Chapter Twenty-Eight All Dead #2
Until no guards come to retrieve her. She was left there until the following morning and the pattern repeated for the following three days.
When anyone tried to talk to her, the guards would beat them.
When Adan tried, the guards beat the person she tried to talk to.
She learned quickly to stay away, and stay quiet.
Her tongue had grown back, but Antonius had not yet come back for it.
She hadn't spoken since she arrived, and figured that might have something to do with it.
On her fourth night, her eyes snapped open at the sound of her cell bars creaking open.
With her back to her intruders, she kept her limbs loose while her heart pounded.
Her mind raced, calculating her options, but all she had were the brief glimpses of the world outside the cell.
She had no weapons, no allies, and she certainly had no hope of escaping this hell on her own.
Four guards entered, their faces hidden behind their helmets, "Up," one of the guards barked, his voice rough, cutting through the silence.
The lead guard stepped forward, grabbing Adan by the wrist when she didn't immediately move to obey. Throwing her between them. Two of them held down her shoulders.
The one that had pulled her from her makeshift bed sauntered over to crouch in front of her. "Darius sent us."
It was impossible to block out the wave of dread that swept over her.
The guard smirked, reaching out to grab a fistful of her hair and forcing her to look up at him.
"He wants you to be reminded of your place," he said, the words like a hiss.
His free hand went to the buckle at his pants, flipping free the clip.
The guard let out a low laugh, his fingers tightening around her hair.
"I heard you bit off your own tongue... If you bite what I give you, I will make sure that tongue never grows back." He wrenched her neck back painfully.
Adan didn't flinch, but the tension in her body betrayed her. She was already fighting, already preparing for what came next. She knew it wouldn't be quick.
Another guard moved closer, his hand reaching out to hold her face. placing his hands on both sides of her jaw and pulled down. The guards behind her held her arms tighter. She felt pulled apart, like she was losing control of her limbs.
"Does it hurt, Butcher?" The voice was mocking, cruel.
Adan didn't respond. She couldn't—there was nothing left to say. Her eyes slid up to the male above her, who now had his cock out in his hand. She tried to pull away, retch her arms free, but the three guards held her firm.
The sentry in front of her reached behind his back, pulling something from his belt—a sharp, wicked-looking knife.
The blade gleamed in the dim light, and Adan felt her pulse spike in response.
He slid the knife beneath her chin as if it were a casual gesture, as if she were nothing more than an object to be toyed with.
"Darius wants you broken. And we are here to make sure of it."
Adan's body tensed as he pressed the cold steel against her skin. She didn't move, didn't even breathe, her eyes narrowing into cold slits. She wouldn't give them the satisfaction of seeing her scared.
The door to the cell slammed closed and the air in the cell grew thick with fear. A voice—low, dangerous, and unmistakable—cut through the air like a knife.
"You're all fucking dead."
Nox's eyes burned with fury. He was dressed in the same white cotton as Adan, but his presence now felt like a storm that had just begun to gather force. His gaze swept over the four guards holding her, and his lips twisted into a sneer.
He let loose a mighty growl before the guards could react, Nox moved with inhuman speed, his shadow falling over them like death itself.
He lunged at the nearest one, his fist smashing into the man's face with a sickening crunch.
The guard's helmet flew off, his body collapsing in a heap as Nox moved on to the next.
While the guards above her had let go of her arms.
One guard tried to draw a weapon, but Nox's booted foot slammed into his chest, sending him sprawling back into the wall with a bone-rattling thud.
The second didn't even have an opportunity to scream before Nox was upon him, the blade of his dagger sinking deep into the guard's throat in one smooth motion.
The last guard, the one who had been holding the knife to Adan's throat, stammered as he fumbled for his sword, with his cock still out. "No—wait!" he shouted, but it was already too late.
Nox's eyes glinted with murder as he grabbed the guard by the throat, lifting him off the ground with a single arm. The guard's feet kicked helplessly, gasping for air, but Nox didn't relent. With a single motion, he snapped the guard's neck, tossing the body aside like a rag doll.
Adan's chest tightened as she watched him, the sight of him slicing through her captors like they were nothing more than paper. She could hardly breathe for a moment, her heart racing in disbelief at the sheer brutality of it all.