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

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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 there’s nothing.

plink–plink

voices are gone.

Plink.

Plink–plink.

Plink.

mind, coiling around my heart and squeezing with a mania of isolation and fear. I try to move again, the chains

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142 Usa Chained

scream, the sound raw and desperate.

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

wrack my body, each one tearing out of my throat. It’s useless. The chains hold fast,

can barely stand, the shackles forcing me

Plink. Plink–plink.

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

in a cell.

A fucking cell..

142 Lika Chained

some vampire’s dungeon like a gothic romance heroine. Except there’s no dashing hero coming to save me. No

1. am.

Plink–plink–plink.

up pace, as if mocking my S~ᴇaʀᴄh the Findɴovel.ɴet website on Gøøglᴇ to access

I want to scream again, to rage against

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

Humans are weak and helpless

I hate this.

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

was here to tell me I told

this

possibly find me when I

142 143 Chalice)

know where I

and bitter. I let them fall, too tired to

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

it be enough? Can they really go

know. I don’t know

so fucking scared and I

Plink.

Plink–plink.

Plink.

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

taste blood and focus on the pain. It

342 LISA Chamed

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

to believe that. Because the

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

moment, just a moment, I almost believe it.

Plink.

Bren’s face fills my mind

Of how he wasn’t great at foreplay. Of the slightly–better–than mediocre sex and then the aphrodisiac that had elevated it to