Page 43 of Destiny Redeemed
The sound of approaching footsteps snapped me back to reality. My heart leapt—was it Anderic? Had he somehow found me?
But no, the gait was all wrong. Too heavy, too hurried. Still, I hoped.
I strained my ears at the sound of approaching footsteps, hope and dread warring in my chest. The cell door creaked open, and I squinted against the torchlight as Red strode in, flanked by his thugs and a smug-looking Gareth.
I hoped too much.
Red’s cold eyes swept over me, his lip curling in disgust, no doubt repulsed by the grime and filth that clung to my skin after days in the cell. “I’ve lost my patience with you, girl. You will answer my questions now.”
I met his gaze, summoning all the dignified scorn I could muster. “And here I thought we were getting along so well.”
His hand shot out, gripping my chin painfully. “Why were you at the Meadows Inn? What did you want? Who else knows about this?”
I remained stubbornly silent, my heart pounding, knowing I could die any moment. Red’s fingers tightened, his nails digging into my skin.
“Last chance,” he growled. “Give me answers, or die.”
A chill ran down my spine as an eerily familiar scene flashed before my eyes - Captain Maxwell, his sword at my throat, giving me the same ultimatum in my previous life. The memory of cold steel biting into my chest was so vivid I could almost feel it again.
Not this time. I won’t let it end like that again.
I lifted my chin, meeting Red’s gaze defiantly. “Go to hell.”
I raised my leg and kicked—or rather tried to kick him in the shin. Red quickly blocked me, his face contorted with rage. He stepped back, nodding to his men. “Make her talk.”
What followed was a blur of pain and terror. Fists rained down on me, each impact sending shockwaves through my body. I bit my lip to keep from crying out, tasting copper as my teeth broke the skin.
Think of something else,I told myself desperately.Anything else.
I focused on the dank cell around me - the crumbling stone walls, slick with moisture. The acrid smell of mold and decay. The distant drip of water echoed through the corridors.
A particularly vicious blow to my ribs drove the air from my lungs. I doubled over, gasping.
“Ready to talk now?” Red sneered.
I spat a mouthful of blood at his feet. “Is that… the best you can do?”
He isn’t getting anything from me.
His face twisted with fury. In an instant, his hands were around my throat, squeezing mercilessly. I clawed at his fingers, desperate for air. Black spots danced at the edges of my vision as my lungs screamed for oxygen.
Anderic,I thought hazily. Please, save me.I have so much to do yet.
Just as consciousness began to slip away, a thunderous crash echoed from outside the cell. Red’s grip loosened in surprise, and I collapsed to the ground, gulping in precious air.
“What the hell was that?” Red snarled, whirling towards the door.
As I lay there, struggling to breathe, a familiar voice cut through the chaos - deep, commanding, and absolutely furious.
“You’re going to pay for that.”
Chapter 11
Anderic. He came.
As he burst into the room, his golden curls wild and eyes blazing with fury, he looked like an avenging angel—no, like the Angel of Death itself, wreathed in righteous wrath. A sob tore from my throat, the relief so intense it was almost painful. For a moment, I thought I might be hallucinating from the lack of food and water. But no—he was real, gloriously real, and absolutely livid.
“I suggest you step away before I make you.” His voice was cold and controlled—but his eyes burned with fury.
