keep wearing these shackles.
I sighed. “Aegis, can you unlock me for just a sec? I need to heal my wrists. And also pee, because that’s something you don’t want me to do while I’m chained to a sofa.”
Aegis complied, frowning at the blood. “You’ll have to hurry. Cly and I will be leaving soon, and I’m afraid you’ll have to remain in those shackles while we’re gone.”
“It’ll only take a moment,” I said, running into the bathroom while I waited for my magic to recover, hating that I had to run.
When I came back out, Cly was in front of the mirror, fluffing her hair with my magic. Unfortunately, her hair wasn’t the only thing she saw in the mirror.
She whirled. “You! Aegis, what’s she doing out of the chains?”
I raised my bloody wrists. “Look, I’m a person, not a wall charger. You can’t just keep me in a box all day until you need me. I have needs, such as not bleeding and going to the bathroom!”
“She’ll be shackled when we leave,” Aegis reassured her.
“Fuck you! I turn my back for one second and you do this!”
“Cly—”
She stormed to the door. “If you like her so much, then stay here! I don’t want you with me! Make sure she doesn’t escape and ruin everything!” She shot me a dirty look before stomping out and slamming the door.
I had to admit, Cly didn’t usually go for the yelling-and-screaming tantrums over the teary poor-me tantrums. School must have rattled her badly.
Not that I had much sympathy for her. She had more of a choice about being here than I did.
For a while, Aegis stared at the door. Then he sighed and turned away. It seemed like he’d do as she’d said.
That was unfortunate for me, because I’d been hoping I’d get the day to myself. It would be harder to work on an escape plan while having to make sure I didn’t look suspicious to Aegis.
I grimaced and touched my wrists. Enough of my magic had recovered for minor healing, at least. The lacerations scabbed over.
“Am I allowed to shower, at least?” I said. “Or are you going to stand guard inside the bathtub?”
Aegis rubbed his face, looking tired. “Go ahead. I’m not going to creep on you or anything.”
“I see. Because Cly wouldn’t like it.” I shut the door behind me.
The hot water felt amazing after the day and night I’d had. I closed my eyes, sighing with relief, some of the tension draining from my shoulders with the water. But not all.
I wasn’t going to be able to fully relax until I had my mom back.
And how are you going to do that? I thought, a chill running through me despite the heat of the water. At any given point, I was either chained up or in the company of Aegis, or, if Cly had her way, both. Just escaping this room would be a challenge. Then I’d have to make it all the way back to Redbriar Manor, a distance of seven hours’ drive, without detection. Then I’d need to break into Redbriar Manor itself, cracking countless layers of magical defenses that had stood for centuries.
And at any point, if I were noticed missing, they would bring out my mother and do unspeakable things to her.
I shut off the water, having lost all sense of enjoyment.
I moved to get dressed, and discovered yet another minor indignity. Of course they hadn’t thought to bring clothing for me. I was a wall charger. Wall chargers didn’t need to change.
I cast a laundry spell on the clothes I’d taken off. There went some of the magic I’d been hoping to spend on healing my minor injuries.
They were all small things taken individually. The bruises. The scrapes. The hunger. The constant surveillance. The lack of clothing. But each one gnawed away a scrap of my sanity. How long could I spend trapped like this, getting ground down bit by bit? How long before I broke?
Aegis was waiting outside the door with a bundle of his clothes when I came out. “I thought I’d do laundry right now,” he said. “You don’t have to, but…”
I gave a humorless laugh. The Redbriars had screwed him over in a different way by giving him Spellbreaker tattoos. The tattoos blocked external magic off from affecting him, but also prevented him from doing magic with external effects. He could enhance his own speed and strength and so on, but he didn’t get fireballs. Or inscription-based light switches.