Chapter 4 #2
My chest tightened, but I forced myself to stay calm. “Okay,” I said slowly, leaning back against the wall to ease the pressure on my wrists. “Okay, let’s focus. What do you know about this guy? What’s his deal?”
She glanced at the door again. “His name’s Dave. He used to work at my gym. Stalked me a little but I thought he was harmless. Clearly, I was wrong. He hasn’t hurt me…yet.” She wavered on the last word, betraying the fear she was trying to bury.
“How many girls?” I almost didn’t dare ask.
Her eyes widened slightly. “Only us,” she said, then hesitated. “As far as I know.”
Her hesitation didn’t reassure me one bit. I tried to piece together a plan, but the chains clinking every time I moved reminded me how little freedom I had. I shifted my weight, testing the chains again.
When Amy noticed, her expression hardened a little. “Don’t bother,” she said flatly. “They’re bolted into concrete. I’ve tried everything.”
“There’s always a way out,” I murmured, more to myself than to her.
She snorted softly, but there was no humor in the sound. “Sure. Let me know when you find it.”
Her defeat was a slap in the face. I couldn’t afford to think like that. Amy had been here for weeks. I would not. And one thing was certain: if I got out, I wasn’t leaving alone.
“Are you hungry?” she asked, softer again. Her question caught me off guard, but before I could answer, the door creaked open, the sound dragging across all my nerves.
The disgusting man stepped inside, his broad shoulders nearly filling the doorway. His presence sucked the air from the room, his pale blue stare glinting far darker than before.
“Ah,” he drawled with mock delight. “I see you two have met. Very good.” He stepped closer, his boots crunching against the dirt floor, while his gaze flicked between us.
Neither Amy nor I spoke. I could feel her tense beside me, her fingers gripping the edge of her tattered blanket once more.
“You’re going to be useful, witch,” he said, before his lips curled into a sinister grin. “And you, Amy…” His focus lingered on her. “You’ll finally come around.”
“Don’t call me that,” I said harshly, hoping my defiance would keep him at a distance.
He tilted his head, amused. “Why not? It’s what you are, isn’t it? A little miracle worker with magic at her fingertips. You’re going to make all my dreams come true.”
I stilled, slowly realizing the reason I was here.
“What is it you want?” I asked, cold and steady, though every nerve in my body was screaming at me to lash out.
His smile stretched wider. “Two things.” He crouched in front of me, too close for comfort, his breath reeking of alcohol and rot.
“First, you’re going to make me filthy rich.
I’ve seen what you freaks can do—turn nothing into something, making the impossible happen.
You’re going to conjure up some money, enough to make me a millionaire. ”
I swallowed back my revulsion, keeping my face neutral. “There’s a bubble in place right now, I can’t translate,” I said carefully. “It’s not—”
“Don’t,” he snapped as sharp as a whip. “Don’t start with your excuses. I know what you’re capable of. You’ll figure it out.”
His posture shifted, leaning in closer, and the grin that followed sent a chill down my spine. “And then, you’re going to make Amy fall in love with me. She might have refused me over and over again in the past, but you’ve got magic, so I’m sure you can work that into your little tricks.”
Amy stiffened beside me. “I’d rather die,” she spat, trembling with fury.
He turned to her, his grin never faltering. “Oh, sweetheart, you won’t feel that way for long. Once this witch works her magic, you’ll even thank me.”
“I can’t make someone fall in love,” I said, sickened by the idea. “It is not how this works.”
“You’ll find a way,” he said, his tone dark and final. “You do what I want, and maybe you’ll see daylight again. You don’t? Then get comfortable in your new home.”
He gestured toward a grimy bucket in the corner of the room. “There’s your bathroom. Get used to it.”
My stomach twisted, but I refused to let the disgust show on my face. “And if I try and fail?” I asked, buying myself some time while my mind raced for any angle to manipulate him.
His laugh was low. “Then you’ll stay here until you succeed. I’ve got nothing but time.”
He stepped back, towering over us as his shadow swallowed the remaining light. “Make me rich,” he said, sounding almost conversational. “And make her love me. Or don’t and stay here with her until she does. Your choice.”
He turned on his heel and slammed the door behind him. The sound of the lock clicking into place echoed in the suffocating silence.
Amy exhaled slowly, her shoulders slumping as soon as he was gone. “He’s insane.”
“Can you fight?” I blurted out.
Her one brow inched upward as her gaze swept over me like she was trying to decide whether I’d lost my mind. “You want to fight your way out of here?”
“I say we use his insanity to our advantage. I don’t care what he thinks I can do. We’re getting out of here. Together.”
Amy stared at me, the spark of defiance flickering in her hollowed face once more. And for the first time since I woke up in this nightmare, I felt the faintest glimmer of hope.