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Shudders ripple through my torso, and I couldn’t speak even if I had something to say.
“Ears…” Blix continues. “Yes… Silence. Darkness. Trapped in the prison of your own body until you die.”
He leans down and touches my earlobe with his blade. “No!” I jerk, drawing my shoulder up to protect my hearing.
“Burning oil.” He bends down to speak right at my shoulder. “I’ll slowly fill each one and let it scald away whatever’s left inside your head.”
Tears flood my eyes, and as much as I don’t want to picture what he’s saying, I can’t escape it. The burning, the silence, the pain. Darkness and no sound… Vomit rises in my throat. Fear beats like a drum loud in my chest. I’m shuddering and crying shaking my head. No… no… NO!
My hold on reality slips. My breathing is frantic, ragged pants in and out as another second passes… then another. I’m flailing down a spiral of panic and fear and loss and grief… pulling myself together with the last shred of hope, I inhale slowly, then let out a loud scream. “NO!”
Silence follows the brief echo of my voice.
The space is empty.
Far above is the shimmer of rain on the roof. I strain against the rope holding my wrists together, but it’s a waste of time. More silent seconds pass, and I realize… Blix is gone. I’m alone.
I unclench my eyes and try to see in the darkness. It’s futile, but I’m sure of this one fact. He left me here. But why?
A drop of water hits my cheek. I’m trembling as I struggle to a sitting position, hands still tied behind my back. I inhale a shuddering breath, my face slick with tears, and I try to figure out what happened. I don’t have to wait long.
CRASH! The noise from behind makes me scream. I try to turn, when another CRASH! blasts at my left. Glass shatters across the floor. I yelp and struggle away from the noise. I don’t know what’s happening. I don’t understand the shouts of male voices surrounding me in this huge, empty space.
High beams of flashlights streak the darkness, swirling up and over, all around until they land on me.
“I’ve found one!” A male voice shouts, rapidly closing the distance between us. “Female, blonde, looks early twenties…” He jerks the hat off my head.
My insides collapse at the voice that joins him. “Stand down, soldier. I’ve got her.”
“I’m leaving her with Hunt.” The man says, releasing me as he narrates his progress. “I’m moving to the back of the structure.”
The sound of heavy boots recedes behind us. I’m still on the dirty floor. My hat is gone, my knife is gone. I’m bound. Blood is on my neck, and I’m in Blix’s secret hideout.
Another crash further away, and more soldiers invade the abandoned villa. They’re moving up and down, searching every inch, but I know they won’t find him. Something or someone tipped him off, and he’s long gone, leaving me to face the consequences of being found here.
The Whole Truth
Logan
My stomach is tight. A tornado of rage and confusion batters my insides, and I’m doing extremely well not to shove my fist through the wall.
I left Kass at her apartment with a promise not to leave. Now I’m standing here in this crumbling ruin searching for the worst monster I’ve encountered in my career as a guard… and I find her sitting in his lair.
Did he kidnap her? Did he somehow know we were coming, and he left her here to send me a message?
I’d like to believe that, but the timeline makes it impossible. She came here on her own. It’s the only explanation. The burning question is why.
No one knows where this place is. I had returned to the palace to relieve Freddie, and he was with me when Reggie’s email came through. One of his spies had made contact with Taz. They were gambling, drinking, and swapping stories. As with the island where they took Zee, the thug let it slip that “not all abandoned buildings are truly abandoned.”
It set us off on a desperate hunt, a race against time. It wouldn’t be long before Taz sobered up enough to realize he’d fucked up. Once that happened, it would be seconds before Blix would know we were coming for him. He’d slip through our fingers again, and he’d be more on guard then ever.
Rowan stayed with Ava, and we called in soldiers to cover him at the palace, then Freddie and I set out with a specialized team trained in search and recovery. We started at an abandoned warehouse near the shipyard. Freddie reasoned they had used cargo ships before, so maybe they would try it again. It was a dead end.
The Villa Auvergne had been our second stop, and here is Kass; Blix long gone.
A shudder jerks her small body, but she doesn’t make a sound. She sits completely
still, waiting, her blue eyes staring at the floor in front of her. Her cheeks are slick with tears, and I fight everything in me wanting to comfort her.
