Écarté (Lost Birds Book 4)

Part 34 Payback.

Everything was still dark when I woke up again. My head throbbed painfully but it was nothing compared to the sudden nausea as I began to recognize the dingy cold darkness for what it was. My mothers wine cellar. I tried to rush back through my memories. I needed to know how I'd gotten in here.

It was no use.

I couldn't remember anything after the stabbing pain in my head. I shifted my hand up and carefully traced my fingers over the source of my pain. Sure enough my hair was matted together and stuck against my scalp by something dry and crusty. I didn't need light or a mirror to know that it was blood.

I closed my eyes and rested back against the damp cement. The cold made my body ache even more but seemed to calm some of the pounding in my head. I wondered how long my mother was going to leave me in here. I considered counting but that didn't seem like it would be very useful. I didn't even know how long I'd been in here already. I hoped that Tao and Sab had made it to Cameron in time. I hoped that enough time had passed that they'd made it to Cameron and were on their way back for me. If not I was afraid they were probably right about my parents. I wasn't sure I could survive this again and after the lies I'd told Stephan it was a good possibility that they might kill me.

Thinking back I was pretty sure whatever had darted out in front of me was a person. Tao had already scolded me for swerving away from squirrels and other wild life. There was no way that thing had been a squirrel. Knowing my life it was probably Stephan. In which case I was lucky that he'd brought me back here instead of somewhere else. I couldn't think through the pounding ache of my skull but I was thankful for the excuse not to wonder what Stephan would have done to me on his own.

I did a mental check of my body. I was sore everywhere. My head and neck ached more than anything else but overall it didn't seem too bad. I tried to sit up. The sudden movement made my nausea flare up again and my head began to burn and pound even harder. I groaned and laid back down. That had been a huge mistake. I realized it was even worse than the pain when the sound of the lock shifting in the door alerted me that someone was opening it.

I kept my eyes closed and forced my breathing to come out even, pretending to be asleep again despite the sound I'd just made. I bit the inside of my cheek hard enough to draw blood as I was jerked up and slung over someone's shoulder. I stayed limp. Too afraid to try and figure out who it was or where we were going.

When I was dropped all of the air slammed out of me and the blackness beneath the surface pulled me under again. Not for long. It couldn't have been more than a couple seconds because I heard the door shutting behind whoever had thrown me down.

I waited. Listening and straining for any sign of where they had taken me.

None came.

The silence stretched on until I couldn't take not knowing any more. I forced my eyes open. The light temporarily blinded me before my eyes finally adjusted enough to recognize the plain grey desk just in front of me.

I turned my eyes and head slowly to take in the room. I almost couldn't believe that I was in here. My father's office was off limits. The only time I'd ever been allowed in had been the precursor to some of the worst punishments of my life.

A chill ran through me at the reminder. I forced myself to ignore it and sat up slowly. My head throbbed harder but not as terribly hard as last time.

Sitting up I could see the room more clearly. It was plain. With a desk, a couple chairs, a bookshelf but no books just trinkets, a safe that didn't interest me, and a slightly worn and clearly misplaced filing cabinet. No one was in the room with me.

I couldn't resist the pull of the cabinet. We needed to know where the girls were being kept and it was right there. Not out of reach, not hidden, and not unavailable. I could do this.