Page 43 of Vows of Silence

“Wait,” the word escaped before I could stop it.

He paused.

I hated myself for it immediately. Hated the desperation creeping into my voice. But the thought of being left completely alone down here suddenly felt worse than him standing in the room watching me.

The mask turned slightly back towards me.

“Where am I?” I whispered.

Silence stretched between us once more.

Then he walked out.

The heavy door shut behind him with a deep metallic thud before the lock clicked firmly back into place.

And just like that, I was alone again.

Chapter 14

The Flame

When I woke again, I still wasn’t sure how much time had passed. It could have been hours. It could have been an entire day. The room never changed enough for me to tell. The lighting remained dim and steady, the stone walls just as cold and oppressive as before, and the silence stretched on endlessly without interruption. No birds outside. No traffic. No voices drifting through windows.

Nothing.

Just me, this room with its thick walls, and whatever waited beyond that metal door.

My body still ached, though not quite as viciously as before. The painkillers were gone from the tray beside the bed, along with most of the soup. I vaguely remembered forcing myself to eat after Silas left because the dizziness had become unbearable, but after that, everything blurred together again into heavy sleep and fractured nightmares.

Frank’s blood across the dashboard, the silver mask lowering towards me, Luca’s messages—they all blurred together in a kaleidoscope of images, until I didn’t know what was real and what wasn’t. At one point, Luca had been wearing the mask, texting me, telling me he couldn’t keep me safe if I continued to ignore him.

I rolled onto my back with a groan, staring blankly at the ceiling as anger slowly replaced the fear that had consumed me earlier.

This was real.

He had actually taken me.

And somewhere above me, the world was still turning whilst I rotted away underground like some dirty little secret.

I sat up carefully, wincing as stiffness pulled through my ribs. The engagement dress clung uncomfortably to my skin now, dried blood and dirt stiffening the ruined material. I smelled awful. My makeup had long since smeared away, leaving dark marks beneath my eyes and dried mascara streaked across my cheeks.

Pathetic.

I dragged my fingers through my tangled hair with a frustrated hiss before forcing myself out of bed again.

This time, my legs held.

Barely.

I limped slowly around the room, taking in every tiny detail I had missed before. The bookshelf had no books. The wardrobe was still shut. There were no visible vents, no visible cameras either, though I knew better than to believe I wasn’t being watched.

The thought made my skin crawl.

“Enjoying the show?” I snapped suddenly, glaring up toward the ceiling.

Silence answered me.

I laughed bitterly under my breath.