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?

whisper, but there’s

that erratic plink, plink–plink of something dripping.

voices are

Plink.

Plink–plink.

Plink.

into my mind, coiling around my heart and squeezing with a mania of isolation and

17:36 – )

2/8

142 Usa Chained

chest and I scream, the

sears through my arms, but I don’t care. I have to get out. I have to find Ava. “You can’t keep

pull and twist, my skin tearing, blood trickling down my forearms. Sobs wrack my body, each

draining out of me. I can barely stand, the shackles forcing me

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 swallowed by clouds a moment

a

A fucking cell..

142 Lika Chained

escaping in a strangled laugh. I’m chained up in some vampire’s dungeon like a gothic romance

1. am.

Plink–plink–plink.

S~ᴇaʀᴄh the Findɴovel.ɴet website on

I want to scream again, to rage against

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

and helpless against

I hate this.

around. Hated his grim determination to keep us safe, at

he was here

this any day of

how? How can he possibly find

142 143 Chalice)

know where I

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

think of Ava, of her fierce determination and unwavering loyalty. She won’t give up on

really go up against vampires and win?

know. I don’t know anything about this

scared. I’m so fucking scared

Plink.

Plink–plink.

Plink.

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

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

342 LISA Chamed

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

have to believe that. Because the alternative is too terrifying

his arms around me, his voice in my ear telling

for a moment, just a moment, I almost believe

Plink.

mind and I

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