Page 52 of The Caged Girl

“Ah!” I cried out, immediately dropping my face between my knees. But he didn’t stop.

“Please,” I choked out as the iron from the blood seeping into my mouth triggered a gag reflex inside me.

“Please…” I begged. His black dress shoe slammed into my face, causing my vision to blur.

“Alister…” The world was spinning as I lifted my hands and tried to protect my face. He had me pinned down and with my legs spread.

I screamed so loudly that my ears rang. The surgical procedure Dr. Davenport had recently performed wasn’t healed yet. The stitches were ripping, and my body was on fire.

“Please…” my voice trailed as I grew faint.

He kept going while my breathing hitched and life around me began to dissipate.

Was this finally the end? I had tried to understand this family and take them down. I had tried to finally make my life worthy and meaningful, but perhaps everyone wasn’t meant to have that.

Perhaps some of us were meant to simply be irrelevant to the world.

My eyes were closed as everything in my body ached.

“Open your eyes, wife,” he boomed. Slapping me, the sting of his rings crashed into the open wounds on my flesh.

I forced myself to look at him. He looked different; he looked like a wild animal.

Taking a knife, he slit his arm and his blood gushed out over my face. Grabbing my arm, he did the same motion before dropping the knife and slamming our exposed arms together.

“We are one, and there is no escape, Demi Ivory. You don’t understand. That woman’s corpse in our wedding bed is nothing compared to what I will do to you if you die. I will have you preserved, serving me until my final days, and even after I will find you in our next life and make you mine.”

“Uncle Alister?” a familiar voice called out. I blinked away the blood in my eyes that no longer had lashes protecting them.

“The blood ceremony is complete, nephew. It’s complete.” He smiled proudly as I watched Bradley race to me. I thought he’d lift me into his arms and take me to a safe haven, but instead, he wrapped his arms around Alister and patted him on the back.

“Congratulations, uncle.”

CHAPTERTWENTY-NINE

I slowly openedmy eyes but kept blinking since the darkness still surrounded me.

My body ached as I lifted my head. I wasn’t on a bed; I wasn’t in my bedroom or Alister’s.

“Hello,” I rasped as the taste of blood still lingered on my tongue. Brushing my hands against the cold floor, I pushed up. “Ah!” I cried out as my ribs ached.

They had to be broken. Spitting out the thick saliva and blood from my mouth, I hunched over and patted around. There wasn’t an ounce of light. Wiping my eyes, I looked around.

Nothing but darkness and silence.

A small sound echoed as I jerked back.

“Hello?” I whispered again.

“Shh…” Her voice had my eyes widen and I fell back into the rough brick wall.

I was in the cage.

“There’s been a mistake,” I panted as I bumped backward into the corner of the small space.

“Shh…” she whispered again.

“Who are you?” I cried as fear and panic rose inside me. “Please help me!”