Page 17

Adelaide

“Rise and shine, Princess.” A deep voice breaks through the haze, but I can’t quite place it. Before I can open my eyes, I’m assaulted with the sting of cold water being thrown on me.

I don’t even have time to muster a scream because I’m too busy sputtering the frigid water that has filled my mouth and soaked me to the bone.

“Wh-whooo, who are you?” My teeth chatter so hard I think my jaw might break.

Struggling to wipe my eyes clear, I pull my tangled hair back to identify my captor. But the door is standing open, and the light attempting to spill in is blocked by a tall, dark form.

“Why am I here?”

No reply.

I’m only met with a clatter of a wooden bucket being dropped near booted feet on a stone floor. I pull myself up onto my knees instead of staying where I was crouched down next to the bed. My attacker definitely has the advantage here. I am disoriented, freezing cold on the ground like a rag doll, with the slippery rock grinding into my aching knees.

He’s standing stock-still as I scan the ground around me through a curtain of dripping hair, searching for the cup, broken mirror, anything I can to use as a weapon.

“So… she’s a fighter.” I hear a raspy mumble as he steps closer, his face still concealed.

I’m not sure if I was intended to hear that or not. He doesn’t give me time to find out before I’m jerked upward from behind. Both of my fists easily grasped in one of his as he locks my wrist together with a strong hand.

“Let’s go.” He steers me towards the large open door, and I don’t know which alternative I prefer: being kept in a room with no idea what’s happening or finding out the hard way as my mind conjures up the worst-case scenarios.

“Please, if it’s money you want, I can get you money. I can call my family—just please, don’t do this! You don’t have to do this.” I squirm and fight as he presses his free hand between my shoulder blades, urging me forward.

“Move,” he growls.

“I would if I could see,” I snap back at him.

He wordlessly brushes my hair out of my eyes as we pass through a series of doors, and I notice two armed guards standing on either side, dressed like something out of a medieval book. Their dark armor gleams in the candlelight, faces covered by menacing metal helmets that sport sleek black feathers on top.

“Please, you have to tell me where we’re going.”

“I don’t have to tell you anything.” His grip tightens.

And he doesn’t.

My gaze drops down to my feet as I’m pushed along, and I realize I’m not wearing my boots. My tattered, soaked stockings splat on the chilled stone as I walk down a dark tunnel. The light at the end seems to come from gas lamps or candles. I have no idea where I am, geographically speaking.

Do dreams and nightmares even have GPS coordinates?

A hysterical laugh bubbles up in my throat.

What was it I learned in those self-defense classes Doc made me take on campus? Oh, yeah. Make your attacker see you as a person.

“My name is Adelaide. I’m a college student at Rosewood Academy. I’m a music major. Fancy, overpriced coffee is my guilty pleasure. I love music and cute animal videos,” I ramble, realizing that I’ve spent so much time thinking about what I didn’t know about myself that I failed to realize what I do know… what’s really important.

His pressure on my wrists becomes painful.

“Please! I have four very overprotective uncles who will be looking for me. And a best friend—Bea. Do you know where my friend is? Is she here somewhere? Please tell me!” I slow down, struggling to look over my shoulder at him, to demand answers. “Say something!”

“Not. Another. Word,” he hisses into my ear as I’m jerked from behind. My back slams into his hard chest, trapping my arms awkwardly between us.

What he says next makes my blood run cold.

“I know exactly who you are… Addie.”

I gasp. Stunned into silence, I try to figure out how he could possibly know.