Caged

by Helene Gadot

  Panic fills his eyes as he gestures towards me. “Get her out of here. Now.”

  Zak doesn’t ask a single question or argue. He grabs me and suddenly everything goes black.

  No.

  Someone’s coming and if Sterling gets caught with Borus like that... they might kill him.

  I fight, but Zak and the darkness has a firm grip on me.

  And we leave Sterling to his fate.

  Chapter Forty-Eight

  Allegra

  ZAK AND I SPILL OUT of the shadows he dragged me through right where Borus grabbed me.

  My empty basket is still there, lolling back and forth on the ground in the breeze.

  I round on my best friend in shocked anger. “What was that?”

  He’s completely unrepentant. “Getting you out of there.”

  I scoop up the basket off the ground. “You could’ve grabbed him too.”

  He shakes his head. “Sorry, babe. You’re the priority. And he was too far away. There wasn’t enough time.”

  I want to scream. I try to check in on my bond with Sterling, but he’s blocking me so I have no idea what’s happening to him.

  What they’re doing to him.

  “But they might kill him. And Borus will tell I was a part of it.”

  Me abandoning Sterling is just prolonging the inevitable.

  “It might not have even been a guard. Maybe it was a wild animal.”

  I scoff. “Of course it was a guard, Zak. This has all turned into such a mess.”

  He squeezes my shoulder. “We only have to survive a few more days. Then we’ll be finished with this place. Now, go fill that basket and get back to work. I have to get back to the mine. I’m sorry.”

  “It’s fine. Go. You can’t be caught missing too.”

  He kisses me in the center of my forehead before he disappears into the shadows.

  I limp towards the gardens, the basket swinging from my hand, worry pulsing through me for Sterling.

  And Borus is rescued. He’ll survive to come after me again.

  I should’ve slit his throat while I had him at my mercy instead of deciding to leave him for me to play with later.

  Instead, I’ve given him a second chance at continuing to spread his hate.

  And Sterling is going to pay the price.

  The guards at the garden barely look up when I drag myself over to Rillon whose eyes wide in concern.

  “Allegra? Are you all right?”

  I force a smile. “Yep. I’m good. I just need to refill my basket. We’re going through them in there.”

  “Canning day?”

  “Yep.”

  “Hey.” He lowers his voice after a glance over at the guards. “Have you seen Sterling? He knocked out a couple of the guards and took off about an hour ago. Those are the replacements. The originals had to be taken to the doctor.”

  Worried shock widens my eyes. “The doctor is out of his rooms?”

  That’s the last thing we need, him in the mix.

  “They forced him out to come help the injured guards.”

  “I don’t know where he is. But I’m sure he’ll turn up soon.”

  I feel bad lying to Rillon, but technically it’s all true.

  He nods. “Let’s get your basket filled so you can get out of here. Everyone’s a little on edge. And you look like you’ve already dealt with enough edge today.”

  I snort. “That’s one way of putting it.”

  He smiles at me and hurries off with my basket while I try desperately not to look over at the guards or search for any sign of Sterling.

  I just need to keep my head down for now and hopefully soon I’ll have answers.

  And I really hope they don’t kill that damn stubborn unicorn.

  Who was absolutely stunning in his Arcane form.

  And so powerful the way he brought me back from the brink of death even in a weakened state, almost killing himself to save me.

  Now they’ll probably finish the job and he will end up dying to save me.

  Fuck.

  Rillon returns, my basket brimming with green beans and cabbage. “Here you go.”

  “Thanks. I’ll see you later.”

  The gargoyle smiles at me, worry in his eyes. “Be safe, Allegra.”

  I wave at him and hurry back towards the kitchens.

  Where guards wait for me as soon as I step through the door.

  Chapter Forty-Nine

  Gavyn

  I CAN STILL FEEL REMNANTS of the pain when two guards stomp in looking for my mate.

  Who is somewhere, hurt with that prick of a guard.

  While I’m stuck here, canning fucking vegetables.

  Her pain was so bad just a little bit ago, I almost blacked out before I was able to raise a wall and block out most of it.

  But an echo remained, banging around inside me.

  Every minute waiting for her to return has been hell.

  But instead of her, guards showed up.

  What the hell kind of trouble is she in now?

  Tahira and I have finished so many jars, we’ve had to send out for more vegetables at least three times, fear and nerves getting to us, only able to keep busy as we wait for Allegra’s return.

  She finally steps through the door, blood streaking her neck and soaking her uniform, fading bruises on her face.

  I want to race over to her, but Tahira grabs me by the arm, keeping me in place.

  The guards converge on my mate and a resigned expression crosses her face.

  “You need to come with us.”

  “Alright.”

  They each grab one of her arms and drag her away, leaving only a spilled basket of crops in their wake.

  “What the hell is going on?” I ask.

  Tahira stares at the door. “I’m not sure. Something to do with that bastard. He’s always got something up his sleeve.”

  I groan and rub my face. “This is hell.”

  Tahira huffs. “Try living it for decades. I’m really glad you’re getting her and Zakar out of here.”

