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 there’s nothing.

that erratic plink, plink–plink of something

voices

Plink.

Plink–plink.

Plink.

mania of isolation and fear. I try to

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142 Usa Chained

I scream, the sound raw

arms, but I don’t care. I have to get out. I have to find Ava. “You can’t keep me here!”

my forearms. Sobs wrack my body, each one tearing out of my throat. It’s

of me. I can barely stand, the shackles forcing me to hunch

Plink. Plink–plink.

I 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

in a

A fucking cell..

142 Lika Chained

chained up in some vampire’s dungeon like a gothic romance heroine. Except

1. am.

Plink–plink–plink.

pace, as if mocking my S~ᴇaʀᴄh the Findɴovel.ɴet website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of novels early and in the highest

again, to rage against

or super strength hidden deep inside. I can’t shift into

Humans are weak and helpless against

I hate this.

how he was always around. Hated his grim determination

I wish desperately that he was here to tell me

his smugness over this any day of the

how? How can he possibly find me when I

142 143 Chalice)

know where I

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

unwavering loyalty. She won’t give up on me. She’ll tear this world

it be enough? Can they really

don’t know anything about this world.

scared. I’m so fucking scared and I

Plink.

Plink–plink.

Plink.

my head, driving out every other thought. It’s maddening, the irregularity of it. I

lip hard enough to taste blood and focus on the

342 LISA Chamed

and Ava will find me. That Lucas and the Westwood pack will tear this place apart

believe that. Because the

face. I imagine his arms around me, his voice in my ear telling

a moment, just a moment, I

Plink.

mind and I can’t stop thinking about

how he wasn’t great at foreplay. Of the slightly–better–than mediocre sex and then the