Marion swished the warped hangers in the air and looked doubtfully at Raven. “Are you sure this is going to work?”
“It’s all we’ve got.” Raven slipped a hanger over her neck and gave it an experimental yank. “When he walks in, you wait on the bed with the stick we made and I’ll jump him from behind and slip this over his neck like a noose. If we move fast, we’ll knock him out before he can do any magic.”
“Sounds like a plan.” An odd plan, but like Raven said, it was all they had. Marion picked up the ‘stick’ they had made by unraveling several hangers and then twisting them together until their hands were raw with the effort. The ends were sharp enough to draw blood—not the worst handmade weapon and better than nothing.
“Okay. Let’s get in position.” Raven went to close the closet door and then stood against the wall beside the entrance to their small room. When Eric opened the door she would be on his back before he could react. At least that was the idea, whether it actually worked was another thing all together.
Marion sat on the bed, hiding the stick under her thigh, leaving just enough poking out that she could grab it easily.
They held their positions for several hours and gradually, as more time passed, Raven wilted, sliding down the wall to sit on the floor with a sigh. Marion flopped back on the bed, stretching out her back which ached from sitting so long.
“What if he never comes back?” Raven groaned.
“He’ll come. He’s probably just planning what to do with us.”
“I wish he would get on with it already. This is boring.”
Marion stifled a giggle at her friend’s irritation. “Yeah, captivity isn’t really stimulating, is it?”
A key scraped in the lock. Raven jumped to her feet, a fierce expression on her face, hanger-noose at the ready. Marion resumed her seated position and watched the door expectantly, holding her breath, sweaty palm gripping the hanger-stick.
She saw the knob turn just before Eric threw the door open, striding into the bedroom with a broad smile of confidence on his clean-shaven face. It made Marion’s stomach turn.
Raven lunged at him as soon as he passed her. The hanger slipped over his head and she jerked it back, using it like a garrote to cut off his air supply. For a second it looked like she had the upper hand, but then Eric reached back to touch Raven’s head. A blue charge zapped through her, and she fell, limp and unmoving to the ground.
Marion jumped to her feet with a roar. "Don't you dare hurt her.” She clubbed Eric on the shoulder and then thrust the stick hard into his gut.
He extended his hand toward her, blue energy crackling from his finger tips, but she whacked him so hard across the wrist, he dropped his arm before he could touch her. He wouldn't win. Not this time. No way.
Over and over, she struck him. He grunted with each blow and tried to fight back, but rage made Marion fast. Every time he tried to gather his magic, she hit him and then hit him again. He couldn’t concentrate enough to mount an offense. Within minutes he lay unconscious on the floor, blood dripping from a wound on his temple.
Marion stood over him, panting and feeling stronger than she ever had before. “You will not hurt me. You will not hurt anyone ever again,” she shouted at him, her voice cracking.
“Mar?” Raven’s voice was faint.
She rushed to her friend’s side and helped her sit up. “Are you okay?”
“My head is killing me. What happened? I think I passed out.” Raven looked around the room, spotting Eric. “Oh wow. We got him!"
Marion brandished the hanger stick. “Hangers. Who knew?”
“I know, right?” Raven said.
Confident that Raven was okay for the moment. Marion went and yanked Eric’s dress shirt off and used it to secure his hands behind his back “Now what?” Marion asked as she tied his legs together with his belt.
“We get the hell out of here.”
Marion shook her head. “No, that won’t work. He’ll just come after me again.”
“We’ll call the police and give them the address.”
“I would rather find Aidan. He and Dougal have a more permanent solution” Marion nudged Eric with her toe, satisfied to see he didn’t stir. She wouldn’t mind if he never woke up again. Or, better yet, maybe he would make a good husband for one of those Eros Fey Dougal had told her about.
“We need to find a phone.” Raven crawled forward and searched Eric’s pockets. “I’d like to get my cell phone back too, if possible.”
When Eric’s pockets came up empty, Marion asked, “ Can you walk?” At Raven’s nod, she said, “I’ll keep an eye on Eric, you check the apartment. He called me, there must be a phone somewhere.”
Raven stood and, once her feet were steady under her, went to look, leaving Marion to stand guard. When Eric stirred, she didn’t hesitate to club him in the head, satisfied to see him drop into unconscious again. Who knew what kind of magic he would unleash if he woke up to find himself hogtied by his prey?
“I found my phone,” Raven said, reentering the room a few minutes later.
“Call Aidan. You’ve got his number right?”
“Yeah, from arranging the dinner.” Raven dialed, but frowned when nothing happened. “Damn. There's no signal. The wards must be blocking calls.”
“Go outside and try there."
“You okay here?’
Marion brandished the hanger-stick with a wicked grin. “I’ll be just fine. Eric won’t be waking up anytime soon.”
“I’ll be back as soon as I can.” And then Raven was gone, the front door of the apartment clicking shut behind her. That left Marion alone with Eric, but for once, that didn't scare her.