Page 43 of Caged

“Hello?” I hear a male voice call, followed by, “Turn on your flashlight.”

Fuck.

Run.

I take off at a full sprint around the corner of the house and beeline it for the trees and brush that line the street. My mind tries to calculate the trajectory I should head to avoid coming into view of either set of guards. I end up running a diagonal line moving westward until I reach the cover of trees. I bound through thickets of low-growing vines and leaves, and stumble over tree roots. My feet hit the pavement at full speed, and I sprint toward Ele’s car parked twenty feet ahead.

Skidding to a halt, I grab the door handle and throw myself inside the car.

“Go! Go! Go!” I scream, turning to keep watch out of the rear window.

The engine roars to life just as Ele slams her foot on the accelerator. Tires squeal for purchase. Flashlights bounce in the distance.

“Go!” I scream again.

The car leaps forward and zooms at lightning speed in the opposite direction of Sigma.

Only when it’s clear we’ve outrun the flashlights do I take a breath.

“What the fuck happened?” Viv shouts from the backseat.

“I’ll tell you when we get home. Don’t slow down,” I pant. “They’ll catch us.”

“Headlights!” I scream at the beams reflecting in the rearview mirror. “Drive!”

18

MONROE

Seven Months Prior to Present Day,

Morning after the February Full Moon Ceremony,

Sigma

Consciousness seeps into my mind like a dripping faucet. A nightmare skates around the edges of my memory. Flickering moments burst into view, so visceral, they could be real.

Jace and Barrett holding me down.

The sound of a lighter flicking to life.

The sear of white hot metal against my skin.

The smell of burnt flesh.

The feel of my saliva running down my chin as I scream against the ball gag.

The silent cry of my broken heart.

Awareness returns to my limbs. Something uncomfortable and cumbersome is around my ankle. My head is a boulder atop my neck, too heavy to lift, too disoriented and dizzy to think.

The room where I lie is cloaked in soft darkness, and it takes my eyes several minutes to adjust.

“Kieren?” I croak, reaching my arm out when I don’t get a response.

“Kieren,” I say louder.

A groan surfaces from the other side of the bed.