Caged

25

**Warning**
descriptions of torture.

"Elijah."

My voice shook as I brought my hands down to my sides.

His gaze drilled me into place where I still stood by his desk, all the papers scattered on the ground in front of me.

My stomach churned as he closed the door behind him and rested against it casually.

He smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. "You find what you were looking for?"

I swallowed. "I-I wasn't looking for..." I trailed off, not knowing what to say and he raised his eyebrows in question.

"Not looking for...?" He repeated, and I scrambled for what to say. My eyes flickered through his study, lingering on the door behind him.

When I didn't say anything, his lips twitched into a small smirk and I stilled as he began walking towards me slowly. "You were always shit at lying. Guess some things never change, huh?"

I'd always been intimidated by him, but this was something else. I was genuinely beginning to feel actual terror, and every part of me was screaming run.

Especially after knowing what Mia had said. The fact that he lied to me so easily, manipulated me - it made me think of what else he was capable of and I found myself taking a step back.

Then, his eyes drifted down to the floor as he saw the papers and folder laying on the ground, and I bit my lip as he grabbed them.

I watched in dread as he flipped through them, his eyes studying what I had found in his room. They rose to meet mine again and he dropped the papers on his desk.

"What exactly were you looking for?" He asked, his voice impassive.

"Nothing," I replied quickly.

"Look at me."

I peeked up at him when he waited in silence. "I'll ask you again. What were you looking for?"

My voice was shaky as I spoke. "Nothing, I was just-" I hesitated on what to say.

Elijah smiled, nodding, but I knew he didn't believe me. "Are you lying to me?"

"Sweetheart, what's one of my rules that I've made very clear from the first day I took you in?" He asked smoothly.

"That we... that we need to stay out of your business," I trailed off in a quiet voice, feeling like a small child.

Elijah nodded, his eyes blank and I knew this was silent rage. It scared me because it seemed like one wrong move or word would make him explode.

Somehow, I thought my next move would have been smart.

"Uh, I have homework, so I'm gonna go do that-" I began walking away, but I felt his hand clasp around my upper arm and he yanked me back in front of him so hard, I almost stumbled.

I looked up at him with wide eyes. "Elijah, what are you doing?"

"How much did you read?" He asked calmly.

I shook my head and tried to tug my arm out of his grasp. He was too strong though.

"Nothing," I whispered, wincing.