plump lips cracked from cold and dehydration are pressed together into a slight frown. Her slim naked body is curled into a fetal position, no doubt in an attempt to conserve what little warmth she has. I draw nearer, until finally I’m standing right in front of the cage.
Her eyes track my movements, and when she sees what I’m holding they widen hopefully before narrowing with suspicion. I feed the blanket through the gap in the bars and let it drop to the floor of her prison. She doesn't move to take it, and her eyebrows are now drawn into a tight frown.
“It’s for you. I-I know how cold it can get down here. I’m Farren, but I’m sure you already know that.”
I look away, feeling the heat rise in my cheeks when she sits up and snatches the blanket. I’m just as sick as my father, attracted to the helpless woman locked in our basement. Only I don’t want to hurt her, I want to help her, but I don’t know how. Glancing back at her, I work to control my breathing as she wraps the warm wool around her naked body, and I try to ignore her pale, soft breasts in the harsh light before they’re covered. She’s still shaking, but she already looks more comfortable than she did a moment ago.
“When they come down, hide it out the back of the cage in the shadows where the light doesn’t shine or we’ll both be in trouble. I’m not supposed to be down here,” I whisper, glancing furtively toward the closed basement door at the top of the stairs.
She hasn’t said a word yet, and even though I should go, I’m still not ready to leave. I look at the padlock and sigh. Only Father and Tucker know the combination, he changes the numbers after unlocking it and has Tucker secure it once I’ve finished cleaning her after each lesson. My stomach tightens when I think of the lessons, and no matter how hard I try to blot them out, the images are still excruciatingly vivid in my mind. I sit down on the hard concrete floor and hug my knees with my head resting on them.
“What’s your name?” I blurt, suddenly desperate to hear her voice.
I should know the identity of this woman, whose life is tied to my obedience and willingness to accept the harsh lessons and rules being enforced in this house.
“Violante.” Her voice is so quiet I’d have missed her answer had I not been waiting to hear it.
“It’s beautiful, just like you,” I say softly, and she gets a strange look in her eyes at my words. Before I can stop myself, I lean forward and wrap my hand around the bars. My voice cracks, and a tear slips out. “I’m so sorry. I never wanted any of this to happen. I’ll try and find a way to get you out of here.”
My breath catches when a cool hand wraps around mine, and I look up into her eyes. Reflected in the blue depths, I see the same pain and fear I’m so used to feeling each day, and it shakes my soul to know it’s there because of me. I may not have been the one to trap her or abuse her, but my heart’s desires have sealed her fate.
Chapter Five
Violante
For the first time since I was stripped of all my clothing, I’m feeling some sense of warmth. The thick blanket wrapped around my body smells floral, like fabric conditioner and something else that’s purely Farren. I’m comforted by the scent; it obscures the smell of the basement almost enough to convince me I’m somewhere safe, rather than hidden in the bowels of this hellish house.
The slam of the basement door hitting the wall sends me jolting out of a light doze, and I scramble to shove the blanket through the bars at the back of the cage and into the shadows like Farren instructed. I shiver the moment cold air kisses my bare skin, and I curl up on the floor just as the light bulb overhead flickers to life.
I blink in the sudden brightness, squinting up at the monster of a man standing at the top of the stairs. Even from here, I can see his hollow eyes and feel hope drain from the air like he’s a black hole sucking in all light and goodness, leaving desolation in its place. I shudder. His heavy boots clunk on each step