Shadowborn Royals - G. Bailey Page 0,33
barely gets my name out. Her throat sounds dry and my pulse spikes at the thought of them hurting her.
Eva signals the doctor again, her eyes pressed on me. “You may say hello to your friend once I extracted more of your blood.”
In two swift movements, I’m pushed into a chair beside Sage and my wrists are strapped down. For once, I’m not even looking at Eva. All I can focus on is my friend, almost like I’m trying to convey a silent message to her: I’m going to get you out of here. But when I try to say the words, even just whisper them, they don’t come out. And I’m terrified it’s because a part of me knows I might not be able to.
“Leave her alone,” Sage spits when the doctor approaches me with a syringe. She thrashes and screams in her chair, and my heart breaks for her. “You psychopaths better leave her alone!”
“I’m okay,” I whisper, giving her a wobbly smile. “Sage, don’t worry about me. Please?”
She stops thrashing, her cheeks stained with tears. “But they’re torturing us, Izy. We need to get out of here.”
A lump swells into my throat after seeing her cry. I’ve never, in all the months I’ve known Sage, witnessed her shed a single tear, let alone cry like this. I’ve seen her try to tear our teacher’s head off on the first day of school, but never cry. Sage just didn’t seem like the kind to get all emotional, so it kills me to see her like this. I try to muster every bit of strength I possess to come across as brave.
“Hey, you know me,” I say, smiling at Sage, “there’s no way I’m letting these crazy motherfuckers have their way with us for long.”
“Such a touching reunion,” Eva scoffs and motions the doctor to hurry. “Don’t mind me. After this final blood sample, my work here will be done and I can return to my kingdom. I’m growing bored with this little playground of mine. I think it’s time for a change of scenery.”
“Well, don’t let the door hit you on the way out,” Sage growls at her.
A smirk tugs at my lips as I snap my head to Eva. “You’ve already turned us into light fae. What more could you possibly want?”
All the wicked amusement normally found on Eva’s face vanishes.”I already told you what I want. Your kind”—she points at the two of us—”to be cleansed from the Enchanted Forest once and for all. It is really that simple.”
Sage laughs. She just laughs at Eva like this is all a sick joke. Unfortunately, I know it isn’t. There have been times when I wish I could just close my eyes and then open them again to find this has been a nightmare. But I can’t and it isn’t.
The doctor moves behind me and reaches for my wing. With Sage’s pained laugh echoing through my head and Eva’s cold, dead eyes latched on me, it’s like I’ve slipped into shock. I feel the needle piercing my wing, but I don’t register any pain. A cold chill sweeps over me instead, turning the blood in my veins to ice.
None too gently, Doctor Frank yanks the needle out and marches out of the room. The guards enter, one of them holding a silver dagger. Eva takes it and prowls toward me, the look on her face like that of a predator about to pounce on its prey. I’ve never been the prey, always the predator. This bitch will regret ever ruining my life and hurting those I care about.
She twirls the dagger in her hand and tilts her head at me, almost like she’s wondering what to cut off first. And then she hops to the side and leans over Sage, grabbing her cheek until her sharp fingernails cut into her skin.
“Don’t touch her!”
Eva smiles at one of the guards and then flicks her chin toward me. Not a second later, a gloved hand sinks into my shoulder. The other turns my head so that I’m forced to look at my friend. Eva drags the tip of the blade down her cheek, pressing until a droplet of blood surfaces from under her caramel skin. The sharp copper tang permeates the air, but it’s black, not red.
What the fuck has Eva done to my friend?
Unlike me, Sage feels the pain and screams out. The blood oozes down and Eva catches the droplets in a crystal vial. She grins at me