I stood and took a couple of steps toward her. “It lets the big boys know their place here and who’s in charge.” It was clear I was confusing her even more.
“Where am I?”
I exhaled again, lifted a hand to grab my hair that was tangled and in need of a good wash, and started braiding it to keep it from getting even more wild. “You don’t know where you’re at?” I stared at her. “In hell, sweetheart,” I said with a pained voice. “At least I assume this is what hell would feel like.”
“God,” she whispered.
I laughed softly and shook my head. “Do I look that bad?” I tried to keep a hint of teasing in my voice, because I could see she was on the verge of freaking out. “Actually, don’t answer that. I haven’t looked at my reflection in… gods, I don’t know how long.” I lifted my hand and touched my mouth, feeling how swollen the corner was, knowing it was bloody because I tasted copper on my tongue.
“I’m sorry.”
I shook my head. “They want to remind me who has the power.” I shrugged and dropped my hand to my side.
“Would the two of you shut the fuck up?” a deep, distorted voice barked out, and the female jumped.
“Bane, mind your business,” I said to the male, seeing how frightened the human was.
“Who’s that?”
We were silent for a moment, listening to the shuffling and growling coming from the other cells, followed by the males speaking their native tongues. I walked over to the wall closest to the bars and leaned against it. “Demon. Although they haven’t been bunked in my block since…” I thought about it. “Since I don’t know. A long time. They are a pain in the ass most of the time—at least they are when I’ve encountered them. And that one—” I gestured out of the cell, “—he’s the loudest.”
She closed her eyes and clenched her hands at her sides.
“You’re in the holding cells for an organization that likes to torture, kill, maim… all of the above and more.”
She looked at me. “An organization?”
“They call themselves the Assembly.” I tried to keep my voice light, but I heard the tightness in it. Bile rose in my throat by just saying the organization name. “What’s your name?”
“Kayla. Yours?”
I rested my head back and stared at the stone ceiling, swallowing as I realized this was the first time I’d had an actual conversation with someone that didn’t involve taunts and insults thrown at me. “Larkin. What’s the year?”
“The year?”
I nodded without looking at her, and when she told me, I felt shock fill every part of me.
“Gods,” I whispered and closed my eyes. “So long. So much time has passed.” Of course I knew many years had passed since I’d been taken, but I hadn’t realized just how long it had been.
“You never tried to escape?”
Bane, the clearly nosy male, barked out a harsh laugh. “Fucking escape?” he roared, and suddenly a pound-pound-pound-pound sounded.
I exhaled. “He clearly has no self-control. The males in the Otherworld don’t.” Pound-pound-pound. “I tried escaping. More than once, but you learn fast in this place that if even Bane, a demon the size of a house, can’t bust out of here, then what’s the point?” I looked at Kayla then. “But I tried. I really did… until I just stopped trying.”
“What are you? Who are you?” she whispered.
I stared at Kayla and smiled, but I knew it was sad, maybe hopeless. “I’m no one. I haven’t been important to anyone for a long time.” I exhaled a shaky breath. “You’re human but must be someone’s mate if they have you.”
She nodded. “Adryan.”
I didn’t know who that was, but it didn’t matter. Nothing mattered when they had you.
“And you?” she asked, but I just gave her another sad smile.
“I’d get some sleep. Since you’re new, they’ll be coming for you sooner rather than later.” I pushed away from the wall and went to the cot, lying down and getting some rest before they came back for me.
Chapter