Free Dark Weaver (Weaver Series) by Dena Nicotra

wiped my mouth.  How could I be better?  Absolutely nothing was okay right now.  Nothing was right, nothing was normal, and I doubted if it ever would be again. 
    “It will be,” he said softly.  This only served to infuriate me.
    “So what Kess, did they send you in here to collect more information from me?  Oh, and I guess now that I can’t block, you can do that pretty easily, can’t you?  Do you not realize that I have nothing left to give?  You know what, why don’t you just go,” I said, pointing my finger at the door and glaring at him.  He pushed my hand down and gave me that annoying grin of his.
    “You never were very good at blocking , but that’s beside the point.  To answer your question, no one sent me.  In fact, they’d likely be rather agitated to learn I was in here with you.  You don’t understand the severity of your situation love.  You uhm…need me,” he added timidly.  
    “Uhmph, that’ll be the day.  I don’t need you.  I don’t need anyone here.  I just want to go home, so unless you can make that happen, leave me alone.”
    “ You need to rest now.  I’ll be back.”  He leaned forward, taking my face in his warm hands.  “For now, take this kiss upon your little brow.”  He said, and kissed me on the forehead.  He was gone faster than I could slap his hands away.  Left alone, I clicked off the little lamp and curled into a fetal position.  Stupid men, I thought to myself…and then I cried myself to sleep again.
    When morning came , I noticed that there was a suitcase sitting on the floor just inside the door.  Someone must have brought it in while I was sleeping.  I crossed the room and sat on the floor to open it.  The neatly folded clothes inside were my own.  How nice of Kalan, I thought sardonically.  I selected a pair of white cotton shorts and a matching t-shirt, grabbed my cosmetic bag, and went into the bathroom to freshen up.  My game plan was this simple: get it together, and find a way to get out of here.
    To my surprise, the bathroom was extremely small.  The shower stall would never be big enough for a man.  I had difficulty washing my hair, and cursed as I bumped my elbows on the walls.  Since weavers can create elaborate settings, I assumed that my humble quarters were deliberate.  I shut the water off, and dried off with the small towel I was provided.  I guess it’s better than a cave, I thought and then quickly shifted my thoughts to other things.  If I was being monitored (which I felt sure I was), I definitely didn’t want to give them any ideas.
    Once I was dressed and had carefully returned all of my things to the suitcase, I tried the door handle.  It was locked from the outside, as I’d feared.  I went to the window and tried to open it, but that wasn’t working either.  Besides, the ground was way too far down.  I peered at the people below for a while and that was an interesting way to pass the time.  I watched a horse pulling a buggy get spooked by one of those egg-shaped hover cars, and laughed to myself at some of the outfits people wore.  It looked like a giant costume party out there.  Upon closer inspection, I guessed that the glass buildings were not actually made of glass.  The surfaces were not entirely smooth and jagged pieces stuck out from the tops.  Crystal , I realized.  The street below was cobblestone, but off in the distance I could see what looked like a regular freeway.  It was a million points in time holding hands, and it was beautiful.  I understood it completely and a new sense of grief filled my soul.  I’d never truly been a part of this world at all. 
    Before the tears could come again, I pulled the curtain closed and stomped over to the door.  At first, I just wrestled with the handle again.  When that didn’t work, I started banging my fists on the door, and kicking it.  Then I started yelling.  “Somebody let me out of here!  You can’t keep me locked in this