Free Taken (Breaking the Darkness) by Felicia Starr Page A

search that memory of yours for what your grandmother taught you. I cannot believe she did not tell you of your true nature. You can expect to be sorry if I walk out of this room again without news of your progress. Am I making myself clear?”
    “Perfectly,” I squeaked.
    I felt myself flying through the air just before my body crashed against the wall. A grunt snuck out while I slid to the ground. Hunched over in a reminder of pain that she could easily inflict on me, I forced myself to stand.
    Not surprising, by the time I got up on my feet, the room around me was empty and dark again. Either she was very fast at opening that door and getting out or she had some unnatural way of traveling in and out of my hellish prison.
    I needed to sit. Holding my ribs that were probably fractured wasn’t helping. It’s funny how we always hold spots on our bodies that get hurt, as if that would help make the pain any better.
    What was I going to do? Ziona was coming back. She made sure that was one thing I didn’t have to wonder about, along with all the other things I had to concern myself with. I still didn’t know too much about the claims Ziona made about my “abilities.” As for the little bit that I knew, I didn’t understand.
    My ability to project was one of the few things keeping me sane. It was also my only possibility to communicate with anyone that might be able to help me get out.
    Oh, crap. I need to find her. Follow her.
    I hurried to lie down and project as fast as I could. I worried how hard it would be to follow her since I didn’t actually see her leave the room.
    The last time I tried to project while I was lying in the bed ended with me falling asleep. I thought sitting in a meditative position had yielded me the most success. It also probably looked the least suspicious.
    Dropping down to the ground, I pressed my back against the wall and crossed my legs into a lotus position. My hands rested on my knees with palms facing up, I began to slow my breathing. I vocalized a few oms out loud for effect.
    Calmness sank in fast. My hair beginning to tingle was a sure sign I was disconnecting. The lightness started to flow down to my limbs. I was getting better at this for sure. It didn’t take but a minute or two and there I was, looking down at myself.
     

 

     
     
    THOUGHTS OF ZIONA flashed in my mind. Whatever I could retrieve, I forced into my thoughts. Starting with her striking black glossy hair and her endless black eyes. She paired them well with her shiny black boots that kicked my ass. Her bright red lips lost their prominence when her skin began to glow in the same hue. The physical strength she possessed was probably not as strong as the way she carried herself. She would dominate any room and command the attention of onlookers.
    Luckily I didn’t have to relive the brutality of her visits. I could feel myself zipping through time and space. The misty glimmer around me felt like a damp cool breeze against my skin. It was strange for my senses to be so heightened in the astral plane. I didn’t have a physical form to be touched, yet I could feel every last drop of dew in the air.
    The effects of my travel were fading and Ziona came into focus. I couldn’t believe I found her. The only thing that sucked was that I didn’t know how she got there. I needed to find a way out of my prison. Maybe if I stayed with her I could follow her back, but that could take hours.
    It wasn’t clear how long I could stay in this form. Concerns about whoever might be watching my physical body plagued my thoughts. I couldn’t imagine the consequences of anyone suspecting anything. Most people don’t meditate more than an hour. I also worried about any repercussions from being away from my body too long. I wouldn’t want to get stuck like this.
    There she stood, tall and strong, commanding a room full of men. They sat beneath her at a large conference table made of black marble. Most of the room’s content was