Page 95

The bed skirt flies up again, and I crawl back through the cage door.

“I’m sorry about that,” he says, gently rubbing my neck with his hand.

“How would she have gotten in?”

“I don’t know… I don’t like it. I’ll look into it in the morning. For now, lie down. I’m going to take care of your back before bed.”

Before bed.

I may be hidden, spending a good portion of my days in the dark. But every night, I get to fall into the comfort of his arms.

Violet

Chapter 35

Yowwl… Mraow!

My eyes shoot open, my body jolting awake at Snowdrop’s warning.

One… Two… Three sets of footsteps surround the bed. My heart thunders against my chest, and my palms turn cold.

This isn’t good…

The bed's skirt flies up, and my stomach sinks into the floor. Marcus leans down, a smile turning up one side of his face.

“We’ve been looking all over for you,” he says, knocking his knuckles against one of the iron bars. I swallow, trying to control my breathing. “This is a strong setup you’ve got here,” he says as he reaches out; one of his companions hands him something. A tool. An angle grinder. “Luckily, we’ve come prepared.”

“Please, don’t…”

“Now’s not the time for begging; that comes later.”

I scoot to the back of my cage, gluing myself to the wall. Marcus slips on a pair of safety glasses and slides down the shield. He turns on the grinder, and Snowdrop runs under the bed and into my lap. I wrap my arms around him, close my eyes, and cover my ears. As he works, sparks fly, and the air around me feels hot and has a sharp, smoky smell.

I don’t count the minutes. What’s the point? My time is coming either way. Instead, I breathe, hold snowdrop close, protect my ears, and repeat Mindset.

Trust yourself.

You’re stronger than you believe.

Hold your head high.

It’s okay to shake.

One breath. Then another.

You can do hard things.

I hear these affirmations in Cain’s voice as well as my own. I don’t think Cain left me that long ago; he’s never gone long… But I have a feeling they aren’t flying by the seat of their pants.

I want to fight. I need to fight. But I have other responsibilities, too…

A responsibility to you, my little one. I say to myself, feeling my baby flutter in my belly.

The grinder stops, and I take a deep breath. I don’t have a chance against them in here once the cage is open. I open my eyes, Marcus entering my space.

“Stop. I’ll come with you.” He halts, tilting his head and narrowing his eyes. But he backs out. I kiss Snowdrop on the head, scratch his ear, and set him down. Then I climb through the opening and stand.

There is a time and a place to fight; I’ll take the opportunities when I see them. When I don’t, I’ll choose preservation.