Caged

39

My scream died down in my throat because he moved in the blink of an eye.

The wind was knocked out of me as he shoved me against the wall, my head slamming back into it. I winced as he pinned his body against mine, pressing the tip of his knife against my throat.

Sebastian's eyes glinted in the dark. "You say anything and I'll slit your throat. Is that clear?"

I couldn't even nod because one move could mean my skin would slice open. He took my silence as my response.

I could feel myself trembling as I stared at him. The images of him laying on the ground, dead, flashed through my mind and I felt physically sick at the thoughts.

He was dead. He was supposed to be dead. I'd seen him myself. This wasn't possible.

How could this be possible?

Sebastian spoke again. "I'm not going to hurt you," he began, and I instantly cut him off, my rage spiking.

"You just said you'll slit my fucking throat," I hissed, ignoring the knife and Sebastian remained calm.

"Yeah, only if you move or cry out for help," he snapped, and I wondered if he could feel the tremors running through me. His eyes scanned my face. "I'm gonna let you go and then you're going to listen to everything I have to say. Got it?"

I didn't respond.

He pressed the knife deeper into my skin and my breath caught. "Got it?"

"Yes," I ground out, and exhaled in relief when he finally moved away. My hand instantly shot up to my throat and I grazed it over the skin, shuddering at the feeling that lingered behind from the sharp metal. My eyes drifted towards the window above my desk and I realized it was open. That was probably how he'd gotten in.

Sebastian watched me like a hawk and I couldn't help but ask, "how?"

He didn't even blink. "I never died."

My throat closed up and I retreated another step, pressing my back against the wall so I could get as far away from him as possible. "But - but I saw you. You were..." I shook my head. "I don't - I don't understand."

He sat down on the edge of my bed, and I had the sudden urge to change my sheets and disinfect my entire room. I didn't want anything of him in here.

"Your brother's friend - the one with the tattoo on the side of his neck, he sedated me," Sebastian explained flatly, letting the knife dance between his fingertips. "If any of you ever looked close enough, you would've realized that I had a pulse. It was faint, but it was there. No one checked by coming close though because they took Roman's word for it."

"Roman drugged you?" I breathed.

He nodded. "He came to the site when I was alive and he was alone. It was before Kaiden arrived. He found me and I thought he was going to kill me, but he didn't. He spared me and told me that he was going to fake my death. Elijah planned that part when I ran into him inside."

I stayed frozen, barely breathing as he explained. As soon as we finished, I was going to scream. He was far enough from me for it to be safe.

I didn't care if Ethan and Caleb beat the absolute shit out of him.

"It worked, and after everyone left and the drug's effect wore off, I was supposed to disappear. Never show my face again. Leave the country, I guess."