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“Would you like to see?” he inquires instead. I incline my head, and then there’s a sound as my hands are unshackled from the table, but my wrists are still chained together. I test them, realising I can use them as a weapon if need be. “I’ll take you to him.” He moves to a door behind me.
I struggle to my feet, gritting my teeth against the pain and weakness in my body. When I look back at Talia, I see something in her eyes. She’s trying to tell me something, but I don’t know what. She doesn’t move, however, and I smile at her, trying to assure her it will be okay.
I turn my head and look at the man at the door, who’s watching us with interest. Without a word, he opens the door and steps through, and I follow him, leaving Talia behind as she stares holes into my back.
* * *
I’m led through a maze of corridors, but at least they have windows. I realise we are high up, probably in the tower. We pass offices and labs with scientists inside. None of them look at us, not that they would help me anyway. I see jars in a few with red babies inside, and I turn away, bile rising in my throat.
They are still experimenting. Did Talia really not know?
At the end of the corridor is a set of sealed white doors with no windows. There is a red button to the side with a scanner and a camera in the corner. Two guards are posted on either side, and my heart races faster. I want to run past them, rip open the doors, and search for my monster. He has to be inside there.
He can’t be dead, right? I would feel it.
I would know.
Not bothering to spare me a look, the scientist presses his hand against the pad and then the door buzzes and swings inwards. I nervously follow him inside, eyeing the guards and noting their weapons. I’m already trying to form an escape plan for us all. I wonder where Cato is, but I cannot think of much else past my worry for my mate.
The wordmatesounds right, and I’m too tired and worried to fight it. Instead, I keep my eyes wide open as the door slams shut behind me, and I gawk. Evil lairs should be dark and grungy, but this one is spotless, bright, and happy. Cameras are mounted in every corner, and the cells are still cells but with glass walls, giving the illusion of freedom, which almost makes them seem worse.
The first few are empty, with a clean, white bed pushed to one side of the small rooms and a metal toilet in another corner—nothing else. The floors and walls are all a sparkling white, which relaxes me while also reminding me of a lab. It doesn’t escape my notice that these rooms, these cells, are better than half of the rooms our people live in.
They are certainly better than everything in the slums.
Ducking my head, I follow after him, staying on the yellow line painted down the middle like he does. I notice a red line runs just before the cells, leaving a gap between it and the glass. A warning line maybe?
I stumble when we reach the next few cells, however, because they aren’t empty. Pressed against the glass to my left is a young monster nearly half Akuji’s size. His horns are not even fully formed, and his fangs are small, just peeking over his lip. His light red skin stands out against our white surroundings. His hands are curled against the glass, and his eyes widen at the sight of me before darting to a cell across from his. I follow his gaze to a female monster. She’s huge, and her eyes narrow on me as she stands taller as if to physically draw me away from the youngling.
Her son?
Or just a member of her tribe?
I heard Akuji mention they sometimes managed to capture monsters, so how long have they been here? Do they belong to Akuji? I should stay silent and just observe, but I can’t. “I’m a friend.”
“No humans are friends,” she snarls, banging her fists into the glass, but it doesn’t startle me. I ignore the scientist who watches our interaction and walk right up to the red line, very purposely step over it, and move close to the glass.
“Foolish human,” she sneers, but then she freezes as she lifts her head and sniffs the air. Her eyes come back to me. “You are mated.”
I don’t know what that means, but I can guess. “To Akuji, the reigner.” Her eyes widen, and I grin. “Didn’t expect that, did you? We were captured while coming to save Cato’s mate.” I slide my gaze to the scientist, who’s watching us closely, and then I lower my voice. “They have Akuji, they have my mate. I will get him free from here.”
She considers me for a moment before a grin splits her face. “For some reason, I believe you, little human. You best get going now.”
Nodding, I press my hand to the glass over hers. “Hold on,” I tell her before I turn away and walk past the scientist.
He hurries to follow me. “Interesting,” he murmurs, but I ignore him as we reach the double doors at the end of the row of cells. Five more were occupied, this time with men.
It makes me sick to my stomach.
At the end of the row of cells, I turn back and meet the array of dark, hopeful eyes. “I’ll come back for you. I promise you on your reigner’s life.”
That shocks them, but a chorus of growls and roars sound as I’m dragged through the next set of doors.
A new purpose blooms in my chest.
Beyond those doors is another world, this one more suited to the evil humans hide behind the chaos of the world. There are rows and rows of labs. I have to swallow back my vomit when I see monsters, both young and old, being dissected, their dead eyes open and unseeing. Tears fill my own as I grip my shackles, wanting to burn this place to the ground.
“Dear god,” I whisper, watching as they carve open the chest of a young child without hesitation or emotion.
