watch Rebel asleep on my bed, unable to rest myself as I guard the room from the assholes that wait outside. I can't do much against them, and Azriel swore no further harm would come to either of us, but something is wrong with Rebel. She doesn't seem like herself, and the guilt of it eats at me.
It’s my fault she was taken, my fault that she's here.
It might be Archer’s fault overall, but I couldn't protect her from these monsters, I couldn't even protect myself.
And now I'm going to be trapped here forever.
Part of my bargain. Saving my sister’s life, and in return, sacrificing my own. I try not to dwell on everything I'll be giving up, including my own fucking sanity.
Though deep down, I'm still hoping that Remy comes up with a way to beat Archer, and in turn, free me from my deal. Don't get me wrong, I would sacrifice myself for my sister happily, but without that shred of hope...
I don't even really want to think about it.
“Fallon?” Rebel murmurs as she wakes. She's too young to be here, to have gone through what she's gone through. The shadows I see in her eyes as she takes in our surroundings serve as a reminder that no matter what I've given up, it was worth it.
“I'm here, Rebel,” I say softly from my corner of shadows. “You should go back to sleep sweetheart, it’s the middle of the night.”
“Okay,” she says, still half asleep and lies back down. I let out a deep breath as her breathing evens out again, and she leaves this horror for her sleeping world.
“Fallon?” The whisper reaches me as the door to the room cracks open, and I see Deacon stood in the sliver of light. I glare at him, but I guess he can't see me when he opens the door wider to find me in the darkness.
“What do you want?” I hiss.
“I wanted to say I'm sorry,” he says softly, his head hung. “Much like you, I'm a prisoner here. Azriel... he is the higher Demon of this level. If I go against his wishes...” He shudders and waves for me to join him outside of the room when he notices Rebel sleeping on the bed. He frowns at her, but shakes his head and opens the door wider for me, inviting me outside of the room.
I sigh and stand, because really, what other choice do I have other than to wake Rebel with his blathering.
“You can be sorry all you like Deacon, you still did what you did. I won't ever forgive that,” I tell him straight. “I am here against my will, I made the deal I made to save my sister from a similar fate. Beyond that one choice, I have none. I am a prisoner here, I will bend to Azriel's will at a cost, probably greater than I ever thought I would have to pay.”
“If I could save you from it I would. Is your sister... is she okay?” He asks, and I glare at him.
“No thanks to you, but she will be fine,” I hiss. “I just need to get her back to my mama. She'll be losing her god damn mind.”
“I will see what I can do,” he tells me softly. “I truly am sorry, I have never had family, so I do not know what it is to sacrifice for them, to love someone in that way, but I can see how hurt you are, how her being here haunts you, and so I will do what I can to help get her back to your realm.”
He doesn't wait for me to respond, he just turns and leaves me in the brightly lit hall. I look around, taking in the space around me, realizing this is the first time I've seen it, but since I am now bound to this place, I suppose they have no fears that I will attempt to escape.
The hall is little more than a mezzanine, looking down to another hall below. We're on the fourth and top floor, the hall a horseshoe in shape, and each level is laid out in a similar way. So very many doors on each level, I can't imagine that they're all bedrooms, but I shudder to think at what they might be. At the curve of the horseshoe, is a giant white staircase, linking each level, descending to the ground, which is full of tables.
This place looks like a fucking library.