by Theda Vallee
“No, your muscle was obstructing my mouth. Fuck, talking hurts,” I said flexing my jaw back and forth to ensure it wasn’t broken. “I said my rescue mission failed. Do you know where we are?”
Brady shook his head. I hadn’t expected him to know, but it would have been nice. I was desperate for a small victory at this point. A small window high on the wall let a sliver of sunlight into the room. We were surrounded by four concrete walls. On one wall was a door with no handle. Over in a corner was a bucket that I wouldn’t use if I could help it. The room was empty otherwise. Not even a mattress on the ground.
“Your face looks terrible. Hopefully, nothing is broken.”
“Never mind my face, we need to get out of here. I went to meet Easton alone, and Kaz was supposed to send back-up via the shadow space or whatever it is, but these bracelets kept me from being able to signal him. I’m sure they went in eventually, and they know we’re missing by now,” I said, standing up to stretch.
I searched the walls for surveillance cameras. If there were any, they weren’t obvious. It didn’t look like there was a place to hide a listening device, either, but I wouldn’t count on that. Closing my eyes, I focused on Kaz. Saying his name over and over, pushing the thought out to get past the magical dampening. I didn’t have high hopes, but it was worth a try.
“You’re talking to yourself in case you didn’t know,” Brady asked.
“I’m trying to reach my magic,” I said. I didn’t want to lie to him but if they were listening, they didn’t need to know that the seal on my arm connected me to Kaz. He was the only card left in my crappy deck.
The door slammed open, and Easton strutted into the room. “Come on. Boss wants to see you.”
“Boss? I thought you were in charge of this gang,” I said.
“I lead the team, but she helps us with the strategy. I think you’ll like her. She’s a strong, independent woman like you.” He said the last words as if he were describing a disease instead of admirable attributes.
He reached for my arm, but I snatched it back, not wanting him to touch me. “I can follow just fine.”
“Fine. Stay close. If you wander off, I can’t be responsible for what happens to you.”
Rolling my eyes, I gave Brady a small smile before following after Easton. We entered a hall that felt like a continuation of the cell. Concrete walls stretched on for an eternity broken up by a door every two feet. This was either a prison or the world’s worst office building.
At the end of the hall we turned a corner, and at the other end was a set of iron bars. A guard waited on the other side of the bars, leaning back in a chair, scrolling through his phone. When we approached, he stood up and took out a key, unlocking the gate.
“You taking her to see Marigold?”
“Yup, the higher-ups have lost their patience. It’s time to convince this little witch to join the cause,” Easton said, laughing.
“Have fun. I’ll see what’s left of her when you’re done,” the guard said.
As we walked through the building, it slowly began to look more like a hospital. The walls were painted a cheerful yellow, and the floor was checkered with teal and white linoleum. A nurse’s station sat behind a wall of thick glass, with a slit at the bottom for interaction. If this was a hospital, someone had been terrified of the patients.
We turned into a large room that had a row of windows near the ceiling. The room looked like a communal living area with sofas, chairs, and tables spread throughout. There was a shelf with books and puzzles stacked high. I’d bet my last dollar this used to be an asylum. The cell I’d been in was probably used as solitary confinement. There weren’t any abandoned facilities like this near Palermo Bay, at least that I knew of. I was far from home in a place where no one would find me.
Easton motioned for me to sit in a chair across from a delicate, dark-haired woman. I slumped down into a plaid armchair that had seen better days. Peering at the woman, it surprised me to find that she was rather plain. Her body was thin, almost emaciated, and her skin was so pale she seemed translucent. Her large, brown eyes took up most of her face making her look like the drawings of aliens you see on TV. The rest of her features were dainty, except her height. She had to be at least six foot, but it was hard to tell with her sitting. She didn’t have wings, leaving me to wonder what kind of supe she was.
“Hello, Violetta,” she said after a moment. “My name is Marigold. It’s a pleasure to meet you finally.”
