Page 16 of Sigils & Spells

No one’s ever hit me before, and now I’m both terrified and furious.

I’m still plotting my escape when we reach the lab.

That’s when I see Angel in the cage in the corner.

Oh, shit.

I can’t escape.

Not yet.

Not without Angel.

CHAPTER10

ANGEL

I awakento crashing and a whimper that I know, without a doubt, belongs to Evie. I think even if I didn’t knowher,I’d know her voice, and I’d know she was in trouble.

“You will do as he says, or else,” the tall, lumbering shadow says. My vision is blurry at first, and my head is pounding. The last thing I remember was being on my porch and then…

Long, silver bars sharpen from grey blurs and reality dawns on me. I’m in a cage.

A cage like Q was put in, where he’d seized out, foaming at the damn mouth. And when the damn nameless goongrabsEvie by her shirt, smacking his hand across her face, I lose it.

“Don’t fucking touch her!” I holler as my nerves come back online, adrenaline spiking my system. I lunge forward, but it’s no use. I can’t fit through the bars, and even if I could, I’m not strong enough to bend whatever the hell these bars are made of.Silver.

Ivan’s voice in my head echoes as he explained the bars were made of silver to keep everyonesafe.

But something about the reality of seeing just what happened to Q, how his eyes had turned to animalistic slits before his body started literally steaming, before his shoulders grew and heragedat us both before seizing out altogether and breaking apart like a compressed tomato…

Am I next?The words filter into my brain of their own accord, fear in me skyrocketing.

The man snaps his head towards me, and my blood chills in horror. His face is some amalgamation of a hyena and a human, his eyes golden and glowing, his jaw practically unhinged and he actuallyhissesat me.

“Perhaps you are not the only one in need of a time out,” he says as he strong-arms Evie over. I watch, waiting for him to open the cage. I only need a few seconds…

Just as he opens the lock, before I make my move he shoves his hand through the bar, wrapping it around my neck. For as tall and lean as he is, his grip isstrong.Too strong.

Are all of Ivan’s employees . . .monsters?

No, I remind myself, Evie isn’t. I’m not.

Ivan told me the silver kept everyone safe, and the realization hits me. Maybe whatever creatures these are … maybe silver keeps us safe because it's harmful to them. I wrap my fingers around his wrist, pulling with all my might. I try to fight him off, to drag his solid form against the metal, but it’s no use. I can barely make his arm budge. He snickers as he throws Evie in with his free arm, and she falls to the metal ground with a thud, rubbing at her jaw. When he lets go, I gasp for breath, coughing from his pressure. The door is locked in seconds.

“All right, kiddies, you behave in time out, okay? Daddy will be back in the morning to see if you’ve learned your lesson.” He cackles before slinking out of the lab and slamming the door.

I watch as Evie sits up, pulling her knees to her chest. I don’t think twice about rushing over to her.

“Evie, are you—”

“I’m o-okay…” she sniffles, and I can see the tears streaming down her face. My heart aches to see her upset. Such a sweet, kind-hearted woman doesn't deserve this kind of treatment. No woman does.

“What happened?” I say as I pull her close. She doesn’t fight it, my touch. Instead, she leans into me, seeking comfort.

The thought I could provide any comfort in this situation is mind-boggling.

But I hold her all the same, because maybe I need comfort, too.

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