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I quickly looked around for Leo and Augustus in some of the other cells, but there was no one here but me. One of them roughly pushed me into the cell with a cruel laugh, and I stumbled inside, feeling dread fill me as I heard the door slam shut behind me.
The key Atticus had given me was still heavy in my palm, since the overeager guards were too arrogant to check me for weapons. I walked around the tiny cell, counting my steps. I had only gone halfway around when I heard the guards dragging someone down the hall. I listened carefully as the rusted gate to the cell next to me was yanked open, and a groaning person was tossed inside.
“Long live the king, eh?” one of the guards said with a cruel laugh. “Enjoy your night with the queen, Augustus. It’ll be your last.”
The two guards slammed the door shut and locked it. A wall separated me and the next cell, so it was hard to see, but I could hear him shuffling around in the darkness.
“Hello?” I murmured, my voice barely audible.
“Christine?”
My heart leapt in my chest as August’s voice pierced the silent cell, and I pressed my face against the icy concrete wall separating us. A chill ran down my spine as I remembered the terror that had brought me to this place.
“Christine, is that you? Are you okay?” he asked again, his voice echoing off the stone walls. I heard the clinking of metal and scraping of boots on the floor, and I shuddered.
“August?” I croaked. “Is that really you?”
“Love,” he breathed. “Oh God, I never thought I’d be able to hear your voice again.” Tears pricked at my eyes as I felt his presence in the darkness and reached out to touch the chilly brick.
“You’re safe,” I said, my voice trembling. “Oh thank God, August, you’re alive.”
“By some miracle,” he said, and I could hear a smile in his voice. A small laugh escaped my lips, and I closed my eyes. “Are they hurting you?”
“No,” I replied. “Where’s Leo? Is he with you?”
“A guard came to take him away a little while ago,” he said. “I was so worried when they left me here all alone. Then Theodore summoned me. He had some questions about a lord.”
My stomach churned as thoughts of Leo raced through my head. I needed to get him back before we escaped this living nightmare. No one gets left behind. I had to be strong.
“When did they take him?”
“Maybe two hours ago. It’s hard to tell time in this place. What’s going on? Why are you here?” he asked. I could hear the tension and fear in his voice, but he tried to keep his tone light and steady. I opened my mouth to reply but stopped when I heard someone approaching.
“Christine?” August called.
“August, we’ll talk later. Just be strong.” Theodore was going to punish me for not following his orders. I just needed to save Augustus and get us both out of here before they killed him.
“Christine, tell me what’s happening,” he said, his voice bordering on hysterics. “Are they torturing you? Are they hurting you?”
I didn’t have time to answer as I heard the iron bars of his cell door scraping open, and I quickly stood up.
“Hello, Augustus. My name is Cian Beasley,” I heard the new person say. “I’m so sorry we have to meet under such dire circumstances, but Theodore DuPont likes to use me when he has a lesson he wants to teach.”
“What kind of lesson could you possibly teach me?” August snapped.
I heard something thud on the ground, and I bit my lip. “Do you prefer losing your toes or fingers first?”
A low, cold laugh. “You wouldn’t dare.” I didn’t want to leave August in the cell with that psycho, but I needed this Cian Beasley to be distracted so I could take him out.
“Oh, believe me, I would,” Cian said with a small chuckle.
A moment later, I heard the sound of flesh hitting flesh, and August cried out. I gasped and felt the hair on my arms stand on end.
August groaned as Cian continued his torture, his voice filling with rage. “Fuck you, asshole,” August yelled.
“I’m teaching you,” he said, his voice mocking and cruel. “And right now, the lesson is how to count to ten.”
I heard him land a hard hit, and August whimpered. “One,” Cian said with a snicker. I heard a dull thud and I felt my stomach twist as I imagined August’s flesh splitting open. “Two.”
