Page 53

CELINE

I ’m once again sitting, eyes closed, in the dank corner of my cell, wondering how long I’ve been down here.

Without much food, water, and proper rest, weakness is setting in.

A few times I’ve woken up to bits of old bread and a tiny dish of water in front of my cell but it’s not much at all.

Valen sits in his typical spot shrouded in darkness.

I still can’t figure him out and he doesn’t help with his one-word answers, but I feel bad for him.

We’ve tried to formulate a plan and different scenarios for escape, but I can tell he’s nervous to hope. How many times has he attempted to get out to no avail? I’ve been feeding him along and I can tell he’s getting stronger. His color is warmer, his cheeks a little pinker.

The familiar sound of a door slam echoes through the room and whoever is headed our way is on a war path. Aggressive footsteps thud and I don’t have to wait long before I know who it is.

“Miss me?” Genevieve sits crisscross applesauce in front of my cell and flicks something at me. It bounces off the floor and rolls to my feet.

Fumbling with my hand in front of me I locate the item and hold it up to see what it is. Genevieve watches with a sadistic gleam in her eye, such a stark contrast to her vampiric beauty.

“A chess piece?” I feel the ridges and bumps of the queen piece.

She smirks, eyes flashing with danger. “I told Zavier what would happen if he didn’t listen, and he’s defied me at every turn. Something had to give.” She shrugs like our conversation is trivial. “Maybe now he’ll take me seriously.”

My hand closes around the chess piece, my eyes narrowing in concentration.

Chess? Zav?

Tom!

Oh my God, Tom!

“Oh my God.” I realize exactly what she’s getting at. “What did you do?”

She purses her lips in a mocking form of a pout and makes a clucking sound like she’s trying to console me when I know that’s the furthest thing from the truth.

“What I had to, Celine. I know your puny pathetic human brain can’t understand, but Zavier is just playing hard to get.

I needed to return the favor in kind.” She smirks victoriously and brushes back an invisible strand of perfectly smooth hair.

“You hurt Tom?” I choke out in horror. A few flecks of dried blood flake off when I rub the chess piece and I fear she’s done much more than that.

“I killed him,” she confirms my fears. She giggles and it’s like a knife to my heart. The sound is shrill, pure evil.

No!

I press my lips in a firm line, trying to keep my face as neutral as possible because I know a reaction is exactly what she’s searching for, and I won’t dare give her the satisfaction of receiving one.

Poor Zav, though.

I can’t even imagine the pain he must be in losing his only friend. He must be falling apart between trying to find me and now this, that is if he’s not stuck here too. Rage coils in my belly and a spark ignites, my temper getting the best of me.

“Fucking monster!” I throw the piece at her even though it’s no real threat to an immortal like her. “Zav will never be with you. He loves me, and I’d rather die than let you use me as a pawn over him.”

An animalistic sound comes out of Genevieve and before I can blink, she’s inside my cell forcing me onto my back with a hand around my throat. She snarls and bares her fangs dangerously close to my fluttering pulse.

Fear holds me hostage. I know deep down that she could snap me like a twig, and I’d be dead before I knew it.

“You’re nothing.” Her teeth slash at my neck, but don’t bite down.

“Zavier would never settle for you when he can have me, a perfect being that matches him. You are weak . A pathetic waste of life source. You’re human .

No sane vampire wants to be mated to a fucking human.

You are the cockroaches of this world. Do you understand me? Dirty and fucking useless.”

A whimper slides past my lips before I can stop it as she squeezes my throat.

Stars flood my vision when she reopens my head wound by slamming my skull against the stone floor. She doesn’t stop there though and drags her nails down the side of my face, leaving a bloody trail in her wake. The sting is sharp, and I know it’ll likely scar with how deep the gouges are.

“I might not be able to kill you yet, because I’m not done getting what I need from you, but that doesn’t mean I can’t rough you up a bit.

” She stands and dangles me just above the floor.

I claw at her tight grip, fighting for air.

She laughs, the sound mocking and cruel.

“Truly, how could Zavier ever want something as pathetic as you. I’m barely doing anything and you’re this close to dying.

” She tilts her head at me in an unnerving, predatory way.

Just when I think I’m going to pass out, she drops me like a doll and I collapse, sputtering on the ground. My throat burns as I suck in a sharp lungful of air. A kick to my ribs steals what little air I’ve managed to take in.

“Leave her alone,” Valen’s deep voice grates from the side.

“What are you going to do about it? Stuck in a cage withering away, it’s pathetic honestly.

” Genevieve walks away from me to taunt Valen.

“And here I thought you were meant to be powerful.” She reaches through the bars and grabs ahold of his cheeks, her nails digging in like she’d done with mine before throwing him away.

“I’d think it was all a lie if I hadn’t seen the proof with my own eyes. ”

Using this opportunity to my advantage while she’s distracted, I crawl my way over to the door to my cell where it remains ajar from her entrance.

My arms shake at the effort, but I keep dragging myself along.

I will not die here. I will not let her be the reason for the end of my existence.

If I go down, I’m going down with a fight.

I’ve never balked at a challenge, so why should I now?

“Your time will come,” Valen replies cryptically. “It’s quite sad, you take to harming an innocent human simply because a man told you no.” He flips back over to face the wall and dismisses Genevieve. I can practically see the smoke coming out of her ears.

Reaching a hand up to touch the lock, she speeds over and slaps me down. My knees scream in pain at the sudden contact with the stone beneath me, and she presses my forehead flush to the floor.

“Think you’re slick? You and your new buddy here? I’m always a fucking step ahead. Remember that.” Genevieve steps out of my cell and slams the door behind her before turning the lock.

More footsteps echo through the chamber and a deep voice calls from up above.

“Look at that, Valentine. Collection time.” She doesn’t spare us another glance and skips away back to wherever the fuck she lurks when she’s not taunting us.

Before long, a bulky vampire I’ve never seen before drags Valen out of his cell.

He doesn’t put up a fight, but we lock eyes.

The fear and shattered spirit in his gaze breaks my heart.

I try to communicate that I’m here and it’ll be okay.

We’re in this shitty situation together and I finally have the upper hand.

His eyes widen slightly, and I nod to confirm I have a plan before he disappears.

Well … perhaps not a plan more of an idea of one, but it’s better than nothing.

Genevieve probably thought my sad attempt at reaching the door was to leave, but I managed to place a small pebble in the lock. It was my hope that her own hubris would keep her from realizing what I was actually up to.

Testing my theory, I feel hope for the first time since I was taken when it opens at my push.

I breathe out a sigh of relief and shove my hands in my pockets for warmth.

A crinkling catches my attention, and I pull out a wadded-up piece of paper.

My brow wrinkles as I unfold it and a sob catches in my chest when I see it’s a note from Zav.

He must’ve stuck it in my pocket when he ripped off the sliver from his notebook at the police station.

You look hot as fuck in those jeans, sweet thing.

—Zav

Also known as Zav Daddy or Zaddy.

Despite my situation, a laugh rips out of me, and a tear catches on my jawline.

I kiss the note and put it back in my pocket.

I’m getting the hell out of here, and I’m taking Valen with me.