“I’d say the same, except you kidnapped me, and I’ve never heard of you,” I replied.
“No, I suppose you wouldn’t have. I tend to stay in the background. It’s easier to oversee the work that way. I hear Easton wasn’t able to convince you to work for us. That’s a shame.”
She peered at me like I was a specimen under a microscope. The hair on the back of my neck stood up at the lack of emotion in her eyes. Even the worst criminals I’d come into contact with had emotions you could read. Most of them were just angry, but at least it was something. She was blank, her eyes like two black holes.
Leaning forward, she stared at me intently. “My job is to unleash your potential. Somewhere locked inside of you is a greatness that you refuse to embrace. Today, we’ll take the first step towards your destiny.”
She got up and motioned to Easton who was waiting just outside the door. He stepped away for a moment, reappearing with a young man at his side. The man was human and looked to be in his early twenties. He was around my height, with sandy-blond hair and an average build. Every inch of him was covered in dirt and filth. I could smell the sour tang of his unwashed body from across the room. As Easton moved him closer, I could see the man was shaking.
“What have you done to him?” I demanded, jumping up from my chair.
Marigold stepped in front of me, grabbing my face with her hand. She pinched my jaw on either side forcing me to look directly at her. “Nothing worse than what you’re about to do.”
Releasing my face, she shoved me backwards. Easton brought the man over to me, pressing on his shoulder until he collapsed to his knees in front of me. His worn body hunched over, his head hanging down as he gazed at the ground.
“Let’s play a game,” Marigold said coming up behind me. “I will give you a set of instructions. Every time you don’t follow those instructions, one of you will pay. If you complete the task, there will be a reward.”
“What kind of tasks?” I asked, my throat sticking together as fear dried my mouth out.
“The question you should ask is ‘what kind of reward?’,” she said.
My eyes darted around the room, searching for a way out. All the windows were wire mesh which was impossible to get through. I’d have to break the entire window out. I could try to run, but there was no telling how many people were in the building, or if I would find an exit. Without magic, I was useless. Even if I got lucky enough to get out of the building, I couldn’t leave Brady behind. I had no choice but to endure whatever this psychopath had in store for me.
Sharp claws dug into my shoulder, piercing through my skin. Her other hand dug into my hair, and she yanked my head back until I was looking up at her, my body twisted like a pretzel. “I said, ask me what the reward will be.”
“What kind of reward?” I squeaked out.
“I’m glad you asked,” she said shoving my head back before releasing my hair. “A little birdie told me you’ve been searching for your daughter. What if I told you that not only do I know where Carina is, but I can reunite you with her?”
“I’d say you’re a fucking liar,” I spat out. How dare she try to use my daughter as bait?
“What if I’m not lying? What if I’ve seen your little redheaded bundle of joy? She has your eyes, you know,” Marigold said, her mouth pressed against my ear. “What if I’ve told her bedtime stories about her mother? The mother that will come for her one day if only her mother would embrace her destiny.”
Tears filled my eyes, as a desperate hope sp
rang to life in me. I wanted to believe her. Whatever she wanted me to do would be a small price to pay if it meant seeing Carina again. The logical side of my brain knew better, though. Redmond had my daughter. Wherever they were, Marigold didn’t know. Everything she said about Carina’s features was easy to find. I had pictures of Carina all over the house. Easton could have easily given her a description. The Osservatori was thorough and had information in my file for anyone to access. There were plenty of ways she could’ve found out what my daughter looked like.
I also remembered what Kaz had said about the world I was dealing with. This woman had her own agenda. What purpose would there be in reuniting me with my daughter? I was to be a weapon. Weapons didn’t get to live happy lives. After I served my purpose, there would be no reason to keep me alive. They would string me along, dangling the possibility of my daughter in front me, in hopes I’d keep chasing the carrot. I guess Marigold would find out how much I hated carrots.
Marigold squeezed my shoulder, before brushing the hair away from my face. “Now, shall we see if you’re properly motivated?”
