\[Elise’s POV\]
“Warren!”
I cling to the bars of my cell while the guard's name dances off my tongue. I knew he was here, even if he was trying to pretend he wasn’t.
“Warren!” I repeat, crushing my face between two bars. “I know you’re there; why are you ignoring me?”
Goddess, I was bored, and there was still so much time left before we were allowed to head out to the grounds to get some exercise. Add in that I didn’t sleep worth a shit due to my vision of something dangerous taking place around my niece, and I was chomping at the bit to release a lot of pent-up nervous energy.
“Oh handsome!” I continue. “Don’t tell me you’re going to ignore me because of what that spoilsport pretty boy said.”
“Pretty boy?”
The voice drifts towards me, grating on my last remaining nerve. Why was he here? Shouldn’t he be with my sister and their child, protecting them, since anything could happen?
“Are you disappointed I’m not Warren?” Rosco asks, making his appearance. “Sorry, but I need to speak with you, and Warren has a job to do.”
Huffing in annoyance, I release my bars and plop down on the floor while I watch my dear brother-in-law waltz up to my cell.
“Why is it you?” I pout. “Haven’t I already answered all your questions? Or are you going to try to kill me?”
“Sorry, but you won’t get off so easily for all your misdeeds.” Rosco chuckles, fixing his dark gaze on me. “If anything, you’re about to keep good to your promise.”
“Yeah, yeah,” I mutter, waving a hand. “I have to team up with an elite group to try to find the ones responsible for the curse. You’ve already told me. Do you think I’ve got shit for brains, or were you so bored you had to remind me?”
I wait as Rosco takes me in, annoyance beginning to form on his features. Good. At least I wasn’t the only one annoyed by this exchange.
“I came here for something else.” He admits.
“Something else?” I repeat, eyeing him warily. “What exactly do you want?”
“I wanted to ask you about those visions you have.” He explains, kneeling so that he is at eye level with me. “Do you remember what the area looked like when you had it?”
“The area,” I murmur, letting the dark, fire-lit cave appear in my mind. “It was a cave,” I continue. “Why are you asking?”
“Just a cave?” He pushes, determination flashing in his eyes. “You can’t remember anything aside from that?”
For a moment, I don’t speak as I try to make sense of what it is that he’s trying to get at, and when it finally clicks, I feel frustration for the first time ever over having no control over my visions.
“My visions don’t work like that,” I explain. “I see what the universe or the goddess or whatever the hell it is wants to show me.”
“Are you sure that is all you can do, or is that all you’ve ever really tried?” Rosco counters. “Have you even tested things to see if you can willingly have these visions?”
Honestly, no, I never did because most of what I saw was fucked up and left me on edge. If it were up to me, I would much rather be oblivious to every fucking thing.
‘But they helped you find your family.’ Anna points out, adding to my annoyance. ‘So they aren’t all bad.’
‘Bullshit.’ I snap.
In the past, I was so fucking excited to find the ones who abandoned me in hopes that maybe it was a huge mistake, but when I found out it was intentional, my whole fucking world was crushed.
“Whether I’ve tried or not, I can’t tell you where that cave is.” I point out, pushing away the bubbling emotions that are starting to consume me. “I’m sorry.”
“Do you think I’m just going to let you off with that?” Rosco growls, pulling a key from his pocket. “If you won’t try to do it yourself, then I’m more than willing to encourage you.”
“Encourage me.” I hiss, jumping to my feet while he begins to unlock my cell. “What the fuck do you have planned?”
“You’ll see,” he shrugs. “Come with me.”
“I don’t want to!” I snap, jumping out of the way as he tries to grab me. “You’re going to attempt to torture me into compliance, aren’t you?”
Instead of responding, Rosco bares his teeth and moves again, this time almost managing to snag me.
“Hey!” I gasp, leaping onto my cot and using it as a spring board to catapult myself over Rosco’s large body. “Can we discuss this?”
As much as I wasn’t afraid of death or pain, I didn’t trust this bastard to not attempt to skin me alive, and if I wanted to help protect Serenity, I couldn’t die, not now.
“Warren!” Rosco roars, looking in my direction. “If you let this woman escape, your head will roll.”
Cursing, I look in the direction of Warren’s footfalls and then Rosco while debating who I stand to have a better chance against.
Deciding that Warren was the better choice, I move, and when I see him, I dip down and slide between his legs. Jumping up, I bared my claws and let my aura explode from me to keep the two approaching men at bay.
“Do you want to be ripped apart, limb by limb?” Rosco growls, slowly approaching me. “You were the one that promised to cooperate, but the minute you get a chance to escape, you’re running like a fucking roach!”
Opening my mouth, I prepare to argue, but stop as I realize there’s no point in it. Rosco had his opinion of me, and because of my past actions, that opinion was in place.
“I’ve said I’ll cooperate.” I counter. “But you’re the one who won’t drop his fucking biases in order to be civil and not use violence.”
“When it comes to my family, I’m a very impatient man.” He snarls.
Of course he was, and honestly, if I were in his shoes, I would be the same, but torturing me to get the answers he so desperately seeks was ridiculous. There had to be a way to find this cave and the ones responsible for trying to get his daughter.
As this thought hits, a loud boom sounds, and the floor beneath our feet shakes. Eyes widening, I jump out of the way just as it begins to crack.
“We’re under attack!” Warren roars while Rosco grabs him and begins to move toward me.
“How?” I hiss, following the men who are barreling past me. “Shouldn’t your borders be protected?”
“They should.” Rosco agrees, his gaze growing distant while he continues to move. “Something must have happened.”
“No shit.” I snap as another boom sounds.
This time, while the ground shakes and begins to crumble, the wall beside us bursts open, and a group of men dressed in the same fucking cloaks as the ones from my vision burst forward and began to swarm.
“Underground!” Rosco growls, shoving Warren aside as he faces off against the enemy. “They took an underground passage.”
“How did they know about it?” Warren asks while his body begins to contort.
“I have an idea.” I growl, looking in the direction of the solitary confinement area of the prison I was being kept in. “And I suggest we stop them before they obtain their target.”