The Memory Thief | ONC2020 [AMBASSADOR PICK]

Chapter 11

A groan was the first thing Liliya heard when she woke up. It took her a few moments to realise it came from her own throat. She blinked, struggling to get rid of the fog in her brain. Her damp clothes hugged her skin, hair sticking to her cheeks and neck.

Turning her head, she tried to sit up, but something was holding her back. Her arms hurt and something scraped against her wrists as she moved.

Ties.

The thought sent a surge of adrenaline through her brain as a gasp escaped her lips. The world came into focus. She sat in a chair with her arms behind her back, hands tied together. Her first instinct was to pull, to try and break free, but it did nothing.

"Sorry about that, sweetheart," came a voice not far away.

Liliya's head shot up. To her left stood a woman in a black coat and a beanie hat. Wrinkles etched her face and her eyebrows knitted together. She hung on the bar as if she could keel over at any moment.

Wait... The bar?

Her eyes shot back and forth through the cosy room filled with tables and chairs on a soft carpet and a bar against the long wall. Nyron's bar.

What the hell am I doing in Nyron's pub?

The woman grabbed a bottle from behind her and poured herself a glass of what seemed to be whiskey. "I mean you no harm," she said, without looking up. Her voice sounded rough and worn, as if she'd been smoking for years. "It's your boyfriend I'm looking for. The Memory Thief." She threw her head back and gulped the drink down. "You did know about that, didn't you?"

She looked as though she was expecting an answer. Liliya turned her head and stretched her neck to see the bonds. Rip tie. But there was a gap between her arms. If she could just...

"Yeah, I probably wouldn't talk to me either," said the woman pouring herself another drink. "Don't worry. I'll let you go as soon as I've got him."

It felt as if her heart was plunged into a pool of ice water. Nyron! Whether he knew she was here or not, he was bound to come back to his pub at some point. And when he did, she would...

As if she'd read Liliya's mind, the woman chose that moment to continue, "Once I've killed him, I'll never bother you again."

Liliya gasped, pulling on the ties as hard as she could, fear overshadowing the pain in her wrists.

The woman chuckled and shook her head, downing another glass of liquor. "You should be grateful," she said. "For all you know, you would've been next. Ah, there he is now."

She put the bottle down when the lock of the side door rattled and clicked. It swung open to reveal a red-faced, wide-eyed Nyron, his blonde hair even wilder than normal, peaking every which way. His eyes glanced over the woman, resting on Liliya. "Are you okay? Has she hurt you?"

She could only shake her head, before the woman butted in. With two steps she'd made her way over to Liliya and held a knife to her throat. "Spare me your sentiment. Sit down over there. And don't try anything or her blood's on your hands."

The smell of smoke on her clothes suffocated Liliya. She leaned her head back to get away from the knife, but it moved right along with her. A fearful squeal escaped her.

Nyron raised his hands in the air in defeat. "I'll do as you say, if you let her go."

The woman scoffed. "You're in no position to negotiate. Now sit!"

"Okay, I'm going," said Nyron, shuffling towards the chair as slowly as possible. "Why are you doing this? What have I done to you?"

"I know what you are."