line's foot
Luca is
I stood slowly. Every muscle screamed. Celine had already
k until the door
ill has not said anything about a s
room twice while she slept. Nothing. No mark. No obje
Stone. Hidden. My head stayed
my face up. "You will tell us wh
I said. My voice was rough
rs rang. "Liar. Everyone has secrets.
calm. "We can do this the easy way or
ad. "I swear
led. "Long
ing. No windows. One dim light. The air was cold. Luca l
ne
loor bit into my alr
g you since the first night. He told me how you cried.
She is weaker than the others.
sted. Others.
We are going to ask again. What
have never h
ward and grabbed my hair, yanking
k. I have not found it yet. That means you are hiding
om the pull on my scalp. "I a
el with mine. "Please is a word for
ded forward. Luca still held my hair so I could not fall all the way. Anot
" Celin
Not hard enough to break bones. Hard enough to leave deep bruises that would last days. I tried to c
d I could only l
ame from above.
against the fl
if the blood in your veins can open something old. Something powerful. If you
rstand. I only
ould not hold me. She dragged me back to
. No sleep. If I see your ey
rd their voices outside t
ing it," Ce
wered. "Either way we keep pressure. T
more pain until
in waves. Every breath hurt my ribs. I pressed my foreh
die before mo
came a
over my head. I gasped and sat up t
smile. You will tell him we are getting closer. If your f
ped my face with a cloth until the tears were gone. When Da
ked about the past. She is starting to und
eyes searched my face. "
houlder, fingers digging int
said. The words
e. "I will be gone until night
's fingers tightened. "Go
rage room. This time Luca br
ld air raised bumps on my skin. She tied my wri
othing, Luca will use the stra
I knew
back. Fire followed the lin
Celine
me a map of burning lines. Tears ran freel
the stone answers only to certain blood. Your blood. If you a
sobbed. "I have neve
from the pipe by my wrists. The metal cut into
t me. You are going to break. They always do. Th
en sound from my throat. I stopped trying to stay quiet. The screams came raw and
ed. My back and legs felt like open f
l not
ke my head. Word
omorrow. And the day after. The one
ed. I could not move without fresh pain. Every heartbeat pulsed through the welts.
opened again. Celin
m. If you cannot crawl I
ck. Blood smeared the floor behind me. When I reached t
hink about the stone. Maybe pain wil
ft with Luca. Their footsteps f
to breaking,
Then we change the plan. Use her blood directly.
he suffers, I
way went
every inch of skin screaming,
e not fi
ted was something
ntil either I died or something insid
pered the same words that
is be the last
stayed
ning would
/1/128430/coverbig.jpg?v=9297af4e634e2acd480eaac2f00c54ce&imageMogr2/format/webp)