Chapter 15: Chapter 15

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Roxanne

‘The key to freedom in your hands.’

The riddle left me confused. Was it an escape? Was someone else locked up here before? Could they have possibly found their way out and left it for the next person? Was that why it was secured within the wall? Did it have too much information?

I had so many questions and although I had the book with the answers in my hands, I was scared.

I bit my lip as I repeated the riddle. It seemed to hint at a location outside the cell, possibly somewhere within the Alpha’s territory.

The mention of wolves dancing left me curious. Could that be the key to my escape?

A willow…

I had definitely seen one here but I couldn't recall where. I mean, why should I keep the location of a tree in my head?

I never knew it had any significance.

“L.W” I whispered, running my thumb across the initials. It was a mystery I wanted to unravel.

Without hesitation I wore it around my neck, feeling a sense of connection to the past. It fit perfectly and I liked it almost at once.

Determined to uncover the truth, I eagerly flipped through the pages, wholly absorbed in my new discovery.

For a book tucked so far away I expected lots of details but disappointment was an understatement. It gnawed at me as I scanned the first few pages. They were filled with the name ‘lilith,’ over and over, like a haunting chant echoing through the musty pages. I turned the pages with growing frustration, each leaf marred by the name– lilith, lilith, lilith.

Whoever wrote in this journal was retarded, I concluded. Who on earth wrote a single name on all the pages of a book?

“I didn't outsmart the guards just for this!” I muttered to myself. This book was supposed to be a key to mysteries I sought, not a repetitive monotony of a single name.

I continued flipping till I saw smeared writing in the middle of the journal. I parted it and had to squint to see what it was. It was new and different and stood apart from the endless echoes of lilith.

Intrigued, I read, and it said:

Born of shadows, the child was torn.

A breath denied, her soul reborn.

Blessings of old, now turned to ash,

A cursed resurrection, a haunting's flash.

I shuddered in fear, I had no idea why this part of the book terrified me. My heart raced as I pieced the cryptic lines together and all I knew was that it talked about a supernatural child brought back to life, only to lose the very blessings she was granted.

As my eyes moved away from the riddle, they landed on the opposite page. There, a faded illustration of a baby with flaming red hair and lifeless blue eyes stared at me. Goosebumps crept up my arms.

Was this the child from the riddle?

Was this lilith?

***

“Time’s up! We have to go now!” One of the guards shouted, eyes darting around nervously. “If the Alpha catches us, we're all in deep trouble.”

“Just one moment,” I pleaded, my heart racing as I flipped open the book again, desperate to find the writing and the illustration I had just seen. But my breath caught in my throat. The pages were blank – completely empty.

A wave of shock washed through me as I stared at the stark emptiness where the words and image had been moments before. “No, no, this can't be right,” I whispered aloud, my confusion mingling with fear.

I dropped the book in disbelief, unable to comprehend what had happened.

I wasn't hallucinating. I had seen something. How wasn't there a single alphabet to testify something had once been written in this journal? Was I losing it?

I reluctantly got on my feet and retrieved the book. There was something wrong with the book or my mind. But I couldn't deny that there was something wrong with the house too.

Something the Alpha may not know.

I tucked the journal in its place of hiding and instinctively touched the necklace at my neck. It was the only piece of confusion I had left. Should I leave it behind? I wondered. The thought was unbearable, and after a moment of silent conflict with my thoughts, I decided to keep it.

With a heavy heart and lingering questions, I followed the guards out of the cell and into the dark passageway that led to the dungeon. As we walked the hairs on my neck stood as I heard them exchange whispers and I could feel their suspicious gaze boring into my back.

All at once, my instincts screamed for me to be on guard.

Before I could react, scaredy guard seized me by the neck, a cold blade instantly pressed against my throat. My heart raced and a fresh rush of fear surged through my veins.

It was always the weak ones.

***

My hair was pulled roughly and my neck was forced to go back with the force.

Perhaps scaredy gut wasn't so scaredy as I had thought.

