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Hadria nods. "But that tiara was only a fraction of what your father owed. Your father was paying back his debt in tiny spurts now and then. So when I heard that he had sold you to Nero—my brother—I decided that I'd had enough of your father's insults. I returned to claim the full payment for his debt."
"Me."
"You."
I take that in, and then I ask, hesitatingly, "But…why?"
"Why?" Hadria echoes.
"Why did you want me?" I ask, my tongue stumbling over the words. They don't come out as I really mean them. "Why are you doing this? What could you possibly gain from…from stealingme away like you did? Are you—are you going to sell me to some man, like my father did, to cover his debt?"
Her eyes flash, and I shrink back in my seat. But my reaction seems to take her aback, and she drops her eyes for a moment, looking down at her drink. "The Styx Syndicate indulges in a great deal of unpleasant business, but not human trafficking. So, no. I don't intend to sell you, Aurora."
I summon up the dregs of my courage. "Do you plan to k-kill me, then?"
"No."
It can't be. She can't mean to—"Free me?"
That provokes a small smile. "Of course not."
I swallow. "Then…what?"
"I intend tokeepyou. You belong to me now, Aurora. You are mine, just like this house, these lands, just like all of Chicago will belong to me in time. You're a symbol to the world of my reach. My power."
Her words dredge up such a whirlwind of feeling that I can't speak. Dread. Disgust. But desire, too…
You belong to me now, Aurora.
I should feel only despair, should rage against the idea, but somehow?—
Hadria continues on, oblivious to the churning inside me, outlining the rules of what she calls Elysium, her estate, this gilded cage I'm now trapped within.
Curfews, restricted areas, scheduled meals. Each sentence she speaks brings a new restriction on my freedom.
"And you will find that here, in Elysium, we follow a different schedule. We sleep during the day—usually. And we work at night. In fact, you should feel honored that I got out of bed just to fetch you today, Sunshine."
I say nothing. Stare mutely. She just gives a small smile.
"And you will come to follow a similar schedule. The days are for dreaming. The night is when we come alive. Now, follow my rules, and you'll be treated well," Hadria finishes. "But if you try to escape, or contact the outside world—" She lets the threat hang.
I nod mutely, throat tight. "But…what am I supposed to do while I'm here?" The words sound feeble even to my ears. This woman has kidnapped me, dragged me into a new nightmare, and I still somehow hope for leniency? For mercy? I might as well wish for wings to fly away from this hellhole.
"Do?" Hadria repeats, arching an eyebrow. "Whatever you please." She waves a dismissive hand. "Read, watch TV…"
My jaw drops open involuntarily. Read? Watch TV? While I'm locked up in this place with no view of the outside world, not even an atom of sunlight? Is she serious?
Anger boils in me, threatening to overflow. But then I think better of it. I don't want to provoke her. Not yet, anyway; not before I understand this place. So instead, I manage a timid, "Can I explore the house? The gardens?"
She considers this for a moment, tapping her lip with a perfectly manicured nail. Then she smiles – a cruel, humorless thingdevoid of warmth. "Exploring the mansion is permitted," she says slowly. "However, as I said, certain areas are off limits. You wouldn't want to accidentally walk into one of our meetings here in this room, would you?" There's an edge to her voice, warning me not to push my luck too far. "As for going outside…" Her expression hardens. "Absolutely not. You belong to me, Aurora, but there are people who will try to steal you from me. So you will stay in the house at all times."
I want to ask:For how long?
But I'm afraid of the answer.
Defeated, I slump back in my chair. Panic claws at my insides, threatening to consume me whole. Trapped here forever, without any access to fresh air or sunlight?
I'm not going to survive this.
