Page 20 of Hex
His snarl reveals his sharp teeth as he steps forward, key in hand to unlock the heavy metal door. These cells are much like the last ones, in a mountain somewhere, but the doors have a face-sized hatch that Gregor leaves open, mostly so Saffron and I can hear each other being tortured.
Just two months ago, I thought my life was boring and had no meaning, but now it’s all been turned upside down and zig-zagged quite dramatically. I have lived hundreds of lives, most of which I can only remember snippets of, all of them ending prematurely, but I feel like a whole new person this time around. The memories are giving me the strength I need to hang on to hope, because a couple of weeks of torture are nothing compared to the deaths I’ve experienced already.
I’m still me though, at my core. The me I think I’ve always been.
And that is someone who laughs—albeit stupidly—in the face of danger, someone who believes in true love—when I’m not hexed to the eyeballs—and someone who will fight to the death for her friends.
Tonight’s the night.
It has to be.
I refuse to let Saffron die.
I refuse to spend my birthday in this cell tomorrow.
If I still had my chains and charms, I’d find a way to wrap one around Gregor’s neck. Yeah, I’m down the dark, deathly, killing, rabbit hole.
“You insolent child. Drink the water.” His demand is slow and dangerous.
“No.” And I’m playing with fire.
“Now.” The wrap around his head is beginning to move, the snakes beneath no doubt trying to break free.
“Why?”Come on, open the door…
I’m standing as far back as I can, my back against the wall, but I can see through the open flap. His grayish face looks like it’s getting darker as his eyes practically bulge.
The sound of the key sliding into the lock makes me take a deep breath, readying myself. I have no real plan, no fighting experience, no reason to win here, but I’ll only fail if I stop trying.
The metal cup in my hand, full of the water he’s insisting that I drink, is unsteady, but it’s my only weapon. I don’t know exactly what’s in it, but I know it tastes different today than any other day. The strange scent it usually gives off is stronger, and while I may have gulped down the first one before I realized, this one is a no-go.
Gregor swings the door open, standing in the open gap with his chest heaving heavily. It really riles him up when I question him…
Good.
“What you gonna do, huh? You planning on using that huge whip that you wish was your dick? Or are you just mad that you can’t find said dick because it’s so small? Must be, the way you beat on women who can’t fight back.” Adrenaline is fueling me, my heart beating rapidly and my limbs tingling.
“You’re no woman.” He spits at my feet, two feet away from me now as he eyes me up and down. One of my arms is ‘relaxed’ by my side, the other holding the metal cup at chest height. “You’re merely a pawn, a vessel to be used as my master sees fit.”
He steps closer again, tilting his head from one side to the other, a wicked snarl curling his top lip at the corners. His face is now so close…
Throwing the water into his eyes, I duck and step around him as he goes to grab for me, then I swing the cup as hard as I can into the back of his head. The thick crunch makes me gag, my eyes watering on impact. Not because it hurts me, but because of the screeching snakes and the pool of blood darkening the light-blue fabric that covers them.
I hadn’t even considered the snakes, but as Gregor wobbles on his feet, one of the snakes starts piercing through. I’d like to avoid being turned to stone. Dipping to pick up the whip Gregor dropped as he continues to stagger, now holding the back of hishead, I grab the key chain hanging from his kimono and hobble as quickly as I can out of the cell.
Just as I slam the door closed, Gregor’s gurgling stops as he collapses, so I don’t waste time locking it because my priority now is finding the key to get Saffron out too.
I’m a little shocked that this is working. All it took was a hard hit to the head. It feels too easy but I’m not about to complain. My body is in enough pain and I’m kinda glad I don’t have to add more with a fight.
Crossing the cave, I stop at Saffron’s door and try one of the keys. It doesn’t work, but there are seven others, one of them will work. Key number five is the winner and the sound of the lock clicking open gives me a thrill.
I pull the door open with no idea what to expect, and what I find is a broken faerie. The smell is much like my own cell, rank being the only way to describe it, but it’s a tertiary thing that barely registers in my brain at this point.
“Oh, Saffron.” Kneeling down beside her, where she’s curled into a ball on her threadbare blanket, I tentatively wrap my arm around her waist, below her wings. “Can you walk?”
The time it takes for her to lift her head and look at me is painstaking, but I don’t want to rush her—as much as we really need to get the hell out of here. Her light-purple eyes are bloodshot and puffy, her already pale skin almost translucent.
“I can walk. But where’s Gregor?” Her voice is soft but shaky.
