But this felt slightly different from that earlier version. It was darker. More bloody. Which didn’t exactly make sense.
"Ah," a voice behind me said, just about giving me a heart attack in the process. "You’re awake. Excellent."
I twisted around sharply—too sharply, if the needles of pain driving into my ribs were any indication—and saw him. Or rather, saw his outline, which appeared tall and wiry. The rest of him was difficult to make out, simply because he seemed to merge with the shadows, though I had no sense of a vampire. But I had no sense of humanity, either.
In fact, I still had no sense of anything living. It was as if he weren’t even here.
I frowned and flared my nostrils, dragging in the foul air, sorting through the various stenches. There was definitely no indication that there was anyone else in this underground room besides myself.
So if he wasn’t here, where the hell was he?
And just how well could he see me?
"Who the hell are you?" I asked, wincing a little at my loudness but, at the same time, glad the shakiness that still afflicted my muscles wasn’t apparent in my voice.
"I actually believe you’ve been looking for me," he said, his voice jovial and plummy. "I’m—"
"Ike Forman," I finished for him as I scanned the walls again. I couldn’t see any cameras or microphones anywhere in the room, and rather doubted he’d have access to the sort of nanotechnology that Stane would—or that he’d risk such expensive equipment in a place like this. So even if the figure in front of me was a projection rather than a reality, he still had to be somewhere close by. If only because most projections had distance limits. "You’re the man who has taken over Handberry’s team—not that there’s any of them left right now."
"No," he said sadly, as if he really did regret losing them though I suspected quite the opposite. "They rather underestimated your capabilities. But rest assured that I will not."
Men had been underestimating me my entire life. I was hoping it wasn’t going to stop now, despite Forman’s statement. "What do you want with me?"
I pushed upright, only to discover my legs were tied together and my feet somewhat numb. I fell back down, my knees hitting the concrete so hard it jarred my already aching body.
I swore and his mirth swam around me. "Your legs are tied together with wire. I was tempted to use silver, but that might cause more damage than I wish just yet. We may need to leave this bolt-hole in a hurry if your dark protector breaks the outer barriers."
Meaning Azriel was somewhere close by? Part of me hoped so, and part of me refused to rely on that hope, preferring to depend on my own instincts and abilities.