Page 198 of Immortal Bastard

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Juniper awoke to the rattling of keys. Her heart rate spiked and she swallowed a whimper, her lashes flickering against the tear-stained blindfold that covered her eyes. He’d just left. How could he possibly be back for more?

By the dank smell of the damp musty air, the torches were out. It was late. The sound of the bars opening marked his progress. She struggled to sit up, but her body ached from the earlier assault, and she lacked her usual strength.

“It’s me.”

She stilled at the sound of Dane’s voice, and relief washed over her. What was he doing here at this hour?

“I found the key for the restraints,” he whispered, creeping into her cell. “But you have to help me.”

He pulled the blindfold off her eyes, and she blinked as her vision adjusted to the shadows. She looked through the heavy metal bridle at him, desperate to have this horrific contraption off of her head.

“Promise you won’t make me regret helping you.”

She’d do anything to be out of this cell. With no way to speak, she mumbled an incoherent promise and nodded.

“Turn around. The lock’s in the back.”

She shifted on the cot as he fit the tiny key into the lock at the back of her head. The moment the metal loosened, she opened her mouth and started to cry. Her jaw ached as the piece that depressed her tongue withdrew. She breathed in a full breath and coughed.

Her skin was chapped and raw where the bridle had compressed her face over time. Later, she would fear permanent scarring. For now, she was solely focused on escaping.

“My hands.” Pure urgency shook her voice as she feared someone would catch them.

The moment he sliced the rope around her wrists, blood rushed into her fingers. She wrenched the bridle off her neck and threw it onto the ground and stood.

“Wait!” He caught her arm.

Her gaze snagged on the rifle leaning against the wall outside of her cell. She looked up at Dane.

He was strong, at least a foot taller than her. She was weak and injured. He’d catch her if she ran.

“I need a favor.”

Her throat was ravaged from disuse. “What do you want?”

“I know you have powers.”

Of course he wanted the one thing she couldn’t give. “I can’t—”

“You can. I saw you use them a few weeks ago. I just…” He glanced to the end of the hall where the chains rattled. She didn’t know what was down there but after years of hearing the snarls and screams, she didn’t want to find out. “I need you to watch my back.”

She hesitated, and looked back at the gun. Dane wasn’t like the others. She didn’t understand why he was here, aside from the girl he visited each night. She’d gathered it was his sister, but in all the time Juniper had occupied these cells she’d never heard the girl do more than screech and growl like a possessed animal.

“Please, just let me leave.” Her bare feet shifted over the dirt floor. “You said you’d help me.”

His stare bounced between her, the cellar door, and the far end of the hall. “I am helping you.”

She looked past him to the open cell door. “What are you doing with the gun?”

“I’m going to kill that thing in the last cell.”

She staggered back. “You’ll get us both killed. You can’t kill them. Don’t you know that? A gun isn’t enough.”

“I have to try.”

“You’ll fail. They can only die from decapitation, heart extraction, and fire. Bullets won’t do more than hurt them.”

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