Page 50 of Fate of the Fallen

Nick

There was rock bottom … and then there was this.

The tendons beneath my arms stretched to capacity as the very tips of my toes swept across the concrete. Sweat poured from my face and neck, merging withmoresweat as I hung from thick chains. The steal beams they attached to creaked and moaned with every move I made, feeling the burn from within as my body rejected this process.

This … process.

Blood poured from my mouth as I vomited more of it up. It had been the only thing I was allowed to consume for days—all part of Sebastian’s plan to sire me, to control me like some exotic pet. I overheard guards talking a few nights ago when I drifted into consciousness. Apparently, this is the Sovereigns hobby, collecting oddities within the supernatural world. It just so happened I was one such oddity.

Another?

A royal descendent—Evie.

I felt her the moment they brought her here, placing my weakness in a cell not nearly far enough away to keep her safe. That was nearly a week ago now, and every second of every day, all I could think about was killing her.

Sebastian came in to observe every so often, seemingly disappointed when he laid eyes on me, the darkness that flowed through my veins as murderous thoughts ravished me. I believed he thought I ought to have been past this craving by now, but if he felt what I felt on the inside, he would have known that was impossible. Despite the sire bond he hoped to establish beginning to take effect, I knew there would never be anything to override this feeling.

Nothing.

Ever.

A guard paced past the door where I was held, in what I imagined to have once been the cafeteria of a long-abandoned prison. The broken, overturned tables and steel-topped serving counter were a dead giveaway. Behind it, a dark kitchen that now lie dormant. I focused on the doorway again, watching as he passed for a second time.

Every second was grueling, wanting to break free from these chains and just … find her. As ashamed as I was for feeling so weak by such a dark need, I was a slave to it.

“Hey!” I called out.

He ignored me, so I called out again.

“Come here a sec,” I panted. Every breath was labored and painful as I struggled against the chains.

Heavy boots crushed small pieces of debris beneath them as he approached. Finally. He gazed up at me with a bored stare, making sure to keep his hand on his knife just in case I tried something.

“What?” he sighed.

I blinked through droplets of sweat that sat on the tips of my lashes. “I need to speak with Sebastian. Heck, I’ll even settle for Blaise, but I need someone.”

The guard looked me over quickly and scoffed before walking away. “Yeah, and I need a million bucks. Guess we’ll both die disappointed,” he grumbled.

“It’s an emergency,” I shouted back. “He brought a girl here, didn’t he?”

My question made the guard’s steps halt, but he didn’t turn.

“A hybrid,” I added. “He made a mistake, though. She can’t be here with me. It’s just a matter of time until I can’t control this and I lose it. If that happens, these chains may as well be made of straw,” I warned.

He seemed to get a kick out of that—me thinking I could break free.

“Oh, yeah? And who exactly is gonna help you?” he taunted. “Cause last I checked, you were locked down pretty good.”

I didn’t have time for this. “Get Sebastian,” I demanded. “When he hears what I have to say, you might even get a gold star for being a good little pup.” When I finished, I laughed, seeing that the comment had gotten under his skin.

He came close again, but this time it wasn’t to talk. Instead, he pounded his fist into my gut and air rushed from my lungs, forcing more blood up from my stomach with it. As I writhed and coughed, he retreated again, keeping his gaze trained on me.

“Keep your mouth shut and this’ll go a whole heck of a lot smoother for all of us,” he warned, sending the rage within me through the roof.

Letting them keep me in these chains was getting harder by the second and, soon, I wouldn’t be able to keep the beast on its leash.

He’d be here soon, and when that happened, there wouldn’t be a lycan or dragon alive who could stop him.

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