Chapter 34 The Letter L
The Letter L
Raven
Present Day – Grypheem
“Aspecial bird, how resilient of you.” The creature above me wore goggles and they reflected my own image back at me. A metallic glint caught in the bright light above.
A scalpel.
I didn’t shut my eyes, choosing to watch this play out. It was better to know.
Or maybe it wasn’t.
The monster smiled, his teeth were oversized and sharpened. “Let me control you. It would be so easy for you to let go. To accept you are mine.”
My wrists and ankles were restrained to the hot metal table below me, the one that was pooled with sweat and blood that clung to the thin cotton shirt I wore. Using my last weapon, I spit at the monster.
His teeth separated as he let loose a cackling laugh. “You aren’t yet, but soon you will be my pet.”
And then he was slamming down towards me, the scalpel in hand, headed directly for my—
My breathing came out in sharp pants as I awoke from the nightmare, a cool sheen of sweat covering my entire body.
My eyes flashed open, and I widened my mouth on a scream as the monster stared down at me.
A hand covered my face, the other going to their lips.
Blinking a few times, I realized it was Amelia above me.
My eyes flicked over, and I found Julian and Griffin fast asleep.
None of us had woken up to her? How had she gotten in here?
My mind was discombobulated as she tugged me out of the bed. With her free hand she made the letter L.
Now that I was settling into consciousness, my terror was replaced with confusion.
“What are you doing here?” I whispered through her hand, the words muffled.
She made the letter L again.
“L?”
Ameilia nodded emphatically, dropping her hand from my mouth and gesturing for me to follow her.
She put up three fingers to the side.
I cocked my head in confusion.“E?”
She gave a lop-sided smile, offering two fingers next in the shape of…
“Levi?!”
Her head was bobbling now, her hands swishing towards her. She didn’t wait for me this time, heading towards the door.
This isn’t a good idea.
But I didn’t care.
There was only one day left until the pre-marital ceremony, two left from the wedding.
Maybe we would be reunited at that point, but I couldn’t be for certain. And while I didn’t completely trust Amelia, I could take her down.
Rushing to grab the mask from before, a robe, and shoes, I threw them on before launching out the door after her.
She made quick work of leading us towards the dining hall and the other hidden staircase.
At the top, I paused for a single instance, my eyes zeroing in on the spot I had fallen against before, but I pushed it down.
I needed to see Levi, and if that meant throwing caution to the wind, I would.
I caught up to Amelia at the bottom of the steps, but then she was turning another corner, going to a part of this area I had never been.
She went down another set of steps, colder and mustier the further we went, the hair on the back of my neck sticking up.
Flourishing a key from her pocket, she unlocked the wrought iron door at the bottom.
I would have been afraid. I should have been.
But I wasn’t.
My fear was replaced with a nervous energy, and then, just a dozen feet into the dingy space, I found him. His head resting on the bars of his cage.
Running past Amelia, I fell to my knees before him.
“Levi?” I sobbed hysterically, catching full sight of him.
He had been below us this entire time. So close and yet unreachable, until now. The cage he was in was tiny, to the point he wouldn’t be able to stand.
He raised his head limply, offering a bleary smile.
“Darlin’, I’m dreaming of you again.” He reached through the bars, a muddy hand finding my chin, calloused and bloody fingers stroking my sensitive skin there.
His eyes lit up for a single instance before panic entered them.
“Raven, you have to leave. Do not be caught here. I am a—”
Loud steps came from the opposite direction of the space. “Who’s there?”
“I’ll be fine, go!” Levi rushed out, his eyes widening in horror, but how could I believe him?
Amelia was behind me, tugging me up and away from Levi, back towards the hidden door, back up the two sets of stairs, back to Griffin’s room, but as far as she took my body, my heart never moved.
It was buried deep in the castle, in the prison hidden down there, just outside Levi’s cage.