AllFreeNovel
Share Us
It’s one of many stretched down the long hallway, and I sit between a man clearly upset to be here and a woman about to suck this guy’s dick. She’s practically fingering herself, talking non-stop about her Eminent, but I listen. Someone that obsessed with a person knows everything there is about them, and I can use the information.
Every thirty minutes, someone gets called in, and I’m growing weary of waiting so long, ready to get this over with. Then I shudder, realizing what’s going on past the velvet curtain and how he probably needs to rest in between various conquests.
With five people in front of me, I lean back against the wall and shut my eyes, concentrating on the kids, Sam, Lori, and Luke.
I let myself relax, and my mind drifts to different scenarios. One person heads inside, which means there are four more to go. The girl next to me whines she may miss the cutoff today, and I try to hide my face inside my clothes, drowning out the world.
Muffled voices still get through, but at least I’m spared her pathetic swooning.
“Rowan!” someone calls, and I shoot up, surprised the wait went by so quickly.
I stand, and my legs don’t wobble. I’m elated until I look around and realize that I’ve drifted.
I’m back outside and looking directly at Dean Riggs.
Chapter Seven
The Eminent
Rainpoursdownonmy soaked clothes, and I shiver, wiping the wet hair from my face. I back away from Dean, but I’m stopped by someone at my back who shoves me forward.
Dean reaches out and grabs me, pulling me against him. The smile on his face looks the same, full of sinister plans and arrogance.
“Just be happy you’ll survive,” Dean hisses and tightens his grip around my wrist. I fight him, but my feet slip on the wet ground while other hands grab me from behind, lifting me up and holding me in place. “You’ve finally seen reason. You can’t survive without me. We need each other.”
“You’re not real!” I scream. My hate for him consumes me. He’s the reason for everything, and I want nothing more than to rip his throat out with my bare hands.
He doesn’t speak, and when my wrist loosens from his grasp, I take my chance. Clawing and scrambling through the mud, I slip away from the hands that reach for me. I run, seeing the cliff’s edge in sight, my legs pumping faster toward the drop. A hand catches me on the shoulder.
I whip around, ready to swing, and see Sam, dressed in an AOE uniform with a bloodied face. He touches my cheek and smiles, but it’s empty. There’s no fight left in his eyes.
His lips part and I grab him by the shoulders. “What happened, Sam? What do we need to prevent? What do we need to do?”
He trails a thumb across my lips. “The difference between dedication and love is that love will save us.”
He falls backward, and I reach my arms out for him, but he doesn’t reach back. He falls with limp limbs, accepting his fate until he lands in the water below. There’s nothing more than a white splash in the angry ocean and the sounds of my screams.
“A. Rowan Lawson Rivera,” a voice calls. I gasp, sitting up, and almost falling from my seat.
“Rivera,” my name rings out again. Everyone to my right is gone, leaving only empty seats. The woman on my left glares at me, detesting my presence and the fact that I’m next in line.
“Um, here,” I say and stand. This isn’t fourth grade, but I don’t know the protocol. My legs struggle to walk, shaking a bit with each step, but I manage.
“Do you need a cane?” the woman calling my name mocks. Her hostile tone bites with each word, and I shake my head no. Standing straighter, I ignore the fire in my thighs and follow her.
She looks like the blonde woman that pulled me from my cell, with only a few subtle differences. As we head to the Eminent, I see more of her.
All women are dressed in the same way, with similar gaits, hairstyles, and eyes that narrow when they see me.
Are they his concubines?
“Sit here,” she clips, pointing to a large chair in the center of the room. It faces a mirror, and I stare at myself, knowing someone waits on the other side. Maybe it’s him and this is his game, watching the person squirm while they wait for the high lord of the apocalypse.
Minutes pass, and I can’t fight the need to look around, at least for an exit if the opportunity arises. Besides the mirror, the place doesn’t have the futuristic furnishings I’ve seen so far. The decorations look more old world and regal with silken couches, a large wooden desk, and I swear I see a fireplace. Oil paintings line one wall and they’ve made the lighting mimic candlelight.
I’m a thousand feet underground, dressed up in some guy’s monarch fantasy, and I need to fake my way through this mess. It didn’t take me long to learn how to manipulate Dean, even though I couldn’t convince him to let me go. Still, I knew what made him tick.
Everyone has something they want, a way to sway their desires. The only thing I know about this Eminent is he wants women and entertainment, something more enticing than a public hanging to be exact.
