Free Web NovelChapter 54: Chapter 54
Riley’s POV
Just as quickly as I sensed them, the feeling disappears.
One second there is this sharp pull in my chest like something strong and familiar is close, and the next second it is gone like it never existed. I sit up slowly on the cold stone floor of my cell, my heart beating fast, trying to feel it again.
Nothing.
The silence presses in on me.
"What was that?" I whisper to myself.
Did they come and then leave? Did something stop them? Or did I imagine everything because I am desperate and scared and losing my mind in this place?
I wrap my arms around myself and shake my head.
The Alphas just coming here to save me is even ridiculous. I am just Ethan’s wife. Just a human. They barely know me. They are powerful leaders of Obsidian Veil. Why would they risk everything for someone like me?
Those men are not caring enough to take risks like that.
I let out a weak laugh at my own thoughts, but it sounds wrong even to me.
Before I can think further, my cell door slams open loudly.
I jump.
Two tall giant women step inside. They are built like warriors, muscles hard under their tight black clothing. Their faces are cold and their eyes hold nothing but hatred.
"Get up," one of them snaps.
I do not move fast enough.
The second one grabs my arm and yanks me to my feet so roughly that pain shoots up my shoulder.
"I said get up," she repeats like I am deaf.
"I can walk," I say quickly, trying to pull my arm free.
She laughs harshly. "You don’t walk here. You get carried."
Before I can react, one of them lifts me like I weigh nothing and throws me over her shoulder. My stomach flips as my head hangs down her back and the world turns upside down.
Blood rushes to my head.
As they walk through the passages, I force myself to stay alert. I move my eyes carefully and memorize everything.
Left turn.
Long hallway.
Iron doors on both sides.
A broken light on the wall.
A stairway going down.
My memory sticks to things easily. I don’t forget routes. I don’t forget faces.
Even now, with fear burning in my veins, I make sure I remember.
As we pass through different corridors, people stop and stare.
Their eyes are filled with hate.
Pure hate.
Some of them whisper. Some of them spit on the ground as we pass. Some laugh under their breath like I am some kind of joke.
I sigh quietly.
I did nothing to them, yet they look at me like I am dirt.
Finally, we stop in front of a huge door made of dark metal.
One of the women kicks it open and it slams loudly against the wall.
And that is when real horror grips me.
It is a hall.
A massive hall.
There are thousands of them inside.
Thousands.
The air feels thick and heavy and full of noise. They are everywhere, standing in groups, sitting on raised platforms, leaning against pillars. Every single one of them turns to look at me as I am carried inside.
I am thrown to the floor without warning.
I crash hard against the stone, pain shooting through my knees and palms. Laughter erupts around me.
Some laugh loudly.
Some clap slowly.
Some whistle.
I do not know why they are laughing.
I refuse to look up.
If I see all of them staring at me at once, I might faint. The stares I witnessed before in the corridors were nothing compared to this. This feels like I am standing naked in front of monsters.
Right now I wish the ground would open and swallow me whole.
Suddenly someone grabs my arm and yanks me up roughly.
I stumble and look up.
It is him.
The Blood Tither.
He smiles calmly like we are meeting at a formal event instead of this nightmare.
"You can call me Laden, interesting human," he says smoothly. freёwebnovel.com
I blink at him, resisting the strong urge to spit at his spotless face.
The hall quiets slowly.
Laden turns to face the crowd and raises one hand.
"My people," he begins loudly, his voice echoing through the hall. "I present to you something rare."
Murmurs spread through the room.
He pulls me closer, his hand gripping my upper arm firmly.
"This," he continues, "is Riley Grayson."
Some of them whisper my name.
"She carries the scent of the Alphas of Obsidian Veil," he announces.
Gasps and angry growls fill the hall.
I feel eyes burn into my skin.
"Impossible," someone shouts from the crowd.
"She is human!" another voice yells.
Laden chuckles. "Yes. She is human. And yet their scent clings to her even after days."
A tall older man steps forward from a raised platform at the front of the hall. He wears dark robes and his hair is gray, his eyes sharp and calculating.
"This is your proof?" the man asks coldly. "A human woman?"
"She was taken from within Obsidian Veil itself," Laden replies. "During my infiltration."
The hall erupts again in whispers.
"Infiltration?" someone repeats.
The older man narrows his eyes. "You risked exposure for this?"
Laden’s grip tightens slightly on my arm. "I would not risk exposure for nothing."
I finally force myself to look around.
At the front of the hall there is a long elevated platform. Five individuals sit there in large dark chairs. Their expressions are cold and unreadable.
They might be the council the woman talked about earlier.
One of them, a woman with silver hair and sharp features, leans forward slightly. "Speak clearly, Laden. Why is this human important?"
He turns his head toward them.
"She reacted when one of our scouts attacked her," he says calmly. "Without lifting a finger."
My heart drops. What? He—he sent that scout?
"She did nothing," he continues, "and yet he fell like his strength was drained."
Gasps.
Murmurs grow louder.
I shake my head quickly. "That’s not true," I say loudly. "I didn’t do anything."
Laden looks down at me with a faint smile. "Exactly."
The silver-haired woman studies me carefully. "And you believe she is their mate?"
"I suspect it," Laden replies.
The hall becomes loud again.
"If she is," one of the council members says slowly, "then she is a great leverage against obsidian veil."
The word makes my stomach twist.
"I am no one," I shout, my voice shaking but loud enough to carry. "They don’t care about me."
Laughter erupts again.
Laden leans closer to my ear and whispers quietly, "We will test that."
The gray-haired council member stands up slowly.
"If this human holds importance to the Alphas," he says loudly, "then we shall use her."
I feel my knees weaken.
"How?" someone calls out.
The silver-haired woman smiles coldly. "We announce her capture."
My eyes widen.
"We send word," she continues, "that she is alive. And we wait."
"And if they come?" another council member asks.
"Then we crush them," she replies calmly.
"And if they do not?" someone from the crowd shouts.
The gray-haired man looks directly at me.
"Then we make an example of her."
My breathing becomes uneven.
"What do you mean?" I whisper.
Laden’s grip tightens again.
The silver-haired woman speaks clearly so everyone hears. "If the Alphas do not come for her within three days, we will drain her publicly."
The hall grows silent.
"Slowly," she adds.
A chill runs down my spine.
"We will show Obsidian Veil what happens to those connected to us."
I shake my head. "They won’t come," I say quickly. "You’re wasting your time. I’m nothing."
Laden turns me around to face him.
"We will see," he says softly.
The council members nod among themselves.
"It is decided," the gray-haired man declares. "The human will be held. Word will be sent. We wait three days."
The crowd begins chanting loudly.
I cannot even understand what they are chanting.
Laden bends down slightly so his eyes meet mine.
"You should hope they care about you," he murmurs quietly.
Tears gather in my eyes but I refuse to let them fall.
"You’re wrong," I say.
He smiles faintly. "I enjoy being right."
He signals the two giant women again.
"Take her back," he orders.
They grab me roughly and begin dragging me toward the exit of the hall.
As we leave, I hear someone shout loudly from behind us.
"If the Alphas do not come, tear her apart!"
The crowd roars in agreement.
My heart pounds violently in my chest.
Three days.
Three days to see if I matter.
And for the first time since being taken, I realize something terrifying.
I want them to come.
