17. Maya
Maya
There was no way to count the time that passed in the windowless cell, only lit by lanterns that sat near the forbidding door at the front of the room that contained all the cages.
I tried to keep track, but soon I was distracted by thoughts of how the heck we were going to get out of this, and even more so, the state of Atlas and Sai, both of whom were still unconscious.
Luckily, we had managed to set them up near the iron bars so I could occasionally reach through and run my fingers across Atlas’s face or Sai’s arm, loving the small amount of connection but wishing for so much more.
Honestly, it was a bit terrifying seeing two men, who were normally so strong, physically out for the count. Not only because I knew that it would take a lot for that to happen, meaning they were in immense pain, but that they hadn’t gone through this type of thing before.
I may not be as strong as my men, but this was far more my ‘normal’ than anything else I’d experienced recently. I didn’t want it to be, but it seemed no matter how hard I tried, the past was reaching out to grasp me. To drown me in negative experiences.
I was stronger than before though. I had to be strong for my mates and for everyone else trapped in here, because I wasn’t going to let them go through what I had. No matter how much pain I had to experience.
“I know, Bella,” I murmured, looking over to Atlas and Sai. “I’m worried too.”
Ledger made a concerned noise from where he was facing the bars, sitting next to his brother, watching Bella and me. Anani was taking a turn sleeping while Marco, Henry, and Croy talked quietly, their eyes occasionally moving to me.
I wanted to tell them that I didn’t think any amount of planning would allow us to break out of here, considering the magic I’d felt just from the one man alone. Kidnapping man? Was that what I was going to call him? I honestly wasn’t positive.
I needed a name for him for sure though.
I tensed as I heard the doors slam somewhere in the distance, and the children in the cages behind me shifted and made nervous noises.
Ember hid Bella—I knew that without looking—as I stood protectively in front of my hurt mates despite being separated by bars.
I met Marco’s gaze, his eyes shining with both concern and something else.
I almost wanted to call it pride…but that didn’t make sense, did it? I wasn’t sure.
I mean, I suppose for the first time, I did fully feel equal to my men.
They had saved me, and now I would save them.
I would protect them. I could be strong here.
I knew what we were dealing with, even if it scared the heck out of me.
I offered him a small smile that his gaze tracked as he seemed to gather himself.
I knew if I started freaking out, there would be no way to get him to focus on getting us out of here.
I had already had to talk him down from the idea of shifting and trying to break through the walls. I had a feeling our captors had thought of that, and I didn’t want to risk him getting injured or possibly… No, I wouldn’t think about the other option.
When the door opened, my entire body stiffened, coming face to face with the man of my nightmares.
Pastor Malcolm. His entire face was filled with malicious delight as growls echoed through the space, making me feel extremely protective as his eyes moved over my mates.
I was actually happy when his gaze moved directly to me.
Then I saw the collar in his hands.
“Maya.” His voice was smooth. “I’m glad you’re up. You and I have an appointment. Come here, girl?—”
“No.” Marco’s voice was deceptively soft, though his eyes were alight with danger. I could see Malcolm’s eyes jump with amusement, as if Marco’s reaction was exactly what he wanted.
“Mr. Moretti, correct?” Malcolm offered him a head tilt.
“I think you are under a misunderstanding. You are not in charge anymore. You have no ability to use your magic, and this room you are in is warded to not only drain your magic, but to severely injure you if you try to break out. So you should be thankful that I am asking Maya so nicely to come with me. I could have just had the guards drag her out.”
“I don’t care what your fucking magic can do,” Marco stated with quiet venom. “She doesn’t leave this room.”
Malcolm’s smile grew as I felt my breathing catch, his eyes darting back to mine.
“Come, girl.”
I knew there wasn’t a choice here, and I also had a feeling that Malcolm wanted me to fight this. Wanted me to make this fun for him. He was sick. Sadistic. I think that was the right word for it.
I looked at my men, my gaze finally meeting Marco’s, who looked like he was on the edge of losing it.
“I need a minute to talk to them, and then I’ll come with you willingly,” I leveled.
