“I know you’re scared and won’t do anything to risk your family, but that’s not the point. The point is, if you wanted to, you could. Don’t diminish your own abilities. Not only are you powerful, but you’re smart and resourceful. You’re going to figure this out. I know you will. We all believe in you. You just have to believe in yourself.”
Chapter Eighteen
“I need you to stop playing around and show me what you can really do.”
I stare at Echo in disbelief, his sharp words slithering down my spine as I fill with dread. In all our sessions, he’s never spoken to me like this. His tone drips with impatience, like he knows I’ve been toying with him this entire time.
I swallow against the lump in my throat and attempt to keep my voice calm and even when I reply.
“I don’t know what you mean, sir. I’ve been trying my best.”
“Have you?”
I ignore the panic those two words strike through me, and nod my head. “Yes, sir. I have.”
Echo folds his hands behind his back and paces in front of me, his elongated shadow creating a terrifying image on the gymnasium wall behind him. This new approach he’s taking with me has me rattled, and all I can do is deny, deny, deny.
And hope he’ll believe me.
“I think you can do more,” he says pursing his lips as his steps halt in front of me. “I think you just need a little…motivation.”
“Motivation?”
My lips form the word, but no sound escapes as wild scenarios stampede through my mind. Is he going to torture me? Try to use pain to evoke the power he’s sure is hidden within me? Or something else? Something worse?
“Perhaps,” he continues, cutting off my panicked internal dialogue, “if the stakes were higher, you’d be more inclined to tap into the power within you.”
He looks past me and nods, making me spin around with wide eyes. Tiana Avery emerges from the shadows of the locker room, jerking a struggling Zephyr along behind her.
“Let me go, you old hag.”
I recognize the voice before I see her face, and my blood turns to ice in my veins. Lark is digging in her heels, but her arms appear to be bound behind her and she can’t break free of Tiana’s grasp.
“What is going on here?” I demand, shock making me forget my façade of respectful student. “Let her go.”
“Thank you, Miss Avery,” Echo says as Tiana drags Lark to his side.
“Yes, Headmaster,” she says, and I don’t miss the way she rubs her chest against his.
Still using her body to get ahead in life, I see.
The thought makes me snarl, but I catch myself and smooth out my expression as Tiana’s fingers trail down Echo’s chest, lighting a fire I never wanted to see in the old man’s eyes. Gross.
“I apologize for treating you so roughly, Lark. I hope I didn’t hurt you.”
Tiana’s eyes narrow and fry me on the spot as the words pass her lips. If this whole situation weren’t so terrifying, I’d laugh in her face. My Glamour making her treat everyone with respect is obviously still in effect, it’s just not strong enough to override a direct order from Echo Oberon. He glances at her with a confused expression, but she just shakes her head.
She can’t tell him anything about it. I made sure of that.
Lark turns to the side, and I see the gold sheen of the ropes at her tied wrists. “Why did you bring me here, sir?” she asks, her voice timid despite the fierceness of her black eyes.
“Miss Finley needs your help, Miss Sparrow,” he replies. “You want to help your friend, don’t you?”
My mind screams the word “no” over and over, but my body is frozen with dread. This is bad. Really bad.
“Help?” Lark says, her voice going up an octave. “I don’t understand.”
“She’s having trouble fully accessing her powers,” he replies. “She needs a little motivation.”
My chest is heaving with my rapid breaths as Lark looks from Echo to me and back again with a spark of fear in her eyes.
“What do you mean, motivation?” she demands.
He shoves his palm forward, and blue fire streaks toward Lark’s stomach. A scream tears its way up my throat as Lark howls in agony, dropping to the floor. With her arms secured behind her, she can’t brace herself and her head thuds sickeningly against the wood.
I take a step forward and raise my hands, prepared to blast Echo Oberon straight to the devil where he belongs, but the sound of Lark’s voice croaking my name stops me. I shift my weight from foot to foot, the power inside me begging to be released while I barely manage to keep it contained.
