The Stains of the Crown

Chapter Eighteen

The next morning, Vix says goodbye to her parents, something I couldn't help but feel guilty for. I still hated that because of me, Finley'd had to leave her home. And now I was doing it again, but this time it was worse, because Vix wasn't just leaving her home. She was also leaving her family.

I'd been warned by her father to keep her safe. About two hours in, I fail. We'd stopped to take a break, but with how restless I was, I didn't want to stop. Jovi had told me to shift to my fox so I could run without getting too far away. But somehow, I had gotten too far away, because before I can get back to them, everything goes black.

I wake up in a place that smells like old water and sweaty balls. The smell alone nearly makes me gag. I open my eyes, looking around. I was in a cell, chained naked to a cement wall.

"Good, you're awake." I look at the cell next to mine. A woman around Lania's age stares at me through the bars. Her hair was ratted and caked with dirt. Her clothes were in a similar state of disarray, but what really catches me off guard are her eyes. They were an orangish color, slitted like a snakes. "Thought you might've been dead for a second there." I frown.

"Where am I?"

"You mean you're not from here?"

"What are you talking about?"

"We never have visitors here. Except Dalla, the leader of the Hunters. Other than her, no one's even allowed past the gate at the bottom of the mountain." I groan, rubbing my face.

"Will you just tell me where I am?" She gets an odd, lopsided grin.

"What are you gonna give me if I tell ya?" A door opens, a tall man with large wings protruding from his bare shoulders walking in.

"Wile, stop bothering our guest," he says to the woman, who snickers. "I bet you're wondering why you're here," he says, turning to me.

"The thought did cross my mind." My voice sounded lower than I was used to, lower than it had talking to the woman. I didn't trust this man.

"Let's just say, you've made a few enemies. We're protecting you, believe it or not."

"Then why am I chained up and naked? Doesn't seem all that protecting, buddy." He chuckles lowly.

"We figured that it would freak you out more to have been dressed by someone else. Unfortunately, we can't unchain you. Those chains are meant to keep you from shifting and escaping. It's too dangerous for you to leave." I scoff.

"You could've at least cleaned up in here. You've got a leak somewhere." He chuckles.

"I heard that you'd choose an odd thing to focus on. Let me guess, you're trying not to reveal anything?"

"I'd say I've revealed enough as it is. I am naked, after all." He chuckles again before pushing a plate under a little trap door.

"Eat up. I'll be back in a little while." I watch him walk out before sliding my hands free of the cuffs. I'm suddenly extremely grateful that after the Kypture Hunter incident, Dalla had taken the time training me on getting out of millions of types of handcuffs and/or knots. It was like second nature now.

"Hey, you wanna teach me how to do that?" The woman asks, holding out a simple pair of handcuffs. I stare at her for a moment.

"I don't know you or why you're here. Based off of what you said earlier, you weren't kidnapped, so you're probably being held for a reason."

"Psh, just a minor assault." I shake my head, looking towards the cell door. It's a simple padlock. I grab it and pull as hard as I can. It breaks off, causing my arm to slam against the flat steel bar.