out of place thought that she’d never been in bed with a strange guy before. It was weird to think that, given their present situation, but it made her grin and she wished she could share the thought with Ippy because maybe he would laugh and that would be better than this awful mess she got them in. “Hey, Ippy, I’m sorry for bringing you with me. You should be in school right now. You should be safe. And because of me we’re now kidnapped and it’s all my fault and I’m sorry,” she softly told him.
Yes.
She had to laugh at that. Of course he wouldn’t try to make her feel better or act like it wasn’t all her fault they were even out here and that his parent’s car was wrecked. That was one of the amazing things about him. There were no lies with him, which made being around him completely safe. “Love you.”
Caelum looked up at that. “You two are…together?”
Her brows lifted. “Um. What now?”
“Like on the TV? Dating?” Caelum continued.
Hannah blushed deeply. “No. Not at all. He’s my best friend.”
“Oh.” Caelum turned onto his back, his long legs hanging over the side of the bed as he looked up at the ceiling. “So do you want to know about selkies?”
“Are you going to let us go?”
He shook his head.
“Then I suppose I want to know about selkies,” she replied bitterly as she settled against the back of the headboard behind her. It wasn’t comfortable in the least, but it was something to support her.
Before he could even begin to explain, though, the door opened and Hannah found herself looking at a very angry old man.
Chapter Five
Hannah braced herself, for what she didn’t know, but when his strike did come it wasn’t at her or even Ippy. Instead it was Caelum who was flung to the floor with a heavy hand to his cheek. She watched, her mouth hanging open, as Caelum struggled to get back to his feet. The man was yelling at him, but she couldn’t hear any of it through her shock. She’d seen people get beat up on TV and in movies. But she’d never seen something like this and as the man moved forward to kick Caelum in the ribs before he could stand she had to turn away.
He grabbed Ippy by the shirt and she yelled at him as Ippy’s screams filled the small room. Hannah’s screams were quickly silenced as a rag was shoved roughly into her mouth and from then she could only watch in silent horror as Ippy was shoved back into the cage and locked tightly into it. She’d thought they might leave Caelum alone after beating him, but he was tied up next, his hands bound beside hers on the bed as he was made to sit next to it. Ippy was shaking and Hannah wished she could do something to help him as a helpless feeling settled into the pit of her stomach. She hated that.
As soon as the men left the little room she spit out the rag. “You okay?” she quietly asked Caelum.
I’m not, Ippy told her from across the room. She nodded to him, knowing he wasn’t. But he hadn’t had his ribs kicked in, either, and his cheek wasn’t cut. Caelum shrugged and lowered his head. She could only see the back of his head and wished she could see his face. She’d barely caught a glimpse of his cheek before he’d been tied up.
“This sucks,” she grumbled as she sighed and lay back against the pillows behind her.
Plan?
She bit her bottom lip. “Wish I had one, Ippy. Well, Caelum. You wanted to tell us about selkies. Let’s hear it. Why’d they get you?”
He refused to answer her for several long minutes and she was starting to lose interest. This was supposed to be so easy. She’d thought it would be, at least. Go get her selkie and come back home. She’d show the adults that she could do this and that they didn’t have to worry about her and, more than that, that they should have listened to her. But instead she’d managed to get herself and Ippy kidnapped, and the selkie didn’t even want to be saved. It was totally screwed up, and it was all her fault.
Yes.
She had to laugh at that. Of course he wouldn’t try to make her feel better or act like it wasn’t all her fault they were even out here and that his parent’s car was wrecked. That was one of the amazing things about him. There were no lies with him, which made being around him completely safe. “Love you.”
Caelum looked up at that. “You two are…together?”
Her brows lifted. “Um. What now?”
“Like on the TV? Dating?” Caelum continued.
Hannah blushed deeply. “No. Not at all. He’s my best friend.”
“Oh.” Caelum turned onto his back, his long legs hanging over the side of the bed as he looked up at the ceiling. “So do you want to know about selkies?”
“Are you going to let us go?”
He shook his head.
“Then I suppose I want to know about selkies,” she replied bitterly as she settled against the back of the headboard behind her. It wasn’t comfortable in the least, but it was something to support her.
Before he could even begin to explain, though, the door opened and Hannah found herself looking at a very angry old man.
Chapter Five
Hannah braced herself, for what she didn’t know, but when his strike did come it wasn’t at her or even Ippy. Instead it was Caelum who was flung to the floor with a heavy hand to his cheek. She watched, her mouth hanging open, as Caelum struggled to get back to his feet. The man was yelling at him, but she couldn’t hear any of it through her shock. She’d seen people get beat up on TV and in movies. But she’d never seen something like this and as the man moved forward to kick Caelum in the ribs before he could stand she had to turn away.
He grabbed Ippy by the shirt and she yelled at him as Ippy’s screams filled the small room. Hannah’s screams were quickly silenced as a rag was shoved roughly into her mouth and from then she could only watch in silent horror as Ippy was shoved back into the cage and locked tightly into it. She’d thought they might leave Caelum alone after beating him, but he was tied up next, his hands bound beside hers on the bed as he was made to sit next to it. Ippy was shaking and Hannah wished she could do something to help him as a helpless feeling settled into the pit of her stomach. She hated that.
As soon as the men left the little room she spit out the rag. “You okay?” she quietly asked Caelum.
I’m not, Ippy told her from across the room. She nodded to him, knowing he wasn’t. But he hadn’t had his ribs kicked in, either, and his cheek wasn’t cut. Caelum shrugged and lowered his head. She could only see the back of his head and wished she could see his face. She’d barely caught a glimpse of his cheek before he’d been tied up.
“This sucks,” she grumbled as she sighed and lay back against the pillows behind her.
Plan?
She bit her bottom lip. “Wish I had one, Ippy. Well, Caelum. You wanted to tell us about selkies. Let’s hear it. Why’d they get you?”
He refused to answer her for several long minutes and she was starting to lose interest. This was supposed to be so easy. She’d thought it would be, at least. Go get her selkie and come back home. She’d show the adults that she could do this and that they didn’t have to worry about her and, more than that, that they should have listened to her. But instead she’d managed to get herself and Ippy kidnapped, and the selkie didn’t even want to be saved. It was totally screwed up, and it was all her fault.
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