Chapter 40
Chapter
Forty
Kann
E very movement sent waves of agony through my leg, the knife still buried deep in the muscle, although the initial sharp, stabbing pain had morphed into a throbbing ache. My breath came in heavy gasps that ricocheted off the arched ceiling, as the Drexian guards dragged me deeper under the academy.
My boots scraped against the floor, leaving trails in what I desperately hoped was just dirt, and the torchlight grew dimmer, casting long shadows along the walls like spindly, grasping fingers.
One of the Drexians yanked my arm harder than necessary, making me stumble. "Just another failed cadet for the cells."
The second Drexian laughed, the sound hard and sharp. "At least he won't be down here long. Silent Hunt's almost over. Unlike those other grekking bastards we caught on the first day.”
The first guard's grip tightened painfully on my arm. "Hear that, cadet? You're lucky. Only a day or two in the dark."
I didn't respond, focusing instead on staying conscious. I knew without looking at my leg that the amount of blood I'd lost was concerning—a day might be too long if the bleeding didn't stop.
My thoughts drifted to Britta and Volten. Had they made it? Were they safely out of the simulation by now? The image of Britta being dragged away screaming by my best friend was seared into my memory. But I would rather that than have her captured with me.
Strange, how being trapped in the simulation had changed everything. If someone had told me weeks ago that I'd fall for a female—truly fall for her, not just want to bed her—I would have laughed in their face. And if they had said it would be a cadet, a friend, Britta, I would have known they were wrong.
I was former Inferno Force. I was a Blade. I was never going to fall for a human female, even though I had watched friend after friend succumb to their charms.
I almost barked out a laugh as I was propelled down a curling set of stairs. Falling for Britta made no sense. Truthfully, none of what was happening made sense, but somehow, being in a simulation had brought reality into focus.
Things made sense when Britta was around. She challenged me, surprised me, made me want to be better. I swallowed a knot in my throat. And now, I might never get the chance to tell her.
I clenched my jaw to suppress a roar of pain as the Drexians shoved me through a heavy, iron gate into the main dungeon chamber. Rows of cells lined both walls, most occupied by figures huddled in darkness. The air here was thick with the pungent tang of blood and the sour stench of unwashed bodies.
“Another washout,” one of the Drexians escorting me called out to the others, earning a few weak groans.
When they pushed me into an empty cell, the door clanged shut with a finality that made my stomach clench. I staggered to the rough wooden bench bolted to the wall, sinking onto it with a barely suppressed groan. Blood seeped between my fingers where I pressed against the wound, dripping steadily onto the stone floor.
My thoughts were sluggish, clouded by blood loss and pain. I forced myself to stand, swaying slightly as I made my way to the cell door. I needed to assess my situation, even if I suspected there was little point. In the real academy in my time, the bars might be rusted enough to break, but here?
I curled one hand around the cold metal and kept one pressed to my wound. The iron bar was roughened with rust under my fingers, flakes of it sifting to the ground, but it didn't budge when I pulled.
Despair washed over me, as I slumped against the bars and rested my forehead on my knuckles. I'd survived the Silent Hunt only to end up here, bleeding out in a simulated dungeon that felt all too real. I closed my eyes, trying to think through the haze of pain.
There was one advantage to reaching rock bottom and having everything go wrong that possibly could. The list of possible catastrophes was much smaller, especially if Volten and Britta had managed to leave the simulation.
“They got out,” I whispered to myself. “Zav got them out, and Volt will come back for me.”
"Hey," a voice whispered from the next cell.
I ignored the sound, focusing instead on reassuring myself and imagining my best friend appearing at the end of the row of cells.
“Psssst. New guy, I'm talking to you."
I turned my head slowly, trying to make out the speaker in the dim light. “Me?”
“You are the newest one here.” Exasperation tinged his voice. “But I don’t think you’re one of us.”
Grek. I opted not to respond.
“You're not really a Drexian cadet, are you?"
I shifted away from him, hoping my uniform wasn’t the giveaway. "Of course, I am."
A quiet laugh. "No, you're not. But don't worry—I'll keep your secret, if you'll help me.”
Curiosity made it impossible for me not to ask. “Help you with what?”
He leaned closer, his face in profile. “My escape plan.”
I studied the shadowy figure in the next cell more carefully. I had specified almost every character that was in the simulation, taking as many names from academy records as possible. Was this one of the cadets I had chosen?
"I'm listening," I said quietly, pressing harder against my wound as another wave of pain washed through me.
What did I have to lose? I was already captured, injured, and running out of time. Whatever this cadet had planned, it had to be better than bleeding out in the dark.