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approached, three men got out of the vehicle. They were all high up Nobles by the look of it. They had the long charcoal grey robes indicating their station. He knew when Darcy saw them. She instantly stiffened, pulled against him seemingly unconcerned about the pain he was causing to her hand and wrist.
    "Keep moving, Darcy."
    He moved his free hand to her lower back and shoved her forward. She started walking again but still strained against his hold. Between one step and the next, Karl found himself face first on the cement. She’d wrapped her leg in front of his and tripped him up. He quickly rolled and got back to his feet, looking to give chase to recapture Darcy. He didn’t get more than half a step before seeing Darcy in the arms of one of the elders. He’d obviously seen her intention and moved from the van to a position behind them. With a firm grip on both her shoulders, he marched her over to the van and into the rear of it.
    "You too, Karl. Both of you are coming with us."
    ~ * ~
    Darcy was spitting mad. She glared across the van at Karl as she sat between two robed men. Her wrists and ankles had been bound and she was strapped into the seat. Karl looked at her then quickly away again with guilt written all over his face. Damn it! How had she ended being kidnapped? And more importantly, why had she been kidnapped?
    "Why, Karl? Why me?"
    Karl opened his mouth to answer but before he could get a word out she felt a fissure rip through the air and he doubled over clearly in agony. She sat bolt upright, "What the hell?"
    "Your questions will be answered once we reach our destination. Do not ask again, or you will be in as much pain as he currently is."
    Darcy started shaking as fear crept through her system, images of Angelo’s face flashed before her eyes so she closed her lids to focus on him. She tried desperately to send a mental message to him to come save her and tell him she loved him; had been a fool to put off his claiming her. Oh how she wished she could really tell him. Darcy had a horrible feeling she wasn’t going to be alive at the end of this ordeal.
    Focusing on an image of Angelo’s face in her mind she slowly relaxed her muscles and took several deep breaths. She was still daydreaming about Angelo when the van rolled to a stop. She was unbuckled from her seat and her ankles untied before she was led out of the van. She tried to see where she was but couldn’t make out anything familiar in the dark surrounding her. She was hauled along and led down dimly lit modern marble floored hallways. A mansion maybe?
    She was brought into a small room with a simple bed and side table, and one other door.
    "The bathroom is through that door."
    Her hands were untied and she was left alone. Rubbing her wrists she walked over to the other door and peaked in. A windowless room the size of a walk in closet contained a shower, toilet and sink. At least it’s clean. She moved back out and tried the door she’d come in. Surprise, surprise—it was locked. She sat on the bed, scooting back so she could lean against the white wall. Flexing her fingers and rubbing her wrists she began to wonder what the hell all of this was about.
    Before long she heard the lock on the door click. She straightened her back as a robed figure came into her room. The figure lifted the hood to reveal a man, whom she guessed was in his mid-fifties.
    "You are Darcy?"
    "Yes."
    Darcy did not want pain like she’d seen Karl cop so she figured she’d play it safe and tone down her sass.
    The man walked closer to her, "Stand before me please."
    His gentle voice confused her. She’d been kidnapped and threatened with pain, but now he was using his manners and being nice? She slowly rose from the bed and stood in front of the man with her chin raised. No matter what, she would not show him her fear. He reached up and took her chin in his hand and tilted her neck first to the right and then the left.
    "He has not claimed you yet."
    It was