Taken

Chapter 20 (Part 1)

My short scream was cut off by a grunt as my knees made impact with the cold hard bottom of the cellar I had been standing at the edge of moments prior. My hands slapped onto the cold floor next, the sting of pain warming them as momentum had the rest of my body following to slam onto the concrete floor.

I gasped, struggling to draw a breath to replace the one that was knocked out of me as I shifted to curl onto my side. I didn't need to look to know that my skin was shredded where my body hit the rough floor the hardest. Getting up was a distant thought with the pain that was coursing through my body. Turning my head to look up at the bright square of light above was a struggle that had a groan escaping my lips as I caught sight of the height I had fallen from.

Too high.

Movement had my eyes snapping towards Silas who, unlike me, had managed to land on his feet next to me. He had his arms spread to balance himself. A cool breeze accompanied him, ruffling his hair and making my eyes water as it stirred dust into the air. It had me suspecting that it wasn't a hand that had shoved either of us down here.

Silas gave me a quick once over where I lay hugging my middle as I waited for the worst of the pain to pass. The drop must have been at least eight feet. I was just lucky it was a straight drop and not the bruising journey it would have been down the wooden steps I could make out in the light. They led up to the opening that Tia moved to stand at, looking down at us. Her chest was rising and falling hard from the effort it took her to push the heavy door open so it fell back against the sofa she had pushed out of the way. Or maybe her labored breaths were a result of the manic and bloodthirsty gleam in her eyes.

Silas must have seen it too. He readjusted his stance as his features twisted with anger. His eyes narrowed on her in focus before he stiffened. The curl of his lips turned into a frown as confusion pulled at his brows. He unfurled his fists as he raised his hands, moving them as though he was attempting to physically shift the air around him.

Did healing himself this morning and then later me exhaust him more than he had let on?

My teeth ground together as I pulled myself up into a seated position. He was already weak from the injury itself, it must have burned through whatever energy he had left to heal me outside the city-

Tia who had been watching with unhinged amusement in her eyes couldn't hold her laughter in any longer at the sight. "You're as useless as the human down there. The Strings of Autumn can't help you, nor can your warped blood. I had a friend stop by and spell the space while I stalled. Did you really think I wouldn't have any emergency glamours stocked?"

Silas's hands returned to his sides as fists again while I pulled myself up into a seated position.

"What is this, Tia?" He questioned, his voice hard enough to cut diamonds.

The grin that split her face sent a shiver of fear down my spine. "Vengeance."

Wasn't she the one that cheated? What did she have to be vengeful of?

"Vengeance?" He questioned, sounding just as confused as I felt. "For what?"

"For everything." It took a split second for Tia's grin to transform into a sneer of rage.

"You're going to have to elaborate," Silas dryly remarked. His patience had evaporated the moment she had shoved us into the hole in her living room floor.

"You... You're the reason I no longer have a family; why I no longer have my bond or my son! You ruined it!"

I flinched at the anger and pain her shouted accusation held while Silas's frown deepened.