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?

whisper, but there’s nothing.

plink, plink–plink of

the voices are gone.

Plink.

Plink–plink.

Plink.

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

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142 Usa Chained

I scream, the sound

metal biting into my wrists. Pain sears through my arms, but I don’t care. I

twist, my skin tearing, blood trickling down my forearms. Sobs wrack my body, each one tearing out of my throat. It’s useless. The chains hold fast, unyielding.

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

Plink. Plink–plink.

walls, a small window high above my head. The barest hint of moonlight filters through, only to be swallowed by

in a

A fucking cell..

142 Lika Chained

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.

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scream again, to rage against the

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

are weak and helpless against the

I hate this.

Kellan. I’d hated how he was always around. Hated his grim determination to keep us safe,

desperately that he was here to tell me I told you

his smugness over this

possibly

142 143 Chalice)

where I am?

let

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

they really go up against

don’t know. I don’t know anything about

fucking scared and

Plink.

Plink–plink.

Plink.

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

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

342 LISA Chamed

that Kellan and Ava will find me. That Lucas

believe that. Because the alternative

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

a moment, just a

Plink.

my mind and I can’t stop thinking

how my biggest concern just a while ago was his weird breeding kink and the biting. Of how he wasn’t great at foreplay. Of the slightly–better–than mediocre sex and then the aphrodisiac that