Chapter 117: Chapter 117

~ NYSSA

Henry returned a few minutes later with a new bowl filled with fresh fruits, neatly sliced and a pack of pads. It was not the brand I liked, but it was better than nothing.

I took the food from him and hungrily wolfed it down. While I ate, he cleaned up the oatmeal with a rag, but I did not miss his wary glances and the way his eyes lingered on me.

The tears had worked, but only for a moment. His sense would return and with it, suspicion. It was up to me to make sure that my act was believable, and that was difficult. I couldn’t just act like I hated Rowan all of a sudden, I would have to play the part of the brainwashed fool.

“Are you alright?” Henry asked as I ate the last bit of fruit in the bowl. I managed a nod. “Did he really do those things to you?”

I nodded slowly. “He only did it when I did something wrong. It was my punishment. He’s not so bad.”

Henry frowned. “I didn’t know. I thought… you acted like you were in love with him. When I came to the palace, you asked me to leave.”

“Because I thought it was a lie! Aria told me that you had put a bounty on my head and you wanted to kill me. I…” I trailed off with a fake shudder. “I don’t know what to think, Henry. The last time you saw me, you accused me of things, and now I’m in a cell. I don’t know which of you is good.”

“I am good,” he whispered, making his way over to me. He grabbed my hands in his and smiled softly at me, his eyes gentle as he took me in. “I want the best for you, Nyssa, always. You can trust that.”

I forced a small smile on my face and tugged my hand out of his grip. “I’m sorry, this is just…”

“I understand,” he swallowed thickly, rising to his feet. “I will leave you to rest. We will have more time to speak tomorrow.”

He started to leave when I stopped him. “How long has it been… since I’ve been missing from the palace.”

“Two days.”

That was more than enough time for Rowan to realize I was gone. It was more than enough time for him to begin looking for me… if he still wanted to. I was so cruel to him that night. I called him a monster.

I didn’t even hear him out.

“He will be looking for me,” I murmured.

Henry’s teeth clenched in anger. “Let him look. It will take him a while to untangle the knots.”

“He is smart.”

“So am I,” Henry hissed. “And even if he comes here, he will never find you here. I will never let you go back to him, Nyssa. We will be together, whether in this life or the next.”

His tone was cryptic, his smile cruel. He glanced over at the side, his eyes lingering on some cylindrical drums to the corner before turning away and heading up the stairs. As soon as the door clicked shut behind him, I rushed to my feet and lifted the lid of the cylinders.

The smell of fuel hit me strongly. I smelled it when I first woke up, but I did not think much of it then. Now… it was clear what he was planning. If things didn’t go according to his wishes, he would burn the place down… with me in it.

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“Wake up!”

I stirred, trying to ignore the voice.

“Nyssa, wake up!”

“Leave me alone,” I mumbled, brushing off the hand harshly.

“Fuck, little wolf, we don’t have much time.”

My eyes snapped open at that nickname, because I recognized it anywhere. I stared at Rowan looming over me, his face covered in soot and cuts. His hair was wild and dirty, his eyes filled with relief and fear.

“Is that… are you?”

He nodded. “Come on. Let’s get you out of here.”

The sound of fighting above ground filled my ears but I didn’t care. I grabbed Rowan’s arm and let him pull me to my feet.

My heart hammered at the mere sight of him, at the eyes I’d gotten so used to and the blood that smeared his arms and clothes. He looked like he had been through a war just to get to me.

He snapped the chains around my wrists with no effort. “I’m so sorry it took so long,” he whispered. “I should have found you sooner.”

“That’s okay. You’re here.”

He brushed my hair out of my face with his hands, the rough calluses of his palms grazing my cheeks. “I am so sorry for how things went down. I am sorry I didn’t tell you about your parents.”

“We can talk about it later. We need to leave, Henry is going to blow up the place if we don’t get out of here.”

He cursed, tugging me up the stairs.

Bodies littered the white room and blood stained the walls but I stepped over them, letting Rowan lead me towards the wooden door that separated me from my freedom.

“Are you ready?” he asked and I nodded.

“I want to go home.”

He pushed the door open and bright light flooded my eyes. Rowan’s hand slipped out of mine and I stumbled forward, blindly reaching out for him.

“Rowan?” I called out but no answer. “Rowan where are you?”

Rough hands grabbed my shoulders and my eyes snapped open with a gasp. The first thing I noticed was the lack of light in the room and the heavy smell of fuel in the air.

I sat up straight, eyes taking in the dark room and wooden bannister. I glanced down at my hands, a heavy weight settling in my chest when I realized that I remained chained, and I still lay on that old tattered mattress.

I buried my face into my hands and for the first time since I was taken, I sobbed for real.

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