The way scaredy guard had his knife aimed at my throat gave me deja vu. Except it actually happened days back with Ryker but in a different position. And situation.

Bold guy kicked me in the stomach with his knee and the motion caused me to drop the journal.

I smirked at scaredy guard whose eyes pierced deep into mine threateningly. “Let me guess,” I said, “this is the part where you kill me.”

Oh shut up Roxanne. You just had to utter a word again.

Bold guard pummelled a punch to my lips and my head lolled to the side from the compact, the metallic taste of blood flooding my mouth.

Okay, maybe I had underestimated his capabilities.

I grinned, suppressing the pain I was feeling. “You can do better. That's not your best,” I urged.

Are you nuts Roxanne?

Maybe I am.

You're just going to get into trouble. Shut the fuck up.

No.

“Don't you ever shut up?” bold guy asked as though he could hear me arguing with the voices in my head.

I coughed out blood and Saliva. Nauseated from the position, my stomach churned and I couldn't control it. I heard a plop and when it landed on bold guard’s face, I almost jumped.

He flashed me a dirty look and I cringed. I didn't know which was disgusting, his face or the vomit.

I was screwed.

Maybe not. I had intentionally aimed for his face. I was doing the wrong thing but I refused to stop. I should. I was alone with two guards who had weapons. Guards who could take my life in two minutes yet I had the nerves to irritate them.

Did I enjoy it?

Yes.

Would I stop?

No.

I hated their guts and something about the way they looked stirred up emotions within me. It was the sick look I used to have on my face in white moon when someone dumped hot coffee on me because they felt it was fun. Doing it to someone else made me feel better.

Now I understand why I was picked on. It was fun to do things to people who couldn't fight back.

Okay Roxanne, snap out of it. Hell, they could fight back. A damn knife was pressed to my throat for fuck's sake.

“Man, you smell like shit,” scaredy guard said to his partner.

I giggled, causing the bold guard to divert his attention to me. He growled.

“You're not going to kill me, are you?” I inquired.

Scaredy guy shrugged. “What were you thinking? That we'd let you go? You know our secret, you could snitch on us.”

I shrugged, “We had a deal.”

“Which is exactly why we'd kill you. I don't want any more future bargains with you.”

I grinned, “Everyone wants to kill me. Do I make you all intimidated?”

“No one can ever be intimidated by a helpless weakling who wastes her days behind bars,” scaredy man pointed out.

“Says the man who was almost on his knees. I'm impressed.”

Bold guard shook me aggressively, “If you don't shut up. I promise I'll make you.”

I smacked my lips together. “I don't think the Alpha would like that. I'm not allowed to have multiple d's in my mouth.”

“You're disgusting.”

“Not as much as your face,” I reminded, cocking my head to the side and smiling the ugliest smile ever.

It was all fun and games till I figured how to get myself out of their grasp. Soon they would be bored and kill me.

Rule one; keep your enemies occupied with information they didn't need. It gets them irritated and buys you time to think smart.

Except your enemy was a mafia Lord or Ryker– their patience snaps easily.

Wrong.

Patience was something they didn't possess.

Scaredy guard backhanded me. He did not only snap me from my thoughts but he also sent me crashing into the wall. Before I could do a thing I was jabbed in the side by the knife.

I gasped out as I locked my eyes with him.

“I should probably do that,” bold guard said as he roughly pulled out the knife from my side.

Scaredy guy shook his head and glared at me, “I've planned this out in my head. I've spent my nights hating you.”

I tried to kick him off me but he sent his hand crashing down on my cheek. He took the knife from bold guard and stabbed me in the arm. “I've spent these few days hating you. You killed my brother X and still got away with it. You don't get to live while he's dead.”

“The bloody fucker deserves it,” I muttered and burst out laughing, “And I'd kill him again if I see his corpse.”

Bold guard pressed the knife to my throat. It prodded my skin and slowly pierced. I gasped. “Even if I die, at least I gave the justice the Alpha couldn't.”