The punishment cell stank of foul smell, of rust and dehydrated blood. It was heavy and oppressive, darker than the rest of the prison. Hanging in a corner was a small lamp, casting jagged shadows on the walls.
Lennon pushed us in with a wicked smile. "I've finally got you weakling girls. You'll be trapped here for three days, no water, no food. And this time, I get to enjoy myself tormenting you myself." He licked his lips in a way that made me shudder.
I closed my mouth to keep quiet, but Amelia couldn't resist. "We didn't do anything, pig!"
My heart raced. Amelia, no.
For a moment, Lennon's smile faltered, and I glimpsed his eyes flashing rich black before they returned to brown. It was so fleeting that many may never have noticed it, but I had. It wasn't the first time I'd wondered the guards weren't completely human.
"Shut up, you little brat," Lennon growled, spitting on the floor. "You're fortunate Master Leonard decided not to undress you and whip you raw." Malicious words dripped from his lips.
Amelia drew back but didn't yield. I was full of a combination of fear and pride in my chest. She was scared but still unbroken.
As Lennon stalked away, banging the iron door shut behind him, the silence was heavy.
Amelia hugged the bars, sobbing with tears running down her cheeks. "Aria… what if he really—what if—"
"Don't think about it." I rose to my feet, moving in close, but a burning pain coursed through my leg.
"Argh!" I cried out, dropping to the ground. I had kicked something hard. Blood oozed from the wound.
Amelia wheeled around, eyes staring. "What's wrong?!"
"Glass," I was able to spit out, gritting my teeth. "You have to watch out, Amelia. The ground's covered with it."
She crouched beside me, wincing in the faint light. "Oh no, Aria, you're bleeding—hold still, let me fix you."
Her fingers trembled as she held a ripped part of her sleeve against my cut to stem the blood.
I winced but couldn't help but smile. "You're really good at this, you know. A future nurse."
In between sobs, she was able to laugh. "A chained nurse. Exactly right, huh?"
I clasped her hand in mine. "No. Someday… we won't be chained."
She shook but complied. We crouched together in the dark, her muffled sniffles and the muffled screams of another human being trapped in this underworld the only sounds we heard.
-------------------------------------------------------
In a distant city of Naal
DEREK
On a lofty veranda bathed in pale moonlight, a towering figure stood leaning on the railing, folding one leg and leaving the other dangling. His grey face shone bright in the light. His long hair braided and tied in a bun was blown softly by the wind, and his sharp eyes wandered the night as if waiting for something known only to him.
"Derek," a gentle voice.
Magnus, his closest friend, appeared on the balcony. He was a duplicate of Derek, with the same pale grey skin and un-natural aura. He collapsed next to Derek with a sigh.
"I've been looking all over the city for you," said Magnus.
"Well, here I am," replied Derek in a dead voice.
Magnus looked at him. "Thinking about your mate again, eh?"
There was a tense silence between them. At last, Derek spoke softly, "She's out there. I can sense her suffering. I need her, Magnus. With every moment I don't have her, I'm losing my mind."
Magnus attempted to lift the mood. "Me? I don't even desire a mate yet. Too much trouble."
Derek turned, his eyes blazing. "Don't delude yourself. You want one too, deep down. But I require mine. And tonight I'm going to claim her."
He leaned on the railing, wind streaming through his braids.
Magnus's face paled. "Wait—you're leaving? Derek, you can't abandon our people like that!"
"I'll come back," Derek promised. "But if queen mother challenges you, just tell the truth—I went to find my mate."
Before Magnus was able to protest once more, Derek whirled, bones snapping and reforming until fantastic wings burst forth on his back, reforming until he was a gigantic black bird. With a deafening beat of wings, he launched himself into the night.
"Derek! Hold on!" Magnus muttered under his breath. Frustrated, he turned into a silver-feathered bird, pursuing his friend into the darkness.
Hours passed as they flew over mountains and forests. Finally, they touched down on a run-down building, shifting back into their human forms. Derek breathed deeply, his chest rising with anticipation as he gulped in the air.
Magnus rested against a chimney, his strength gone. "For real, we've been flying forever. Can't we take a break for five minutes?"
But Derek had dismissed him. His eyes glowed softly as he drew a third deep breath. The scent, delicate but unmistakable, wrapped around him like flames.
"She's near," Derek panted, pounding heart. "My mate. she's hurtin', but she's near."
Magnus grumbled, slapping his palms against the air. "Of course she is. Just my luck."
Before he could sit down, Derek turned again into his massive bird form, wings spreading wide.
Magnus's eyes opened wide. "You've got to be kidding me. Again?!"
But Derek was already airborne.
Magnus sighed in exasperation, dragging his hand across his face. "If I die of exhaustion, I'm haunting you, you know that right?" With a woeful huff, he rolled over and followed into the darkness once more.
-------------------------------------------------------
ARIA
In the punishment room, I kept Amelia's head on my shoulder, ragged breathing for air. My wound throbbed, but my mind was elsewhere.
For whatever reason, my heart was racing, as if someone—something—was shouting my name in the distance.