Taken

Chapter 7 (Part 3)

How far did his capabilities go?

The thought had my mouth growing drier than it already was as my fingers stilled where I had managed to get them just underneath the tight, thin band that felt like a choker. He said it was to keep me from hurting him...

How?

"Hey, Silas?" I called to him, trying to keep the panic from my voice that came out a little higher than usual. My pace slowed, making the distance between us grow.

He answered with a hum, continuing forward without a glance back at me.

"Um, how exactly is this supposed to keep me from hurting you?" I asked, causing him to stop. "Not that I want to," I rushed to add as my own feet halted.

He turned to face me, a hint of the glint I had seen in his eyes when I first saw him having returned. Keeping his gaze on me, he reached down into his boot and drew out a knife. Flipping it into the air and catching it by the blade, he held the handle towards me.

"Why don't you see for yourself?"

"I'd much rather you just tell me."

An impish smile pulled at his lips. "Where's the fun in that?"

Fun had left the chat the moment he had shattered my perceptions of reality.

His smile that didn't reach his eyes had unease racing down my back as he watched me with unnerving detail. It was like he was looking for something particular.

Afraid of pushing him and having his portrayed amusement change into something worse, I reached for the knife and wrapped my shaking fingers around the leather-bound handle. What was the worst that could happen?

I could end up like that mouse.

Swallowing hard, I eyed the translucent blade that reminded me of an opal. "What do you want me to do with this?" I asked, eyeing the sharp edge that changed color in the light as I moved it.

"Imagine stabbing me with it," he said, his growing smile causing my concerns to grow with it.

My mouth pressed into a firm line to hide the tremble of fear that shook my lower lip. I wanted to do more than pretend with the way he was watching me.

Shutting my eyes, my hand which had grown sweaty tightened as I pictured driving the knife I held into his stomach. The scene played out behind my eyes, me stepping forward as I drove the blade up into his toned gut. Why was he shirtless in my imagination?"

I waited for consequences to strike at the imagined assault, but nothing happened. My eyes clenched tighter as I prolonged the assault in my head, drawing the blade out and plunging it back in. Still, nothing. Cracking an eye open, I looked up at Silas.

"It's nice to know you mean me no real harm, but you're going to need to try harder. You need to mean it to a degree. Think of something to channel your anger and focus it on me."

This was the first time someone was telling me to channel my anger rather than giving me a reason to suppress it. It wasn't hard to locate it. The only problem was, most of it wasn't aimed at him. All he'd done so far, was help me. The anger I felt at his method of freeing me from the vines earlier wasn't enough to erase the relief that he had freed me. He didn't have to.

Just like he didn't have to place this stupid choker around my neck!

If humans were as shitty at surviving in this... realm as he had claimed, did I really pose a risk?

A push between my shoulder blades had me stumbling forward with a gasp. Hair blew over my shoulders and into my eyes as they snapped open to find the tip of the knife pressed to Silas's stomach. He hadn't moved an inch.