“Come on, Rory. Show me what you’ve got,” Echo taunts.
When I don’t respond, he lifts his hand, stretching his palm toward Lark once more. My eyes chase to where she lies on the floor groaning, her own eyes squeezed shut. Time freezes as my gaze drags back to Echo, who’s staring at me with a downright gleeful expression.
He’s enjoying this. A lot.
His eyes move back to Lark and his shoulders tense beneath his fancy suit. He’s preparing to blast her again, and all rational thought flies from my head. There’s a fire in my veins waiting to break free, and I’m too far gone to even try to rein it in.
My mouth falls open and emits a forceful battle cry as my hands fly up. Wind I didn’t even call rushes around me, lifting me until only my toes are scraping against the floor. Blue fire, its color even more intense than that of Echo’s, bursts from my palms as I continue to scream, the sound echoing off the walls around us.
I vaguely notice Tiana from the corner of my eye, dropping to the floor like a bag of rocks, her arms shielding her head. Echo doesn’t even flinch, his smile growing wider as my flames hurdle toward him. Just before impact, he waves a hand, and the streak of fire splits in two, curving around either side of him to harmlessly strike his shadow on the gym wall.
The rage drains out of me as I realize what I’ve just done. My hands drop to my sides as tears sting my eyes. Echo got exactly what he wanted…and more.
The wind abates and I slump to the floor, crawling on hands and knees until I can touch Lark and make sure she’s okay. She’s still groaning, and a quick check reveals an angry, red welt on her abdomen. The burn appears to be superficial, though, and I slump in relief as I realize there won’t be any lasting damage.
A slow, steady, clapping sound greets my ears, and I look up to see Echo staring at me with a wild grin as he applauds. There are a million possibilities dancing across his gray eyes, the calculating gleam telling me they all revolve around me.
I really messed up.
He got the exact reaction he hoped for. He brought Lark here, knowing I would do anything to protect her, and I played right into his hands. I’ve never felt so stupid…but then again, what else was I supposed to do? Just let him torture my best friend?
“Officer Woodrow, get in here,” he shouts, startling me from my thoughts.
Jax appears out of nowhere, a stern expression marring his face. Bending over, he unties the golden ropes from Lark’s wrists before straightening and turning toward me.
“What…what are you doing?” I stutter, taking an involuntary step back.
“You attacked the headmaster,” Jax says, his voice flat and unemotional as he steps forward.
“Take her to solitary confinement,” Echo orders. “Some time alone in the dark will teach her some manners.”
He strides toward the wall and flicks the switch to reactivate my bracelet—the one, bright spot of hope in this whole situation. He hasn’t realized the full extent of my powers.
But he knows enough.
I hold out my wrists and let Jax bind them, my shoulders slumping in defeat. Movement catches my eye, and I see Tiana climb to her feet and sidle up to Echo. She presses her body up against his seductively, and his arm circles her waist. She rubs her cheek against his chest and his eyes light up…I don’t even want to think about where this is going.
Refocusing o
n the more important matter at hand, I interlace my fingers and shoot Echo a pleading look.
“Please. Don’t. I didn’t mean to do it. I’m sorry,” I beg, hating the fear I hear in my own voice.
“I don’t think you are,” he says, shaking his head. “But you will be.”
He nods at Jax, who grasps my elbow and pulls me from the gym. I don’t resist, instead putting all my energy into keeping it together and blinking back the tears threatening to spill down my cheeks.
“You have to make sure Lark is okay,” I whisper.
He doesn’t respond verbally, but a slight nod lets me know he will. He leads me to a set of stairs I’ve never noticed before, the dark depths below sending a chill down my spine. Calling on his own magic, he ignites a ball of fire in his palm to light the way.
We head downward for an eternity, not stopping until we hit the landing below. Jax blows against the flames he created, and they streak out to light several sconces attached to one wall of a long, narrow corridor. I can see the outlines of several solid, metal doors that lack windows, or even knobs.
