Page 49 of Back In the Shadows

“I can’t listen to that right now. I need answers, so tell me everything you know, you piece of shit.” I scrubbed my face with my free hand.

The voice responded with a gruff snarl, then explained the calls and riddles, and what he and Ryan had figured out so far. It was strange to realize that I had retained bits and pieces of Death’s conversations with others. Not much, but more than ever before.

I glanced at the clock. Ryan should be back at the hospital by now. My phone vibrated and I pulled it out of my back pocket and looked at the screen. I had three missed calls. Frowning, I ignored the call since it wasn’t from a number I recognized. I placed the cell on the nightstand and stared into space as my mind and emotions sank into a pool of numbness.

24

ELLA

Hairy legs traveled over my body, and I stilled. If I moved, the spiders would bite, and I would be left alone to die a slow death. Xavier would never give up his location to save me. He’d probably encourage my quick death in order to stuff me and place me next to his family at the table.

“Ella?” A panicked voice broke through my terror.

Too terrified to move, I uttered a tiny cry of help. Fear paralyzed me as the creatures covered nearly every inch of me.

“Ella? Can you hear me? You’re safe.”

The sounds of beeping and hushed voices penetrated my foggy brain. Where was I? How could I be safe locked in a cage with spiders covering every inch of me? A sharp pain traveled from the back of my skull and through my entire being. Unwillingly, I jerked, followed by a scream as the creatures swarmed me.

“Ella, I’m Dr. Neely. You just came out of surgery. We thought we lost you, so please try to be still and breathe.”

Doctor?

“Doctor, her heart is beating again. I don’t understand,” a female voice said.

“Thank god. Let’s get her stable and then I’ll call her husband. He was escorted out of the emergency room due to his violent response to her condition.”

My brows furrowed. “Sebastian?” I winced. My throat was so sore it felt like fingernails were dragging their way down my esophagus.

“Hang on, hon. Don’t try to talk yet. I’ve got an ice chip I’ll place on your lips to help.”

A cold sensation rested against my mouth, and I parted my lips, allowing the droplet of water to hit my tongue. The fog in my brain began to clear as I focused on the sounds and smells around me. Beeps, hushed conversations, cleaners. Something beneath me felt much softer than the cement floor I’d been sleeping on. With a rush of memories, I suddenly recalled that I had drugged Xavier, and he’d passed out. I’d gotten out of the cage and had run for my life. It had grown dark and cold, and I remembered tripping over a log or rock, then falling and falling. My eyes slowly opened, the bright light blinding me. I closed them, then tried again.

A dark-haired woman stood over me with a concerned expression.

“Hi, Ella. Can you hear me?”

“Yeah,” I whispered.

“Good. You gave us all a big scare, but it’s nice to see you with us again.”

“What happened? Sebastian?”

“We’re trying to reach him. He made quite a scene when we told him you … well, you died.”

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Died? A surge of panic and confusion washed over me as the doctor's words echoed in my mind. I tried to wrap my head around the idea of being dead, but it just didn't make sense. And Sebastian … he must bedevastated. My heart ached at the thought of him finding out I was gone.

As the reality of the situation started to sink in, a whirlwind of emotions engulfed me. Fear, disbelief, sadness—all jumbled together in a mess of conflicting feelings. But amidst the chaos, a tiny flicker of hope ignited within me. Sebastian. I needed to see him, to reassure him that I was here, alive and well. The thought of him mourning my death tore at my soul, and I had to tell him I was all right.

Fear ripped through me as my skin crawled, and I attempted to kick off the blankets. I dug my fingers into the blankets, feeling the texture between my fingertips. “Spiders.”

“No spiders, honey. I think your mind was playing tricks on you. It’s okay though,” one of the nurses said as she slipped a white device on my finger.

“Sometimes the drugs from surgery can do a number on you. But I assure you that not only am I terrified of spiders, I would also not be in here with you if there were any.” She attempted a sweet smile.

I turned my head slowly, the nausea from the pain in my neck and skull nearly paralyzing.

“Let me see her. She’s my sister,” a voice said from down the hall.

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