Page 36 of Exile
"Well, that explains the blood," Smith murmurs to himself.
"Why are you still here?" I snap at him. "Beat it."
Smith takes a step toward the door, and for a moment, I can't help but get excited that perhaps we're about to square-off. But instead, he raises his voice so Avery can hear.
"Are you okay, Avery? You'll be in there overnight. You weren't harmed, were you?"
Fine. He can live—for now, reluctantly. But I narrow my eyes at him, a warning not to tempt me.
There's no doubt about it that he cares about our girl, but he's far from innocent and kind. It was his delusions that caused Avery to be arrested in the first place. The ripple effect trickled down until she was fully on Damon's father's radar. Then, the more he's involved himself with the situation, the more harm he's brought her.
He should have left the protection detail to us. We can handle it. While he may have his own reasons for wanting to protect her—call it good doctorhood or whatever—he has no idea how to deal with this. And I'm getting a little fed up with him being in our faces.
Grey seems to share the same sentiments. He stays quiet though, waiting for Avery to answer the question.
"No," she says, and we all breathe a sigh of relief. "Other than being a little banged up from the guard dragging me here."
"We'll deal with him," I comment, Grey giving a firm nod of agreement.
Standing, Grey steps toward Smith, cracking his neck as he moves. "We're staying down here. Go see if you can figure out a way to get this door open."
Much to my annoyance, Smith nods, listening to Grey.
Asshole.
After he leaves, the two of us adjust our positions, backs pressed against the door as we stand guard for the night. Avery fills us in on a little more detail, specifically Whittingham's words and how she's using the torch on her cell to see around the dark room.
To my astonishment, we're not interrupted the entire night. I suspect Smith has redirected the guards in Whittingham's absence, ensuring we're not disturbed.
There's no fooling anyone though. We can all agree that it's for the guards' benefits—not ours. This cold floor will be their last resting place if they dare step foot down here.
Avery manages to catch some sleep, but Grey and I stay awake the whole night, listening to the faint, soft sounds of her deep breathing. And when morning comes, we've mapped out a plan, promising Avery that she'll be out of that cold box really soon.
If that means slaughtering every person in this place, then so be it.
Chapter 14
Avery
I send Theo and Grey away at the first sign of morning light. Of course, I'm using the term loosely since it's still pitch black in here.
Thankfully, my cell manages to stay on, the battery holding out since the only function I used all night was the torch light.
I don't know why, but there's something about daytime that feels safe. Like the monsters can't harm you when the sun is out. Maybe it's because fear stems from darkness and the unknown.
Knowing it's a new day, I feel a little more in control. My appreciation for the guys continues to grow, especially after they sat on the cold floor the whole night, making me feel protected.
Being able to speak to them, even through the door, erased that weird sense of time paralysis that I first experienced when I was locked in here.
I remember Theo mentioning that food only comes once a day, and my stomach rumbles at the thought. The gap under the door isn't big enough for the guys to sneak snacks, butI'm remaining optimistic that perhaps they will be able to convince someone to let me out of here.
The hours continue to pass though, and I keep checking the time, trying to keep a sense of reality. By early afternoon, I find myself nodding off into a light sleep, my entire body out of whack by the constant darkness in the room. Outside noises echo downstairs and in my sleepy state, I don't hear the door open.
Footsteps start to bring me out of my slumber, but when I blink rapidly, attempting to wake, all I can make out is a blurred shadow in the corner.
What the fuck.
Maybe I'm imagining it. Hallucinations are probably a side effect of this room, and even though my heart starts pounding against my chest, I convince myself that I'm just seeing things.
