Page 2

– Present time

Arabella

Lying on the cold floor of the cage I’m locked in, I fix my gaze into the endless space of darkness. Not a whisper of life stirs around me. No footsteps, no distant voices, no hope. It’s been days, maybe longer, and there’s still no sign of Kyro or anyone else.

I’ve clawed at these chains until my wrists are raw, tested every angle, tensed every muscle, but it’s no use. These shackles and the cage are inescapable. Kyro made sure of it, he wasn’t going to let me escape twice. But it’s unusual for things to be this quiet for so long. I’ve run out water now, and it’s like I’ve been left here to die.

Suddenly, I catch a quiet noise coming from somewhere inside the mansion and I gently start to push my body up by my weak arms. As heavy footsteps walk down the hallway, I hear each door being opened, one by one. Until they stop just outside mine.

Leaning against the hard bars behind me, I draw my knees to my chest. The doorknob twists for a second before stopping, then I hear something in the lock. My brows pinch and I start to wonder who could be behind the door, breaking in. Usually, Kyro just uses his key.

With a final click, the knob turns again, and the door is pushed open, but a bright light instantly blinds me, causing me to close my eyes and turn my face away.

“Name?” I hear an unfamiliar males voice ask.

I don’t respond. That damn light is pissing me off after months without any. They shine the torch directly on me and I squint, trying to see past the beam.

“Name?” He repeats, but his tone now has an edge to it.

I block the light with my forearm as I respond.

“Can you at least move that damn torch away from my eyes.” I growl.

He softly chuckles, deep and unnerving.

“Yeah, you’re her. You sound just fucking like her.”

Before I can even understand what he meant by that, he turns to the light away and I hear something heavy land on the floor.

Through my blurred eyes, I watch as he crouches in front of the cage and uses cutters to break through the lock. The cage door creaks open, and he leans inside, snipping through the ones locked around my ankles and wrists.

“Get dressed and I’ll take you to her,” he says while backing away and standing upright. “There’s some clothes in that bag. Go have a fucking shower or whatever. No one else is here. I’ll be waiting outside on my bike.”

Confused, I finally look up to catch a glimpse of the stranger in front of me and I feel my chest tighten. One glowing black and white spiral eye stares back at me, the other covered by a black eyepatch. His face is painted with skull-like features and swirls.

“Who are you? And who do I sound like? Take me to who?” I murmur, feeling reluctant to trust him after everything.

He tilts his head to the side, his eye studying me.

“Get the fuck dressed, Arabella.”

After saying my name, he turns to leave the room, and I crawl out of the cage, using the bars as support.

“Wait,” I demand, and he stops with his back to me, so I continue. “You didn’t answer me.”

He turns his head, side-eying me over his shoulder.

“I’m Hellion, but many call me Hell. I’m taking you to your sister. That fucker Kyro is dead.”

I feel my heart stop as soon as he mentions her. She’s alive? But I have no time to ask any more questions. He walks out, leaving the door ajar, offering me freedom.