Page 51 of Heart’s Prisoner

Xerus placed both hands on the window and lowered his head, his horns resting against the glass.

"Run."

And Lana did. She flew for the door and let out a cry of relief when it actually opened for her. She sprinted down the hall and nearly pounded on the door to be let out. When the door slid open and there was a large enough gap to slip through, she did so, falling to her knees on the ground just outside the entrance.

"Close it! Close it now!" she cried.

For once Torrence complied immediately. The door closed and Lana crawled away, fumbling to her feet.

"Jesus, what happened? You alright, sweetheart?"

Galger held her arm to balance her and Lana didn't care that he touched her. She didn't care about anything. She wept in front of them, covering her face with her hands.

"She's having a panic attack," she heard Torrence say. "Take her up to level six."

Lana allowed herself to be led out of the facility. Through teary eyes, she saw everyone frozen in shock as they stared at her. But she didn't care.

Chapter Sixteen

Lana sat on the medical bed, staring down at her feet, thinking of everything and nothing. Her phone rested on the table nearby and her eyes flashed over to it but it lay silent. Her eyes dropped back to the ground and she clasped her hands together.

It had been ten hours now since she'd been taken up to the medical bay and she had slept for three. And only because of the medication they had given her. When she had woken up in a near panic, she had immediately gone to her phone and called to twelve. Asking for Torrence.

"We are watching him carefully, Ms. Hart. I assure you there's no way he can get out."

"He said he could," Lana protested. "He said he was going to..."

"I reviewed the footage, I heard what he said. He just wanted to scare you, Ms. Hart. And he did a good job."

Lana chewed on her lip and shut her eyes, rubbing her temples. Her throat was still dry and scratched from the sobbing and her nose was still stuffed; her eyes were still a little puffy and dark from tears and lack of sleep.

"He will be taken care of as soon as we get the go-ahead from the generals," Torrence stated. " Until then I have everything under control. Now worry about yourself."

"I know Galger plans to torture him. You can't let him do it," Lana said, her hand shaking. "No one should go near him."

"Ms. Hart–"

"You said you heard him. He had planned to get captured all along, doesn't that concern you?" Lana nearly yelled.

"Ms. Hart. He probably said that to, I don't know, spare his ego or something. But as I said he is going to be taken care of soon, regardless. Now I have work to do so, goodbye." The phone went dead and Lana wanted to fling it at the wall. Instead, she dialed for Jacob.

When he didn't pick up she left a voicemail and waited.

It had been an hour now and still he hadn't called her back. Rising from her bed she began to pace.

Her thoughts began to shift back to her and Xerus' final conversation but she forced them away. There was no point dwelling on his words now, save for those that put everyone in danger. She felt the stabbing pain in her chest again but she ignored it as best she could. What was done was done. Maybe she had been a fool all along for trusting him.

The door to her room opened and Lana stopped to stare at the one who entered.

"You finally came."

Nicole barely smiled at her as she closed the door behind her. "I'm so sorry, Lana. Are you–"

"Please." Lana sat back down on the bed. "Don't finish that sentence."

Nicole came up to stand before her. "I'm sorry I missed your messages. I really am. I wish..." She shook her head. " A lot has happened in the last few days."

Lana let out a little laugh. "You're telling me."

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