Someone is crying behind one of those doors, and the sound nearly makes me rip away from Jax and bolt into the darkness. He seems to sense it, though, and tightens his grip on my elbow.
“Don’t,” he whispers. “You’re strong enough to handle a few days of solitary, Princess.”
I flinch at the moniker, and quickly scan the hall for Echo’s hidden surveillance equipment. But there’s nothing down here. No cameras. No magic. No hope.
Jax starts moving again, passing several closed doors before pausing in front of one that’s wide open. The interior is pitch-black, and though I’ve never been afraid of the dark, another shiver crawls down my spine.
“I can’t,” I breathe, taking an involuntary step back.
“You can,” Jax replies, his voice firm. “You have to. Once Echo releases you, he’ll expect you to be sufficiently cowed. He’ll trust that your fear of this place will keep you in line. He might even open up about his plans, Rory.”
He nudges me forward, and I don’t resist. Once inside the cell, I turn to face him and he unties the magical ropes. His face fills with sympathy for a brief moment before he stiffens his spine, gives me one last encouraging nod, and swings the door closed. A brief flare blinds me as he seals the door with magic, and the resulting darkness seems somehow even blacker.
I’m alone. In the dark. With the sounds of desperate sobbing vibrating through the walls.
I slowly back up with careful steps until I bump into the far wall. Sliding down, I sit on the hard floor, wrapping my arms around my knees. I lower my head and let the tears fall.
Chapter Nineteen
Darkness rules my world, and there’s no escaping its overwhelming embrace. I don’t know how long I’ve been here—a day, maybe longer. I have no idea if it’s morning, noon, or night, and though I found a thin pallet with a rough blanket on the floor, sleep eludes me.
A flare of light blinds me, and I squeeze my tear-swollen eyes closed against the brightness. The door creaks open, and I blink a few times to clear my vision. A soft glow backlights a large shadow in the doorway, but I can’t make out who it is.
“Jax?” I croak, my throat dry and aching.
“Here are your rations,” an unfamiliar harsh voice barks as I climb to my feet.
Two dull thuds meet my ears before the light disappears. I lunge forward with a cry, hoping to stop the guard from closing me in again, but I jerk back as another bright flash of light blinds me. He’s gone, and he sealed the door.
I drop to my hands and knees, patting the ground as I crawl around trying to find what he left for me. My hand closes around a metal cylinder, and I pick it up. Liquid sloshes inside, making my brain go haywire as the true extent of my thirst hits me.
Twisting off the top, I upend the container, carelessly spilling the water down my chin as I drink my fill. My thirst sated for the moment, I reach out and fumble around until I find a small cloth sack filled with hard, stale bread. My stomach rumbles as I take a small bite. It’s disgusting, but I force myself to swallow it anyway.
Sadness and guilt well up inside me as I think about my circumstances. I’ve been punishing myself, not giving in to the urge to use magic for comfort, necessities, or even a spark of light in this dark dungeon. Convinced I deserve to be here, I’ve allowed myself to suffer the consequences of my actions.
I put Lark in danger, failed to gain Echo’s trust, and revealed too much of my power. I lost control of my temper and attacked the ruler of this place, and being locked in the dark is the least I deserve.
Dropping the bread, I take what’s left of the precious water and scooch along the floor until I find the pallet. I carefully place the bottle near the wall and curl into a ball beneath the scratchy blanket. Closing my eyes, I beg the universe to let me sleep.
I AWAKE WITH A START, sitting up quickly. Confusion wracks my brain for a moment before the memories come crashing back in—Lark getting hurt, my burst of power, Echo’s edict that I be sent to solitary confinement.
Whoever was crying in the next cell is silent now, hopefully finding some peace in the oblivion of sleep. I wonder how many Fae are down here, and how long they’ve had to suffer this eternal darkness. I wonder how long I’ll have to suffer it.
Only as long as you so choose.
