Reaching the edge of the forest, she slowed her steps and crept along the shadows. The barn loomed in the fallen moonlight. The wind held still.
Scanning the vacant surroundings, she dashed across the field, pressing her back against the planked wall of the barn. She slipped into the shadows, and winced when the wide door groaned as she pulled it open.
A smile overtook her face. Cain told the truth. The car filled the space, keys dangling beneath the wheel.
The door squeaked as she opened it. So many buttons and dials. She turned the key, and her breath caught as the machine roared to life, softly vibrating beneath her legs.
Panting with excitement, she twisted knobs and pulled levers, gasping when the car rushed backwards, crashing into the back wall of the barn. She needed to go forward.
Her foot pressed the pedals and wheels turned, the engine roaring. She pushed the lever in the center and her body flew back, the car propelling forward and crashing through the barn door.
She laughed and gripped the wheel, the car careening into the cornfield. The bumpy drive bounced her on the seat as stalks of corn whipped noisily at the glass. And then she was free, shooting onto the road and speeding into the night.
Chapter Forty-Four
Cain’s eyes flew open as he gasped for air, drawing a lungful of breath into his burning lungs. He sent his senses outward, sensing he was not alone. In a cell, yes, but guarded.
His mind reached for Annalise, meeting a steel wall where he usually found a fissure of light. He couldn’t locate her, couldn’t sense her. Panic tightened his chest and he pushed his mind harder, wincing when his efforts brought sharp pain.
Iron cut into his flesh. Cuffs restricted his circulation and slowed his blood flow. Chains rattled along the crude cement floor as he shifted to stand, but there wasn’t enough slack. They’d tethered him to a low point in the wall.
His eyes searched the shadows for any kind of tool or weapon. Rodents scurried along the dank corridor walls outside of his cell. The rich scent of earth informed him he was several stories underground. A door slammed in the distance.
Heavy footsteps fell in measured steps, growing louder as someone approached. The swipe of a match preceded the flickering glow of a torch.
“Where is he?”
Cain’s eyes closed as he prepared for the inevitable. His head swayed with a wave of vertigo. Bile rose in his stomach, but he swallowed it back. His mouth filled with saliva and blood. Turning his head, he spit on the floor, more wooziness gripping him.
He lost interest in the voices in the distance. Vaguely hearing the footsteps, his mind focused on his breathing. Weakness—so much weakness.
“You’re conscious.”
He jerked at the unapologetic probe forced into his mind and showed his teeth. Only the Bishop had the power to trespass so brazenly. Cain growled at the intrusion.
Heavy footfalls echoed closer. Cain angled his face away from the flickering light, his eyes too sensitive to face it.
“Good evening, Cain,” the Bishop greeted.
Cain’s breathing filled the silence, his eyes fighting to block the unwanted light.
“Do you understand why you’re here?”
He squinted, as the Bishop lit several oil lamps along the corridor wall. “Where’s Annalise?” Cain slurred.
“She is with her mate.”
His newly healed chest lifted under the crust of dried blood, his freshly graphed skin pulling tight. He pushed his mind forward again, the slight exertion draining him. “I can’t sense her.”
“I’m not surprised. You’re weak and she’s not yours to sense.”
His jaw clenched. Their connection existed. He’d felt it and so had she. “Have they bonded?”
“That’s no concern of yours now.”
“Give me the truth!”
“Control yourself. The girl’s situation holds no relevance to your circumstances. I’ll give you the truth when you share yours. Explain your behavior.”
Something wasn’t right. He should be able to sense her. Their connection severed when Adam attacked him. But that was hours ago.
He jerked against his bonds, roaring with frustration. “Tell me where she is!”
“Silence.”
The Bishop held the highest authority, Cain’s alliance to the order and the powers that be, crumbled the moment they turned on him. Though the man had three centuries seniority over him, and possessed the ability to eviscerate him with only his will, Cain would not obey. His loyalty was to Annalise.
“Why isn’t she responding?” His arms jerked and his body thrashed, unable to break free or penetrate the wall blocking him from sensing her mind.
His agitation exploded. Muscles corded along his limbs, as he yanked the chains bolted into the wall. His heart beat erratically, as adrenaline burned through his veins. Bearing his teeth, his neck contorted with stretched muscle, and he roared through his teeth at the pain.
What was happening to him?
Fire seared his insides as sweat broke over his skin. Churning lava tunneled through his arteries, clogging every passage, and stealing the oxygen from his blood. He could feel his cells dying, popping like tiny molecules as the dark veil of death seeped into his limbs.