Shadows of the Night | BOOK 2 DRAFT

34

34.

There's a painful throb in the back of my head, like somebody's repeatedly bumped an open wound, never fully let it heal. Every sense seems to return but my vision, my eyes glued shut. In the distance, water taps methodically against a pipe. A damp, mouldy smell invades my nostrils, something cold and hard presses into my spine. And a voice, reaching into the darkness, soft and warm and familiar. I crawl towards it in the void of my mind, seeking its comfort. "Milena Milena Milena."

Slowly, my vision returns, heavy eyelids peeling open. I'm lying flat on my back, staring at a dark, stone ceiling. Something wet trails down the side of my face, the painful throb only growing. I reach up to touch it, wincing when I see the red on my fingers.

"Milena?"

I groan, shifting my body. My movements are sluggish as I twist, blinking into the darkness. I'm alone in the cell, but beside me, hands reach out through the bars. I blink, trying to clear my blurry vision. My heart drops.

"Elias?"

"You're okay," he breathes. "When they brought you in I thought..." He leans closer. The metal shackles around his wrists have been removed, leaving raw skin, but the brace around his neck is still there, puncture wounds wrapping around his throat. "Can you come closer? I want to check your head."

I drag myself along the ground towards him, blood flow slowly returning to my legs. When I'm a few feet away he grips my upper arms and pulls me closer till I'm leaning against the bars, my head resting close. I stare at him as he reaches for my forehead, fingers gently brushing my stiff, bloodied hair back. His eyes are duller than usual, and there's a bloodied scratch above his nose. I flinch when he brushes the cut.

"Sorry," he murmurs. "It doesn't look like you'll need stitches."

"I'm not sure Cynthia would provide much of a medical service, anyway."

He doesn't laugh at my poor attempt at a joke, doesn't even smile, just stares at me through the metal bars. Behind him, I notice the state of the cell. The walls are charred black. Elias notices me looking. "They injected me with something before I could do any real damage. I-I can't access my gifts. I had the shadow still, but they chucked it in your cell so I couldn't reach it." I notice it in the corner and reach for it. "Don't. It'll burn you, remember?"

I remember the way Eric flinched back when he touched it and draw back, turning back to Elias. "Would it work? If I used it against a hollower?"

He nods. "You'd kill them, but it would also kill you."

He winces. I notice the neck brace is attached to the walls, and he's straining against it. "You should move back. Your neck—"

"It's fine."

"How come you're the only one who gets to worry about injuries?" I ask, reaching out to touch him. My fingers brush his jaw, just above the brace. He leans into my touch, ignoring the way the nails dig in more. "She didn't get Cassia or Eric," I say quietly.

"I told them to go to a village in the east to get help. Malik's village is the closest, but I don't trust any of them. Not anymore. We just have to stall for time till they get back."

"I don't know how much time we have," I murmur. "Cynthia is going to kill me, she almost did but Malik stopped her. I think she wants you to watch."

His eyes darken at the mention of Malik and he closes them for a moment.

"Elias, I'm so sorry."

He opens his eyes, narrows them. "You're sorry?"

"I should've known something was wrong. I should've known what he was planning." My voice chokes in my throat. I was so stupid. "I trusted him." But it was more than that, more than I'm willing to admit.