Lavender & Fire

11. Deciding to Trust

Rahn glanced over her shoulder at the male and female who still sat facing forward, staring at nothing. Even now as she was walking out of the room, they had no reaction and didn't try to stop her.

She shook her head in disbelief. This entire ordeal was so strange. The room was smaller than the diagram showed so all she had to do was push back a false wall to expose another doorway. Not that it had been easy to push, she would definitely be treating herself to a good soak in hot water. Right after she found a place to relieve herself. She'd been in that room for way too long.

Once out of the room, the guard part of her wanted to explore the building and see if she could find any information, but her more basic instincts said to get out of there. That's what Lana would do, right? So she ran.

She put the key in the lock of her dwelling and turned, going inside and quickly locking the door behind her. She stood with her back to the door, catching her breath. At this moment, she felt her and Lana were one and the same. She would prefer to never do that again and was relieved to be in her little dwelling.

"You lied to me." An angry voice called from the other end of the hallway.

She startled and gasped in surprise, then slowly let out her breath. "Oh... it's just you." She said as she walked down the short hall and passed him.

"What happened?"

"After I relieve myself."

She heard him huff as she closed the door and locked it. She stayed a little longer than necessary, gathering her thoughts, before opening the door and walking right by the male and into the kitchen. She felt his eyes on her as she removed a glass from the cabinet and poured herself some water, drinking half the glass before sitting it down and exhaling your breath.

She noted that while this male was obviously displeased, he proved to be patient, waiting on her to gather herself. She turned and leaned her back against the countertop, folding her arms across her chest as she looked at him. "It has been a really long, confusing, tiring few hours. I'm going to bed."

She moved to exit the kitchen but he blocked her, hands fisting at his sides.

"You have something to say?" She questioned him but he remained silent. "Then get out of my way."

When he didn't move, she put her hands on his side to push him out of the doorway. As soon as she touched him, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her arm behind her back, pressing her chest against the wall.

"Answers." he demanded in his quiet yet authoritative voice.

The way his body pressed into hers sent tingles through her entire body and she faltered for a moment before composing herself. "You're going to have to be more specific. Answers about why I lied to you? About everything that happened to me tonight? Or to why I think our little meetings are a waste of my time?"

He turned her around to face him, releasing her arm but holding her in place by keeping his body in front of hers and placing his hand on the wall beside her waist, blocking the door. "You enjoy trying to get reactions out of me." He stated.

She simply stared back in return, cursing herself for not turning the kitchen light on so she could see his eyes. This was the first time he'd allowed her a clear view of them, the first time they stared directly at each other. Even with her Qarthan eyesight, there was only so much she could see when it was a new moon and all of her curtains were drawn closed.

"And do you?" She whispered. "... react to me?" She vaguely felt herself reaching a hand to place on his chest, feeling as if a magnet was drawing her to him unconsciously. He abruptly pulled away and with that action her daze seemed to clear. She cleared her throat and took a step away from him as well.