Page 77 of Merciless Prince
A steep stone staircase came into view. A large wooden door lay at the top, flanked by two flickering lamps on bronze sconces. It had to be the entrance Killian used to bring me food. I knew there were other doors leading into the dungeon, though, because over the last week, I’d continued to hear distant screams from the far right end, along with very faint voices. Clearly, different Hellfire Club members used different entrances to visit and punish their prisoners.
I still had no idea how many others were trapped in the place, because no one ever responded when I called out to them, but I’d figured out there were at least two. A man and a woman. Their tortured screams often woke me from my slumber, making me shiver with fear as I pictured all the terrible things being done to them and wondered when Killian would finally start doing it to me.
So far, he hadn’t hurt me—not physically, anyway—but I knew it was coming. He made that abundantly clear the other night.
“I have to move you,” Killian finally said as we made our way toward the steps.
My brows rose at his admission. “Why?”
“My grandfather has decided to open the dungeon back up,” he said. “He thinks the castle will bring in more tourists if we have a day tour available, especially with Halloween coming up.”
“As if you fuckers need any more money,” I grumbled under my breath.
Killian chuckled and patted me on the back. “You know, Shay… I think we could’ve been friends in a different life. You’re funny.”
“Hard disagree. I’d rather stab myself in the eye with a fork than be friends with a prick like you,” I said. “Anyway… I thought you said this dungeon wasn’t safe for tourists.”
“The tour will only be open to people over the age of eighteen, and the guides will keep everyone clear of the stream.”
“But where will you and your creepy friends imprison and torture innocent people now?” I said in a mocking tone. I lay a hand over my heart. “I’m sosorry, Killian. It must be awful to go through such difficult problems.”
“Don’t worry, I have plenty of other places to keep you,” he replied, eyes glinting with amusement. “But thanks for the concern. It’s very touching.”
I rolled my eyes, wishing I could punch him right in his smug face. I didn’t dare to touch him, though. He might be smiling and joking around with me now, but that could change in an instant.
“Anyway, as I was saying, I have to move you,” Killian said. “It’s after midnight so we probably won’t run into anyone in the hall, but in case we do, you need to act normal and pretend you’re just another guest.”
“What if I don’t?” I asked, arching a brow. “What if I scream my head off the second you open that door?”
Killian’s forehead creased. “You can try to pull some shit like that if you want,” he said. “But if you do, I’ll go to the hospital your friend Cori is in and unplug her from that life support machine.”
My blood ran cold. “You really would, wouldn’t you?” I said.
He smiled thinly. “You’re more than welcome to test me and find out.”
I lowered my gaze to the floor, seething silently.
At least I knew Cori was still alive now. I’d asked Killian for an update on her condition a few days ago when he dropped off my food, but he’d turned and left without a word.
We reached the stone staircase and began to ascend. When I reached the fifth step, I spied something lodged near one of the carved ceiling vaults. I squinted at it, trying to figure out what it was, and then I stopped dead in my tracks.
“You fucking asshole,” I spat out, shoving Killian in the side. I was so mad right now that I didn’t even care how much I pissed him off.
He followed the direction of my gaze. “Ah. You finally figured it out.”
The object in question was a speaker. Killian must have hooked it up to a device that randomly played screams and cries throughout the day in order to trick me into thinking there were other prisoners in the dungeon.
“It was just me down here, wasn’t it?” I said, clenching my jaw as my hands balled into tight fists. “No one else.”
“That’s right.”
Burning anger tore through my veins, consuming everything in its path.Killian was always one step ahead, always dreaming up new ways to fuck with my mind. With that level of skill in psychological torture, he had a long and promising career waiting for him at the CIA if he ever wanted it.
“I swear to god, Killian, if I ever get out of this castle, I’m going to kill you,” I said in a low voice, scowling at him as he opened the dungeon door.
He smirked. “Like I said, you’re more than welcome to try.”
He unlocked the wooden door and pushed it open. Warm light spilled in, making me wince. I lifted one arm to shield my eyes, waiting for them to adjust.
