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Silver-cloaked men scattered before him as he came. He stalked directly towards his father. I crouched awkwardly and covered my breasts and, and, and—down there—as best as I could manage with my gangly arms.
His father stepped forward to meet Walker, a warning on his face and in the pointed finger that he raised in his son’s face. “Watch what you say next. And remember where you are. Of course we know who it is.”
Walker’s mouth had been open, about to say something, but he hesitated. Then his eyes moved from his father to over his shoulder. Connecting with mine.
I stopped trying to cover myself and just put both hands against the glass. “Get me out of here,” I said, hoping he could read my lips even if he couldn’t hear through the glass and the noise of the men.
But then his dad was speaking again, his voice loud and booming like when he gave his speeches on TV. “Now son, the Trial has begun. You only have to get your new belle out in time, and you have the chance to continue your Trials with her at your side.”
“In time for what?” Walker asked furiously.
Right as his father handed him one of those big, old-fashioned key rings, stuffed with keys. I was confused for a moment, until I watched Walker’s eyes shoot to the edge of my cage—the part I couldn’t see. Where the glass plates met, there was a two inch metal bracket on all four sides.
Everything happened so fast.
Because suddenly there was water in the bottom of the tank. Really cold water. I yelped and jumped, dancing away from it. But it started filling the tank really quickly. An inch, and then another—
My eyes shot to Walker. Right as he yanked the keys from his father and ran towards the same side of my cage he’d looked at when his dad produced the keys.
Oh shit. There must be a lock out there. And he had to find the right key in time before this tank filled up with water.
But wait… What happened if he didn’t?
My eyes shot to Walker’s father. What happened if he didn’t find the key in time? I gasped in horror and looked down. The water was already up past my ankles.
I screamed and started banging on the glass. “Let me out of here! Let me the fuck out of here! Now!”
No one reacted.
Barely, anyway. Two of Sully’s friends slipped out of the room. What the hell? If they couldn’t see me being tortured, could they sleep at night better?
Montgomery paced forwards a little, his body tense, but that was all.
And everybody else?
They just kept drinking their goddamned drinks.
“What’s wrong with you?” I screamed, banging on the glass more. My breasts swung with the effort, but my embarrassment and humiliation burned away to anger as they swilled whisky and laughed to one another as they watched on. Some were even laughing at me. Talking to each other and laughing at the show.
“You sons of bitches!” I banged with both fists. Then I caught sight of Walker’s father. He was standing on the sidelines, but there was the smallest smile on his face. His eyes moved back and forth between me and where his son was working like we were a tennis match, and he couldn’t decide which was more enticing to watch: the trapped maiden or—
I looked at Walker now, or as much as I could see of him that wasn’t blocked by the two-inch metal corner bar. Which was exactly where he was crouched at the moment. I splashed over to the furthest side of the box—oh god, the water was already up to my knees!—and smooshed my cheek against the glass so I could see him working.
His face was scrunched in concentration as he shoved a key in—
Oh God, no. I shook my head as all the air whooshed out of me.
There wasn’t just one lock. There were three. Three! Big padlock sorts of locks, sticking off the side of the box.
Suddenly the cold of the water on my legs—my thighs, oh god, it was up to my thighs now—
“Walker!” I screamed.
His eyes moved from the key he was shoving into the lock to me, and our terrified eyes connected. But I slipped in the water and plunged down.
My scream was cut off as my head went under.
Cold was everywhere and I flung my arms out—almost immediately striking glass. Son of a—
I got to my knees and my head finally popped out of the water. But only just. And oh God, I was so cold. Had they piped in water directly from the well to get it so cold? Or was I just spoiled by always having hot bathwater my whole life?
I scrambled back to my feet, holding onto the sides of the glass for balance.
