He reaches through the bars, quick as a viper, and delivers a jolt of electricity that arcs painfully through my body. I crash against the wall, gasping, fury boiling in my veins.
“Remember this,” I hiss through clenched teeth, my vision darkening at the edges. “When I get out, I will ruin you for this.”
“Big words for someone so helpless,” he says, the laughter in his tone like salt on a wound. He walks away, the sound of his boots fading into silence.
I slump against the cold, damp wall, the stone leeching what little warmth I have left.
I entertain myself with thoughts of Anna. I send love through the bond and promise myself that I’ll get back to her.
The soft scuff of boots on stone pulls me from my reverie, and I strain to listen. The guards outside my cell are talking, their voices low and laced with annoyance.
“Got word from the top, every last one of Lenoir’s team is to be rounded up,” one guard says, his words echoing off the walls.
“Good riddance,” the other responds with a sneer.
Why do these guards hate us so much? Where did they find them?
I feel relief that Anna and Rion aren’t being mentioned. I know my team will be laying low and avoiding capture.
Alone again, time stretches and warps. It could be hours or days; in the absence of light, it’s impossible to tell. But eventually, the lock clicks, and two figures step into my cell—Renor and Elise Reme, their presence heavy with malice.
“Should’ve stayed out of our way, Aksel,” Renor sneers, the title of ‘councilman’ discarded like I am nothing to them. Elise doesn’t speak, but her eyes gleam with satisfaction as they start to beat me down.
I take their hits, each blow reminding me how helpless I am in this situation. I don’t give them the satisfaction of hearing me cry out. Instead, I focus inward, where a spark of defiance burns.
“Look at you, Aksel Huxley Lenoir,” Renor’s voice drips with venom, “the mighty councilman brought low.”
“An elder shouldn’t be so easily subdued,” Elise taunts, her lips curled into a cruel smile. “But then again, you’re not much of a threat now, are you?”
“Threat?” I rasp, attempting to inject scorn into my voice, though it comes out as little more than a whisper. “You flatter yourselves.”
“Flattery is for the weak,” Renor sneers, and his fist connects with my jaw, a blow that sends stars exploding across my vision. “We deal in realities. And the reality is, you should have kept away from us and our business.”
“Kept away,” I repeat, tasting blood on my tongue. “As if your transgressions could be ignored.”
Renor chuckles, delivering another punch, this time to my gut.
“Your father was a lot more agreeable. Too bad he’s gone,” Elise taunts.
Air whooshes out of my lungs, but I cling to consciousness with only the power of my will. They want to see me broken, but I refuse to give them the satisfaction. The pain is a reminder that I’m still alive, still fighting.
“Remember this moment,” I gasp out, “when the tables turn.”
Renor’s hand wraps around my throat, squeezing just enough to make his point. “There will be no turning back for you, Aksel. You’re done.”
They think they’ve won, but this is far from over. Every bruise, every insult—they’re just fuel for the fire that rages within me.
The ominous echo of their laughter lingers long after the heavy cell door slams shut, sealing me in with silence and shadows.
I shift, just slightly, and pain arcs through me like lightning. A low groan escapes before I can clamp down on it. Showing weakness is a luxury I can’t afford. They may be gone, but their eyes could still be watching.
Slowly, I start to heal.
I feel Anna’s hope and determination through the bond and somehow I know she’s coming for me.
The cell remains silent as I brace against the wall to lift myself upright. I’m ready to get out of here and exact my revenge.
Twenty Eight
