The Siege of Shadows: Book one

A Caged Animal (34)*

The door clanged shut behind him, the echo bouncing off the damp, stone walls of the cell. I didn't turn to watch him leave. I couldn't bring myself to. The sound of the iron key scraping in the lock felt final, like the last nail in a coffin.

I waited for the faintest shuffle of his boots to fade completely before I exhaled, trembling. The weight of the collar around my neck dug into my skin, the metal cold and unyielding. A chain connected it to the manacles on my wrists, forcing me to hunch forward. The metal was heavy, but not as suffocating as the darkness.

Complete and utter darkness.

I squeezed my eyes shut, willing myself not to panic, but the overwhelming blackness pressed against me like a living thing. It swallowed the damp, rank air and amplified every sound—the distant drip of water hitting stone, the shuffle of unseen creatures. The smell of mildew and decay churned my stomach. It clung to my skin and filled my nose until I couldn't tell if it was the room or me that reeked.

I strained my ears, hoping to catch some sound from outside—anything to break the oppressive silence. Nothing. Just the steady drip of water somewhere above me, a cruel reminder of life continuing beyond these walls.

The ground beneath me was a mix of stone and muck, the latter clinging to my bare feet. I didn't want to think about what made it so slick. Each small movement sent rivulets of freezing water seeping into my clothes, soaking me to the bone. I shivered, though I wasn't sure if it was the cold or the hopelessness clawing its way up my throat.

I curled into myself as much as the chains allowed, pressing my knees to my chest. It wasn't much of a barrier against the creeping damp, but it was all I had. The collar bit into my neck with every slight movement, a cruel reminder of where I was—and who had put me here.

Not Kael.

No, he might have dragged me here, locked the door behind me, but this wasn't his will. This had the Seelie King written all over it. His orders. His twisted idea of punishment for daring to escape.

And yet, I couldn't shake the image of Kael's face before he left. He hadn't looked at me when he pushed me into this hole, but there had been something in the tightness of his jaw, the stiffness of his movements. Shame, maybe. Or guilt.

It didn't matter. He'd left me here all the same.

A low sob caught in my throat, and I bit down hard on my lip to silence it. I wouldn't cry. I couldn't. Not here, not in this place. My breath came in shallow bursts as I tried to focus on anything else—the faint rhythm of the dripping water, the chains digging into my wrists, the icy bite of the floor. Anything to ground myself, to keep the fear at bay.

But it crept in anyway, seeping through the cracks of my resolve like the water dripping from the ceiling. My heart pounded as the darkness closed in, tightening its grip until I could almost feel it pressing against my skin.

I didn't know how long I'd been sitting there when I felt the first scurry of movement against my ankle. I jerked, chains clanking as I tried to pull my feet closer. My heart slammed into my ribs. Another scuttle, this time closer, the tiny, rapid sound of claws on stone.

"Stay away," I whispered, my voice breaking in the silence.

The rats didn't listen. I couldn't see them, but I could feel them—brushing against my toes, darting over the hem of my soaked dress. My breaths came faster as panic surged, and I pulled against the chains with everything I had, the metal collar biting into my skin.

I screamed into the darkness, a sound born of frustration, fear, and fury. It echoed off the walls, mocking me. My chest heaved as the last of the scream left me, the silence that followed heavier than before.