Of Blood and Roses

Chapter 31

If I thought I had escaped my madness down in the dungeons, I was wrong. The whispers haunted me there. My blood thrummed loudly in my veins and my head throbbed from the constant onslaught of the Angels whispering.

When sleep started to grip me, I awakened, shoulder blades burning. A bloody feather sat beside me. The red was a vibrant smear against the grime of my cell. I shoved it under me before anyone say, hand shaking so hard I had to ball them into fists.

It shouldn't be possible. The longer I was here, the more it felt like my Gift was on the verge of breaking free.

"Your Highness," Sabine whispered.

I jumped, looking across from me through the bars. They hadn't put us together in a cell.

"Ophelia."

I groaned as I tried to straighten. Darkness swarmed across my vision, blotting out the flickering light of the single torch that lit the dungeons. It sat into a sconce beside the black-clad guard outside our cell.

"I'm fine," I mumbled. It wasn't the first time Sabine had sounded concerned. I wasn't sure why it mattered. I would be dead soon enough.

I propped myself up against the cold stone wall, my dress from the ball a grimy tattered mess. I licked my dry lips, the taste in my mouth sour. How long had it been? A day? Two? There was no way of knowing.

I peered into the darkness. Sabine's bruised, and battered face looked back at me. I flinched at the sight, tearing my gaze away.

"I'm sorry," I whispered.

Sabine shifted in the dark, resting on the wall as close to me as she could get. "There is no point apologizing. I'm more concerned about you."

I squeezed my eyes shut, pain echoing through my head. My skin burned all over to the point it was hard to feel anything at all. "Why? What does it matter now? We're both dying anyway."

"You really think Darren is going to sit there and not try to get you out?" Her voice was low, aware of the guard outside our cell.

I didn't answer. I knew he would try, I just doubted he would be successful. Besides, I didn't want him to.

She sighed. "Fool."

I gave a short humorless laugh. I regretted it almost immediately, starting to cough . My ribs strained against the boning of my bindings. Sabine had helped me loosen it some, but it had been hard through the bars of our cell. No matter how I tried it was impossible to reach it on my own.

"He should be trying to escape on his own if he is still here. Someone needs to warn my mother before it's too late."

Sabine was silent. She knew I was right.

"You know we would never abandon you."

I ground my teeth. I wanted to scream, but I didn't have the energy to do even that. Another blinding flash of pain ricocheted through my skull. One of the Angels hovering nearby let out a laugh, the chilling sound louder than the rest of the whispers. It was hard to focus. It was all so loud.

"Then you are the fools. Both of you."

Silence fell between us and I wrapped myself up in the looming madness surrounding me. I had never experienced my Gift like this before. Even on the day they had spoken to me in the tree, they had faded away after a few hours.

Was it because they knew I was going to die?

Frustration built up inside of me, so powerful I want to scream. I didn't need their cruel whispers. I needed their help. Only a miracle would save us now.