Enigma

Chapter 51

Lillian was brought awake by freezing water.

Blazius' face filled her blurry vision. "Where are the twins?" He asked..

She was sitting on a chair, chained by silver chains. Blazius crouched in front of her, inside the now open cage. She shivered, the chill of the water seeping into her bones. She was only wearing a t-shirt. She must have shifted in her sleep. Well, at least they had the decency to partially cover her.

"Where are they?" He hissed, his face a mask of fury.

Lillian smiled. Blazius' nostrils flared, his chest expanded with a deep breath, and he backhanded her. The slap echoed in the room, whipping her head around until her neck hurt and her brain jolted. Lillian tasted her blood.

Blazius stood up and straightened his sleeves. No one was around except for him. "Call them here, right now," he said. "I know you can link them."

Lillian laughed. She couldn't help herself. If he actually believed she would call them back here, he must be delusional. "I'm not calling them anywhere."

"Ezra?" Lillian called through the link. She could feel him, but the link was stretched so tight, her words were lost before they traveled across the distance. They were alive but far from her. And the link felt peaceful.

Lillian's heart settled. For the first time since she was kidnapped, she felt like she could breathe. Whatever happened to her now, she didn't care. The twins were safe.

"Call them here, right now," Blazius said again, pointing his finger in her face. "Or I will make you do it, and you won't like it."

Lillian leaned forward as much as her chains allowed her and fixed Blazius with a look. "Nothing will make me call them back."

A vein pulsed in his temple, and Lillian could almost smell his anger.

He drew his hand back, it glowed a pale yellow, and slapped her. His hand was hot against her face. Lillian's cheek felt on fire, and she smelled burning skin. Blazius' hand glowed a pale yellow. The color faded as he reached forward and gripped her hair, pulling her head back until Lillian was sure her neck would snap.

"You will regret it," he said in a low voice. "I will make you live every single nightmare you ever had."

Lillian bared her teeth in a feral grin. "You can do whatever you want. As long as the twins are safe, you have no power over me, you pathetic excuse of a person. You might think you're all that, but look at you, cornered into hiding and chased by immortals all over the world."

Blazius' face turned a bright red. His grip tightened on her head. "You-"

A loud knock interrupted him, then the door was shoved open. It banged against the wall, and a wide-eyed witch stood there, gasping for breath.

"What?" Blazius snarled at the witch.

"Sir, there is- there is-"

"Speak, man!" Blazius said.

"Arthur!" The man sputtered. "Arthur is on the island."

Blazius froze, and Lillian smelled his fear. He dropped her head as if it burned him and pointed at the witch. His face snapped into a cold mask. He held out his hand. "Give me your daggers."

"What-"

"Your daggers!" Blazius cried.

The witch unstrapped two daggers from his thigh sheaths. He gave them to Blazius. Blazius turned toward her, his cold eyes on her thighs. Dread tightened Lillian's stomach. He pulled his hands back, raising the daggers. Lillian struggled, but she could not move an inch in her chains.