Page 41 of A Silent Prodigy for the Lycan Princess

With that, he hurries away, leaving me behind, feeling completely confused. What did he want to tell me? He was just one step away from finally saying what’s been on his mind. I’ve felt that something was off for a couple of weeks now. It’s moments like these when I notice my own incapacity and weakness. I should be able to solve this and help him—he is one of my closest friends. It should be easy to help, but I just don’t seem to be able to.

*MEG*

I am Meg Rose Acorn.

Meg

Rose

Acorn

I startle when the door to the cell opens, and PJ walks inside. He is a tall, skinny man with dirty blond hair and pale skin. His lips curl into a smile, but his eyes are cold as usual. He is the new man and doesn’t like me much. Behind him is Junior, the youngest of them, but not the newest. He has much more confidence than PJ; he is taller and bulkier, but the strongest is Night, who is leaning against the wall now, watching the other two.

PJ loosens my chains, grimacing when he looks at me. “You are ugly,” he huffs.

“Who the hell asked you?” Junior mutters, not sparing me a glance. He doesn’t go out of his way to be horrible to me. He mostly ignores me. His hands are gloved when he opens the lock to the shackles. Once they are done with their task, PJ and Junior leave.

“Alright,” Night says, finally stepping inside. His lips curl into a smile while he grabs the end of the chain, still attached to the collar on my neck. He tugs at it. “Are you going to behave now, Azurite?”

I am Meg Rose Acorn.

Night pulls me closer, making me stumble forward. I’m too weak to stand upright, dropping to my knees. The rough surface scratches my skin, but I barely feel it anymore. It’s so cold down here. They left me here for a day or two without anything to drink or eat, just with a bucket as my toilet.

“I asked you a question, Azurite,” he snarls.

It’s not good to upset him. Never is. They brought a young girl three days ago, calling her Opal because she was so pale and kept shivering. I didn’t want them to keep her here. She was so young. Night got mad, madder than usual, tossing me into this cell down here.

I nod, my voice too raw to speak.

Night grabs a bottle of water, opens the cap, and holds it to my lips. “I’m feeling generous today,” he says coolly.

I greedily take gulp after gulp while I wonder if she is still here… Opal.

There have been others like her. Sapphire and Amber were my age. They stayed for months, then they were gone all of a sudden. And there was a guy named Rubin once. He was nice and tried to help me. Night didn’t like it and beat him so much he couldn’t move.

I didn’t see him anymore.

Over the years, a lot of girls and boys, women and men, came and left. Night’s the one choosing their new names. There was a girl named Coral, and he liked her in particular, his eyes scanning her whenever she walked by, but he didn’t keep her. He sent her away like all the others.

I am the only one he ever kept.

My name is Meg. Meg Rose Acorn.

“Azurite,” he says, finally removing the collar and replacing it with a padded one, one that doesn’t burn and doesn’t make my skin feel raw. He brushes with his thumb over my lips. “They are all disappointments,” he mutters. “None of them are like you.” He gazes over my body. “Go and get freshened up,” he huffs. “PJ is right. You look ugly.”

I scurry to my feet, wavering slightly while doing so.

“You can eat after you take a bath,” he says, straightening his back. “We have new guests coming,” he says, brushing over his chin. “New little gemstones. Keep an eye on them and make sure they behave.” He grabs my wrist. “You know what happens when you don’t keep them in check.”

“Yes, Night,” I mutter.

He smiles, reaching out his hand and brushing his finger over my cheek. He looks at me, but it doesn’t seem like he is truly seeing me. “So special,” he says. “Azurite.”

I am Meg, I repeat in my head like I did years ago when they brought me here, and Night started to call me Azurite. He would beat me when I said my real name, and I learned fast not to make him angry. But I never stopped telling it to myself. I don’t want to forget who I am, who I once was.

I was Meg Rose Acorn.

Chapter fourteen