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

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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

plink–plink of something

voices are gone.

Plink.

Plink–plink.

Plink.

a mania of isolation and fear. I try to move again, the chains rattling like mocking laughter. Frustration rips

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142 Usa Chained

the sound raw

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

tearing, blood trickling down my forearms. Sobs wrack my body, each one tearing

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

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

in a

A fucking cell..

142 Lika Chained

chained up in some vampire’s dungeon like a gothic romance heroine. Except there’s no dashing hero coming to save me. No one even knows where I

1. am.

Plink–plink–plink.

S~ᴇaʀᴄh the Findɴovel.ɴet website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of novels early and

to rage against the unfairness

human. There’s no magic or super strength hidden deep

Humans are weak and helpless against the supernatural.

I hate this.

how he was always around. Hated his grim determination to keep us

here to tell me

his smugness over this any day of the week.

possibly find

142 143 Chalice)

where I am?

eyes, hot and bitter. I let them

her fierce determination and unwavering loyalty. She won’t give up on me. She’ll tear this world apart to

will it be enough? Can they really go up against vampires and

I don’t know anything

so fucking scared and

Plink.

Plink–plink.

Plink.

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

lip hard enough to taste blood and focus on the pain. It grounds

342 LISA Chamed

have to hold on. I have to believe that Kellan and Ava will find me. That Lucas and the Westwood pack will

have to believe that. Because the alternative

and picture Kellan’s face. I imagine his arms around me,

a moment, just a moment, I

Plink.

mind and I can’t stop thinking

his weird breeding kink and the biting. Of how he wasn’t great at foreplay. Of the