Chapter 55: The Open Window

Seraphine's POV

I froze.

The words hung in the air between us, and for a second, I wasn't sure I'd heard right. Workers. Windows. Removing the boards.

My breath caught in my throat, and I stared at Cordelia's back, at the rigid line of her shoulders, at the way her hand still gripped the doorknob. My heart kicked into overdrive, pounding so hard I could feel it in my ears.

The windows. They're opening the windows.

A surge of something bright and desperate flooded through me. Hope. Relief. The kind of wild, irrational joy that made my chest feel too tight and my eyes sting. I'd been locked in this room for a whole day with nothing but dim lamplight and shadows, the boarded windows a constant reminder that I was trapped, caged, stuck in this nightmare with no way out.

And now—

Now the boards were coming down. Sunlight. Fresh air. Freedom.

My hands trembled against the mattress, and I had to bite down on my lip to keep from making a sound. This was it. This was my chance. Once those boards were gone, once the windows were open, I could—

I could what?

The thought slammed into me like cold water, and reality crashed back down. Cordelia still stood at the door, silent and unmoving, and something about her posture made the joy in my chest curdle into something heavier. Darker.

This wasn't mercy. This was a test.

"Make sure you're prepared." Cordelia's voice cut through the silence, flat and cold. She still didn't turn around, but I could hear the edge in her words, sharp as broken glass. "Don't be like last time."

My stomach dropped. Last time. When the worker had come to board up the windows after I'd tried to escape, and I'd been—

Fuck. My face went hot, shame crawling up my throat as the memory hit. I'd been naked. Completely naked, wrapped in nothing but a blanket while some stranger hammered planks over my only way out. I'd screamed at him, thrown a pillow, acted like a desperate fool while he ignored me and did his job.

And now they were reversing it. Taking those boards down. Giving me back what they'd taken.

But why?

"I won't—" The words came out strangled, desperate. "I'll be—"

"Don't disappoint me a second time."

The finality in her voice made something in my chest crack. She twisted the doorknob and stepped through without looking back, the door clicking shut behind her with a soft, damning sound.

I sat there, frozen, staring at the closed door as my mind raced. The joy from before was gone, replaced by a cold, creeping dread that wrapped around my ribs like wire.

This was a test. Cordelia knew it. Kaelen knew it. Hell, probably everyone in this goddamn house knew it. They were opening the windows to see what I'd do, to see if I'd learned my lesson or if I'd try to run again like the stupid, desperate fool I'd been before.

And if I failed—

No more chance of finding Lyralei. No more chance for my revenge. No more chance...

The bond pulsed suddenly, a low, steady thrum against my sternum that made me gasp. It wasn't pain—not quite. More like pressure. Awareness. Like Kaelen was somewhere in this estate, watching, waiting to see what I'd do.

I pressed my hand against my chest, feeling the mark on my neck throb in response. The bastard was watching. Of course he was. He probably suggested opening the windows himself, just to see if I'd take the bait.

My hands curled into fists against the sheets.

Fuck him. Fuck all of them.

And now they were testing me.

I closed my eyes, trying to steady my breathing. The bond pulsed again, softer this time, like a question hanging in the air. What will you do, Seraphine?

I didn't have an answer yet.

---

The workers arrived just after noon.

I heard them coming down the hallway, their heavy footsteps echoing against the stone floors, voices low and businesslike. My heart started racing again, that same wild panic from before creeping back in as I sat on the edge of the bed, hands gripping my knees so hard my knuckles went white.

I'd dressed carefully. Jeans. A plain shirt. Nothing that would make this more humiliating than it already was. I'd even brushed my hair, trying to look like I had some shred of dignity left, like I wasn't falling apart from the inside out.

The door opened, and two men walked in carrying toolboxes and crowbars. They didn't look at me—not really. Just gave me brief, impersonal nods before moving to the windows and getting to work.

I watched them, my chest tight, as they pried the first board loose. The wood groaned and cracked, nails screeching as they came free, and then sunlight—real, actual sunlight—poured through the gap.

It was blinding.

I blinked hard, eyes watering, and for a second I couldn't breathe. The light was warm and golden and alive, so different from the dim lamplight I'd been living with. It felt like I was seeing color for the first time in days, like the world had suddenly snapped back into focus.

Another board came down. Then another. The workers moved efficiently, not speaking, just doing their job while I sat there trying not to fall apart.

The bond pulsed again, steady and insistent. Kaelen was watching. I could feel it now, the weight of his attention pressing against my ribs, making it hard to breathe. He wasn't angry. Wasn't threatening. Just waiting.

Waiting to see if I'd run.

The last board came loose with a final screech of nails, and both windows stood open. Fresh air rushed in, carrying the scent of pine and earth, and I had to close my eyes against the sudden rush of sensation.

Freedom. Right there. Just a few steps away.

"All done." One of the workers spoke for the first time, his voice gruff and impersonal. "Need anything else?"

I shook my head mutely, not trusting my voice.

They packed up their tools and left without another word, the door clicking shut behind them. And then I was alone with the open windows and the choice they represented.

I stood slowly, legs shaking, and walked to the window. The glass was gone—just empty frames leading out to the forest beyond. I could see the trees swaying in the breeze, could smell the dampness of earth and leaves, could hear birds calling in the distance.

I could climb through right now. Just step over the sill and run. The forest was right there, wild and dark and full of places to hide. I could disappear before anyone even noticed I was gone.

My hands gripped the window frame, knuckles white, fingers trembling.

But then what?

The thought stopped me cold, and I stood there frozen, staring out at the trees. I'd tried this before. I'd run into that forest thinking I could escape, thinking I could outrun Kaelen and his power and this whole fucked-up situation.

And I'd failed.

I remembered the cold. The fear. The way Kaelen had hunted me through the darkness like I was prey, the bond pulling tighter and tighter until I couldn't breathe. I remembered the cabin, the way he'd cornered me, the look in his eyes when he'd marked me.

If I ran now, he'd come after me again. And this time, he wouldn't be gentle. This time, I'd lose everything—Cordelia's help, my only chance at finding Lyralei, maybe even my life.

The bond pulsed, and something shifted. Not anger. Not a warning. More like acknowledgment. Like Kaelen could feel my thoughts, could sense the war happening inside my head.

Was that satisfaction? Approval? I couldn't tell, but it made my stomach twist.

I took a deep breath, the fresh air burning in my lungs, and turned away from the window.

My legs felt weak as I walked back to the bed and sat down heavily. The open windows mocked me from across the room, rectangles of sunlight and freedom that I couldn't—wouldn't—take.

The bond pulsed again, warmer this time. Stronger. And yeah, that was definitely satisfaction I felt rippling through it. Kaelen knew. He knew I'd chosen to stay.

I pressed my hands against my face, breathing hard, trying to process what I'd just done. What I'd just given up.

"Maybe I really don't want to run anymore," I whispered to the empty room.