Page 69

“Turn up the water,” Adrian snarled. “I’ve grown tired of her mouth, and this is no longer amusing me.”

I was shocked when no one immediately jumped forward to do his bidding. By the look on his face, so was he.

I’d laugh at him, but I didn’t think my body was capable of it at the moment. My little speech had sucked what was left of my waning energy away.

The water was up to my chin now and still filling up fast.

Death by drowning. I did not want to die this way. The first tear slipped free, and I was unable to stop it as it trailed down my cheek. The warmth of it felt incredible against my skin, and another tear slipped out. Then another. Then another.

I hated crying in front of Adrian, but he was too preoccupied to notice my tears. He kept whirling around in a circle, his kimono flying out behind him like a cape.

“Now, you boys better do as you’re told, or you’ll all be punished for this. We took you all in, fed you, and have given you everything you need to thrive in life, and this is how you choose to repay us? With disobedience? I will not stand for this,” the bald man blustered as his face turned an alarming shade of red.

Despite his threats, no one stepped forward.

He waved his pointer finger around, his bracelets jingling loudly with each jerky movement. “See here, you—”

One of the smaller figures darted forward with incredible speed that took both me and Adrian by surprise. Small, pale hands went into the bald man’s chest, and he was shoved backwards.

The Council member stumbled back, but unfortunately for him, he was already standing on the edge of the hole and there was nowhere left for him to retreat to.

His feet kicked back into the air.

He squealed like a pig.

And he dropped like a fucking rock.

His body hit the water with a splash and sent water spraying up. I couldn’t raise my arms high enough to shield my face, and I let out a surprised yelp when it hit the unprotected side of my face.

Adrian splashed around in the water right in front of me. He was so short that, standing up, the water came up to his chin.

He whirled around in the water, his eyes wild and outraged. “Get me out!” he screamed. “Get me out of here right the fuck now or you’re all going to pay for this later.”

“He can’t use his magic down there either,” a small male voice whispered down to me.

I’d been right about those markings etched into the dirt.

What a relief to know my magic was only temporarily taken from me. I’d get it back the moment I got out of this damn hole.

Adrian whirled around in a circle again, and the water shifted around me. I didn’t think he realized every time he moved, he got just a little bit closer to me.

“I can’t swim! Someone turn off the water.”

Turn on the water.

Turn up the water.

Now it was turn off the water.

I couldn’t keep up with him, he was making my head spin.

Screaming came from outside of the hole, lots of it. I couldn’t take my eyes off the devil in front of me to check it out, because the moment I took my eyes off of him, he’d strike out at me.

Something made a huge splash in the water behind me, making me flinch. Just what I didn’t need, an unknown in the water with me. The water wasn’t dirty, but since it was dark out and we were deep in a hole in the ground, I couldn’t see anything in the water. That terrified me. At least I knew how to swim now, but that wouldn’t matter when I was chained up and wouldn’t be able to see where I was going because of the darkness.

Adrian stumbled, likely tripping over the edge of the mattress because he couldn’t see underwater in the dark either. His shiny bald head dipped under the water, and I realized something very important.

Adrian was finally within touching distance. I could reach out and punch him in the face if my chains would allow me that much reach.