Chapter 3

I woke up in the dark. The humidity had seeped through the walls, coating my skin and my now torn dress. My wrists were bound by metal cuffs hanging over my head, chafing my skin and making it raw. I could barely see the outlines of my confinement, and there seemed to be no windows that could let me know the time of day. I had no clue if they had trapped me there for hours, let alone days.

My body ached. My muscles were numb, and my bones hurt like they had rattled me and tossed me on the ground multiple times. I tried to lift myself but slumped after my attempt. I felt my knees were too weak to raise myself.

I tried to get up again, but the sudden rush of blood made my head ache, and the dizziness I felt made me retch the little content I had in my stomach. The bile burned my throat, making me gag, and I twisted my body sideways to prevent myself from spilling the coming up-chuck on myself. I had to admit that the smell inside the room was rancid, as if years of urine had never been washed. It made my eyes water and did not help me keep down the vomit.

Although it was chilly, I felt as though my skin was on fire, so I pressed my back on the icy wall, hoping it would help me cool off.

Vivid flashes of what had happened in the underground vault surfaced in my mind. I banged my head miserably on the hard surface of the rocky wall, and I had to bite down on my lips to prevent myself from screaming. Xander had been right. It had been a setup. One that cost my good friend’s life. Why hadn’t I seen it coming?

I hated Diana had felt compelled to attack the hunter and give me a chance at escaping. Her pitiful shrieks as the dagger slid into her back ringed in my ears repeatedly. It was like they didn’t want to leave my head. I shut my eyes and sensed hot tears slide down. When they met my lips, they were salty and tasted of blood. I could feel a thin layer of crust under my nose and mouth. I didn’t remember having a nosebleed. It must have happened when that thing took hold of me.

Faiths, I hated that feeling. Being incapable of taking charge of my actions and seeing poor Diana trying to reach for me after being stabbed… her staring at me, almost pleading with me to help her, made me feel miserable. I just left her there. My body didn’t want to reach back at her, and she must have been so scared. I had thought of her as family. Remembering it all broke my heart. Her death brought me back to what I felt when I lost my parents in the uprising.

I cried to the point where I couldn’t breathe. I forgot I still had that damn corset on.

I thought I could hear Diana soothingly tell me to breathe, just like she always did when I felt this raging panic drowning me. So, I quieted my sobs and worked on controlling my rhythm, forcing it to slow down. My heart was beating fast and loudly. It seemed to be the only sound I could hear wherever I was being held.

My following thoughts were of Xander. I was afraid for him. I hoped that telling the hunter Xander knew nothing about who I was would have been sufficient for him to think that he had nothing to do with all of this. If they started investigating Xander, they could uncover the truth, which would be his end. I couldn’t picture my life without him by my side. I promised myself that whatever would happen from now on, I would make sure they never knew we were mated. This was something I had to do for him.

I heard a metal door open in the distance, followed by two sets of feet scuffing the floor. The sound resonated to where I had slumped, making my head perk up at who was coming my way. The soft glow of light became brighter the closer the people came, and I had to wince to let my eyes adjust to the now brightly lit room.

It took a few seconds before I could look around and figure out where I was. It looked like a small holding cell, maybe four feet wide by another four feet in length. The ceiling was low enough that it would not allow someone to stand up; you would have to stay hunched over to prevent yourself from hitting your head. The ground beneath me was packed with dirt, while the walls were made of cut stones. The only way out was through the barred door and metal gates that looked rusted from years of humidity damage.

I couldn’t see who the visitors were because of the light they were carrying. They just looked like a black blur behind the bright flame. The cell door opened, and one of them came closer, kneeling in front of me.

“So, you’re the famous Cardinal everyone keeps talking about.” The person said. Their voice was nasally, but it looked like a man's.

His face was ghostly white, and his eyes looked like black spots that would suck my life out.

Even though his eyes unsettled me, I kept my own fixed on him and glared, refusing to show fear.

“My, my. You are feisty. We will have the utmost pleasure with you, I think. Once I’m done with you, you will break. My prisoners always do. You may call me Shrike. I will be your host while you are staying here. Think of me as your personal jailor. You are the only one confined to this place, so your discomfort will be my priority.”

