hearts of metal

xxiv. that was beautiful

Water dripped onto the cold stone floors.

Aelin's exhausted brain latched onto that sound. Drip, drip, drip...

She was chained to the ceiling, her arms pulled tightly above her. Her back ached from where it had been flayed open. And her wrists were torn and bruised where the metal cuffs were tightened around them.

Aelin hung lifelessly, trying to urge her feet to work and take some of the burden off her aching shoulders.

From outside her cell, footsteps sounded.

Thick boots appeared in her line of vision and came to a halt in front of the cell. The door creaked open, and those heavy feet came closer.

A hand grabbed her chin and yanked it up, forcing her to meet ice blue eyes.

Perrington sneered, glancing over her bare torso. "Having fun?" he asked.

She didn't answer.

"Not gonna talk, hmm? It's fine, I prefer you this way," he said.

Aelin dredged up enough energy to say, "funny, I was gonna say the same thing."

He frowned, not understanding. In a swift move, she swung on the chains and brought her leg up. Her foot connected with his chin with a satisfying crack, and he reeled backwards.

Perrington blinked, blood pouring from his mouth. He swiped some away with his hand. Then, he spat, "you bitch."

More footsteps sounded behind him as the other guards entered. "What now, boss?" one asked.

"Take her downstairs for some fun," he said.

The men quickly took her down, prepared to drag her along to the lower level.

Aelin felt dread grow in her stomach at the thought of that room.

"He's going to be here later, and I expect he'll want a show," Perrington said.

He? Aelin wondered who the mysterious visitor was. She didn't get much time to wonder as she was taken downstairs.

Aelin awoke with a startled gasp. She felt the scars on her back ache with phantom memories, the pain shooting down to her legs.

Drenched in sweat, she kicked off her sheets and pulled her knees up to her chest. She tried to calm her racing heartbeat as she took in the room around her.

She was out. She was free. And she was in her home, far away from Perrington and his men.

Her gaze landed on the clock by her bedside. She frowned at the time. 3 a.m. After a few moments trembling in bed, Aelin swung her legs off and pushed herself onto shaky feet. She slowly made her way out of her room into the quiet hall.

Aelin walked past the bedrooms, feeling lost. Everything was dark and quiet, as she softly slipped down the stairs to the lower level.

She ended up drifting aimlessly through halls, until she landed in a place of the house she'd never found before. Her feet carried her down a long hall, to a plain door. She paused in front of it, her hand reached out to grasp the knob. Locked.

She considered going back to bed, but couldn't help feeling a strange tug. As if there was something behind the door she needed to find. So, she made her way to the living room and started to rummage through drawers for anything she could use. She ended up finding a safety pin, which she clutched in her hand as she took long strides back to the mysterious door. Crouching down, she picked the lock with the pin. Once she heard the click, she stood up and turned the knob.