Page 45 of The Caged Girl

I quickly changed out of my all white ensemble and tugged the tight-fitted black body-con on myself.

“You have to wear your hair down. Just quickly grab a wig, too. There’s too much gel in your hair.” Kori shook her head at me and aggressively handed me one before rushing away.

Placing the wig on my head, I brushed it with my fingers, but there was a tangle. Looking at the long, black hair, I squinted.

I tugged the object out. It was…flesh?

“Kori?” I called out.

She came in immediately, already fully dressed. “What is it now?” she snapped at me.

“What is this?” I lifted it to her.

“Oh, silly goose, it’s just a piece of what’s her name? I think you are wearing the Karina. Karina’s scalp.” She opened her mouth and started to chew it.

“Kori…” I gagged.

“Yes, it’s definitely fresher than some.” She licked her lips and winked at me before turning back to the hallway. “Let’s go, ladies,” Kori chirped.

I followed them to the elevator. “Demi, you’ll have to use your badge, too.”

We all scanned it before Sage lifted her wristband and scanned it, too. It looked like a normal wristband one would get at any all-inclusive resort.

The elevator dropped down and suddenly, we were on the floor I knew was where the caged girls were. The girls who, if they were lucky enough, became the nightingales and were freed.

I scoffed at the silliness of it all. Freed? To be abused, raped, and then…ultimately killed?

I began to turn toward the side of the hall where I’d already been. The side that led to the room I had seen Bradley in with my sister. I knew I wasn’t crazy.

I just hadn’t had a moment to absorb the fact that the guilt I had carried all this time wasn’t even based on reality. I didn’t kill my sister; I didn’t take her life. But she did betray me. She sent me to Charlotte. She was a part of why my life had now become a constant game of cat and mouse.

I was wrecked and ruined.

“No, Demi. This way,” Kori whispered.

“It’s so dark.” Sage covered her eyes and started to panic.

“Sage, deep breaths.”

“It’s all black… Why is it so dark? Where is the clean white and bright…” She was breathing heavily as we made our way down and finally entered a room.

“Mrs. Rothschild, enough. You must compose yourself. I know, trust me, do I know. This is hell for me to come down here, but you cannot speak out, you cannot be this way.” Kori waved her hand over Sage’s body.

“Hello, there,” a soft voice called out in a hushed whisper.

The room was enormous. We turned and there it was.

A giant bird-like cage that had a swing inside.

And on that swing sat a woman wearing a long, flowing black gown, and her long black hair was draped over her shoulders. The only sound echoing and slicing through the silence was the slight creak in the golden metal as she swung.

“I’m Raven.” She looked through the darkness at us. Alister referred to me by the same nickname.

But she didn’t look directly at us; she looked behind us.

The small candle flickered and illuminated her, but we were in the dark completely.

“I wasn’t expecting the three of you.” She smiled slightly.

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