I sneered at my ‘host.’ His threats were nothing compared to what I had previously endured. I already felt broken on the inside. I thought there was nothing more for him to break.

“You will be relieved to learn that your party was able to leave the city undetected a few days ago. But fret not, our best hunters are on their tracks,” he paused for effect, letting me digest what he had just said and then continued, “you will also be happy to know that we have sent word to Duke Kestrel; about his son’s treachery.”

I laughed at his last comment, making it echo in the small confines of the cell.

“I don’t care,” I said nonchalantly. I hated what I was about to do. “I was using Lord Alexander to gain further information about the rebellion. Men are easily seduced. He was a pawn, nothing more. He is likely being held against his will, forced to follow my supporters, and will probably be used as a bargaining chip if they find themselves in trouble. I figured he was too valuable to ditch. As I mentioned to the hunter who captured me, he didn't know who I was, nor did he know my intentions. I had him wrapped around my little finger. But, please send my regards to Duke Kestrel. It was his mistake to let me leave his district when he suspected me.” I forced a wicked smile on my lips.

I hoped he couldn’t see the veins sticking out of my neck and temple or how I was sweating from the lies. I needed to look convincing and thought I had delivered a good show. Trying to control my voice was hard; it kept wanting to shake out of fear and adrenaline.

I heard a grunt from the person in the back, the one that was holding the light.

“We’ll see about that. All in good time, pet. For now, I leave you to contemplate your near future with us. I think it will be a delight, but again, I am not the one who will receive the treatment.”

I laughed again, but Shrike would not have known it was meant to build my courage. It would have looked like I thought his ‘treatments’ were a joke.

“You make it sound like it’ll be a vacation for me.” I wanted to be snarky and tell Shrike he was not fazing me. “You have no idea what it’s like to lead a rebellion. I won’t mind taking a brief break from it all.”

I had already lost a friend; I wasn’t ready to see Xander, Leo, Gideon, or Nimu killed. If I was to go down, it would not be without a fight, and I would try to protect those dear to me. I had had enough death following me in my life; Osprey would be the next person to die. I would make sure of that. For now, I would have to be careful not to stumble upon too many lies. If they noticed my story changed, everything I did would have been for nothing.

Shrike twisted my face with his hand. His thumb and fingers were digging into my cheeks. He searched his pocket with the other and brought up a small vial. He removed the cork with his teeth, spat it on the ground, and forced my lips open to let the liquid pour into my mouth. The glass cut my lips from me shaking my head. Once it was in, I was ready to spew it back in his face, but he covered my mouth and nose with both his hands and forced my head back, letting the liquid slide down into my stomach. I choked on it, getting some to back up through my nose, but gravity kept bringing it down until I had swallowed it all.

The vial tasted bitter and tingled my tongue, almost making it go numb. Once Shrike seemed satisfied, he backed away and made his way out of the cell.

“Don’t worry. It’s not poison. We need you alive.”

“Then what did you give me?”

The man smiled and crouched so I could see his face through the bars as he closed the door.

“Just a little something to relax your muscles. It’s a precaution since we don’t know the extent of your powers. If you can’t move, you can’t use magic; if you can’t use magic, then you can’t escape. You’ll also notice that it doesn’t dull the senses; you will keep feeling everything. It only paralyzes you, allowing me to inflict whatever I see fit, with you feeling every bit of the torture. Marvellous, isn’t it?”

He stared at me with his sick smile and lowered his head laughingly, shaking it from side to side.

“Oh, come now, don’t look at me like that. You’ve already taken it in the past. Why do you think you couldn’t pull yourself up when you woke up? I’ll come back later for your next dose. Until then, make yourself comfortable; you’ll be here a while.”

I heard the bolt slide, locking the door.

“Sweet dreams, pet.”

He turned, and both jailors left, leaving me in complete darkness and dread. I didn't know what they had prepared for me, and the prospect of being kept incapacitated by what was in the vial made me hopeless of ever escaping by myself. Whatever was coming didn’t bode well for me.