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“What if I was wrong? What if Marcus is messing with my mind?” The uncertainties were only growing by the second as the words spilled out of my mouth. “Is it only in my dreams that he can do things to me? What if he can mess with my thoughts while I’m awake as well? What if nothing I’d seen was real—”
Damien’s finger pressed against my lips. “Cas. I believe in you.”
The cold air filled my lungs as I breathed deeply. It was a failed attempt to calm myself. I wasn’t fully convinced that he should believe in my abilities. My eyes flashed back to the door. It was so quiet.
“As soon as the others return, we’re going in,” Damien whispered, glancing back at Barrett and Thalia, who nodded in response.
I noticed out of the corner of my eye an exchange of glances between the two. Barrett mouthed something, but I couldn’t understand what. His eyes were softer though than I’d ever seen as he looked down at her. Her gaze looked equally worried, as if they were preparing themselves for something, and something icy crawled over my skin.
A loud crash of metal rang out from across the yard.
“Shit. Barrett, Thalia, check it out. Make sure they’re okay,” Damien whispered through gritted teeth.Oh God. Had something happened to Zephyr or Vincent? Did they encounter someone?
They glanced at each other one last time and disappeared in different directions in the shadows of the brush. Damien’s hand twitched as he gripped mine. I was a fool to think I could help them, to think that I could stand a chance against Marcus. This washisgame, had been from the beginning. I’d fallen into his trap, and they knew we were here now.
The fear of what was to come started to claw its way into me in the agonizing quiet. “What happened, Damien? Do you think they’re okay?”
“Stay low,” Damien whispered, his hand coming to the top of my head to urge me to duck. “They’ll be fine. We just need to stay out of sight for now.” He tried to hide it, but the uncertainty clouded his eyes.
We sat in silence, watching the yard for any sign of movement, any sign of the others. The distant sound of a fight broke out in the same direction as the noise we heard. Shouts echoed across the yard.
“Come on.” Damien pushed himself to his feet. “Stay close behind me. Ready your dagger.” He looked back at me. “No matter what, you stick close to m—”
A bat swung into Damien’s head from the shadows.
“Damie—" A sharp pain painted across the back of my head before I could even see who attacked. The world spun and I hit the ground.
My eyes flickered, black dots dancing across my vision as I reached for Damien, who lay unconscious in front of me. I stretched out my hand to reach for him. I couldn’t let myself pass out, not now… but I couldn’t fight the heaviness in my eyes as I blinked. Footsteps approached us as I clung to consciousness, but I couldn’t fight it any longer and closed my eyes.
31
Throbbing pain had taken root in my head when I finally awoke. My eyelids were so heavy, and it took everything in me to open them. The lights were blinding, stinging my eyes as I blinked. Where was I?
When I tried to lift my hands to rub my eyes, they were bound behind me. My spine stiffened, eyes popping open. My arms ached, restrained behind me over the back of the foldable metal chair I sat in. I tugged and tugged, but it wouldn’t release, and a cold sweat broke out over my brow. Something thin and tight bound my hands together, cutting into my tender, still healing, wrists, and my feet were strapped to the legs of the chair.
My heart hammered as I searched around, desperate to locate Damien. But I knew exactly where we were. We were in the small back room I’d seen through the guard’s memories. We were inside the building now, whether we were prepared for it or not.
I caught sight of Damien. He was bound in the same manner, his head hanging forward. I saw no sign of Barrett or the others. Had they been captured too, or had it just been Damien and I? How long had I been unconscious?
“Damien,” I whispered loudly, but he didn’t respond. My breath hitched in my throat as I got a better look at him. Blood painted the side of his face where he’d been hit. The plastic cut into my wrists as I struggled to free myself to get to him.
“Save your breath. It might be a while before he wakes up.”
I froze at the sound of Marcus’ voice, the metal door closing behind him as he entered the room. I stilled myself, watching him carefully.
Hurt him.
I ignored the voice that rippled through my mind as I met Marcus’ gaze. Everything that I’d suppressed rose to the surface and I couldn’t hide the malice in my voice. “This was all a trap from the beginning, wasn’t it?”
“I’m afraid I don’t know what you’re talkin’ about, little songbird.”
“I’m not stupid, Marcus. I know how your mind works.” I stared at him, quietly working my wrists behind me.
He strode toward me, and I stifled the fear that crept into my bones at his proximity. I knew better than anyone what he was capable of, the things he could do to me. The things hewoulddo to me. I put on a strong face, but I couldn’t shake the annoying sense of dread that still clung to me.
I gasped as he grabbed my hair, fingers tangling in the strands as he jerked my head back, leaning over me to meet my gaze. I didn’t give him the satisfaction of a wince as I stared up at him. My scalp had become too used to the roughness by now.
I glared into his eyes, meeting his anger with my own. “Just give it up. I won’t play your stupid games anymore. Nothing you do to me will get the reaction you want.”
