Page 123 of The Immortal's One
My words are flat as I lie, “Guilt.”
Thane and Lome wanted to keep me safe because they think I’m Des’sOne. But part of me wants to believe they’d help me even if I weren’t; that they might actually feel bad for endangering an innocent woman by drawing their enemies' attention to her.
“Interesting.” Kaine's voice shifts, dropping an octave. “Very interesting.”
A sharp clap rings out. The sound is so loud that it vibrates through the darkness, echoing off the walls.
Then a bright, blinding light floods the space.
I wince and shield my eyes against the onslaught. My head throbs from the unexpected light. I take four steadying breaths before daring to crack my eyelids open. Slowly, they trail over my surroundings.
A cold, black-and-white checkered tile floor spreads out underneath me. My gown clings to me, damp and wrinkled. The metallic taste of fear lingers in my mouth as I take in the four walls—three made of concrete and one made of steel bars—stretching around me. The space is small, no more than ten feet wide.
I jerk back when I see a man—Kaine, I assume—standing less than five feet from me, on my side of the wall of bars. He’s dressed in a perfectly tailored suit that looks straight out of a historical novel, all fine silks and polished boots.
He doesn’t look like a man who's been imprisoned for weeks.
Dread coils deep in my gut.
“Did you turn the lights on?” I force the words out, trying to calm my racing heart and stop fear from overwhelming me.
His lips stretch into a smile—far too wide, far too pleased. “Indeed. Welcome to my home, Darcie.”
His home?
The walls feel like they’re closing in.
Truth sinks in with cold certainty. Still, I ask, “Are you Adir?”
“Indeed,” he replies, the word sliding off his tongue like honey—smooth, insidious. “Let’s make sure you remember everything, shall we?”
I flinch when he lifts a hand and waves it over my body. Cold air blasts at me, pressing into my skin. I gasp, cradling my throbbing head in my hands, ignoring the agony in mywrist, but before I can cry out for him to stop, my mind is flooded with memories.
The patio.
Adir’s eyes, cold as ice, staring down at me.
The raw, painful grip of his hand as he tore me through the rip in the fabric of the world.
I scramble to my feet, my legs shaking. I fight to keep my composure, but my voice betrays me. “W-what the hell is wrong with you, Adir? Why am I here?”
The Immortal crosses his arms, leaning against the bars. His face is like stone, cold and impassive, as he stares at me. The faintest trace of a smirk tugs at his lips. “Forgive my methods, Darcie, but I wanted to be sure I got the truth.”
I press my lips together and glare at the Immortal. I know exactly whattruthhe was after. Thank God I didn’t reveal my doubt to him when I thought he was Kaine. That would’ve been a disaster.
Don’t be naïve. This is still a disaster.
My nostrils flare.
“Nothing to say?” Mockery gleams in Adir’s eyes, his calm demeanor replaced with something darker. “Come now. Aren’t you curious about what I plan to do with you next?”
Terror seizes my lungs.
Breathe, Darice. Don’t let him win.
I inhale a ragged breath and exhale one that’s equally shaky, but I’m proud of myself for not looking away from his dangerous stare.
“No?” he tsks. “Very well. It doesn’t matter. I’m eager to share the true history of the Original Nine, and the role you’re about to play in our futures.”
