CHAPTER 24 #2
He pulls the vial away again, leaving it half-full. He recorks and slips it into his pocket. Three sips. That’s all he’s giving me.
My body screams for more, but I force myself to remain still, to not lunge for the hip where it’s tucked like my feral instinct demands.
“Why bother teaching me anything?” I ask.
“Because you have potential.” His eyes flick to my scar, strikingly visible through the torn cloth. “Whether that becomes a strength or a weakness depends entirely on you.”
I stare at him, trying to reconcile the monster who nearly tore out my heart with this calculated mentor figure standing before me.
He doesn’t wait for my response, just lifts the chair and walks out.
The door remains open behind him—an invitation, not escape.
Gathering my strength, I make my way to the door, half-expecting someone to slam it shut as I approach, but no one does. At the top of the stairs, Saul waits, his posture rigid with barely contained anxiety.
“She lives,” Ace tells him, his tone matter-of-fact. “But she remains locked up and under watch.”
Relief washes over my brother’s features.
Ace turns back to me one last time. “Don’t mistake this for mercy, Seraph. You are alive because you’re useful, nothing more.” His eyes harden. “And if you ever harm another member of my household, I’ll do worse than just tear your heart out.”
With that, he strides away, leaving my brother and me alone.
“What happened? Are you hurt?” Saul asks in a hushed voice once Ace is out of earshot.
I edge up the last steps with shaky legs, the full weight of what just transpired settling over me. “I think I just made a deal with the devil.”
Saul sighs, his mouth quirking in a humorless smile. “I hope he gave you a receipt.”
He offers his arm for support, which I accept gratefully. As we make our way back through the mansion’s umbrous corridors, I can’t shake the feeling that I’ve crossed a threshold from which there’s no return.
I’ve acknowledged a threat greater than my personal vendettas. And somewhere in the back of my mind, a small voice whispers that maybe, just maybe, Saul was right. Maybe there are no heroes, just survivors trying to navigate a world more complex than I ever imagined.
The thought doesn’t comfort me. But for the first time since I was captured, it gives me something I desperately need: a purpose beyond escape, beyond revenge. A reason to stay alive long enough to see what happens next.
We turn down a familiar corridor, but instead of heading toward the areas I recognize, Saul leads me through uncharted passages.
We climb a narrow staircase that spirals upward rather than down.
The space is more open here, the ceilings higher, though I note the windows still bear the same bars that prevent escape.
Saul opens the door to reveal a modest but comfortable chamber. “Your new accommodation.”
The cell—because that’s still what it is, despite the upgrades—is nearly three times the size of my previous prison.
A proper bed sits against one wall, dressed with linens and pillows that look almost inviting.
A compact writing desk occupies the corner.
Even a bookshelf stands nearby, stocked with leather-bound volumes.
The floor is partially covered by a worn but serviceable rug, and a basin of fresh water sits atop a side table.
From the heights of the window, I can see part of the gardens where Ace and I walked that night, as well as the stone bench where he spoke of sides and choices.
“It’s better than the cold, empty cell I occupied before,” I remark.
“Ace’s idea of compromise,” Saul says, gesturing for me to enter. “Comfortable enough to keep you from madness, sparse enough to remind you of your position.”
I step inside, trailing my fingers over the furniture, appreciating the feel of real wood rather than metal bolted to stone.
On the desk sits a pitcher of water, a loaf of bread, and a covered tray that smells of roasted meat.
Nothing lavish, but after days of near-starvation, it looks like a feast.
I gobble all of it down, manners forgotten in the face of hunger.
Saul watches with a mixture of amusement and concern. “Ease up, or you’ll make yourself sick.”
I force myself to pause between bites, meeting his gaze with a smirk that feels almost like old times. “Remember when I put honey in your boots because you cut off my braid while I was sleeping?”
“How could I forget?” He shudders dramatically before closing the door behind him. “I was sticky for days. But you have to admit, that haircut improved your looks considerably.”
I flick a piece of meat at him, which he dodges easily. “No, it didn’t.”
“If you say so,” he teases.
The mattress gives beneath my weight as I sit, soft enough to sleep on without pain. My mouth is still stuffed when I speak. “Do you like it here?”
Saul sits beside me, our shoulders nearly touching. “I belong here. It’s not always easy, but it’s where I need to be.”
I nod, understanding the distinction. Belonging isn’t always about happiness. It can be about purpose, too.
He leans back against the wall, stretching his legs out before him. “And you?” he asks. “How’s life among humans been?”
I swallow hard, the last bite finally sliding down. “Lonely. But safer, in a way. Less complicated.”
He hums thoughtfully, his eyes fixed on the ceiling. “Complicated can mean alive.”
“Maybe.” I glance at him, sensing a weight beneath his words. “Do you believe in true love?”
Saul scoffs, a frown etching onto his brows. “I don’t know. Why do you ask?”
I sigh, running a hand through my tangled hair. “Things just got complicated between me and Max. When he got turned, everything changed so fast. I don’t know what we are anymore. I don’t even know what we could be anymore. Was I selfish to ever start it?”
“Love usually is.” He shrugs. “Doesn’t mean it wasn’t real.”
I pick at a loose thread on the bedcover, unable to meet his eyes. The last thing I would’ve expected was to be vulnerable with my brother. Talking about my love life with him. The little things you don’t tell just anyone. I suppose near-death experiences have that effect on you.
Saul shifts beside me, as if the topic itself makes him restless. “Look, whatever questions you have about love or human connection, I don’t have the answers. Just know that change has a way of revealing what we are truly made of.”
I simply nod, believing there’s a truth in what he’s saying.
More than I wish to find out.
Saul glances toward the window, where the moon has already begun its descent. “Get some rest, Sister.”
As he rises to leave, I catch his wrist. “Will you be back tomorrow?”
“I’ll try.” With that, he slips out, the door closing with a soft click behind him.
I hear the turn of a key—not quite a prisoner, not quite free.
Something in between, just like everything else in my life.
I go and wash myself to my best abilities with the limited facilities. The water is cold, but it feels heavenly against my skin, rinsing away the grime of confinement. I change into the clean clothes laid out for me, a simple pair of cotton pants and a loose shirt, then curl up on the bed.
As I drift toward sleep, I find myself wondering what tomorrow will bring. More perilous interrogations from Ace? Revelations about the pendant? The beginnings of a plan to confront Cain? Whatever comes, I’ve bought myself time.
And in this game of immortals and ancient grudges, time might be the most valuable currency of all.
Penn City feels a lifetime away now, though it’s been mere weeks since I was there, laughing with Evan over drinks at Lou’s bar, watching his ocean blue hair catch the neon lights as he tosses his head back in laughter.
I can almost hear his voice, cutting through the silence with some inappropriate joke that would make even Haden roll his eyes.
He’s probably driving everyone crazy right now, organizing search parties for me, threatening anyone who might know something.
Haden would be the calm in Evan’s storm, making rational plans of action while checking in with his new mysterious lover, Marcus.
I wonder how that’s going. Could Marcus really be the one to have conquered Haden’s heart? If Evan could make me laugh until it hurt, and Haden could hold himself steady for someone else, then maybe I could find a way to keep standing through all this.
A pang of homesickness hits me as I think of Kyla, Beth, Jaxon, and Ivy. The fun times they bring.
My last conscious thought is of Max. I wonder if I’ll ever see him again, or if this tentative alliance with the Ravens will be the final wedge that drives us apart.