Total pages in book: 96
Estimated words: 89379 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 447(@200wpm)___ 358(@250wpm)___ 298(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 89379 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 447(@200wpm)___ 358(@250wpm)___ 298(@300wpm)
“Even if I were older, I still wouldn’t use sex to get things,” I said.
“You’ve not been brought so low to consider it, but believe me, Darya, when you hit rock bottom, there’s very little you won’t do to scrape your way back up.”
“I thought I’d already hit rock bottom,” I said, gesturing to my beat up appearance.
He actually laughed at that, which bothered me greatly. “You’ve barely scratched the surface.”
“Well, what did you offer the elves?” He’d clearly been showering. He looked clean with his spotless red overalls. The cell smelled faintly of soap, and I picked up notes of his scent, cloves and burnt wood.
“Why? Are you curious to know if I offered a sexual favour?” he asked, his eyes dancing brightly.
I folded my arms. “Of course not. I’m just trying to figure out what I can offer them.”
“Food is the easiest option. However, you’ll have to smuggle it out of the dining hall without the shapeshifters stopping you. That’s their territory.”
“Is every part of this prison claimed by some group?” I asked, annoyed.
“Pretty much,” he answered. “I wouldn’t complain. If the most powerful prisoners didn’t take control, then it would be chaos. You already know the guards don’t come in here. If they need to lock the cells, it’s done by magic. Otherwise, it’s a free for all.”
When he put it like that, it was actually surprising that the prison wasn’t far more chaotic and scary. “Okay, well, I’m going to try my luck with the elves.”
Vasilios stood, going to a stack of items by his bed. He grabbed a clean T-shirt and a jumpsuit. “Here, take these.”
Something about the offer made my throat tighten. He was being kind, but I didn’t trust him. Besides, he was the last person I wanted kindness from. If it weren’t for him, I’d be at home with my family and Peter. I’d be living my life, and no one around me would be randomly getting murdered.
But what if it wasn’t him? a nagging voice asked in my head.
Belinda had planted a seed of doubt, and it was starting to grow.
I cleared my throat. “No, thank you.”
With that, I turned and left his cell, heading toward the showers. Located on the ground floor, there were several intimidating-looking elves standing guard outside.
“Can we help you?” a woman with long red hair and bright green eyes asked.
“I’d like to use the showers,” I said, taking a chance. Maybe they’d see the state I was in and take pity on me. Elves were empaths. Surely, they might be more sympathetic toward me than the likes of Mack.
The woman eyed me, but her gaze had no sympathy, not one iota of kindness. Instead, she observed me cruelly. “I’ve been in this prison for five years,” she said. “My name is Cassandra Leone.”
She told me her name as if I should know it, but maybe she was merely introducing herself. “I’m Darya,” I replied.
She let out a cruel laugh. “Oh, I know exactly who you are.”
My stomach dropped. She stepped forward. Instinctively, I took a step back. It was no use, and soon, she had me backed up against the cold stone wall. Her voice lowered almost to a whisper, but nothing was soft about it. “As I said, I’ve only been here for five years. Before that, I lived in Tribane, where the Hawthorn Council sentenced me to life in this place.”
Her words cut through me, and I wanted to flee. If she’d lived in Tribane, then she knew my father. In fact, he was probably the one who handed down her sentence. And then it struck me. I’d been young when it happened, maybe only thirteen or fourteen, but I suddenly remembered who she was. Cassandra Leone. The elf who’d murdered her parents. Nobody knew why, but she’d been convicted and sent to the Prison of Thorns as punishment.
“I know who you are, little girl. More precisely, I know who your father is. I can’t tell you how satisfying it is that the holier-than-thou Ethan Cristescu’s baby girl turned out to be a criminal. I bet that really did a number on him. Still, he sent me here, and I’ll never forgive him for that, and so long as I’m breathing, you will never step foot in these showers. I don’t care what payment you have to offer.”
Undiluted fear trickled through my veins because if she knew my true identity, then it wouldn’t be long before word started to spread. A sick smile played on her lips, “Aw, honey, you looked frightened.”
“Are you going to tell people who I am?”
She made a fake sad expression. “That wouldn’t end well for you, would it? After all, your father is responsible for putting a number of very scary individuals in this place. If they knew who you were, they’d tear you apart.” She paused, a gleam in her bright eyes. “What torture it will be for you to live each day wondering whether or not I’m going to open my big old blabbermouth.”