. He would kill Mason without a hint of remorse, and she couldn’t bear the thought of anything happening to him. “I should go.”
When she turned to leave, he caught her hand. While he could’ve easily used his strength to get her to do what he wanted, he didn’t. He just patiently waited for her to turn toward him.
“You have nothing to fear from any of us.” He ran his other hand over his hair, the strands slowly settling down. “Logan is an asshole, Xander a brutal taskmaster, and Camden a dictator, but they’ve all suffered to get here. Be gentle with them…if you can.”
He released her, but she didn’t move, held captive by his words. “And you?”
“I’ll be your friend.” He ducked his head, as if bashful. “If you’ll let me.”
Sensing that he didn’t offer his friendship very often, she leaned forward and kissed his cheek. His head snapped up, his fingers touching where she’d brushed her lips, and she smiled at him. “I would like that.”
She turned away and disappeared before he had a chance to react. When Annora entered her room, she found the place aglow with moonlight. It didn’t take her long to put the sheets on the bed, their sea breeze scent reminding her of Xander, and she relaxed a bit at knowing he was near if she needed him.
The two ferrets were snuggled up in the rafters, and she quickly scooped them up and deposited them on the pillow next to hers. They both watched her, the angle of their heads exactly the same, like mirror images of each other.
She quickly washed, marveling at the warm water, then brushed her teeth and changed. When she snuggled down under her blanket, the ferrets curled around her shoulders, and she sighed in contentment.
* * *
As soon as her eyes closed, dreams swarmed her mind and took over. No matter how hard she tried to wake up, she was stuck, listening to her uncle’s footsteps approaching.
He was coming for her.
And she was trapped in her cell hundreds of feet under the ground.
