She didn’t stop.
Izo led her out of the prison, his laughter echoing off the damp stone walls.
The guards dragged me back to my cell. My legs barely held my weight, and I stumbled as they shoved me through the barred entrance. I hit the ground hard, the water splashing up around me as pain shot through my battered body.
“Enjoy your rest, Shadow,” one of the guards sneered as they locked the cell behind them.
I lay there for a moment, gasping for air, my chest heaving with the effort it took to stay conscious. The water soaked through my clothes, chilling me to the bone, but it was nothing compared to the cold rage settling in my veins.
I turned my head, forcing my eyes open to look at the others. Vincenzo was still gripping the bars of his cell, his face a mask of fury. Camilla paced her cage restlessly. Dorian sat in the corner of his cell, muttering curses under his breath, while Luca leaned against the wall.
None of them spoke, but their eyes told me everything I needed to know.
This wasn’t over.
Not by a long shot.
I dragged myself to the wall, leaning back against the cold stone as I struggled to catch my breath. The pain was overwhelming, sharp, and unrelenting, but I welcomed it. It kept me focused, kept me grounded.
I closed my eyes, letting my head rest against the wall as I pictured her face. The real Vivian. The one who had fought beside me, laughed with me, trusted me. The one I had failed to protect.
“I’m going to kill him,” I whispered, the words a vow etched into my very being. “I swear on everything in existence, I’m going to kill him.”
The others didn’t respond, but I felt their agreement like a tangible force in the air.
My body screamed for rest, every nerve alight with pain, but I forced myself to stay awake. I couldn’t give in. Not yet.
But as the minutes stretched into eternity, the exhaustion became too much. My vision blurred, and the world around me started to fade.
The last thing I saw before darkness claimed me was the image of Izo leading Vivian away, her hand clasped in his, and a slight trace of determination in her eyes.
Pain throbbed through my body,a dull, insistent ache that pulled me reluctantly back to consciousness. My eyes opened slowly, and for a moment, I wasn’t sure if I was still dreaming. The bioluminescent algae on the walls cast an otherworldly glow across the chamber, distorting the edges of reality.
When my vision sharpened, the first thing I saw was Luca. He was pacing in his cell, his hand flicking out in sharp, controlled movements as he tried to summon his shadows. Each attempt was met with nothing but frustration, his jaw tightening with each failure.
“Fuck,” he hissed under his breath, his fists clenching at his sides.
I pushed myself up, the water soaking through my clothes and chilling me to the bone. My muscles protested every movement, but I forced myself to sit upright.
The guards were gone. Not a single one patrolled the corridor.
I frowned, the silence pressing heavily on my ears. They must’ve been supremely confident in their wards and the prison’s design to leave us unsupervised.
Luca stopped pacing when he noticed I was awake. “Took you long enough,” he muttered, though there was no bite in his words.
“What’s the situation?”
Dorian stood and crossed his arms. “The situation? Your wife just whipped the shit out of you while looking like she’d rather be anywhere else. Izo has her wrapped around his slimy fingers, and we’re stuck in these cursed cells while he plays house.”
The reminder of Vivian sent a sharp pang through me, but I shoved it down. “He’s controlling her. This isn’t her.”
“No shit,” Dorian said, his tone biting. “But what the fuck has he done to her?”
Vincenzo leaned against the bars of his cell, his broad shoulders tense. “You can’t trust sirens. They get into your head with their damn songs, and once they’ve got you, that’s it. You’re theirs. Mind, body, and soul.”
Camilla sighed. “Even I felt it. Every time he spoke, it was like... like I couldn’t look away.”
Everyone turned to her, their expressions ranging from disbelief to concern.
