AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Nearly there. No more questions.”
They came to the end of a long hallway. Charlotte recognized the locked door. The restricted area. Stringer punched in a code. The door beeped, and there was the sound of a heavy mechanism unlocking.
“Are you certain?” Charlotte asked.
“Yes. It’s secure.”
The door shut behind them. The dull thunk of the lock sliding back into place rang through the quiet. Harsh overhead lights flickered on. Charlotte blinked, holding up a hand to shield her eyes. The floors were a highly polished gray. She suspected they might have been white at one point in time.
Stringer led her down the corridor. Lights flickered on as they approached and off again as they passed. He unlocked a heavy metal door and held it open to reveal a darkened room.
“You’ll be safe in here,” he said.
Charlotte took a step forward but hesitated on the threshold. “Draven is coming?”
Stringer’s eyes were vacant. “He’ll be here. Hurry.”
She followed him into the dark room. Lights flickered to life overhead with their presence.
Empty metal cages lined the far wall. Cages large enough for a person.
Charlotte stopped and turned to run. Stringer grabbed her from behind, wrapping his arms around her. She kicked and squirmed, thrashing desperately to break his hold. He threw her into the nearest cell and slammed the door.
“Don’t make too much noise. You’ll wake the monster,” Stringer warned, laughter in his voice.
The lock made an electronic beep, followed by a horrible groaning noise, metal grating on metal.
Charlotte yanked on the door, unable to open it. She pounded, kicked, and screamed to be released. It was no use. The door was too solid to force open, not that she had the strength to even attempt that. They had passed no one in the corridors. There was no one to hear her shouts.
She slumped to the ground. After a few minutes, the lights went off, leaving her in darkness.
Then she heard it. Another person breathing. Footsteps. The rattle of chains.
She wasn’t alone.
Chapter Twenty-One
Draven
The Aerie
Assembly Hall
The blood tasted foul.
Draven pulled back, dropping the body in disgust. They clutched at their throat, scarlet blood bubbling up between their fingers. He did not recognize their faces, but time blurred so many faces together. They wore his insignia, and they were traitors. That was all he needed to know.
He needed to find Charlotte. Damn the rest of them.
“Sir.” A guard trotted up. Another face he did not recognize. He looked down at the still gasping body and back to Draven’s blood-smeared person. Color drained from his face.
“Out with it,” Draven snapped.
“We’ve secured the Aerie,” he said, stumbling over his words. “I was told to inform you that we have prisoners, I mean, I have a message, and…is that man still alive?”
Draven nudged the body with his foot. “Not for much longer. Frankly, it’s rude to draw out a death scene. Get on with it.”
The battle had been a blur. The silver-tipped arrow hit him, surprising him more than inflicting damage. He tore the arrow free, snapping it in two and charging into the fray. A handful of silver powder to the face burned his eyes, blurring his vision.