  I pull my hands away from my face to frown at the mage. “We’re getting you out too.”

  “I know. But they matter more. I basically raised them as my own and they deserve a chance at a real life. I got to have one before I was locked up here.” Tahira’s eyes glaze over as she looks into her past.

  “You’re not dead yet. You still have plenty of life left.”

  She chuckles and blinks away her memories. “You’re a sweetheart. I hope you and the others figure out your shit.”

  “Me too.”

  First, we all just have to survive this prison.

  Chapter Fifty

  Allegra

  THE GUARDS DON’T SPEAK or explain as they haul me across the yard, past the cages over to the whipping post.

  My heart thuds hard in my chest and I hold my breath, trying to resign myself to what’s coming.

  At least this assuages the guilt a little. I hated the idea of Sterling taking the punishment alone.

  Sterling is already strapped to the post when we arrive, two guards standing watch, but no sign of Borus.

  He’d want to be here to witness this. And to take part in it.

  Confusion wells inside me.

  But all makes complete sense when I’m forced to my knees in front of Sterling.

  “Since pretty boy here decided he wanted to be your hero today, you get to watch while we beat that desire out of him.”

  Oh no no no no no.

  The guards who dragged me here hold me in place by my shoulders while one of the others by Sterling plucks his whip from his belt.

  My heart rate picks up as I try to reform the wall around my emotions so I don’t overwhelm him with mine and hopefully don’t feel his whipping.

  I’m afraid if I feel his pain, I’ll get us all killed.

  Sterling meets my eyes and gives me a completely mad smile, big and wide, flashing all his teeth.

  There is something wrong wit
h that unicorn.

  He doesn’t even flinch at the first snap of the whip against his naked back.

  Or the second.

  Or the twentieth.

  He refuses to release a twitch or a wince to give the guards the satisfaction they’re looking for. I wish I could let him know the more he tries to hold it all in, the longer this will go on.

  They want a reaction.

  I’ll be the one screaming soon.

  Blood rolls down his sides, dripping onto the already red stained ground below him.

  My stomach protests and tears build in my throat. I try to be strong too and hide my own reactions.

  Though maybe I should give them mine so Sterling can play the big strong unicorn who can handle a beating.

  He shakes his head, smiling at me again.

  That stubborn damn unicorn is staying strong for me. I wish I could do the same, but I can’t stop the tears as they spill from my eyes, rolling down my cheeks. I suck my trembling lips inside of my mouth so keep the sobs from releasing.

  My whole body shudders with the crack of each strike, the sound punching me in the chest every time.

  I try to sink into the place deep inside me that blocks me from the world, but I can’t with his violet eyes burning into mine, trapping me in his gaze.

  I have to stay present for him. I have to witness what my actions caused.

  This is all my fault.

  All my fault.

  I got cocky, thinking I had a chance at winning against Borus. But there is no beating him. He always finds a way to wriggle out of any trouble.

  I mouth an apology at Sterling, choking on the tears as they pour faster and heavier, agony and heartbreak shattering through me.

  I’m a fucking curse to every one of my mates.

  Rowan must have realized that after the last beating if what Borus said is true.

  He must have decided he was better off without me. Safer.

  I can’t even blame him.

  How much pain did he go through just because he loved me?

  They all deserve so much better than this.

  They deserve better than me.

  Sterling frowns, his head cocking to the side like he’s reading something confusing on my face.

  But then his eyes glaze and his head falls forward, his entire body slumping as he loses consciousness.

  Thank goodness.

  The guard finally stops, uninterested in punishing someone who isn’t awake to feel it.

  They unstrap him and drag him over to the cages.

  Horror and grief overwhelm me as they pass the cages and instead dump him into the hole in the ground, kicking the metal covering over it.

  I hang limply between the two guards as they lug me back into the kitchens and toss me inside so hard I land on my trembling hands and knees.

  GAVYN AND TAHIRA RUSH over to me and help me up. As soon as I’m standing, my stomach lurches and I rush across the room, barely making it to the scrap bucket in time to heave up what little is in my stomach.

  Gavyn holds back my hair and Tahira hands me a wooden cup of water to rinse out my mouth. I swish and spit, also accepting the sprig of wild mint she unearths from her pocket, sitting on my heels breathing in and out for a moment while I make sure my stomach is settled and I’m finished.

  Surprisingly, the guards give us this moment without demanding we get back to work. Probably so I don’t end up vomiting into their stew.

  The fuckers.

  Tahira and Gavyn help me to my feet again, hovering as I return on shaky limbs to my work station, unable to banish the sight of Sterling’s bloody back and slack expression from my mind.

  “What happened? Are you okay? What did they do to you?” Gavyn barks quiet questions at me.

  I whisper the basics of everything as I dive back into canning, my hands still trembling as I slice vegetables and add them to jars.

  Gavyn mutters curses beneath his breath as he works beside me.

  Tahira reaches over and squeezes my hand with a sad smile before heading back over to her usual work station.

  I release a breath I didn’t realize I was holding. “I’m so sorry.”

