Page 163 of Blood and Ruin: The Complete Series

Loud boots stomp closerbefore two guards appear at my cell door. Unlocking it, they both walk inside, leaving the metal door open behind them.

“She’s awake.”

I want to roll my eyes at the idiot of a guard. Of course, I’m awake. I’m staring right at him. But I wasn’t stupid enough to provoke him when I was strapped down to a metal table and hooked up to a machine that could electrocute me. Or at least that’s what it feels like when King turned it on.

The guard that spoke has blonde hair and dull blue eyes. He’s looking at me with a spark of interest in his eyes. One that reminds me of the King’s men back in King’s hotel.

He moves closer, along with the other guard. The other one is slightly shorter with short, mousy brown hair and gray eyes. His eyes are not as sharp and cold as the blonde-haired guard.

He watches me warily with a frown. Turning to the blonde guard, he gives him a sharp look. “Don’t engage.”

But the spark of interest is already lit in his eyes and doesn’t dim as he moves closer.

“She’s a pretty little thing, isn’t she?” His words make me feel sick to my stomach.

I turn away from him and watch the other guard, hoping that he’ll lose interest and leave me be.

The other guard huffs a reply, pulling a small rock from his pocket and places it on a small table beside me before turning the machine on.

The metal cuff tightens, and I tense, knowing what’s coming next.

They haven’t given me the green vial, so maybe this time I can heal quicker.

“Come on, we’ll collect the energy later. Our job here is done.”

But the other guard doesn’t move, still staring down at me with a wide smile full of cruel intentions. “You heard what Demetri said. She can’t die. Don’t you want to see it?”

The guard looks at him like he’s crazy. “Fuck no, and neither should you. Let’s go. Now.”

The blonde guard narrows his eyes on me, his friend’s words not deterring him the slightest as the spark grows.

He stares down a moment longer before turning and following his friend.

Just as the lock clicks into place, the first slash of pain slices down my body, and drags out, becoming endless.

Moments later, my vision darkens, and I’m pulled under once more.

* * *

A thick blackness surrounds me.It’s all I see and feel, like a slick oil coating my skin. I turn around, but everywhere I glance, it’s the same.

Complete and utter darkness.

With not even the slightest shade of gray showing, I reach up to my eyes to see if I’ve closed them. But they’re open, leaving me to think that I might have gone blind.

Logically, it’s not possible with my ability, so instead of jumping to conclusions, I take a deep breath and try to focus on what I can control.

Taking stock of my body, I realize that I’m no longer lying down but standing up.

Am I dead?

Raising my hands out in front of me, I take a step forward. When I don’t fall down some strange black hole, I take another and another until I’m wandering aimlessly through the dark.

The longer I move through the endless black, the more I start to believe that my body has given in and accepted death.

That, or my mind has finally cracked, and I’ve lost it.

Whirling around, again and again, I see no difference, no change… no light.

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