Page 106 of Bonds of Starfall

Oh no.

Rin struggled in earnest, tugging on her arms, as she looked wildly about the room, finding the simple bed she was on, tucked against a wall with dark paint. There were black curtains alongone wall—concealing a window? Two doors. One on the far wall, near a simple dresser, and the other on the right side of the bed. Not much else in the room was of note. Nothing to let her know about where she was. She knew who she was with, but nobody knew where the infamous vampiric crime lord’s home base was. This was bad. Really, really bad.

Her ears strained to hear, but it was silent. She knew it wouldn’t be for long. She had no idea how long she had slept, but she had to hurry.

Rin sat up as best as she was able, twisting her upper body to get leverage against the headboard as she braced her bare feet against it, and tugged with all her might. Her shoulders strained as she worked the thinner part of the silken tie against a rough piece of metal on the headboard, sawing it. Pieces of thread unraveled, but it wasn’t enough.

Her eyes darted between the doors and headboard, expecting Valkar to appear at any moment.

Murder had been in his red eyes at the motel. What if he wanted to… more than hurt her? She was tied to a bed, after all.

A small whimper escaped Rin as she worked, sweat beading on her nape and trickling down her spine.

When her arms trembled from how desperately she sawed them back and forth, the threads of the silk snapped, unraveling from her left wrist as they pooled on the cotton sheets. Immediately, she reached up and untied the other loop. It came undone easily. Had it been Valkar who had tied her? Or the two masked men? Either way, they hadn’t done a good job.

On shaking legs, she stood, feeling more sweat slip down her back. Still in her thin grey shirt and leggings, she shivered as dark spots speckled the corners of her vision. She didn’t have her phone or bag—or her medication…

Rin swallowed, feeling entirely alone. Where was Cyrus?

She had to get to him. She didn’t know what Valkar would do if he realized Cyrus was the Prince of Sibeth—use him for ransom, no doubt.

She kept her steps light as she crept to the nearest door, but the handle was locked. "Dammit," she mumbled under her breath.

A soft noise from outside the door drifted to her, and she held her breath, backing away, hand raised as if to fight whoever it was with her bare fists. When she didn’t hear anything again, she crept to the other door, feeling like her time was running out. Tension lined every inch of her body as she wrapped her pale fingers around the knob of the other door, praying it was unlocked. As she turned it, it clicked open, and she sighed, carefully sliding it open, her heart in her throat.

She peeked through the sliver of the open crack, seeing muted darkness. The shadows were chased away as she opened the door fully. A bathroom.

Empty.

A simple shower and tub, a toilet, and a counter with many drawers. She saw her reflection in the mirror hanging above the sink, her white hair wild. The bruise on her jaw from the withered assholes at the gas station was dark purple, and it hurt when she opened her mouth too wide. Her skin was so pale it was almost translucent, revealing her veins underneath. She felt like she couldn’t take a full breath.

Casting a look behind her to the bedroom, she crept inside the bathroom, immediately going to the drawers and opening them. Empty—she shut the top drawer. The next held only a hairbrush. This was weird. What was this place? Some holding facility? In the last drawer, a collection of hairpins. Rin smiled. Jackpot. She grabbed one, weighing it in her hand. It was silver, a small jewel inlaid at the tip—thedeadly, pointed end.

Rin tucked the hairpin in the waistband of her leggings, ensuring everything was as she had found it as she tiptoed back to the bed and crawled on top, grabbing the cut silk ties as she arranged them over her wrists, tucking parts under the pillow to hide the fact she wasn’t tied.

And then, she waited.

It was an effort not to fall back asleep, and her heart pounded loudly in her chest. She was all too aware of the rush of her blood through her veins and the truth of where she was—the heart of Lunar City, at the mercy of a notorious vampire.

Rin didn’t have to wait long.

Her breath stalled in her lungs as she heard footsteps, drawing closer. The doorknob rattled softly as it turned, the door creaking open ominously.

Rin closed her eyes, making her breath level out.

Shoes scuffled over the floor, and her body tensed as the bed dipped at her feet.

It took everything inside her not to betray that she was awake with the soft whimper that wanted to fall free, or the wobble to her lower lip.

Please, let him go away,she prayed.

Something brushed over the top of her feet, and she couldn’t help it—she flinched.

The touch stilled, and she held her breath as a low laugh pierced the quiet.

"Look at you still playing tricks, wife. I know you’re awake."

Rin opened her eyes.