Malcolm’s gaze filled with interest as he motioned for me to talk to them. Marco was immediately in my space, and I could see the panic there and something so much more vicious, his dragon nearly threatening to explode out from his skin.
“He wants you to fight this,” I whispered quietly, not caring if Malcolm heard. “He wants an excuse, Marco, and I am not giving it to him. He isn’t going to kill me. He can’t kill me. He can hurt you, though, and I won’t let that happen.”
“No,” Henry demanded, appearing next to him. “Absolutely fucking not, Maya.”
I swallowed down my resolve and stepped towards the front of the cell. “Please trust me.”
Trust me as I trusted you.
Trust me to keep all of you safe.
Trust me to be strong.
Trust me to try to find a way out of this for us.
I tried to keep the tears from my eyes as Malcolm motioned for me to step up to the door, my mates arguing behind me and calling out my name.
Ignoring them was completely against my natural instincts, as was the feeling of Malcolm slipping a collar around my throat that muted my magic.
Marco bellowed my name, and I swallowed nervously as Malcolm opened the cell door enough to pull me through before slamming it shut again.
I trembled slightly, hating his fingers on me, the feeling of the magic in the space stinging my skin.
“Firefly.” Ledger’s soft voice stood out amongst the chaos as I turned and met his gaze, seeing the knowledge there.
He knew what was going to happen. He knew I probably wouldn’t come back unharmed, and he knew he couldn’t stop it.
When the door slammed shut and I found myself in a cold stone hallway, I tried to push down the fear and keep my head up.
“I know you think you’re being brave,” Malcolm chuckled, “but you are still just a foolish girl, Maya. You could have stopped all of this. You could have protected them by coming home the first time. This is your fault. Their pain and everything that happens is your fault.”
He was right. I knew he was trying to manipulate me, but what he was saying wasn’t wrong, and that truth was a constant sense of dread under my skin. I didn’t respond back to him, and when he tugged me to the left through a metal door, my eyes darted around, not recognizing the space.
The cold metal table in the center of the room had straps and caused my body to tense as he led me towards it.
I breathed out a slight sigh of relief as he sat me down on a chair against the back of it.
I knew I couldn’t do anything right now, not only because my magic was null and void, but because if I retaliated, I wouldn’t be the only one to suffer.
Instead of focusing on what he was doing, knowing he would see my fear, my eyes moved towards the small sliver of light I could see through the floorboards.
Why was this ceiling not stone? Did that mean this part had a room above it?
If so, we would be able to reach it easier from this room than the other?—
A cry broke from my throat as my phoenix released a small, panicked noise at the blade that came across my palm.
I thought I heard a distant groan of iron and a roar that distracted my phoenix and I from the pain.
I knew intuitively my mates could feel my panic, so I tried to calm down as I watched Malcolm gather four vials of my blood.
I felt my jaw clench as he deepened the knife again, watching my face as he did.
“I’m impressed, Maya,” he mused, stepping away and placing the vials on the table. “You are far different than when that cunt took you away from me.”
I flinched at his tone, and amusement jumped in his gaze. “Or maybe not so much so.”
Before he could say anything else, shadows seemed to fill the edges of the room. Malcolm froze, a flash of fear crossing his face that he quickly hid, continuing about his business. I couldn’t control my same reaction as I narrowed my eyes at the man who stepped from the corner of the room.
Like I said, I should have been scared of him, but instead I found myself angry.
His dark eyes watched me cautiously, like I was somehow the real threat, keeping to the wall as if not wanting to come too close to me.
I noticed briefly that he was dressed far more casually than before, his suit exchanged for just a pair of jeans and a short-sleeve shirt.
My eyes moved to the thin lines on the inside of his gold arms, the pattern causing me to feel a weird wave of sadness.
Those weren’t battle wounds. Well, they were…
just not a physical battle. No, those were from a mental war.
I looked back up and found him now angry at me, his silver hair glinting as he refocused back on Malcolm.
“You don’t need to be here, demon.” Malcolm’s voice was casual as he worked on something at the table behind me, but I could hear his annoyance.
He didn’t like this man in the room with us, and it had me wanting him to stay.
It was always better to have other people around when it came to Pastor Malcolm.