Destined Part I

Escape

The sting of the sun is what I felt first as I was thrust out of my dreamless sleep. The affirmation of my surroundings resulted in a flood of terror, and I jerked my body madly as I realized that the morning had broken.

My vicious struggles were ineffective, but I thrashed around violently despite my constriction. My throat blazed as I screamed out Haiden’s name, and tears spilled endlessly out of my eyes.

Despite its shallow location in the sky, the sun was searing my flesh, causing me to arch my back against the burn. It ripped into my flesh with its heat, and I writhed against the restraints.

It was morning, I knew, because of the position of the sun. I was aware that Madeline and Nicolas had already been on the balcony this morning too, because their scent was still lingering in the air. The curtains on the door behind whipped in the wind, telling me that it must be open.

As I lay there struggling against the chains, I heard the door to the chambers open, and a loud crash sounded before something hit the floor.

Then through the air, I heard Haiden’s voice.

“Adia!” he roared, piercing my ears.

He was here.

He had come to save me.

The relief washed over me, throbbing in my chest, causing my breath to speed as another surge of tears threatened to drown me. But just as I was beginning to believe I was finally safe, I heard new footsteps come through the door, cross the room and click smartly behind my chair. My ears pricked with the sound. I recognized those clicks.

When Madeline appeared before my eyes, I hissed, my lips peeling back and exposing my teeth.

She simply smiled down at me.

“Nice to see you too, Adia,” she greeted me. “I thought you should know that our little plan is working.”

When I jerked my arms again, she cackled maliciously.

“All your men have come to save you, and now your family will be destroyed. They will never stand in our way again.”

She turned to look out over the balcony, her black cloak shielding her from the sun’s rays. With every inch that the sun rose, the more my skin torched and blistered.

“Your Haiden is to blame, you know,” she said, her back still turned to me.

“He was so arrogant, so confident in his ability to save you. It is a shame that he had to bring the other three along for the ride.”

My heart stopped in my chest. The other three. Kristopher, Cain and Marcus were with Haiden, and all of them were now in danger.

A wave of nausea rolled throughout my stomach as I thought of how this thing was going to end. I was going to burn alive and Haiden and the rest of my family were going to have to watch everything.

She whirled back around to face me, then, her body thankfully shielding the scorching sun. I welcomed the relief of having the terrible burning stopped, even if only momentarily.

“You made it so simple, Adia!” Madeline exclaimed, glaring at me in disgust.

“You accepted my friendship easily, laughing and believing every little thing I said. Even inviting me to hunt those disgusting bears with you! I nearly vomited when I drank the blood of that animal.”

As she spoke, Nicolas came out from the room, his emaciated body covered in grey robes. He stood beside Madeline and grinned at me from under his violet eyes.

“Then Haiden,” she spat, “Stupid, stupid Haiden.”

I could hear him snarl from behind me and she shot him a vicious look before she continued.