door open. Inside, Dean and Declan, both wolves, spring up from where they lay on the floor. At the sight of me, their growls turn quickly to relieved whines.
They rush to my side and lick at my hands and arms. I throw my arms around their necks, overcome at the sight of them unharmed. Even Dean’s bitten leg has already healed.
“I’m all right,” I assure them. “I’m just glad to know you’re both safe.”
Dean leaps back and growls suddenly.
I tense as I catch sight of movement out of the corner of my eye. Dean and Declan both react instantly, teeth bared in a snarl at someone just over my shoulder.
Something swings at my temple.
I turn but not fast enough.
Pain explodes behind my eyes, muted only by the loss of consciousness as everything slips away. The floor comes up to meet me. Rather than complete oblivion, my mind hovers just at the edge of reality. The pain is almost too much to bear but I know if I give into it now, I won’t have the power to fight back.
Rough hands grab me.
The twins launch themselves at my attacker, but even in my muddled state, I am aware of them being driven back by an invisible force.
Schmidt.
She must be here.
“Don’t . . . hurt them.” I have no idea if I manage to say the words aloud, or if they’re only in my mind.
Still reeling, I’m rolled onto my back and then lifted, a movement that only sends more sharp pains through my bruising skull. One of the twins yelps sharply.
I force my eyes to open and recognize Sir’s pointed chin directly above me before he jostles my weight for a better grip. His fingers dig into my hip and the pain returns, sending me fast towards the edge of oblivion.
Fighting it, I turn and squint at the other figure now walking swiftly down the hall behind us. Nurse Schmidt swims into focus.
She catches me looking at her and flashes a disturbing smile. “I hope you enjoyed your reprieve,” she says. “You will regret it before I am finished with you.”
I realize too late I was right about my easy escape. It was all just another way to mess with my mind. Letting me think I’d won this small victory.
Behind her, the twins march like docile dogs at her heels.
Their eyes scan constantly towards the walls on either side, never once glancing at me, and I realize Schmidt has sent them into another illusion. Whatever they’re seeing, it’s not real. And obviously designed to earn their obedience.
Dammit.
“Put her here while I deal with the brothers,” Schmidt orders.
Sir shoves through a door and dumps me onto the floor, then walks out again without a second glance.
My hip throbs painfully when I land on the cold, hard concrete, but I grit my teeth and focus instead on where Schmidt hovers in the doorway. And behind her, the twins.
“Leave them alone and I’ll do whatever you ask,” I plead.
But she’s got other plans for them, apparently. For all of us.
“You’ll do whatever we ask anyway.” She sneers down at me and then pulls the door shut, sealing me inside.
Alone.
Out in the hall, I hear her snapping orders at the twins to follow her as she walks away.
The room is cold and empty. Maybe a storage closet or a holding cell. Who knows at this point? It doesn’t matter. What matters is getting back to Dean and Declan. What matters is staying alive.
I can only hope Logan is out there looking for a way to get us all off this island. Maybe I can buy him time to do that. I push to my feet, groaning against the pain, and try the knob, only to find it locked.
Concentrating, I try to use my magic. When that doesn’t work, I scream in frustration.
Still, no one answers me. Even the spirits are silent now.
With fisted hands, I beat on the door and call for help.
Minutes pass. Maybe longer.
My headache makes it hard to think past my worry for the twins.
Several times, I try to use my magic to open the door or call for Genevieve, but nothing works. I wonder if there’s something about this room keeping them out just as much as it keeps me in.
Panic claws at me, and I know I have to do something. I can sense a danger to what comes next. Something terrible is coming, something even more awful than what I’ve seen here already. But, try as I might, I