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?

I whisper, but there’s nothing.

that erratic plink, plink–plink of something

the voices are

Plink.

Plink–plink.

Plink.

mania of isolation and fear. I try

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142 Usa Chained

chest and I scream, the sound raw

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

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

shoulders slump, the fight draining out of me. I can barely stand, the

Plink. Plink–plink.

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

a

A fucking cell..

142 Lika Chained

chained up in some vampire’s dungeon like a

1. am.

Plink–plink–plink.

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

again, to rage against the unfairness of it all.

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

are weak and helpless

I hate this.

Hated his grim

he was here to tell

his smugness over this any day of the

can he possibly find me

142 143 Chalice)

where I am?

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

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

it be enough? Can they really go

know. I don’t know

fucking

Plink.

Plink–plink.

Plink.

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

lip hard enough to taste blood and focus on

342 LISA Chamed

find me. That Lucas and

have to believe that. Because the alternative

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

for a moment, just a moment, I almost believe it.

Plink.

until Bren’s face fills my 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 aphrodisiac