The Fire Within (The Fire of The Soul Series) by Racquel Kechagias Page B

would
have saved me. I lay my head upon his shoulder as he draws me in closer.
"You do know, don't you, that I will never hurt you or let you down,"
Victor whispers in my ear and I almost want to believe him, believe in the
words that he is saying, but how can I when he all but admitted that a human
life means nothing to him.
    "I know you'd never intentionally hurt
me," I whisper back and allow him to carry me away in the slow dance,
along with the graceful song. Oh, if I only I could believe him; If I could
only believe myself.
    Darleen's P.O.V
    The room, if it can even be called that, is dark and
shabby. I had only woken a few minutes ago along in the dark. All hell had
broken loose when news had reached Rupert and I that Annabelle had fled with
her suitor; Victor. However it wasn't just Rupert's anger that had flared when
the news had reached us, but Mr Sitzman's anger as well.
    Those few hours had been the scariest of my life.
Not only had I learned that Rupert had willingly taken on a part of that
devil's soul, but that I had been a gift bestowed upon my husband by that red
eyed devil. Rupert's anger had flared because he believed that he had been
cheated, lied to, bamboozled.
    However, Rupert's anger wasn't what was scary. It
was Mr Sitzman's cold, calculating demeanour that scared me to my wit's end.
That, and the fact that every few moments something about his appearance
changed, the flash of eye colour, the colour of his hair, the shape of his
teeth, fingers, body. The jump and shiver of flesh as it changed colours, shape
and texture. It was through these changes that I learned that not only one of
Annabelle's suitors is a devil, but both of them are. It was in those few hours
that not only did I fear for my own life, being stuck in between a rock and a
hard place but it was the first time in my life that I actually feared for my
daughter rather than being frightened of her, and the mysteries that surrounded
her like a heavy fog.
    That had been days ago. Now in the present moment, I
am stuck in this dark, shabby room. My hands are tied to the post of the bed,
and a gag across my mouth. I can hear heavy footsteps clomping down the stairs
that I remember lead down into this dark room.
    "Darleen?" I can hear Rupert calling for
me. I try to scream his name but all that comes out is a muffled cry. I can
hear pounding feet run the distance of the room, and there before me is Rupert,
my husband, his eyes wet with tears.
    "Darleen, it's okay. I'm going to get you out
of here. Don't worry," Rupert whispers gently, sweetly but something is
off, not even in our most intimate moments has Rupert ever talked so lovingly
towards me. I know something is terribly wrong. Then he stops, almost as if he
can see that I know that something isn't right. Rupert sits down next to me on
the bed, the backs of his finger caressing my cheek gently.
    "You know something is out of sorts don't you
Darleen. Your husband never talked to you so sweetly, as if you were actually
worth more than an old debt made over cold blood. Not that here your worth
anything but what does that matter?" He speaks softly, as if I am a
frightened, caught mouse in the cat's claws.
    Before my eyes the man I believe to be my husband,
who looks and sounds so familiar to Rupert transforms before my very eyes. Now,
however, sits Christian, his platinum blond hair pushed back out of his blue
eyes, a wicked grin planted firmly on his lips.
    "Do you really want your husband here? After
how he treated you? Though you can be certain that you won't find any peace
with me, Mrs VanDyken. I can promise though it will be tenfold worse,"
Christian says grinning from ear to ear.
    "I won’t hurt you tonight, I promise you that.
I'll just open your mind to the concept of how unworthy you and your husband
are of life. I want you to know how little I care for you and your husband, and
the reason why I'm holding you both prisoners, which is to capture your
daughter, to lure her out and make