Not Afraid of the Dark

Dani spun around at the same time Katie did. Katie grabbed Dani's hand tightly and Dani squeezed it in reassurance.

"Good evening sirs," Dani answered calmly.

"What, may I ask are two beautiful young women doing outside alone?" the second one asked.

"I'm sorry, but we must go," Dani replied, tugging on Katie's hand to follow her.

Katie didn't need telling twice. She didn't care for the way the man spoke and didn't want to be around him longer than she had to. She couldn't help, but wonder what Riley was up to. Dani was wondering what Micah was doing and wished that he was there. Dani didn't really enjoy being cornered and that's what she felt had happened just then.

"We can't let you do that," the first male answered, moving with the girls to block their way from leaving the terrace.

Dani's blood ran cold at the way his voice sounded. It was dark and held a sinister feeling to it. She didn't like it. She squeezed Katie's hand tightly. Katie began to shake with fear as she stared at the two men. She wondered why nobody else seemed to be able to witness this. She swallowed and moved back towards the edge of the terrace dragging Katie with her when one guy stepped forward.

"Stay back, don't come near us," Dani warned.

She wasn't going to let anything happen to her best friend. When it came to Katie she was very protective of her and would do anything if meant keeping Katie safe. It made it ten times worse that Dani didn't know who these people were. She'd never seen them before in her life.

"I'm sorry, but we can't do that. You see, we need you both for what we're planning. I'm so sorry this had to happen like this," the first guy smirked deviously at her.

Dani swallowed hard. She squeezed Katie's hand again.

"What do you want with us?" Katie squeaked out.

"All in good time," the second one sneered.

Dani and Katie couldn't even scream. The events happened so fast that they were amazed to even witness it. The two men lunged at them and broke them apart. Dani was then knocked out. She managed to watch the other guy knock out Katie before everything in her line of vision went black.

****

Micah and Riley were wandering through the party making sure everything was alright. Their sights went to the terrace for a brief moment before returning towards the rest of the party. Micah's gaze went back to the terrace when he didn't see the two girls that he had been focusing on all night. His blood ran cold when he realized that something was off. He found Riley and pulled him off towards a corner.

"What's wrong?" Riley asked.

"They're gone," Micah replied simply.

"What?" he asked.

"I saw them go outside onto the terrace twenty minutes ago, but they haven't returned yet," he told him.

Micah was worried. He didn't want anything to happen to the two girls. They were part of the two of wealthiest families in England and for them to be killed would be catastrophic.

"We must find them before anything happens," Riley said.

Micah nodded. He followed Riley out of the ballroom and towards the terrace. They would be able to get a better scent if they started there. Once outside the sour stench of their enemy filled their nostrils. It masked the scent of the two girls, but they still were able to smell the girls as well. Micah turned towards Riley and narrowed his eyes.

"They were just here," he said.

Riley nodded. He couldn't think what might happen to the girls if they weren't found in time. He just hoped that he would be able to find them. He couldn't get the brunette out of his mind and it worried him that she might be in serious danger. They leaped up on top of the ledge of the terrace and then dropped down to the street below. They took off into the darkness of the street hoping that it wasn't too late.

****

"LET US GO," Katie screamed, as she struggled against the bindings.

Dani kept her mouth shut. She didn't want to scare Katie anymore than she already was. She was angry more than scared. She and Katie woke up bound to two stone tables in a clearing in the woods. Stone columns encircled the stone tables as if in an altar like setting. Someone had changed her clothes and taken off their masks and that alone made her shudder in disgust.

Dani had been changed into a pale blue simple gown and some flat blue slippers. Katie's outfit was exactly like Dani's but instead of pale blue hers was a pale gold color. The bindings that were keeping them to the stone tables were steel shackles bolted to the table.

"Katie stop struggling, you're going to hurt yourself even more," Dani whispered.

She didn't want her friend to get hurt anymore. She felt like she failed in protecting her friend and that didn't sit well with her at all. She turned her head to look at her friend. She had stopped struggling and Dani was grateful. She prayed that someone would come and save them. She saw movement in the shadows and her blood ran cold with fear.

"Good, Miss Peyton stopped screaming her lungs out," a cold male voice said.

Dani swallowed hard.

"Didn't I tell you that screaming wouldn't work?" he said.

Dani nodded her head letting him know that she understood.

"Wonderful, now are you two going to cooperate with us?" he asked.

"What do you want with us?" Dani asked as calmly as she could.

She was glad that her voice didn't shake. It showed that she was in control, but deep down she was sick to her stomach and afraid for her life as well as her best friend's life. She just wanted to survive this. Her breathing picked up when the guy moved quickly so that he was straddling her body. She lay as still as possible as she stared into his cold dark eyes. She refrained from squirming when she felt his hands travel over her body.

"Your skin is so soft," he murmured.

Dani closed her eyes not wanting to look at him. She turned her head away when she felt his lips graze her skin. Katie watched with horror in her eyes. She didn't think this would ever happen to either of them. She thought that she and her friend would be able to enjoy their first time and not dread it. A loud howling broke the concentration of the man on top of Dani. He looked up and let out a growl of frustration.

"Bloody hell," he said.

He moved away from Dani and she let out the breath she was holding. She wished that she could reach over and hold her best friend's hand, but it was impossible with them shackled to the stone table. The howl came again and Dani and Katie were left alone once more.

"Help must be coming," Dani whispered.

Katie nodded. She trusted her friend no matter what. She was just glad that nothing serious really happened to Dani just now. They lay there in complete silence praying that help would come soon.

"Miss McCallister, Miss Peyton, are you here?" a voice whispered.