Top Note

Chapter 38

Eriantha

My eyes fluttered open, a sharp pain shooting through my temples. A pounding headache made every heartbeat feel like a hammer against my skull. Nausea surged through me, and I clamped my mouth shut to keep from retching. The air was thick with the stench of rotten meat and the metallic scent of blood, and my stomach churned violently, forcing me to breathe through my mouth in shallow gasps.

It was dark, so dark that, for a moment, I thought I might still be unconscious. But as I blinked, my vision began to adjust, and I realized it wasn't complete blackness. A thin sliver of pale white moonlight crept in through a narrow window set high on the wall. It provided just enough light to reveal the grim outlines of my surroundings.

Where am I?

I blinked a couple of times to readjust my blurry vision but the dizziness wasn't helping much.
All I could make out in the darkness was that it was a huge, expansive room. A shiver ran down my spine as I slowly sat up, wincing at the pain that radiated through my body. My hands instinctively moved to my head, gingerly probing the tender spot had I hit my head? I couldn't recall, may be I did while I was passed out, there's no way I could tell. I took a couple of breaths to calm my wrecking nerves.

Memories from the evening flooded back with sudden, terrifying clarity. I had just finished dinner with my mom at our favorite restaurant, the one which we would frequent in my childhood. She told me about how dad had used her as a pawn and his association with the Davytans and the Circle. I had hated that man, my father and today I simply hammered another nail to his already buried casket, he was cruel beyond repair, a cruel man with an all devouring greed.When I had walked out to the car this evening, and had called Darcel, I didn't expect the nightmare that was about to unfold.

I had just reached for the car door when a figure stumbled into view, crashing against the bonnet. It was Andres,he appeared pale, aghast, and wounded. There was sheer terror in his eyes, like he was being hunted. Concerned, I ran to him, my heart pounding with fear.

"Andres, what's wrong?" I had barely managed to ask before I noticed the blood oozing from his stomach. He was wounded, probably stabbed. "Run," he screamed urgently, his voice a mere shadow of its usual strength. "Run, Eri, now!"
And then.... then... We were attacked.

Confusion had paralyzed me for a moment. The scene was too surreal. But then, before I could fully grasp the horror of the situation, I felt a sudden, powerful grip on my arms. A cloth was pressed over my nose, and the sickly-sweet scent of chloroform filled my nostrils. Panic surged through me as my lungs screamed for air, but the world quickly darkened and faded away.

Fuck! a fresh surge of panic chocked me in its clutches.
Where is Andres? I recalled how he was beaten up like a sack and had doubled up in pain... Shit! He must be in so much pain.Where is my brother?

I closed my eyes, I was, in this god forbidden place I had no idea in the middle of where? I forced myself to stay calm, to assess my situation with the clarity I so desperately needed.Taking deep breaths I tried to calm myself it wasn't helping much and no amount of affirmative words or crystal bracelets could have helped me in this situation.

One thing was certain we were in danger. Grave danger my inner voice warned, and my intuitions never went wrong.

By now my sight had adjusted to the moonlight which came from what appeared to be a high window, it provided enough illumination for me to see that the door was solid and bolted shut. There were no windows aside from the one high above, and it was far too small to crawl through even if I could reach it. The walls were smooth and unyielding, offering no hope of escape.