  Gavyn frowns over at me, his knife hovering in the air. “What? Why are you sorry? This isn’t your fault. None of it is.”

  Then why does it feel like it is?

  “Allegra, Sterling knew what he was doing. He did what we all wanted to do. And I can guarantee you he has no regrets.”

  Maybe not, but I have them.

  And I’m sure I’ll have a lot more once Borus resurfaces and comes for his revenge.

  Worry for Sterling plagues me as we continue working, but I keep the wall between us, not wanting to overwhelm him with my still sore and bruised body or my fear and guilt and confusion and pain.

  Gavyn stays quiet at my side, tormented by his own worries and stress, glancing over at me now and again, concern in his eyes.

  I remain on edge the rest of the day, flinching every time there’s a loud noise or the door opens.

  My nerves are shot, constantly checking to see if Borus has come for me.

  Where is he?

  Is he playing some kind of sick and twisted game?

  Trying to have me in a complete panic before he pops up out of nowhere and drags me away for more torture?

  Or is he going to take out his rage on the people I care about?

  Will I return to the dungeon tonight and Zak won’t be there?

  Or Archer?

  Will the bastard come for Tahira? Or Gavyn?

  Sterling is already paying for trying to help me.

  My breaths are short and my head spins as I try to continue going about my work. I can’t break down here.

  Not here. Not yet.

  Just a few more hours and I can let myself shatter.

  And I can reach out for Rowan and figure out whether or not Borus was telling the truth.

  I’m not sure which option I’m hoping for.

  Chapter Fifty-One

  Allegra

  BORUS NEVER SHOWS UP.

  I slip away from Gavyn and Tahira to take a detour on the way back to the dungeons by the cages and drop the bread I get for dinner down into the pit where Sterling is trapped.

  There’s not a movement or sound from down there, but I have to hope he’s got it.

  They don’t feed those in solitary.

  I feel bad for the Arcanes in the cages, but I can’t help them this time.

  Sterling needs it more.

  Back inside the dungeon, I head to Zak’s old cell instead of the one we share. I need to be alone tonight. I need privacy to break down and put myself back together.

  I certainly don’t want an audience.

  I tuck myself in the corner, pulling my knees up to my chest, dread heavy in my chest.

  With closed eyes and my head tilted back against the wall, I release the block I have on the mating bonds.

  Emotions flood me, but I’ve gotten better at ignoring them. I filter them out, one by one as I recognize who the threads lead me to.

  Until there’s only a slight, thin, barely there connection leading outside the prison. It’s so faint and faded, I can’t tell where it goes, but it’s definitely there.

  Rowan is alive.

  He’s been alive this whole time and I didn’t search for him.

  I didn’t search for him.

  I didn’t check to see if he was really gone.

  With a loud sob, I fold in on myself, pressing my forehead to the filthy floor.

  Wherever he is, he’s too far to reach and feel what he’s feeling.

  But it’s enough to tell me he’s alive.

  Did he really leave me? Did Borus tell the truth?

  What do I do when we break out of here?

  Do I go after him?

  Or do I accept the fact that he moved on without me and never came back for me?

  How could he leave me?

  My tears soak the floor and I hug myself as tightly as
I can, trying to soothe myself and calm down.

  My heart is shattered, lying in glittering red pieces around me, jagged and sharp.

  All the memories I have of him are now distorted as I go back through everything, especially at the end, searching for any clue I missed that he had checked out of our relationship.

  That he had fallen out of love.

  But I can’t think of anything.

  Why do all the mates chosen for me by fate or whoever is in charge want to leave me?

  Am I such a burden?

  Am I so ugly and useless?

  Will Zak and Tahira eventually leave once we’re no longer trapped here together by guards and fences? Is it only lack of options that has kept them close to me?

  A scream builds in my chest, but I swallow it back down, not wanting to bring anyone running to check on me.

  I’ll be strong again tomorrow.

  But tonight? Tonight, I need to break in peace.

  I don’t know how long I spend lost in my own bleak thoughts and memories, but Tahira refuses to allow me to pass the entire night trudging through them.

  She stomps inside the room, carrying a torch and blinding me with the light. “Get up.”

  I BLINK BLEARILY AT her. “What?”

  She sets the torch in the holder on the wall. “Get up. You’re not wallowing. We don’t have time for it. And I raised you better.”

  I swallow. “Rowan is still alive.”

  She spins on her heel to gape at me. “What?”

  “Borus told me.”

  She scoffs and crosses her arms. “Well, he lied.”

  I shake my head. “He didn’t.”

  There’s a part of me that wishes it was a lie, so I wouldn’t be questioning everything about Rowan right now. I wouldn’t be doubting him when I never have before.

  “How do you know?”

  I blow out a breath. “Because I checked. I feel him.”

  Now that I’ve found the connection, I feel like a blind fool for not realizing it sooner.

  I guess my new mates arriving and being so close drowned out Rowan’s.

  “Are you sure you aren’t imagining it? Out of some desperate hope?” Tahira asks.