Chasing Sapphire

28. MESS

SAPPHIRE

The door to this room or more appropriately, my prison opened with a creak. All this stress had taken its toll on me and both my body and my mind had stopped working. I was too exhausted to open my eyes and argue with Connor so I kept my eyes shut and whispered, "Go away."

"Sapphire." Somebody whispered my name and I immediately recognised Bella's voice. I opened my eyes and squinted my eyes to look around, but there was nobody around me.

"Sapphire." The voice appeared from somewhere beside me and then I felt a soft touch on my locked hands.

"Bella?" I asked, moving away in panic.

"Ssshhh, it's me." she said, placing her hand on my mouth so I won't start screaming. "I am under a cloaking spell."

"What? How? Never mind." I felt relief wash over me on having her near me. I thought nobody would some to save me but I was wrong. "Thank God you're here. Connor, he..."

"I know." she said and I felt someone grip my hands. I heard her whisper something after which she tried to pull my hands out of the handcuffs. "Shit, they are probably made of magic."

"What will we do now?" I whispered.

"Don't worry, the handcuffs are magical but the bed isn't." she said and then again did some kind of spell. The part of bed which was holding the handcuffs disappeared and my hands were suddenly free, although still in cuffs.

"Come on, but don't make a noise." she said and helped me get up. My whole body was aching because of being tied in an uncomfortable position so that when I stood up, I almost fell forwards.

She helped me stand up and then we both tiptoed outside. The whole place was drowned in darkness and no sound could be heard from any of the rooms. I had no idea where I was but it certainly wasn't a populous place.

I silently followed her out of this hallway, which was connected to another hallway. This whole place was like a maze and I was surprised how Bella found me here.

"Here," she whispered when we reached a certain spot. I looked above and it was a small, narrow space that led upwards to God knows where.

"How will we climb through it?" I asked.

"We have help." she said.

The next moment, a rope made of bedsheets fell out of nowhere through the small area. "Come on, we don't have much time." A voice appeared out of nowhere and I shuddered at its familiarity.

"What is this brute doing here?" I asked on hearing Atticus West's voice.

"This brute is trying to save you, Miss. Carson." His very annoyed voice arose from above me.

"As if I'm going to believe you." I snorted.

I looked at the space where Bella's breathing could be heard. "It's okay, he is here to help." she said but I didn't believe her. But I didn't have any other option now, do I?

I held the rope and Bella gripped me from my legs, pushing me upwards. I was in a very compromised state because the space was very narrow and my upper arm strength was almost none. Climbing myself up won't have been possible if it wasn't for the pull from Atticus' side. I kept holding the rope while he pulled it above, and that's how I managed to climb through that duct.

Once I reached the top, I was pulled into strong arms that pulled me out of the hole in the sofa in Connor's cabin. I closed my eyes in relief and when I opened them, I met with icy blue eyes staring into mine blankly. His arms were around my waist and he was securing me close to him, a little too close for my liking. It made me nervous.

"Wait, if I can see you," I said in a horrified voice and then looked through the hole to the other end of the conduit where Bella was standing in her solid form.

I wheezed in shock when I found Connor's hand secured around her neck, as he glared at me with his burning eyes.

"Sapphire, if you don't come back right now, this girl will be another addition to the people who died for you." His voice boomed through the basement.

"No!" I shouted as I noticed the horrid expressions on Bella's face. She was afraid for her life and I felt really bad for putting her in that position.

"Don't... Don't harm her, Connor. I'll... I'll come right---" Before I could complete the sentence, I was pulled off the ground and thrown onto someone's shoulder.

"I am sure that little witch's life is not that important." Atticus shouted back at Connor after which he started walking away.

"Leave me. Don't you dare, Atticus West. Put me down," I screamed as I punched his back but he didn't listen. "Fucking arsehole. Put me down."

Behind me, I heard Bella's screams, followed by Connor's threats of killing her. I struggled in Atticus' arm but he was much stronger than me. "She is my friend. Leave me you piece of shit," I tugged his hair forcefully but even that didn't affect him.

The fear for Bella's life filled me. If Connor harmed him, I would never be able to forgive myself.

Atticus walked out of the cabin but he still didn't put me down. I heard another pair of footsteps running towards us after which he stopped and I angled my neck to look at Grace.

"Save her friend." he ordered Grace and she nodded, after which she went inside that cabin.

"Put me down, for God's sake." I screamed but it didn't affect him at all. He only lowered me once he reached his car and then put me on the passenger seat.

Before I could run away, he pulled out a rope from the backseat and tied me with the car seat. "What in hell are you doing?" I asked but he was acting like he was deaf, as if my pleas didn't affect him. I tried to fight but he was a lot stronger than me. A lot.

"Fuck you. Fuck all of you." I growled as he settled on the driver's seat and started the car. I was already exhausted and now after all the struggling, my voice was coming out in gasps.

With one hand on steering wheel, he picked up a water bottle from the other hand and brought it closer to my mouth. If it was up to me, I won't have drunk a sip of it but I couldn't control my dry throat any longer so I drank it.

"My friend... She is in danger. Let me go." I said slowly once the water moistened my dry throat.

"Don't throw a tantrum, Grace will save her. He won't harm Bella anyway." he said in his signature calm and emotionless voice.

"How do you know?" I asked.

"Because apparently, he is doing this to save the world. How will he tell everyone that he killed an innocent young girl for this?" he smirked and my temper rose. If he can do that to me, he can definitely harm Bella.

"Where are you taking me?" I asked as I tried to loosen the rope around me but all in vain. I seriously need to learn how to save myself in such situations because my luck suggests that I would need it again and again.

"To the only place where you're safe. With me, in my house." he said as he continued driving.

"No, I am not going to that place." I snarled at him and attempted to kick him with my legs but he suddenly gripped my leg and the car stopped to a screeching halt.

His fingers were digging into the substance of my thigh as he glared into my eyes, the fury in them silencing me. "Your stubbornness has already cost us enough. I don't want your stupidity and immaturity to endanger me and my family. So it's upto you, Sapphire. You want to go to jungle alive or as a corpse in the trunk of my car." he said through clenched teeth. "Before I assure you, I won't waste a second before digging my teeth into this supple neck of yours and suck until you're drained of every lady drop of your precious blood."

That's the most words he had said to me since he met me and it would be a lie to say that it didn't scared the shit out of me. Still looking into those hollow blue orbs, I gulped and nodded.

Smirking, he started the car and I leaned back in my seat silently, my legs trembling because of the threat he just made.

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