Tears burned behind my eyes. “The truth is, I can’t imagine not seeing all of you everyday either.”
Mom patted the bed beside her. “Don’t break down now.” I sat beside her, and she put an arm around my shoulder. “You’re strong, determined, and I’m proud of you. Even if you tell me you don’t want to go anymore because you’ll miss us, I’ll kick you out of here and ship you to New York”—I chuckled—“because I won’t let you waste this opportunity. Something like this won’t come knocking at your door again. You must grab it with both hands and feet and teeth, and you can’t let go.” She kissed my cheek. “I know you’re going to make me even prouder of you, if that’s possible.”
Only a mom would know exactly what to say and what a daughter needed to hear. I wiped a tear away and turned to her, winding my arms around her.
Something heavy fell on us, and then Nicole’s small arms embraced Mom and me.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered, burying her head on my shoulder. “I don’t want you to go because I love you.”
I pulled her close to me. “I love you too, Nikkie.”
I hugged her tight, wishing I could protect her and care for her—for them—forever.
A tug on my arms suddenly erased the memory from my mind, and I opened my eyes.
I was back in my cell, but I wasn’t hanging from my wrists anymore. I was lying on the cold floor, metal shackles around my arms, linked by a chain screwed to the wall in front of me.
Another tug jerked me forward, and I groaned as my arms scratched the rough floor.
Omi knelt before me.
Omi … the red explosion … my family …
Panic swept through me, and a dull pain squeezed my heart. It had all been a dream, right? Oh, God, it had to be a nightmare. I looked at my clothes and arms. I was covered in blood—not only my blood.
A sob shook me, and I closed my eyes willing the pain, the hurt, the mourning to consume me, to destroy me, to kill me.
If I had any strength left, if each of my nerves and muscles and senses didn’t protest in pain, both physically and mentally, I would have jumped at Omi’s throat. I didn’t care that he was a god and couldn’t die, not without a Black Thorn. All I cared about was hurting him, hurting him as much as he and Imha had hurt me.
Omi shook the chains, trying to lift me up.
“She is as good as dead now,” Imha said from somewhere. “After what you did, she really won’t talk.”
Omi shot up and turned to where I thought Imha was. “What? Now the fault is mine? She wasn’t talking before, and we would have killed them either way.”
Oh God, I felt sick.
“But she didn’t know that!” Imha said, her tone chilling the cell, chilling me.
“What will you do with her now?”
Imha didn’t answer right away. “Use her to lure Ceris to us.”
13
Even when I tried, I couldn’t keep track of time. I wasn’t sure how many hours—or days—went by while I remained on that dirty floor, going in and out of consciousness, praying to whatever god would listen to me to take my life and let me be with my family.
Oh God, my family.
I closed my eyes, unable to stop the image from bursting in my mind. Nicole, Teddie, Tommy, Mom, and Dad around me, their blood smeared across my clothes, arms, and face.
I shuddered as new tears sprung from my eyes. By now, I should be completely dry from crying so much, but there was nothing else I could do. My throat was too raw for screaming to be an option anymore. Yet I did want to scream.
The single torch in my cell went out, and I welcomed the darkness, hoping death waited for me behind it. However, my hope faded when a woman came in carrying a new torch and a plate. She wore brown robes and a veil over her head. She looked like a servant, but there was something else about her.
She turned and her eyes met mine.
Cheryl. As in … Cheryl.
My stomach turned as I quickly realized it was Ceris disguised as Cheryl. Her skin wasn’t as pale, her long white-blond hair was now in a neat yellow-blond bob, and her blue eyes were silver.
“Quick,” she whispered, dropping down before me. “We don’t have much time until they find the real servant locked in a closet.”
I scooted away from her, pressing my back to the wall.
She put a hand over the shackles. Pink light shone from her palms, and the shackles fell to the ground. I sighed in relief, shocked by how much the damn things weighed and how quickly I was getting used to it.
She stood and offered me her hand. “Come on.”
I narrowed my eyes at her outstretched arm. “But you hate me.”
“I don’t …” She sighed. “I don’t hate you. Besides, this isn’t for me. I’m doing this for Levi.”
Of course.
The door opened and I froze.
Keisha popped in her head. “What’s taking you so long?”
“What are you doing here?” I asked, my voice raspy.
She looked different with her long dark hair in a ponytail and black clothes—leather armor like clothes, combat boots, and lots of weapons.
“We can talk about that later. Right now, we have to move.”
I let my body fall slack on the floor. “I don’t want to go.”
Ceris—or Cheryl—grabbed my shoulders. “I don’t care. I’m taking you.”
I slapped her hand away, and she slapped me hard on the cheek. My face whipped to the side. Stars exploded against my vision, and pain burst on my cheek.
“Bitch!” I yelled, pressing my hand over my throbbing skin.
“Did that wake you up? Because you looked like you were under some kind of self-pity spell.”
I glared at her. “You’re seriously sick.”
She shrugged. “Sick, but alive.”
Alive. Unlike my family.
I shrunk into myself. “I don’t care about my life.”
“Well, unfortunately, I do.” She gripped my arms and pulled me toward her until my nose was an inch from hers. “Your parents would be really disappointed in you right now.”
I pushed her away. “Don’t you dare talk about my parents.” New tears choked me. “It’s your fault. You put me in this situation. You chose me to play this game. If you had never messed with my life, they would still be alive.”
She sighed. “Can we please discuss this someplace else? We really need to go.”
Holding a long sword, Keisha knelt beside me. “Nadine, please come with us.”
I looked into her chocolate eyes. Confidence and strength rolled off her in waves. I wished I were like her. Maybe my family would be alive if I had been strong, if I had known how to fight, if I had been determined enough.
Still alive …
I closed my eyes as a new sob rolled through me.