Page 81 of Fated In Ruin
“This isyourfault, Virgil.” The closest guard stank of onions and whiskey, a foul combination, but beggars couldn’t be choosers. “You justhadto take a piss between rounds, didn’t you?”
Strange. Virgil and this other guard weren’t thralls. They were still human. Cowed, subservient humans, but…their hearts still beat, red blood flowed in their veins…I just needed them to come closer.
Or…I needed to get within arm’s reach of them.
For that, I had to get free of these shackles.
“What the fuck do we do now?” Onion breath’s voice shook. “Your father…you have to talk to him, Virg. Convince him this wasn’t our fault.”
“He’s not my father anymore, asshole, or haven’t you been paying attention? And blame my cousin. If Evangeline hadn’t shown up, we’d still safely be outside on perimeter duty, instead of guarding the prisoner, while everyone else goes hunting for her.”
This was Evangeline’s cousin? I bared my teeth, even though the little shit couldn’t see me.
The thought of Evangeline sent ice through my veins, a threat far worse than the shackles binding me to this fucking stone wall. I would not let Ravok break her the way he had broken me and countless others. I grit my teeth and twisted my bloody right hand, snapping my wrist.
“What the fuck was that?” Onion Breath stopped in his tracks, just out of reach. “Did you hear that sound? Like something broke?”
I pinched my lips together. The agony from my shattered wrist was excruciating, but pain had lost its edge hours, maybe days ago. With one final, desperate wrench, my right hand slipped through the metal circle, shearing off skin, blood soaking my fingers, but the only thing that mattered was that my right wrist was finally free.
The guard took another step, almost within range, then reached toward my illusion of the empty shackles, his fingers brushing across my arm. “What the fuck?”
I shot my broken hand out, fingers working just well enough to grab his throat and yank him forward, snapping his neck in one move.
Virgil—Evie’s worthless cousin—peered into the darkness, blue eyes wide as an owl’s.
“Clint? Where are you? Is he…still in there?” A long pause. “Answer me, damn it.”
Clint couldn’t answer, because I was drinking him down in great, heaving gulps, filling my mouth with as much blood as I could manage. Strength trickled back, the bones of my snapped wrist mending together, along with broken bones, pulverized organs and rent skin.
I kept my eyes on Virgil, edging toward me, his boots sliding across the rough floor, the stench of his fear filling my nose as I drained Clint down to the last onion-whiskey-flavored drop, then dropped his body to the floor with a wet thump.
Breathless, I ripped the shackle from my left wrist, tearing flesh off along with the iron. I tried to take one step, then fell to my knees, my entire body screaming in protest. I was worn down from injuries and starvation, from trying to keep myself alive, but I could not afford weakness—not now.
The door was open, nothing but a wide-eyed guard standing between me and freedom.
I lurched to my feet, my head swimming as I wondered whether to kill this worthless bloodbag or use him to get out of here. Even in this condition, I was ten times faster than a human who couldn’t see an inch in front of his face and in two steps, I was behind Virgil, my hands banded around his throat.
“Virgil Silverwood. You have one chance to survive this. Do you know who I am?”
He nodded desperately.
“Then you know Evangeline is very important to me.” Another too-fast nod. “I need you to get me out of this building and off these grounds. You do that, and I’ll let you live.”Maybe, I was still deciding.
“You’re just like all the other bloodsuckers, a fucking liar.” His voice shook, but his spine straightened. Maybe cousin Virgil had some backbone after all.
“On the other hand, I’m starving and I can kill you right here, like Clint.” His eyes searched the darkness wildly, desperate breaths rasping through his open mouth, but he couldn’t see past his nose. “Let’s take a chance on each other, shall we? You get me out of here, and I’ll leave you alive. Seems like a fair trade. And let me remind you, you’re in the employ of said bloodsuckers, so climb down off your high horse.”
His trembling body went limp. “Are you going to hurt Evie?” He asked softly. “Because if that’s what you’re after, then just kill me now, because I won’t help you escape.”
Surprise flickered through me. “Now why would I ever hurt sweet Evangeline?”
“Because she’s dangerous. I heard my father---or what used to be my father, talking. Silas said she’s a threat to Ravok, so I figure she must be a threat to you, too.”
“Yes, Evangeline is a danger, but not to me,” I growled. “Has Ravok left the compound? Has he gone after her?”
“Not yet,” Virgil murmured. “They’re still putting together tac teams. Me and Clint were supposed to stay here, keep an eye on you. They’ll leave soon, an hour, maybe less.”
I clamped my hand down over Virgil’s shoulder and turned him toward the door. “This is what we’re going to do. You will get me out of this building and I will not harm a hair on your head. I swear this, on Evangeline’s life.”
