Broken Ever Afters

Chapter Nine

My arms tingle and feel like they weigh tonnes. The sweet smell of lavender teases my nose. When my eyes flutter open, I struggle to see my surroundings because of the darkness, broken only by the tiny flames of the candles.

The reason my arms tingle is I'm chained by my wrists to the wall, arms hanging high above my head. I'm sitting on the dusty ground with my back resting against the cold, humid wall. The metal cuffs are tightly locked around my wrists slipping out of these things will be impossible.

Jacob is in my same predicament a few feet away, unconscious with his head is hanging over his chest and his forehead is smudged with blood. The huntsmen must have clubbed him in the head to subdue him.

"Jacob!" I hiss, pulling at my chains to rattle them loudly. I want to make enough noise to wake him up but not loud enough for our captors to hear.

I wait but no answer comes. I try again, this time using my full voice and rattling at the chains harder. A grunt is all I get in response but it's enough to reassure me he's okay. Everything would be crumbling to ashes had he not been alive.

Jacob jolts awake and winces. Slowly, he raises his head and tries to lower his hands, his restraints holding him back. Shaking his arms, he grabs hold of the metal chains and unsuccessfully tries to pull them out of the wall.

"My head is killing me," he says, his voice booming off the walls of this place. "Where are we exactly?"

The blow on the head must be giving him the headache. I was unconscious as well while we were being brought in. Our captor, whoever it might be, thought it would be easy for us to escape if they had to chain us. Dame Gothel would go to such lengths but these huntsmen rode horses while hers usually have wolves with them.

"I was unconscious the entire time. I didn't see anything."

Metal hinges squeak as a door opens further down the room. A tunnel of light filters in the room followed by a dark shadow the shape of a ghost is outlined on the trail of light. A womanly figure holding a staff walks in and stops in the doorway, the light outlining half of her while the other half sits in darkness.

The lights on the chandelier come on, making me squeeze my eyes which had adapted to the semi-darkness we are in. There's nothing in here - no furniture, carpets or any other type of decoration. Even prison cells are luxurious compared to this place.

The woman who walks in is a beautiful woman indeed. The shape of her face is oval, highly defining her cheekbones - her full, blood red lips contrasting her pale skin tone. The eyes, one of the most beautiful shades of blue I've ever seen have a tinge of red in them. The two black horns above her head distinguished her from any other - Maleficent.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here?" Maleficent says with a false tone of surprise. "Jacob Grimm present in my domain in flesh and blood! What an honour! Who might this young lady be?"

"Don't touch me," I snarl when she grabs my face, her rough nails digging my skin.

A black raven flies in through an open window high above, loudly flapping its wings. It rests on Maleficent's shoulders, cawing twice. She rubs the top of his head before giving it a small, rolled parchment into its beak. The raven takes off immediately back the same way it came.

"Gothel will be jealous when she receives the note," Maleficent says. "I wish I could be there to see the look on her face. Alas I have guests to entertain."

By guests she must mean us. Does she welcome all her guests with the chain-to-the-wall treatment? She mustn't have many if that's the case. My mind goes over the possible ways how to get out of this situation but Jacob looks calm, almost indifferent.