Eason moved forward offering me the hilt of a dagger. I took it, wondering if they were foolish enough to give me a weapon. I tested the blade, surprised by its sharpness.
“Don’t get excited. We’re spelled with heavy protections. You can’t hurt us,” Marigold said.
“What do you want me to do with this then?”
“Stab him,” she said pointing to the man at my feet.
I laughed at the idea despite the dread pooling in my gut. “That’s going to be a hell no.”
A sharp blow to my stomach doubled me over, the air escaping from my lungs in a sickening rush.
“I said stab him,” she demanded.
“I said fuck you,” I gasped.
Marigold slammed her elbow into my neck, leaving me choking as I tried to stay on my feet. Easton’s leg wheeled back, and he kicked the man in the ribs, knocking him over onto his side.
“Wait, you said I’d be punished. Why are you kicking him?”
“There are endless ways to torment someone, Etta. Don’t worry, I know them all,” Marigold replied.
“I’m so sorry,” I whispered to the man as he lay on the ground clutching his side. A fist hit me in the back, a kidney shot that made my legs buckle. I’d never imagined so much pain could come from one punch, but I’d never been hit in the kidney before. My knees smacked the linoleum floor causing my teeth to clatter.
Pain radiated through my body as I realized the game they were playing. They wanted to break me. If I could be torn down, they could control me. Easton had tried to convince me to join their side by persuasion, but they never believed that would work. This had been the plan all along.
“Now, why do you want to be stubborn? All you have to do is stab him. If you do it, we can be done for today,” Marigold cooed at me.
I frantically tried to remember where the major arteries were on a human body. Maybe I could stab him in a place that wouldn’t cause too much damage. I couldn’t recall anything from the anatomy classes I’d taken in high school. There were giant arteries all over the body, and I couldn’t risk hitting one.
“Do it,” she said nudging me with her foot.
I didn’t bother to reply. There was no point. This would end with both me and the man severely battered. Words were just a waste of energy at this point.
Marigold and Easton reacted to my silence in tandem. The man received a kick to his gut, as I felt a sharp jab between my shoulder blades. The blow sent me sprawling, my cheek resting against the cool linoleum. I was eye to eye with the man. He trembled like a rabbit caught in an open field. I reached out, grabbing his hand. I wanted to give him what comfort I could. “What’s your name?”
A foot smashed into my ribs.
“What’s your name?” I asked him again.
“Travis,” he whispered.
“I’m so sorry, Travis. I’m so sorry.” A boot planted in my face, sending my jaw askew as I watched Easton pummel Travis.
“That’s enough for today,” Marigold said after a few more well-placed punches and kicks. “She needs time to think. A few hours in pain should help her decide.”
Easton jerked me up off the floor, not taking care with my battered body. “You want me to throw her back in the cell?”
“Yes, but let’s leave her with a parting thought,” Marigold said. She reached behind her and pulled a gun from her waistband. Aiming it at Travis, she pulled the trigger, a spray of blood splattering my jeans.
“You fucking monster!” I screamed, lunging at her despite the pain. Easton held me at bay with little effort.
“Don’t fuck with me, Violetta. Your morals have no place here. Your only choice is to comply. The sooner you realize that the easier this will all be.”
I spit at her, watching with glee as the giant glob of saliva and blood splashed across her face. For the first time since I’d met her, a flash of anger sparked in her bug eyes. “I’m not a compliant girl, Marigold. So, you can fuck off to whatever hole you crawled out of.”
That earned me another fist to the face, but watching the blood pool around Travis’ head, it had been worth it.
I lay on the floor where Easton had tossed me when we came back, not moving. Everything hurt. My body. My heart. My fucking kidney. I wanted to curl up and sleep, so I could forget everything that had happened in the last hour.
“Kitten, you’re covered in blood,” Brady said, scooting over to where I lay. “Oh, honey, what did they do to you?”
