Page 49

Chapter

Thirty-Five

Bloom

Into the Well

A gony dragged me back to consciousness, starting with a splitting pain in my skull.

Memories returned in jagged flashes—riding in the sports car with Sebastian and Sindy to the festival, urging her to escape the school before the coming trial killed us. I’d even considered calling the FBI to expose the murders and illegal operations at Forsaken Academy.

Then all hell broke loose as a herd of buffalo stampeded through the market square. Sindy and I got separated before a blow to the head sent me into darkness.

But the pain wasn’t just in my head. It radiated everywhere. Cold fear slithered through me as I realized I was bleeding from multiple wounds. My captors hadn’t just knocked me out; they’d carved into me.

I forced my eyes open, blinking against the blackness. A blindfold. A gag. My wrists bound behind my back with ropes that bit deeper the more I struggled. Dark magic slithered through the fibers, foul and unyielding.

Whoever had taken me wasn’t human.

Were they immortals?

The festival music was gone. I was no longer in town. Somewhere remote, then. My breath turned shallow and uneven as I struggled against my restraints. Before I could wrench myself free, hands seized me, hauling me into the air. Bound and helpless, I couldn’t weave magic to fight back.

A cold realization hit me. The killers had gotten to me first. They’d been waiting, watching. The moment I stepped beyond Forsaken Academy’s protection, they struck.

I lashed out with my legs. A sickening crack of bone breaking followed by curses as my heel smashed into a face. More hands clamped down, immobilizing my thrashing limbs.

“They said she was weak and useless,”a man jeered.“We should have a little fun with this bitch before we carve her up.”

I called on my magic, weaving it despite my bound hands and the pain that made concentration difficult. I could deal with a cut or two, but I was certain I’d been sliced all over the place.

“Haven’t you heard?”another voice sneered.“Her mating bond keeps anyone from fucking her.”

“So it’s not just a myth?” a third said.

“It’s real. He marked her. No one gets inside her.”

“Enough talk,”the third snapped.“He could be back any minute.”

“Slit her throat now,”the first said. “Fastest way to finish this.”

I thrashed against my restraints, but every movement only tightened their grip. A low, mocking laugh sounded in the background, a woman’s voice laced with cruel amusement.

“We toss her into the well, let her bleed out, then fish her back up and dump the body for him to find,” she said, her tone sickeningly casual. “Those are the orders. Peachy. They want him to see exactly how much she suffered, so no quick death for this one.”

My stomach twisted. Who was he ? And who were they ?

“Once she’s dead, our status rises,”the woman continued, satisfaction dripping from her words.“We win the game in the golden city—and finally, they’ll let us in.”

The golden city? My mind raced even as I fought to stay conscious, pain and panic clawing at my focus. Beneath the agony, I summoned my weaving magic again, coaxing the wind to coil around my fingers. Just a few more seconds, I begged silently. Let me break free.

Then, without warning, the hands holding me vanished.

And I was falling.