Page 61 of Rebel Fae
Chapter Twenty-Three
Vaughn tackled Alexander Habermann,dragging him to the ground in a ball of arms and legs. Adaline let out a yelp and rushed toward the fight. Then, thinking better of it, she fumbled for her purse, likely looking for some way to call for help.
Flying in, I grabbed both her wrists and yanked them away from her purse. She let out another yelp, her eyes wide.
“Who’s there?” she shouted. “What is this?”
“Shut up and do what I say.”
“Tally?”
I didn’t answer. I held her tight as I glanced over my shoulder to see what was happening with Vaughn and Alexander. The Habermann brother might have been formidable as a scientist and all-around awful person, but he was no match for Vaughn. Already pinning Alexander’s hands behind his back, Vaughn was using his cuffs to secure them there.
“Help!” she screamed, but I clamped my hand over her mouth.
I wrenched her wrist up. “Scream again and I’ll break your pretty hand.”
“You won’t get away with this,” Adaline said, tugging against me. “There’s no way out of this dome.”
“We both know that isn’t true.”
“You think you have it all figured out, do you, Tally? How foolish.” Her blue eyes narrowed, and a smile crept onto her face.
I tightened my grip on her wrists, watching her wince. She deserved it for all the people her New Starts program had killed. I still thought of poor Daniella every day. And what Adaline and her brother did to my cousin was unspeakable. I didn’t care if I hurt her. Part of me wanted her to suffer for all the pain she’d caused others.
Leaving Alexander on his face with his hands behind his back, Vaughn raced over and took Adaline’s hands and cuffed them, too. “Keep your hand over her mouth and get her into the kitchen. Hurry.”
I did as he said, keeping Adaline quiet while pushing her toward the double doors that lead into a dimly lit, industrial-size kitchen as Vaughn followed behind with Alexander.
“The fridge. Over there.” Vaughn used this free hand to point to a wide steel door on the far side of the kitchen.
Quickly, I pushed Adaline forward and opened the refrigerator door. The four of us rushed inside the cool space stocked with vegetables, fruits, and dairy products. Vaughn dragged Alexander by this rumpled shirt and pushed him against the wall. He was more gentle with Adaline but set her beside her brother, nonetheless.
I decided now was the time to make myself visible.
“The fae,” Alexander said, spitting a bit of blood from his mouth. “I told you she was trouble.”
Adaline raised an eyebrow. Despite how disheveled her brother was, she still looked impeccable. “Tally is wild like all the fae. It’s one of the qualities that makes them so perfect for what we are trying to do.”
“What you did was torture my cousin. You turned him into some sort of mindless monster.” The anger I’d kept at bay threatened to rise, and I had to fight the urge to smash their faces. It wasn’t easy to keep my emotions in check, but if I was going to get Arryn, Courtney, and all of us out of here, I had to.
Alexander spat more blood out onto the floor before regarding us. “The two of you will make such a delightful addition to my collection. Tally, you’ll soon be joining your cousin, though your transformation will prove very interesting with that new power of yours. Tell me, how did that happen, or have you always had that ability and kept it secret until now?”
“I don’t have time for your questions,” I said. “Vaughn, do you know where the girls are?”
He shook his head. “They’ve moved them. No one will tell me where.”
I turned back to the Habermanns. “We need the exact locations of Courtney and Arryn, and we want your access codes.” I stood firm, letting them know I meant business.
Alexander smiled. “You’re going to hurt me? Really? You?”
Vaughn flexed his muscles. “What about me?” he growled. “Do you think I’d hurt you?”
The smile faded from Alexander’s face.
“What’s your endgame here, Tally?” Adaline asked. “Like I said before, there’s no way for you in or out of the dome. The magic weak spot has been closed up and all the doors sealed. No one can go in or out until Karen’s attacker is located.”
Her words felt like a torrent of icy water cascading down my spine. We didn’t have a plan. This whole escape attempt was a mix of bravery, stupidity, and hope. Except hearing Adaline lay out how futile our efforts were made all the hope evaporate before my eyes.
