She immediately did a body scan, running her hands down her torso. The kind of seal he was talking about had to involvecarving a sigil into the skin, but she didn’t feel any fresh wounds—
“I spelled it into a potion and made you drink it while you were unconscious. It’s in your bloodstream. I already said I wouldn’t waste your blood or risk weakening you prematurely.”
Her eyes narrowed. He was lying—
“If you want to test it for yourself, go ahead.” He reached into the pocket of his long coat and tossed something into the cell. It rolled across the stone to her feet, and when she glanced down, she saw it was a piece of chalk.
Her heart sank.
He had to be telling the truth. No way he would have given her this if there was any way to use it to escape.
She looked back at that looming shadow, the souls of the damned swirling at his feet.
“You will remain in this cell indefinitely. I will take the blood I need when I need it. I will keep returning for more until the spell is successful. You’d best pray that happens sooner rather than later. There’s not much to look at down here.”
And with that, he disappeared into the darkness.
She stood, frozen in place, her heart pounding in her chest for several seconds before she suddenly sprang into action.
“Wait!” she shouted, racing forward to grab the bars. “Wait!”
The muffled sound of retreating footsteps stopped. The demon—Murmur—didn’t return, but she sensed he was there in the darkness, waiting for her to speak.
“I need food,” she called down the tunnel. “And water. And fresh air. And somewhere to sleep and water to bathe. I can’t survive down here with nothing but a fucking shit bucket!”
There was a long pause. She couldn’t see into the dark; she didn’t know for sure that he was even there. But judging by theway her skin prickled and the hairs on her neck still stood on end, he was.
And then he spoke.
“I already warned you not to try to manipulate me. When I give you a warning, it would be wise to heed it. I never make idle threats.”
And with that, she heard the footsteps again. She listened as they grew fainter until they were gone completely.
Leaving her alone in the dark.
ROCKBOTTOM
AFTERMURMUR LEFT, SUYIN LAY BACK DOWN ON THEhard stone floor. Overwhelmed by everything, trying to fight feelings of despair, she eventually drifted into an uneasy sleep.
When she awoke, she wasn’t sure how long she’d slept. Long enough that her back hurt like a bitch. Groaning, she pushed herself upright, wincing when she realized she needed to pee.
She eyed the bucket in the corner distastefully. At least it had a lid.
Afterward, she slumped back against the wall and slid down to the ground, feeling lightheaded. Whatever venom was in the demon’s tail had left her woozy and disoriented, but she was feeling much better now. Her mind was sharper, but so was her hunger. And worse, her thirst.
Hunger, she could manage for a while, but the thirst was going to be a real killer.
Murmur had said he wouldn’t harm her because he needed her blood for his spell. But he’d also seemed to think she was trying to trick him when she’d asked for food and water.
She knew demons didn’t need to eat, but humans did. Surely the legendary Necromancer was intelligent enough to know that basic fact about human physiology? She couldn’t be sure, and that made her nervous. He might claim to want her alive, but all the good intentions in the world didn’t mean shit if he accidentally neglected her to death.
To give herself something else to focus on, she made a mental list of all possible escape routes. Which were really just two.
One: through the door.
Two: through a hellgate, once the potion binding her magic wore off.
Climbing to her feet, she stretched her stiff body until her spine cracked and then approached the door. She gripped the bars and shook them roughly. There wasn’t any give.
