CH.6 – Lavender lies
1414 Words
Chapter Six – Lavender lies
Olivia’s Point of View
I came back to myself the way you come back from a nightmare you don’t remember—disoriented, breathless, with the lingering certainty that something terrible had already happened.
At first, there was only sound.
A low hum. Steady. Constant. Like a distant engine or a generator buried somewhere deep beneath the earth. It threaded through everything, vibrating faintly against my bones. Beneath it, another rhythm pulsed—slow and deliberate.
Breathing.
Not mine.
Panic surged instantly, sharp and blinding.
My chest heaved as I dragged in air that felt too clean, too cool. It burned slightly on the way down, my lungs protesting as though they hadn’t been used properly in a while. My heart began to race, pounding wildly, each beat echoing in my ears until it drowned out everything else.
I tried to move.
My body responded sluggishly, like it was wading through syrup. My fingers twitched first, brushing against fabric—soft, smooth, unmistakably *sheets*. The realization snapped something loose inside me.
I wasn’t in the car.
I wasn’t in the motel.
I forced my eyes open.
Light greeted me—not harsh, not fluorescent, but pale and diffused, filtering through tall windows draped in sheer white curtains that fluttered almost imperceptibly. The ceiling above me was high, paneled in dark wood that gleamed faintly. Everything felt too deliberate. Too intentional.
Too expensive.
My breath stuttered as I took in more of the room. A stone fireplace dominated one wall, cold and unused. A low dresser of polished oak stood opposite the bed, completely bare. No clutter. No personal mess. No signs of life beyond what was strictly necessary.
It wasn’t a guest room.
It was a holding place.
Fear crawled up my spine, icy and slow.
I pushed myself upright, muscles trembling as dizziness slammed into me without warning. The world tilted violently, my vision dimming at the edges, black spots dancing as nausea surged.
I gasped and collapsed back onto the mattress, clutching the blanket like it could anchor me to reality.
“Easy.”
The voice came from my right.
Every muscle in my body locked.
I turned my head inch by inch, dread pooling heavier with each fraction of movement.
Idris sat beside the bed in a simple chair, elbows resting on his knees, hands clasped loosely as if he’d been there for hours. His coat was gone. He wore a dark sweater instead, sleeves pushed up slightly, revealing strong forearms corded with restrained power.
He looked… calm.
Not smug. Not rushed.
Patient.
Something inside me recoiled violently at that.
“You—” My voice cracked, raw and unused. I swallowed, throat burning. “What did you do to me?”
For the first time since I’d met him, something flickered across his face—tight, brief, almost regretful.
“To be fair,we both passed the barrier together and inhaled the same scent from the lavender field so it's not necessarily my fault if it knocked you out,” he said carefully. “You inhaled more than intended , you probably needed the rest anyway so I guess you're welcome.”
“That’s not an answer,” I snapped, fear curdling into anger. “I passed out in your car. You locked me in. I woke up here.”
“I know,” he said quietly. “And I won’t insult you by pretending otherwise.”
The honesty only made it worse.
My heart hammered as I forced myself upright again, fighting the dizziness with sheer stubbornness. The blanket slid down, cool air brushing my skin beneath my sweater. I clutched it back around myself, suddenly aware of how exposed I felt.
“Where am I?” I demanded.
“My home.”
The word echoed in the vast room, heavy and final.
“You’re on my land,” he continued. “You’re safe here.”
A sharp, incredulous laugh tore from my throat before I could stop it. “You don’t get to decide that.”
“No,” he agreed. “But I am responsible for it , just me you will thank me later , this will be fun.”
I swung my legs over the side of the bed. My boots were gone. My socks too. My bare feet sank into a thick rug, warmth seeping up immediately, grounding and unsettling all at once.
I stood.
The room swayed, but I stayed upright, fueled by adrenaline and rage.
“Take me back,” I said. “Now.”
Idris stood as well.
The movement was smooth, unhurried—but the air changed the moment he rose. Pressure filled the space between us, invisible yet undeniable, like the room itself was holding its breath.
“I can’t,” he said.
The words hit harder this time.
My hands clenched at my sides. “Then call the police. Or I will.”
His gaze softened—not in pity, but in something dangerously close to certainty.
“You won’t,” he said.
I laughed again, brittle. “Try me.”
He studied me for a long moment, then reached into his pocket and extended his hand.
My phone.
My heart lurched violently as I snatched it, fingers shaking as I woke the screen.
No signal.
No bars.
Nothing.
I stared at it, disbelief giving way to dread.
“This place is shielded,” Idris said softly. “Remote. Protected. No one can reach it unless I allow it.”
“That’s not protection,” I whispered. “That’s a cage.”
“It can be both,I guess it depends on how you look at it, little elf,” he replied.
I dropped the phone onto the bed like it burned.
“Why?” The word tore out of me, raw and shaking. “Why me?”
He hesitated.
The pause stretched just long enough to terrify me.
“Because something has already started inside you,” he said finally. “And because if I hadn’t brought you here, others would have found you first . It's not necessary like i chose you , more like you were predestined”
Ice slid down my spine.
“Others?” I echoed.
“Yes.”
I stepped backward instinctively. He didn’t follow.
“You drugged me,” I said. “You kidnapped me. And now you’re talking like I’m some kind of—of *thing*.”
A muscle jumped in his jaw. “You’re a person. But you’re also growing as a person and we find you very interesting.”
Silence fell, thick and suffocating.
“I owe you the truth,” he said. “Not all of it. Not yet. But enough.”
I folded my arms around myself. “Say it.”
“What slipped between your breaths last night wasn’t just a sedative,” he said. “It was meant to quiet what’s waking up in you.”
A hollow laugh escaped me. “You expect me to believe that? What exactly could be waking up in me? Wait a minute, I'm i pregnant? Is that it? Wait , but how? Did you?”
“No,” he said gently. “you are not pregnant, i would definitely know that. Sooner or later you were going to move in here anyways so this is me just speeding up the process. How could you be homeless and struggling to find a place to stay when you can just move in sooner. When the time comes , you'll just know what I'm talking about, you will feel the change”
And then I did.
A warmth stirred beneath my skin—low and coiled, unfamiliar but undeniable. Not pain. Not fear.
Awareness.
My breath hitched as my heartbeat seemed to sharpen, each pulse echoing too clearly, too loudly. I pressed a hand to my chest without thinking, fingers trembling.
Idris noticed instantly.
“That,” he said softly. “That’s why you’re here.”
I shook my head, backing away. “You’re wrong.”
“I wish I were.”
Outside the tall windows, the forest stood silent and watchful, snow clinging to branches like secrets waiting to fall.
And standing there—barefoot, frightened, furious—I understood something terrifying:
Whatever I was becoming hadn’t started tonight.
It had only been claimed.
And Idris hadn’t brought me here to save me.
He’d brought me here to make sure I didn’t belong to anyone else first.
- Writer