One of my eyes was swollen completely shut, but I looked up at him with my good eye. The numbness that had settled over me at the sight of Travis’ murder melted away as soon as I saw Brady’s face peering at me in the low light of the cell. A deep keening wail released from me, as I grasped at him for comfort. I tried to get the words out, to tell him what had happened, but I couldn’t. My thoughts were a jumbled, incoherent mess. If we didn’t find some way out of here, they would do this to me again. Someone else would lose their life unless I did what Marigold asked. Or they might die because I’d be forced to kill them.
No matter what choice I made, someone would die. They had set up a game that I couldn’t win. I would most likely do what Marigold demanded to make it all stop. I could hold out a while. A few days, maybe, but I would eventually break. I could lie to myself, but I knew the truth. If this was what my life would become, I’d give in.
“Tell me what happened, kitten. What can I do to make it better?” Brady asked, tenderly stroking my arm.
I shook my head not sure how to answer. Kill me. Don’t let them use me. Don’t let them break me and turn me into a monster. Those weren’t things you could ask of someone. Even if I could, it would mean leaving him alone to whatever fate they had in store for him.
I licked my cracked and bleeding lips before asking, “They didn’t give us any water, did they?”
“They haven’t been very good hosts. There’s not even tap water. I’m going to give them the most scathing review they’ve ever seen when we leave this shit hotel,” he said, his voice devoid of the intended humor.
“We have to get out of here. Somehow.” I tried to sit up, but nothing in my body seemed to work correctly.
“Here, let me help you,” he said his large hands helping to steady me. “I’m just going to put this out there, you’ve looked better.”
“Don’t make me laugh, it might actually kill me,” I said, holding my ribs. Brady propped my broken body up against his chest. He wrapped his arms around me loosely, being careful not to jostle me.
“Hang in there, kitten. As long as we’re breathing, there’s hope,” he whispered, kissing the top of my head.
I didn’t want him to give up, so I grunted out an agreement. I’d let him believe there was a happy ending for us somehow, there was no point in both of us knowing the truth. We were going to die here.
Chapter Twenty-Five
“Travis, Annie, Gretchen, Davi
d, Scott, Mags, and,” my voice trailed off as I struggled to remember. Seven. There had been seven so far. I held their hands as they died. Watching life ebb from them, and I’d been powerless to stop it. No, not powerless. I could give in. Let them use me to decimate the planet. Seven deaths for millions. It didn’t seem right, but it was the best option, wasn’t it?
“Brady, I can’t remember.” The gravelly whisper of my voice was strange. I didn’t sound like me. It almost wasn’t me anymore.
“Alex. It was Alex. You need to stop doing this to yourself, kitten. There’s nothing you can do. Luc will find us. I know he will. You just have to be strong for a little while longer.”
I rolled over, facing the wall, refusing to let him comfort me. “They deserve to be remembered. Someone has to know they died. I will never forget.”
I would take their names with me to the grave because no one was coming for us.
There was so much blood. It poured out of Brady’s leg with each beat of his heart. I ripped off my tank top, tearing it into long strips with unsteady hands. I was weak. Lack of food and constant injuries had left me feeling brittle. At any moment, I’d crack into a thousand pieces, and there wouldn’t be a way to put me together again.
Brady was ashen, and his breathing labored. I’d finally done it. I’d stabbed him because I couldn’t bear to watch what they did to him. The thigh had seemed like the safest place, but now I wasn’t so sure. How could one knife wound bleed this much?
I wrapped one of the long strips of cloth around his upper thigh, the basics of first aid somehow coming back to me. He would heal fast. We just needed to stop the bleeding long enough to let his body do its job. Even with the dampening bracelets, he was fae. You couldn’t change how his physiology worked.
“I’m so sorry,” I muttered through tears as I watched the blood flow slow to a trickle.
“It’s okay, kitten. You saved me. We’re okay. Let’s just sleep for a little while.” Brady’s eyes fluttered shut as he lost consciousness.
