Bring Forth a Fire (Book 1)

Twenty-Four - A Good Fight

TW: This chapter contains a brief scene of assault.

I woke sometime later with a hard rough surface under me. My entire body ached, as though I'd been dragged over rocky ground for a long period of time. I propped myself on my elbow to push my hair out of my face, and my hand brushed over a sore bump above my ear, crusted with blood. That made me hiss with pain, and as I inched myself into a sitting position, I felt one on the back of my head too, at the base of my skull. I'd been hit at least twice, even though I didn't remember waking up.

I tried to take in my surroundings, but I couldn't comprehend where I was. I seemed to be in a roughly-carved cell, lit only by a high small window on the back wall. Not only that, but I seemed to be quite alone, with no way of knowing who'd been brought with me. I braced my hands on the back wall, and pushed myself to my feet. I shuddered as they touched the ground, and that was what made me realise I was barefoot. For a moment, I had to gather my bearings and wait for my head to stop pounding before I could shuffle over to the grille along one wall, leaning against it and pressing one eye to a square.

"Hello?" I called, hearing my voice swallowed up into the darkness. "Is there anyone here?"

There was no answer. I took a deep breath and forced myself to be calm. The last thing I remembered was looking out the window at the makeshift Order headquarters. Then I'd been cornered by two Naturals, knocked out, and brought here. I knew, without a doubt, this was Huntley's doing. He'd wanted me since he proposed, and now he'd finally done it. He had me.

It took a while before I felt it, because it was just a subtle shift in the air. But soon enough I sensed someone standing outside my cell, and not very far away either.

"Hello?" I said again. I swallowed hard, but my throat was so dry that it was difficult.

"You're awake," a voice replied this time, and it made dread drop into my stomach. Huntley. "I was wondering when I'd finally be able to speak with you face-to-face."

"Well, it seems you've now got a captive audience," I snapped. "What do you want?"

"Look at you, Countess." He was against the grille on the other side now, I felt his body pressing into mine through the squares. His arm came through, stroking my cheek with one long finger. "I never thought we'd have a private moment alone."

I jerked away. "Don't touch me, Huntley."

He caught my chin before I could escape. "After you are mine, Emma, there will be much more than that."

"I will never be yours, Huntley. You're only fooling yourself." I heard a confidence in my voice that I didn't feel. He could make me his right here and now and he didn't even have to be ruling the world.

"Am I?" He yanked me tighter against the grille, and I felt his hot breath in my ear. "It seems you are the one fooling yourself, my dear. Besides, it is you who is trapped and not me."

"It won't be for long, and you know it as well as I do," I said, narrowing my eyes at nothing in particular. "The Order probably already knows I'm gone."

"Yes, but they will be too busy dealing with their beloved city. We are alone here, Emma. All my Naturals are descending on London now as we speak. There is no one to help you." His other hand snaked through the grille, landing on the small of my back. "Now how about we have our face-to-face talk now?"

Before I could reply, he let go and swept his hand in front of him, so that the grille seemed to ripple into nothingness. I backed away from him, but the size of the cell prevented me from getting too far. He stalked towards me and trapped me against the wall with his body, both palms flat on the wall next to my ears.