Tangled

142 Lisa: Chained

The sound of water dripping is the first thing to break through the darkness of my mind.

Plink.

Plink–plink.

Plink.

It’s an erratic rhythm that leaves me uncomfortable.

The voices come next, soft, sibilant whispers. Evil. Whoever they are, they’d be the villains in any story.

Eventually, I realize the darkness is really just pain. Pain that throbs and aches in half my face. But why?

Vampires.

That’s why.

My eyes fly open when I finally remember, and I struggle to sit up, blinking into the darkness.

I can’t see anything.

Are my eyes open?

My hands won’t reach my face, yanking against

17:36

1/8

142 Lisa: Chained

something cold and hard around my wrists.

Manacles?

Swiping my hands around, I can feel the heavy, rusted chains holding me down, bolted to the floor.

Fuck.

This is…

Really not good.

Ava. Is Ava here?

but

erratic plink, plink–plink of something dripping.

voices are

Plink.

Plink–plink.

Plink.

sound slithers into my mind, coiling around my heart and squeezing with a mania of isolation and fear. I try to move again, the chains rattling like mocking laughter. Frustration rips

17:36 – )

2/8

142 Usa Chained

scream, the sound raw

into my wrists. Pain sears through my arms, but I don’t care. I have to get out. I have to find

my forearms. Sobs wrack my body, each one

the fight draining out of me. I can barely stand, the shackles forcing me to hunch over. My muscles burn

Plink. Plink–plink.

try to force my eyes to adjust to the darkness. Shapes slowly emerge from the inky blackness. Rough stone walls, a small window high above my head. The barest hint of moonlight filters through, only to be swallowed by clouds a moment later.

in a

A fucking cell..

142 Lika Chained

strangled laugh. I’m chained up in some vampire’s dungeon like a gothic romance heroine. Except there’s no dashing hero coming

1. am.

Plink–plink–plink.

up pace, as if mocking my S~ᴇaʀᴄh the Findɴovel.ɴet website on Gøøglᴇ

scream again, to rage against the unfairness of

There’s no magic or super strength hidden deep inside. I can’t shift into a wolf or

and

I hate this.

he was always around. Hated his grim determination to keep us safe, at the

he was here

smugness over this

How can he possibly find me

142 143 Chalice)

know where I

my eyes, hot and bitter. I let them fall, too tired to

of her fierce determination and unwavering loyalty. She won’t

they really go up against

don’t know. I don’t know anything

I’m scared. I’m so fucking scared and I don’t know what

Plink.

Plink–plink.

Plink.

my head, driving out every other thought. It’s maddening, the irregularity of it. I want to scream, to beg for it

and focus on the pain. It grounds me, keeps me

342 LISA Chamed

me. That Lucas and

have to believe that. Because the alternative is too terrifying to consider.

and picture Kellan’s face. I imagine his arms around me, his voice in my ear telling me it’s going to

for a moment, just a

Plink.

Bren’s face fills my mind and I can’t stop thinking about him.

he wasn’t great at foreplay. Of the slightly–better–than mediocre sex and then the aphrodisiac that had elevated it to good