Page 4 of Elysian

She came forward, her stride uneven as she favored her leg. Her gown was in the tan shade ordained for all redblood servants. Having worn the very gowns before, I knew how itchy the fabric felt.

I crossed the cell to the corner where she approached. She gingerly crouched and set a small bundle wrapped in an ivory cloth just outside of the cell, then took a different, similarly wrapped item that had been left there. Tension lined her face until, at last, she looked up.

“Eliza,” I whispered. “You have to help me.”

Her features remained stiff, as if she had not heard my plea.

She retreated to Piper’s small cage and unwrapped the bundle she’d taken, exposing a loaf. She tore the stale bread in halves, sliding the pieces through the thin slits.

“They took my wraithling,” I blurted. Eliza hesitated, her back still to me. “Drusilla snapped her neck.” I squeezed my shaking hand into a fist.

She did not move for one beat, then two, then she began to leave, not bothering to respond to me.

“Why do you do nothing?” Accusation spilled into my voice, and it was what was needed to get her to turn.

She pierced me with a glare. “Because,” she snapped. “I am not stupid.”

A vibrating thud shook the bars I held. I gasped, pulling away from them. Both of us turned toward Cassiel, pacing the edge of the cell like a caged beast, the clink of the chain stretched as far as it would let him, placing him one pace away from the bars. At the angle he stood, he could reach his arms out and grasp the bars.

“Speak like that to her again. I dare it,” he threatened.

Eliza swiped the back of her trembling hand across her mouth and turned away from him.

“I will not end up like you.” She looked at Piper and at me in the same sweep. “You do that by keeping your head down.”

Even though I hated it, I also understood why she went along with this, but all this hatred toward what we were—it wasn’t how it should be. The Lore of Old had said as much.

“I understand you are scared,” I whispered. “But they will keep us like this unless we fight.”

She stared at me for a few beats then turned, her steps echoing farther and farther.

That uneven gait. It was similar to mine.

All of it—all of this—was too much. Issues upon issues compounded, splitting me open and leaving me raw. If I did not release this pressure building in me, I would break. So I fixated on her stride.

The night of the ball, Cassiel had discovered me with Egan. He hadn’t known I’d just taken the grimoire. If he had caught me with it, it would have meant everything was over.

The sneaking, the searching, the escape. All of it would have been over because I let him find me. So I shoved it in Egan’s coat. I would not have touched Egan if I had known how viciously Cassiel would react.

All of this had not been necessary. Cassiel cared for me. In his twisted, maddened way, he did. It enraged me further knowing it all could have been avoided. Eliza had always had a limp, but I never believed Cassiel had anything to do with it.

Now, I did not know what to think. Nor feel.

“Did you fuck her too?” I asked, tone dull.

“What?” he asked harshly.

He approached slowly, as if every movement caused pain.

“Did you fuck her so hard that you caused her limp too?” The vitriol spilled out like a lash. The irritation on his face made my certainty falter.

“No, mortal, I do not fuck redbloods. You know this.” His lips twitched at the corner. “Such jealousy is unnecessary⁠—”

“Jealousy?” I interrupted, cocking my head to look at him. I slowly strode across the cell until I faced him with only the bars between us. “It is not jealousy. It is disgust.”

He flinched, but just as quickly he veiled it, then his arm was through the bars, grabbing my throat. I lifted my chin, allowing him a better grip on my neck. “Disgust that I had hope for a creature that cannot empathize. A monster that is better off dead.” The corners of his mouth tightened at the word monster.

I closed my eyes, waiting for the coming blow, but the hard grip on my neck didn’t tighten as I wanted. Meeting his stare again, there was only contemplation.