[Sarah]

Eyebrows shot up and he smirked. “Oh? I would be quite interested to know what I did to you in those dreams,” he mused.

Before she could say anything he was moving her. He cut the rope tying her feet and hands. Then he had her walking. He twirled the cattle prod lazily, expecting her to obey. In her dreams she had learned what he was capable of doing, learned that obeying was the best thing to do.

[Sarah]

They left the dark room and he led her down a hallway. The walls were an old dull red color, as was the carpet. Neliana wondered what building she was in. It didn’t help that never dreamed long enough to get outside the building.

They turned abruptly through a doorway. On the other side was a packed theater. Two shows were going on. The one in the front of the theater was an auction. The one in the back was a performance. He led her down the isles towards the back. The few eyes that were on her began spreading whispers. From the crowd she heard someone identify her and she scoffed.

[Sarah]

The cattle prod found its way to her side, but it did not electrocute her. “Do be a good girl for me,” he growled in her ear.

Neliana nodded. “Sorry,” she whispered. The prod was gone from her skin and they walked up the steps to the back stage. He handed her over to the main performer and then left. The main performer was a monster of a man, tall and muscular. He took her with a smile and instantly began a routine. A routine she’d practiced almost every night for years.

[Sarah]

In her dream she could never make out what he said to the crowd. Now that she was actually up on stage following his commands she still could not hear what he said to them. She only knew that the crowd loved the performance, they were screaming and cheering and standing up from their seats. Soon her end would come.

The routine was almost over. The main performer made a gun with his hand and pretended to shoot her. Neliana dropped, as if she had been really shot. Something wasn’t right. In her dreams the man always pulled out a real gun and killed her. No matter what she had done that part always stayed the same.

[Sarah]

Neliana lied on the hard stage stunned. The next performers came up to do their act, but no one came to move her. Just in front of her, at the back of the stage, performers were sitting and enjoying the show. A few of them would glance at her, only one openly stared. “Who are you?” Neliana whispered.

“Bree. Don’t you recognize me?” the woman said.

“What happened?” Neliana asked, as if the woman might know.

“I don’t know. You weren’t supposed to make it out of that back room…” she trailed off, her eyes returning to the show. It had just finished.

[Sarah]

When Neliana had first been handed off there had been maybe thirty women up on stage with her. Now there were only three, and the same five men as before. Was the night over already? She’d lost track of time.

“Get up,” A red haired woman was commanding her.

Neliana was up and following this woman off the stage. “You’ll be watching this door for the rest of the night,” she said. “The dumb thing won’t stay open anymore. You will have to make sure it doesn’t close on our customers until the theater is closed,” she instructed, there was an odd venom in her voice.

[Sarah]

Then she was alone. The door had a wooden stop shoved under it, but it looked so old and heavy that it probably moved the wooden block slowly. Neliana felt a strange fondness for the door, it was doing the best it could. She wondered how long she was expected to stand there. She wondered what was going on beyond the door. The theater had emptied out, some kind of intermission was happening. Beyond the door she could hear people, but she could not make out what they were saying.

Neliana wondered why she was still alive. The big man on stage was meant to kill her. Almost every night she had seen him take out a gun, point it at her head, and shoot her. It had never not been a real gun.

[Sarah]

She was so distracted by her thoughts that she had not noticed the black-eyed man sit down behind her.

“How’s the door?” he asked. His voice had always done something strange to her. It made her attentive and obedient and submissive.

“Its fine. Staying open just like it should,” she answered. Neliana turned to face him, and stuck her foot out to catch the edge of the door. Unfortunately, she would still have to keep the thing open even though he wanted to talk to her.

[Sarah]

He had his assistant with him, and two bodyguards. One bodyguard sat directly in front of her, while the black-eyed man and his assistant sat a row behind. The other bodyguard stood just at the end of the isle so no one could sit next to him.

“What about the door upstairs?” he wondered.

“I’m sure that woman is taking care of it,” Neliana said quickly. She didn’t want the other woman to get in trouble.

[Sarah]

“And how do you know she isn’t off somewhere doing what she wants?” He asked harshly.

“I don’t know… But I’m sure the door upstairs is okay,” Neliana said. He was leaning forward in his chair, his eyes searching hers for something. Fear began to build inside her.

“That’s a dangerous expression,” he said, his suspicion of her growing.

[Sarah]

“I’m sorry, I just… I don’t know anything about the other door. I’m just confused and I don’t want you to be mad at me,” Neliana said. The desperation in her voice clear.

He laughed and smirked at her, and moved up to the row in front of her. His bodyguard moved so he could be directly in front of her. His hand reached for her neck and she put her head down defensively. He ignored it and moved his hand in closer, giving her neck a light pinch, reminding her of her place.

Neliana forced herself to move her head back. If he was going to choke her, then she could not do anything about it. Instead he grabbed her pendant. Then his other hand reached behind her neck and he removed her necklace completely.

[Sarah]

“Moonstone,” Neliana said when she saw the question on his lips.

He gave her an amused smile and turned the stone over in his hand. “Who’s love are you trying to protect against?” he asked.

“My own,” Neliana admitted. Tears threatened to appear. This was too real; he was too close to her.

[Sarah]

“How many nights did you dream of me?” he wondered.

“Almost as many as I have been Ascendant,” she said softly.

His eyes flicked up to meet hers. They were as impossibly deep as they were black. She struggled not to lose herself in them. He sat back lazily, his arm hanging off the back of the chair. He was looking her over, still amused and smug.

[Sarah]

“When did you fall in love with me?” he asked.

“There was one night. One night when you ordered the big man on stage to kill me. It was the only dream I had where you played a visible hand in my death,” she told him. That dream was the one she hated most. There had been no ceremony like the rest, only crying and begging and blood.

[Sarah]

“Well now, aren’t you full of surprises,” he laughed. “To be so hopelessly in love with someone who doesn’t even know you exist. A horrible fate,” he said solemnly. “Was your love not enough to bring you down from the rooftops?” he asked.

“I didn’t think you existed,” Neliana admitted.

“Why not?” he asked. Everyone knew that the Ascendant’s dreams were all of real people and places.

“It was your eyes,” she said.