The Silver Maiden

The Silver Maiden
\[Pandora’s POV\]
My eyes grow wide as shock and fear rush through me. I was going to be taken somewhere that I couldn’t be found. I didn’t anticipate this when I allowed myself to be taken by Lux. I mean, I knew that the decision would be dangerous, but I couldn’t just sit back and watch those children get hurt. And if I were being completely honest, I would have fully expected my father and Lucian to quickly find me.
“Don’t look so scared,” Alpha Alexander says, his voice causing a shiver of disgust to rush through me. “As long as you cooperate, you are perfectly safe.”
Shivering, I try to ignore the promise in his voice. How could he say such a thing with a straight face, and how could Lux just sit back and act like nothing was happening?
“And if I don’t?” I ask, knowing damn well that my words could get me in a lot of trouble. “What then?”
“Lux,” Alpha Alexander calls, causing his son’s hand to tighten around mine.
“Ouch!” I hiss, feeling the bones in my hand press together. “That hurts.”
“You’re so fragile.” Lux murmurs, continuing to apply pressure. “Just the simplest of things could break you.”
So, this was what the promise involved. Pain until I agreed to do what it was that they wanted.
“You’re disgusting.” I growl and then gasp as the bones in my hand snap in Lux’s grip. “Using brute force on a woman.”
“You’re hardly a woman.” Lux chuckles while Alpha Alexander watches on in amusement. “You’re nothing more than a naive child.”
“And yet you’re going through all this trouble to get this child to go along with you.”
“You’ve got quite the mouth.” Lux murmurs, grabbing my chin so I’m forced to look at him. “And you have no sense of danger.”
Not true. I think. But I would be damned if I backed down to a bastard like him. Even if I willingly came, that didn’t mean that I was going to cooperate with what they wanted, not when I knew that it was my utter obedience.
“Maybe after a night in the silver maiden will do you some good.” Lux says, turning his gaze to his father’s. “What do you think?”
“Whatever you feel is best.” Alpha Alexander shrugs. “She’s your new pet after all.”
Pet. Ugh. I hated how they were talking about me like I was a thing instead of a person, but I guess I shouldn’t be surprised, not when I knew the way Lux functioned.
“Come along then.” Lux announces, grabbing me by the back of the neck and then pulling me out of Alpha Alexander’s office. “Let’s see how long you can keep up that cocky attitude.”
Forever if it means giving you a hard time. I think, but I don’t say it out loud.
“I’m sure just an hour or two in the silver maiden will have you breaking.” He continues, pulling me toward where I can only assume Onyx Moon’s dungeons are. “If not, well, I guess we will see if you’re capable of making it through the evening.”
As he speaks, he tugs me hard into a room at the end of the hall, and I see it, the silver maiden leaning against the wall in front of us.
It looks like a casket, but it is made completely out of silver, and when he opens it, I see chains fixed on either side of the inside to make sure the victim put inside of it isn’t able to escape.
“This is your last chance.” Lux says, leading me forward. “If you agree to cooperate completely, we can avoid this.”
“Do your worst.” I hiss, and then I’m being shoved inside, and the minute my skin connects with the casket, I feel all-consuming pain shoot through me, but I bite down on the scream that wants to escape me, unwilling to give him what he wants.
“You’re stronger than I thought.” Lux chuckles, beginning to chain me in. “But it’s just the beginning. With each passing hour the pain will intensify, and since you haven’t shifted, you won’t be able to heal properly. I’m sure soon you’ll be begging me to let you out.”
I won’t. I counter silently, giving him a look of defiance before the casket is closed and I’m left alone to my pain.
Fuck. I hiss inwardly, feeling like my skin and muscles are burning off slowly. Please come and find me soon, Lucian.
\[Lucian’s POV\]
I stare in horror as the door to the panic room disappears, and once it vanishes completely, I rush forward and start pounding.
“What are you doing?” Victor demands, coming to join me. “Why are you banging on the wall like some ninny?”
“Notice anything missing?” I ask him as Pandora’s father and Owen come to join us.
“The panic room.” Owen hisses, noticing immediately. “Where did the door go?”
“The mage!” I growl, turning my gaze to the unconscious man on the ground. “He had to have made it disappear before fainting.”
“Then we just have to create a new door.” Pandora’s father says. “Step back.”
Nodding, I do as instructed and watch while the large man extends his claws and begins to scratch at the wall, tearing away the wood there bit by bit, but still not fast enough.
“Let me help.” I offer, but stop as Victor holds out an arm and shakes his head.
“Alpha has this.” He says. “For now, we should focus on that mage.”
“But…”
I don’t get to finish my words before Owen touches my shoulder, drawing my gaze to his so that I see him shake his head as well.
“For now, we need to ensure that our only lead doesn’t get away.”
Opening my mouth, I prepare to argue but stop as I realize they’re right. If Pandora were here with us, she would say the same as them. Right now, the most important thing was getting to the bottom of everything and finding all of the enemy.
Of course, that didn’t mean that I liked what it meant, but arguing and fighting with my comrades would only cause more problems.
“Alright,” I sigh, stepping over to the mage and then dropping down beside him. “But what should we do with him?”
“We should take him to the interrogation room where the others are.” Owen offers.
“Others?” I repeat, feeling a bit hopeful. “You caught more?”
“All the ones we could find.” He explains. “Once we discovered that the wave of mercenaries at the borders was fake, we found a few real ones attempting to get to the packhouse. We caught them and threw them into the interrogation room so they couldn’t escape.”
“Then we should have them tell us everything.” Victor smirks. “Can I do the honors?”
“No,” Owen sighs. “For now, the best thing you can do is stay here and assist Alpha. As for you,” he continues, turning his gaze on me. “You’re going to help me with this bastard.”