changes being reinforced in the prison thanks to my accidental stunt, it must have been harder for him to come and check on me.
If he really did care at all.
His company was a good distraction from being homesick. I missed Tristan's bountiful laughter, Dominick's peaceful grins, Otis's scornful attitude, and Adonis's seductiveness. I missed Everett's quiet entrances to make sure we were all okay, and more than anything, I missed our dinners together.
I'd been receiving my meals in my cell, which should have brought me peace of mind, but all it did was emphasize the primary problem: loneliness.
For the first time in a long, long time, I truly felt lonely. Ivy and Alisha were new friends, but our friendship would take time to grow before we all trusted one another, and even then, the only chance we'd get to see one another was once a week in the underground.
Certainly, it might improve or grow to two times a week, but Alisha's words continued to haunt me.
"You're going to be the one to help all of us escape from our shackles. Like a domino effect. Your freedom may be temporary, but if you return, it won't be by force."
"Why would I return here? A place where the food barely has taste unless you're starving, the hot water lasts for five minutes unless you're gifted with some magic to warm your own body temperature up, and there’s no sunlight. The day I get out of here and feel the soft breeze against my skin, I think I'll cry."
Throughout this week I'd been trying to figure out a way to get out of here, and so far, nothing was coming to mind.
What was bothering me was how that gorilla woman was able to shift when these prison walls were supposed to hinder that. It was the very reason why we didn't need to wear handcuffs unless we were being tested in the labs, taken to another floor if something was broken, or were acting foolishly.
That third one meant we'd be stuck with handcuffs within our cells, which I was trying my best to avoid given my horrible streak in the bad luck department.
Ivy and Alisha had said they'd had their share of bad luck yesterday during our dinner, and the three of us agreed that we must have been plagued by the universe or something.
* * *
"Do you think there's a way out of this place, Alisha?" Ivy asked as she enjoyed the caramel apple crumble dessert we'd been served.
"There's always a way out of anything, even when they say there isn't. Every magic trick has an escape route, just as every disease has an antidote. It's up to the individual to figure out the solution," she answered, her eyes gazing in empty space.
"Alisha?" I drew her attention, her purple-magenta eyes at half-mast, emphasizing how tired she looked. "You look exhausted."
"Having low days is human," she mumbled.
"Says the supernatural," Alisha joked.
"Are you all right?" I was genuinely worried about her. From the few interactions we'd had, she seemed very low on energy, as if she were ill.
"Not much sleep," she replied and looked away. "Preparing for freedom is a hard journey. Preparing for revenge means sacrifices now."
"Preparing for freedom?" Ivy pondered.
"Preparing for revenge?" I whispered.
"My amnesia wasn't an accident. Nor was many of us being kidnapped within these walls. If I knew who had put me down here, I'd fight even stronger to get out. Bad luck loves to play tricks on me. About time I got one step ahead and returned the favor."
"What if you already know who put you here," I inquired. "I know the person who put me in here doesn't want me near my family...or should I say, the men I care about. She's an old hag and decided it would be best to separate me from them. It was my mistake for falling right into her plan, but if I got out, what could I do?"
My head lowered to the table, staring at the half-eaten dessert with serious eyes. "All evidence will be hidden, anyone else with the slightest clue, dead. My word against a woman with years of power. Where is the justice in all of this?"
"Disappear," Alisha muttered.
"Alisha. That's by far the worst advice you've given since you told me to try and jump over the electric fence when we got the nicer tour of this hellhole," Ivy groaned.
"I'm serious," Alisha emphasized, the hardness in her voice catching our attention. She turned her head fully, giving