Chapter 152 Information

Chapter 152 Information
Grace woke with a throbbing headache and an aching neck, groaning as she tried to lift a hand to rub at her temple, she heard metal clink as she frowned and looked down.

A thick steel cuff circled her wrist, a chain running from it to a bolt fixed deep into the concrete wall. She stared at it for a long moment before dropping her head back against the wall with a long, exhausted sigh.

"Are you kidding me?" she muttered. "What the fuck is this again?"

She gave the chain a lazy tug, more out of annoyance than any real hope of breaking it.

"I swear I deserve a damn award for getting kidnapped this much. What's so special about me anyway?"

The room wasn't large. Maybe ten feet across, with bare concrete walls that had long since surrendered to damp patches and peeling paint. The floor beneath her was freezing, stealing the warmth from her body through her clothes. Somewhere overhead, a single naked lightbulb swung slightly, flickering every few seconds and casting uneven shadows that stretched across the room.

It smelled old, there was dust, rust, mildew... and something else she couldn't quite identify. She sniffed. 'Was that blood?' She sniffed again and the metallic smell drifted through her nostrils again.

"What the hell is going on here?" She was still looking around when a voice drifted out of the darkness.

"You're awake sooner than I expected."

Grace froze, there was something familiar about it. She knew she'd heard that voice before. Slowly, she turned toward the sound just as a man stepped into the weak pool of light. He wore an expensive suit and had perfectly combed hair with a very irritating confidence that she could see from the way he walked.

Recognition struck immediately. "...Vance."

His lips curled into a satisfied smile, "I was beginning to wonder how long it would take."

Grace stared at him for a second before letting out an incredulous laugh. 'Of course, I mean why else would Sarah look for me? He still has them in his grasp, I see.' 

What the hell are you doing here?" She looked at him, irritated. "I stood you up months ago. Most people would've taken the hint by now.” She shifted against the wall, rattling the chain again before looking pointedly at the cuff around her wrist.

"And seriously? Kidnapping me? Is this how you usually reconnect with your former fiancées?" Her expression darkened. "You know, there's this incredible invention called a phone." She spat onto the concrete floor between them.

"Here's what's going to happen. You're going to unlock this chain, drag Sarah's traitorous ass in here so I can deal with her, and then you're going to get the hell out of my sight." She leaned forward as far as the chain allowed, her voice dropping into a warning. "Because I'm not the same girl you pushed around before. Try me now, and I'll rip your throat out with my bare hands."

Vance laughed, it was nervous or mocking laughter. He was genuinely laughing, like she had said something extremely funny to him just now. When he finally stopped, he looked at her with something almost resembling admiration.

"I know," he smiled. "I always knew."

Grace frowned, "And what did you always know? Mr "I always knew'."She asked sarcastically.

"What you are."The amusement disappeared from his face, replaced by a calm certainty that made the room suddenly feel colder. "That was never the problem. I knew from the moment I first met you."

Grace's eyes narrowed. "Then why the marriage?"

"Because at the time," Vance replied, folding his hands behind his back, "marrying you was the simplest way to complete my mission." He took another measured step toward her, his polished shoes echoing softly against the concrete. "I was willing to be patient. I was willing to play by your rules—"

"Play by my rules?" Grace cut him off, "You fucking idiot, you wanted to force me into getting pregnant. Yet here you stand talking about wanting to play by my rules."

His smile returned, though this time it carried no warmth. "—But patience has its limits." He carried on like she hadn't even just spoken a word and stopped just beyond the reach of her chain. "So I've changed my approach."

His eyes locked onto hers. "This time, Grace... I'll drag you back to the Exodus Coven whether you come willingly or not."

Grace stared at him as though he'd finally lost what was left of his mind, "You dumb, sad, creepy little man," She looked at him up and down. "What the hell are you talking about?"

Vance narrowed his eyes at her choice of words, he hadn't expected that from her, Grace let out a short laugh when she saw his expression, "Looks like I hit close to home." She smiled widely. "No, seriously. You've got me chained to a wall, you've started speaking in riddles, and somehow I'm supposed to know what any of that means?" She gestured impatiently with her free hand. "Who the hell are the Exodus Coven? And while we're at it, why did you have Sarah kidnap me? Was that part of your master plan too?"

Vance's smile twitched. It wasn't enough to hide the irritation that flashed across his face before he smothered it again. He hated being mocked, and Grace had just landed exactly where it hurt. "I can't answer every question."

"How convenient, Mr 'I always knew'." Grace rolled her eyes and looked away bored.

"But I can answer enough." Vance's expression had darkened. The smile remained, but it had become sharp and dangerous. He hadn't expected Grace to act like this, it wasn't what he knew and he was not comfortable with it. He was a man who liked to get his way and this new unhinged behavior of Grace was something he had not planned for or known would happen.

He clasped his hands behind his back and studied her for a moment. "Your mother was one of the most wanted criminals the Exodus Coven has ever hunted."

Grace's expression faltered. "My... mother?"

"When we realized we couldn't find Julia..." His eyes settled on hers. "We came for you instead."

Silence stretched between them. Grace swallowed before finding her voice again. "What did she do?"

Vance's expression hardened. "She stole something that never should have existed outside the Coven."

"What did she steal?"

"A spell."He paused. "A forbidden spell, one just as its name says, is forbidden, very ancient and never to be practiced outside of the Coven. It's never even practiced at the coven. It can only be used by the highest elders and even then, there would be rules that follow.

Grace frowned. "What kind of spell?"

"The Spell of Reincarnation."The words hung heavily in the room. Grace blinked once before snorting. "That's it? You're telling me I've been kidnapped over magical plagiarism?"

Vance's jaw tightened. "It wasn't merely a spell."

"Right. It was a very expensive magical plagiarism." She nodded slowly like she was on the same page with him.

"It had been forbidden for centuries." He looked at her like he couldn't understand why she wasn't taking him seriously.

"Congratulations to my mother, then. Sounds like she had excellent taste."His patience visibly thinned as Grace leaned back against the wall, rolling her eyes.

"Look, whatever my biological mother did has absolutely nothing to do with me. I never met the woman. I didn't even know her name until recently, so unless you're planning to arrest babies for their parents' parking tickets, you've got the wrong person."

A faint chuckle escaped Vance. "In most matters, I'd agree." He stepped closer, "But not this one."

Grace narrowed her eyes. "What makes this one different?"

"Blood."

His smile returned, colder than before. "Blood matters. And in the Exodus Coven, blood is never innocent."

Vance opened his mouth to continue, but the words never came. A shout echoed somewhere beyond the door, followed by another. It was followed by the unmistakable sound of something heavy crashing into a wall.

Vance's head snapped toward the door. "What the hell—"