Page 171 of Rising Out of the Darkness
The small boat jolted back and forth as we hit the edge of the shore. Losing my balance, I fell against Declan. Every part of my body felt like it was shutting down as my breaths became ragged. One creature tied up the boat as the other scooped me up into its arms. I felt myself fading. If I didn’t breathe soon, I was sure to black out. It carried me up the jagged steps, then dropped me to the rocky ground.
The force of the blow was enough to shock the panic inside of me, allowing me to take a gasp. Only for another familiar voice to make it catch in my throat again.
“Welcome, Lady Elena, so good to have you back.”
Double fuck.
The last face that I saw before I passed out was none other than Alastor Grimshaw’s.
Chapter 71
Elena
Incessant screams woke me up. All around me was darkness, and I struggled to figure out my surroundings. Where in the Hells was I?
“Declan?”
Another scream rang out.
“Please, love. Answer me. Tell me you’re okay.”
Nothing but screams answered back.
Every muscle in my body cried out in pain as I tried to move. My arms were free of their shackles. However, sharp thorns tore my flesh, making me realize that they’d been replaced by something else entirely.
A faint glow of light came from above me, and it allowed me to see that I was trapped underneath layers of thorny vines. Black vines twisted around my wrists and ankles, contorted themselves around in my body, securing me in their tomb.
Panic flooded my body. I hated the darkness, and now I was trapped inside of it. Closing my eyes shut, I whispered my mantra to myself.
Meanwhile, I tried to reach for my dynamis, but hollowness was all that I felt. Panic began to take hold of me as I grasped for something that was no longer there.
Screams filled the air again. Each was full of agony and pain. The sound gnawed against my skin, and it almost felt as if the woman’s screams were my own. Tears began to well in my eyes for her. I was ashamed that there was nothing I could do to save her from whatever torture she was enduring.
The screams continued for what seemed like hours until something within them changed drastically. As she screamed, her voice became more shrill and high-pitched, almost like a whimper from some sort of…animal.
Silence filled the cold cave that I was being held in, and I strained my neck as high as I could, hoping to catch any hint of a sound that she was still alive.
A howl bellowed from above, sending shivers rippling down my body. I knew that howl, the sound of the beasts that had wreaked havoc on our kingdom. Hot, frustrated tears ran down my cheeks. How could we have missed that Alastor had something to do with these beasts?
Thoughts froze in my mind as a growl emanated from the space above me. Two dark eyes stared back at me as the beast bared its teeth. It tipped its head towards the rocky ceiling as another howl rang from its body.
That was when I saw something that would haunt my memories forever. Below the beast were its thick, matted legs and paws. All except for one leg. A leg that looked very much like an arm…with fingers.Dear, gods.
Terror struck me like a knife. He was turning them into these beasts. Someone’s mother, brother, sister, child …they could be one of these foul beasts. The thought made my stomach sour. I only turned my head in just enough time to retch its entire contents.
What kind of depraved Hell have I found myself in?
Every part of my body felt aflame from the rampant torture Alastor had put me through over what I could only assume had been several days. I’d been in and out of consciousness so many times that I’d lost track of time entirely.
When we first began, I hadn’t been shocked to see Alastor’s face hover before me. There was no surprise when he unleashed his lightning dynamis on me and had his creatures claw their way through my skin. What shocked me was when Will entered the cave and worked alongside Alastor.
Fury screamed inside of me as Alastor ordered him time and time again to seal my wounds with flames. Alastor didn’t want me to heal completely, just enough to keep me alive to withstand the next session of torture. The memory of his words sent a tremor of fear throughout my exhausted body.
“You will break for me, Elena, and I won’t stop until I find the key to your undoing. When that time comes, you’ll hand over your dynamis to me willingly. Until then, you’ll feel pain in every part of your body all the way down to your soul. I’m going to make you suffer for all you’ve taken from me, time and time again.”
Those last words still whirled around in my mind. From day one, it had been obvious that Alastor had a strong dislike for me. However, I was perplexed as to why he assumed I’d taken something from him. Whatever atrocities he thought I’d done had certainly fueled his fury.
Even thoughts felt too heavy as my exhausted body slumped against the cold, wet stone I was chained to. Alastor had stepped away, giving me a brief moment of reprieve.
