AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I was so deep into Paimon’s shit, I couldn’t see a way out. I knew what he did to our siblings. So I pretended I was okay with all of it. Fake it until you make it. I tried but never quite got to that part.”
“I’m sorry,” I repeated. It was terrible that she had to live through all of that, but it was also a relief to know she was never like him.
“It’s not your fault. I should have been braver.” She sighed. “But yes, to answer one of your million questions, I think he was keeping me alive to lure you to us. Now you’re here and he’ll kill the both of us tomorrow.”
No, I wouldn’t allow that.
I picked up my phone from my bag and cursed again. Of course it wouldn’t work here. We were on another realm, for the moon’s sake! I clenched my hands. “Shit.” I sat at the edge of the bed, defeated. “This is worse than I thought it would be.”
“What do you mean?”
“I knew this was a trap from the beginning,” I said. “I mean, I hoped it wasn’t, but I was sure it was. All I wanted was to get to you so we both could bust out of wherever he was holding you.”
“We are in another realm. Even if we can bust out of here, we still need the key to open the portal.”
“Exactly. I kind forgot to take that into consideration when I thought of my plan.” Now, I felt utterly stupid because of it. I knew Paimon had been coming and going to another realm. Why didn’t I think he would keep Ivy there?
“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “You came because of me.”
I stared at her. “Do you really want to leave him?” She nodded. “To do what?”
She shrugged. “Anything that doesn’t involve killing, robbing, or criminal activity. I might sell my properties, buy a desert island, and spend the rest of my days drinking margaritas on the beach.”
That did sound lovely, but lonely. “How about we start by getting out of here? Then we can plan for a better future.”
“We’re stuck in some kind of cell, deep inside a mountain, in a strange realm full of ugly creatures,” she mused. “How in the hell will we escape this place?”
“We use our smarts, along with our magic, and bust out.”
She rolled her eyes. “Again with busting out of here?”
“Do you have a better idea?”
She stared at me, her blue eyes shining bright. “No.”
“Then, let’s get to work. We need a plan.”
* * *
There wasn’t much to do in Ivy’s room-slash-cell other than wait. She told me she probably wouldn’t receive any food until the morning (they were following Earth’s twenty-four hour day here), and that was probably when Paimon would come back to get me.
We needed to act then.
The first hour was awkward. We remained in silence, and at some point, Ivy lay down on the cot and slept. I was getting sleepy too, but I didn’t trust myself to sleep. After we escaped, I could rest. For now, I needed to be sharp, but I let Ivy sleep. She was probably weak from eating so little, and sick of being stuck in this tiny room, which made her more exhausted.
I sat on the floor in a meditating position and tried to focus. We could do this. I didn’t know how, but we could do this.
I grabbed an elixir from my bag. It was still the middle of the night, and we had a couple of hours to go. It was better if I drank it now and be prepared for a fight later.
“What is that?” Ivy asked, sitting up in bed.
I frowned. “First, answer this: How’s Paimon fairing with the dragon’s magic? Any side effects?”
She shook her head. “I … I don’t know. I’ve been locked away since after he got the magic. I have no idea what’s going on. Why?”
“Well, my body can’t handle the dragon’s magic.” I told her about losing control right in the beginning, exploding into flames, and what the elixir did for me. I also told her the dragon’s magic wasn’t made for a supernatural like me. “It’s killing me.”
Her eyes widened. “What? But there’s a cure, right?”
