Raven of Water

Chapter 23: Daring Plan

I knew a significant amount of time had passed because the candles were nearly burned out, and I was absolutely starving. There was nothing around me, no food or anything. Most importantly, there was nothing in the cell that I could use to protect myself, no weapon. Knowing this, I steeled myself to do the only thing I could do: I cried out.

"Hello!" My voice echoed ominously off the stone walls.

No response.

"Listen, I get that I'm a prisoner, but, look, I'm starving, and I've got to pee.

Silence.

The sound of nothing was oppressive enough that it filled my mind and somehow rang in my ears. It was as if the very stone itself was mocking me. I was so upset that I nearly cried out in frustration before slamming my chains on the ground angrily.

"Hey! This is ridiculous! You—"

My yelling was cut off by the sound of the large metal door at the end of the hall opening. Soon, the shuffle of feet heralded the arrival of someone. I had foolishly hoped my visitor would be Kai. Instead, I was disappointed to look over and find Jackson turning the corner. The man strode over next to the cell door and stood there while delivering a murderous, chill-inducing grin. My former fiancé's body was rigid as he leaned against the bars while wearing ridiculous robes and leering.

"What do you want, Alexandra?"

I found a swirling mass of emotions inside me that made it hard for me to breathe, though with effort focused, trying to zero in on the main thing I was feeling in that moment.

Anger. My primary emotion was anger.

Well, rage, really.

"First, Jackson, I want to know why I'm tied up like an animal."

Jackson shrugged. "You're a liability now, but we still need you. The restraints are to hold you and keep you compliant. Don't worry. It will all be over soon."

I narrowed my gaze at his dramatic non-answer while suppressing my urge to lash out magically. As much as I wanted to, I couldn't use my powers to get out of this. The metal attached to me prevented that. No, if I was going to get out of here, then I had to be smart about it.

"Where's Clem?"

"That's what you ask me?" The man snorted, rolling his eyes as the annoyed tic in his jaw flexed. "You could ask me anything, and the first thing you ask about is someone else. You are so fucking predictable. Your cousin is fine. Your grandfather ordered her to leave the house before your dramatic attack on the demon. She doesn't know we're holding you or that her plans have... changed."

"What do you mean by 'changed'?"

Jackson's only response was to smirk arrogantly, that look and the hollow glint in his eyes giving me chills of disgust. I still couldn't believe I'd once thought I'd loved him.

After the silence stretched on, I spoke. "Can I at least fucking pee, Jackson?"

"Go." He said, smirk not leaving his face.

The man's cavalier words and haughty, dominating expression only made my ire double. "I am not pissing myself on the floor of a cell, Jackson. There's a toilet near the entrance. We don't even have to go up to the house. Just... let me pee, please?"

Jackson snorted and turned to walk away. I knew him well enough that he was signifying this conversation was over, that nothing I could say or do would sway him any differently.

This course of action wasn't working. I needed him to get me out of here. Getting out of this cell would be my only shot at surviving.

Jackson didn't know that I knew they were planning to kill me. He didn't know that I was already mentally prepared to fight for my life. Once they found out I knew they were going to murder me, they wouldn't let me so much as move until they'd used my body for whatever nefarious thing they were planning then buried me in a grave on the property.