Rule twenty-nine:Insult his penis.
The smell hits me first. It’s damp and musty with subtle undertones of feces and urine. Cold stone scrapes against my cheek, and I blink a few times, trying to remember what just happened.
Right – I experimented with cannibalism.
Honestly, it’s probably not for me.
Feeling slowly creeps back into my limbs, letting me know I’ve probably been curled up on this floor for a while. The bars in front of me blur, but I try to stand anyway.
I need to know where I am.
I don’t make it far.
Chains rattle, and I stagger, only making it halfway up. Looking down, I take in the chains bolted to thefloor. They’re connected to the black cuffs on each of my wrists.
Oh, I don’t like this at all.
I sit back down, forcing myself to take a deep inhale.
It’s fine. Totally fine. Standing is overrated. I mean, the bars pretty much give it away. This is obviously a prison cell.
Still teetering on the brink of a claustrophobia-induced panic attack, I try to focus on the positives. This cell is bigger than the one Lilanthara locked me in. It’s about the size of a walk-in closet. This is definitely an upgrade.
Pressure builds in my chest. Clearly, my body didn’t get the memo that we are not freaking out.
The space is eerily quiet, so I’m assuming I’m in another unused prison. Other than my shallow breaths, the only other sounds are the occasional shuffle of rocks and dripping water.
Still, I want to be sure. The uneven stone floor bites into my knees as I crawl over it, inching forward until I can press my face against the cold iron.
My breath catches in my throat.
I’m underground – very, very deep underground. The cavernous space that looms above me must stretch at least twenty stories. It’s shaped like a massive funnel, widening as you approach the top. Small sconces cast a dim glow along a path that spirals up the walls. Every few feet, dark metal bars are carved into the stone.
Cells.
A tight knot forms in my stomach. This looks way too elaborate to be abandoned. In fact, I’m almostpositive this is the Council’s main underground prison – the one where Arianna was kept.
But why is it so quiet? There’s no way I’m the only one here. Sure enough, as I scan the other cells across from me, I see movement. Shadows shift inside other cells, but I don’t spot a single guard.
I frown, trying to reconcile how the most feared prison in the realms can have the atmosphere of a strict library. I was definitely expecting more catcalling and harassment.
Alternatively, Hollywood lied to me – again.
Straining against the chains, I try to peer over the narrow path and glance at the levels below. All I find is absolute darkness.
I swallow.
Okay, so either I’m at the bottom of the prison, or I’m in the last area that they bothered to light up. My attempts to stay detached and curious are starting to fail, and a cold sweat breaks out on my back.
You’re fine, I remind myself. This is just like visiting the Underworld Realm. That was deep underground, too, and I didn’t panic there.
A small whimper escapes as I curl into a tight ball on the floor.
I am so unbelievably fucked.
But even though this situation is dismal, I have no regrets. There was no way I was going to let Leon rape me.
A thought stops my heart cold. He knocked me out. Did he stop touching me?
