Drake Sisters 07 - Hidden Currents

of storms?†Stavros unlocked the cuffs on her ankles and rubbed her legs, his fingers lingering over her wounds.
    El e took a breath and let it out, letting him see how fragile and vulnerable she felt. If it lul ed him into a false sense of security, she would concede to him almost anything. She nodded her head. “I try not to be. I know it’s sil y.â€
    It was probably the most she’d exchanged with him since he’d first taken her prisoner. How long now? She didn’t know, but it seemed as if he’d become her entire life.
    Stavros helped her to sit up, holding her when she swayed a little, stil holding the sheet over her body. “I’ve told you not to be modest around me,†he reminded her. “I like to look at your body.â€
    Involuntarily she tightened the hold on the sheet. At his look of annoyed impatience, she took another stab at playing to his ego. “I don’t feel very attractive right now. My hair is tangled and my bones are sticking out.†She’d always been thin, but now she looked like a scarecrow. “The doctor said . . .†She trailed off, looking away from him. “I don’t like you seeing me like this.â€
    â€œYou’re beautiful, Sheena. He doesn’t know what he’s talking about. You’ve been il , that’s al .†Stavros tugged at the sheet until she reluctantly dropped it, and then he helped her to swing her legs over the side of the bed.
    The room spun for a moment. She was weaker than she realized. She waited for the world to right itself and stepped upright onto the floor, leaning on Stavros a little more than she wanted. He wrapped his arm around her waist and helped her to walk to the bathroom. The wind slammed against the glass wal and El e jumped, turning to look over her shoulder at the darkened sky. The clouds spun, whipping around, slowly forming pictures, taking her breath.
    Long hair blowing wildly with the wind, six distinct faces, looking left and right, searching . . . searching.
    El e’s breath caught in her throat. She wanted to walk over to the long glass wal , not away from it. She could feel her entire mind reaching for those faces. See me . I’m here . But she didn’t dare try to use telepathy, not with the barrier up and Stavros in the room. She could only hold her breath and pray that they would see her—feel her. The faces turned almost as one, eyes wide open and sharp, piercing the veil of the storm, hair swirling around in the clouds, as her sisters looked at her. And she looked at them.
    El e felt each distinct heartbeat in her body like a drum playing in her head. She felt each beat like thunder clapping in the sky. There was no mistaking her sisters. She sagged against Stavros, her knees going weak with relief. Tears burned behind her eyelids. They had come for her. It wasn’t her imagination. She wanted to weep and laugh at the same time. Instead she forced herself to undergo the humiliation of using the bathroom with Stavros watching her every move. It sickened her that he needed such control over her, that he enjoyed his petty power issues. She washed careful y and made her way back into the room.
    â€œMay I sit for a few minutes?†She shivered, feigning cold, when it was sheer excitement. “I have a difficult time lying in bed when the wind is so strong.â€
    She never asked for concessions and Stavros al but beamed, his dark eyes sliding over her with evident pleasure as he gal antly escorted her to the thickly cushioned chairs and settled her into one, retrieving a blanket to tuck around her.
    She smiled wanly. “Thank you.â€
    A bolt of lightning lit the sky and threw the grounds into sharp relief. Rain began to splatter against the glass in big, fat drops. Tears. Her sisters weeping for her destroyed soul. The thought came unbidden, but once she had it, she knew it was true. There was nothing left of the El e that had left home so many weeks ago. She was gone and whoever was left in her empty shel of a body was lost.
    â€œWas that so hard, Sheena? Asking for my help?â€
    She lowered her eyes and shook her head, cringing inside that she had to play this disgusting game. She wanted to think of it as she used to, her undercover persona outwitting her prey, but she no longer felt strong and in control. She wasn’t strong. She might never be again. She continued to look out the