Chapter 7

There was a small crack in the wall, shedding some light in the room when I woke. I hoped that meant I was on the edge of the building, not next to another room.

The crack let minimal light in the room, but it was still more than I had before. I looked around me to take in my surroundings now that I was a bit more rested.

My determination was slowly diminishing. I don't know how long I've been here, but I know it's been a while.

Every day it's the same thing. They drag me out and strap me to a chair, torture me while Nathan makes a mess on the TV screen, then right before I pass out, they send me back to try and sleep it off.

Even though it's the same kinds of torture every day, I'm still not used to it and it still hurts.

A lot.

My wrists and ankles were still bruised from pulling on the restraints.

I couldn't really see them until they pulled me out of my cell, and I was actually grateful for that. I didn't want to study them when I was sitting there in the closed room.

At times in the night, I could feel Nathan. I find it oddly comforting to have this tie to him. Though it troubled me knowing that he couldn’t take the same comfort.

I hated being such a freak. That's what got us here.

Light flooded into the room and I flinched, ready for the two bodyguards to come swarming in to drag me to another session.

I was pretty sure I was getting bruises from their roughness, but I could never really tell because the only real luminous light I had was in the hallways when they were dragging me into the next room. And I didn't even think about them when I was getting tortured.

I closed my eyes tight and flinched when hands came down on me, but instead of my arms, they were on my cheeks.

“Oh my gosh, look what they've done to you.”

The feminine voice caught me off-guard and I flew my eyes open. I gazed into a pair of identical blue eyes.

She instantly went to work, placing a solution on my wrists and ankles. I tried to tell her something. Anything. But my breath was still stuck in my chest.

“Come on, honey. We need to hurry. We don't have much time,” my mom whispered as she tried to help me to my feet.

My lungs finally started functioning.

“Mom?” I whispered out.

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I felt Nathan stop stirring from across the hall as he focused in on my emotions.

She looked almost identical to the last time I saw her. The only difference was the crows feet starting to deepen on the corner of her eyes and the frown lines on her face became permanent. She had dark shadows under her eyes, making her look utterly exhausted.

“Yes, honey, I'm here.”

She continued to try and make me stand, lifting me high enough so I could put my legs under me. I realized what she was doing and helped her out, trying to stiffen my legs.

It felt alien, trying to be able to walk again and I panicked at that thought.

How am I supposed to get out of here when I can't even walk?

My mom dragged me over to the door and threw it open, burning my eyes with the light. I placed my feet under me again and focused on learning to walk again.

“What are we doing?” I asked, my brain now functioning almost normally.

“I'm getting you out of here. There is a car out in the parking lot, a 2007 Camry in the back parking lot once you get outside. I have some money and clothes in the car along with food. When you get in, open the glove department and follow the—”

“Mom, we have to go back for Nathan.”

My chest started to tighten with every step I took from his room. I could feel him pacing anxiously, no doubt going crazy as I was.

“We've imprinted.” I was amazed at how easily those two words came from my mouth.

My mom continued to half-drag me down the hall.

“No, honey, you're not. There's been some sort of misunderstanding. Trust me, the longer you're away from that canine, the better you will feel.”

I focused in on the ache in my chest and knew that wasn't true. “Mom, I know it's strange for a Foreseer to be with a Shape Shifter, but—”

“What are you talking about? Gosh, they must have done some experiments on your head, too. Honey, you're not a Foreseer. You're a—ugh, we don't have time for this. Just get safe and find Johnathan. He can tell you all you need to know.”

We rounded the corner just as some noise came from the end of the hallway.

“Mom, you're not listening to me. He can die from this,” I whisper-yelled at her.

“Ellie, they've been feeding you lies. You aren't a Foreseer, Mr. Night is not imprinted to you and you don't have to stay with him! And trust me, you don't want to be with him.”

That was the second time a family member warned me about staying with Nathan.

Why are they so against him?

Shouts sounded from the hallway behind us and I could hear the panic in their desperate voices. My mom tried to urge me faster, but I couldn't go as fast as she needed me to.

Every step away from Nathan tightened the pain in my chest and I felt as though my heart was trying to eat my body from the inside out.

The footsteps behind me got louder with booming voices. “They took off down here!”

My aching heart thumped harder against my ribcage as I realized we weren't going to make it. My mom must have realized the same thing because she looked at me with the same panic on her face.

Her pupils were dilated and her hair was a mess, making her seem mad instead of frantic. “Elana, you need to run! Go, honey!”

She was surprisingly strong against my weak body. I stumbled as she shoved me away from the people and I grabbed the wall to support my frail body.

Flashes of the last night I saw Liam went through my mind. The Army that pushed through the trees, the horrified look on the men who were holding me. When they came, all I did was hide.

I ran.

And didn't look back.

And look what happened to them.

My brother's beaten, bloody face flashed through my memory and I felt the guilt force my body back. I will not stand in the shadows and let someone else take the fall for me again.

I turned around, counting on shouting my newfound strength and confidence to everyone. A loud 'Bang' ricocheted off the pristine walls as I saw the men at the end of the hallway with a gun.

I saw my mom in front of me stumble a little before turning her body slightly and looking back at me.

Her eyes filled with wet tears as she stared emptily at me. But those empty eyes expressed so much love. She locked her identical blue eyes with mine and mouthed one word, 'Fight'.

Her body slumped in a pile to the ground in a heap and she didn't try to move herself. She didn't try to get up. She didn't even flinch.

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