The thought sends a shockwave through me. It sounds like something my father would say. If he were here, he would tell me to fight. To do whatever is necessary to survive, no matter the cost.
My mother would tell me to use each of my gifts to their fullest potential. That no price is too great when it comes to doing the right thing.
Robbie would tell me to stop being a crybaby and fix it.
Thoughts of my family fill me with a strength I haven’t felt since the moment Jax put me in this cell. I can feel their love for me, and I know they’ll be devastated if I don’t come home to them. I can’t let that happen.
Stretching out my senses, I search the cell for the prickly sensation of Glamour. Finding none, I’m reasonably sure there’s no surveillance equipment hidden in the shadowy recesses of the room. At least, I really hope there’s not. There would be no need to hide cameras with magic in the darkness.
Deciding it’s a risk worth taking, I let my magic flow through me. My brow wrinkles with concentration as I conjure and electric lantern like the ones humans use. I don’t want to expend all my energy keeping a fire going, so something that can provide continuous light with a small amount of power is ideal.
The lantern materializes in my hands, and I flick it on with a thought. Light sears my eyes, and I turn my back on it, blinking slowly until my vision clears.
Then I look around the room.
There are no cameras mounted around the ceiling or anywhere else in the room, and I heave a sigh of relief. The hunk of stale bread lays carelessly on the floor near the door, the bottle of water near my pallet where I left it. The only other thing in the room is a small bucket in the far corner. I presume that’s what passes for a toilet in here.
Nasty.
My stomach rumbles with hunger, and my eyes turn back to the bread. My nose wrinkles at the thought of eating it, even though I know it must be what all the inmates locked up down here get to eat.
Guilt creeps up on me, making me feel terrible that those other Fae don’t have the ability to better their circumstances the way I do. They’re still stuck in the dark, eating week-old bread and peeing in a bucket.
I shake it off, though. I have to keep up my strength, both physically and mentally. If I succeed in wrecking Echo’s plans and exposing this place, they won’t have to suffer anymore.
With that thought in mind, I conjure some tangy cheese, an apple, and a tall glass of iced water. As an afterthought, I create a few thick slabs of turkey, knowing I’ll need the protein to keep up my strength. I scarf down the food, then immediately regret it when my stomach protests.
I should�
��ve eaten slower. After no real food for God knows how long, my belly gurgles at the intrusion.
I take a few deep breaths and force my muscles to relax, then take a small sip of the water. Eventually, the stomach spasms stop, and I heave a sigh of relief.
The feeling of fullness threatens to pull me down into the dregs of sleep, so I conjure away the apple core, turn off the lantern and use Glamour to make it invisible. I can’t have the guard coming in while I’m sleeping and seeing the device. That would lead to too many questions I can’t answer.
Laying back on the thin pallet, I huddle under the blanket and let thoughts of my eventual freedom lull me back into sleep. I know that when I wake, I’ll have to devise some sort of plan to defeat Echo and keep my friends safe.
He knows now that hurting them will get a reaction out of me. I’m going to have to do something drastic to take that option from him.
Something that will convince him using them against me will never work again. A plan starts to form as I fade into unconsciousness, and though everything within me rebels against it, the logical side of my brain knows it might be the only thing that could work.
I might not have another choice.
Chapter Twenty
Loneliness and boredom are all I know, and I really begin to understand the true punishment behind solitary confinement. It’s not the lack of light and real food. It’s not the uncomfortable conditions or even the bucket-toilet.
It’s the psychological deterioration that begins slowly at first, fed by fear and regret. As the hours pass, it grows, morphing as the isolation exacerbates my feelings of depression and despair. By this point, I’d even welcome Echo’s self-satisfied smirk.
Anything to break this lonely monotony.
And the near-constant sobbing from the cell next door. I have no idea how someone can cry that much. I’m beginning to wonder if it’s a ruse—a looped recording of someone crying that Echo plays down here as just another facet of this psychological torture.
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