Wraith Captive, page 18
“Now.” Gabriel’s gaze meets mine. “Now we get free. Before the guards return.”
Free?
My body continues shaking as we climb to our feet. Ax manages to stand on his own two feet, but he doesn’t look good. All of us are coated in blood, that of the beasts and our own.
But we all work together to unlock the door, then slide it open. In the hall, everything is strangely calm. A few smears and splatters of blood, but nothing else.
“This way,” Gabriel says, leading our crew.
He and Blade manage to open door after door, prying the sides apart. When we come to yet another door, Gabriel thanks someone none of the rest of us can see. And then, he and Blade open it.
Into sunshine.
We emerge out of the silent hall, staring at the same gates that they’d taken me into the prison through. No guards line the doors. No guards sit in the towers.
Gabriel reaches inside a little glass booth beside the door and hits a button. The big gates of the prison groan and start to part. We limp forward, then, almost running, we crunch through the dirt and gravel and stand, watching as the gates get wider.
I laugh, grabbing onto the guys.
And they smile back at me.
After everything, we’re finally free!
Suddenly, the smile falls from Gabriel’s face. I look back at the opening, and I’m shocked to see the warden and a dozen guards emerge from the woods, standing directly into our path.
Staring at them in horror, we all seem frozen.
And then, he begins to clap slowly.
“What is this?” I say.
“This,” he repeats, drawing out the word, “was a test. And lucky for you four, you passed.”
“Bastard!” Gabriel roars.
He lifts his hand out, his eyes filled with fury, and then shock.
“That’s right, dark fae, we made certain to protect ourselves from your abilities.” He tugs his shirt to the side, revealing some kind of pendant.
Anger rises within me. I lift my hand, imagining all of them being torn to pieces. But for the first time since discovering my powers, I feel nothing inside of me. No magic. No powers.
Nothing.
“What do we do?” I whisper to Gabriel.
But before he can answer, the guards lift their guns and shoot.
And the world goes black.
Chapter Thirty
Elizabeth
I awake, gasping, in a panic. I’m surrounded by darkness and the smell of blood and death. It’s such an absolute darkness that I can’t even see my hand in front of my face, a kind of darkness I’ve never felt in my life. Terror unleashes within me.
“Gabriel!” I shout. “Ax! Blade”
For hours I shout and shout their names. I shout until my voice goes raw, but I hear nothing in response. Nothing but my own voice echoing back.
Standing, I reach out and feel around me until my hand touches a wall. I slide my fingers along the wall and start to walk, choosing a direction at random. For too long, I continue walking, stumbling occasionally on things that feel like bones beneath my feet, hearing the sounds of mice squeaking in the walls.
When I finally spot some light up ahead, I rush forward. A huge, circular room is lit by a single bulb, and in the center of the floor is Gabriel, Ax, and Blade. My heart clenches as I rush forward. Every terrible thought fills my mind before I start to shake them, hoping like mad that they still live.
I’ve never felt more relieved than when their groggy eyes open.
“Guys?” I say, blinking away tears.
They struggle to sit up, then look around the room.
“Where are we?” Gabriel finally asks.
I wipe the tears from my eyes, but they continue to fall. “I don’t know. Somewhere in the prison, I’m guessing.”
“Fucking hell!” Blade shouts, his words echoing around us.
“Those bastards,” Ax mutters, rubbing at his face.
I hate that I’m crying, but no matter how much I tell myself to stop, I can’t. “I don’t understand any of this. I don’t understand what all of that was.”
“It doesn’t matter,” Gabriel says, his voice soft but angry.
“It does,” I insist. “We were so close. We were—“
“This changes nothing,” he says, cutting me off. “Our plan was to escape, and nothing has changed.”
“Gabriel, look around us!” I shout.
His gaze holds mine. “All that matters is we’re together. We’ll figure everything else out.”
He slides closer to me and uses his thumb to wipe away my tears. The gesture makes me cry harder. Last night we were attacked. We watched people die. And when we were finally free, it was all just a game to those bastards.
“He said this was just a test.” Blade has a strange note to his voice. “This must be another one.”
I look down at the dark halls leading into the circular room. “What kind of test?”
Ax is the one to answer. “We probably have to survive.”
“Survive what?” I ask.
In the darkness, I swear I hear the soft sound of laughter.
TO BE CONTINUED IN MARKED SUPERNATURALS
GET YOUR COPY HERE.
Welcome to Nightmare Penitentiary
Check out all the books in the Nightmare
Penitentiary Paranormal Prison collection!
Siren Condemned by C.R. Jane and Mila Young
Delinquent Demons by K. Webster
Conveniently Convicted by Raven Kennedy & Icy Asher
Noir Reformatory by Lexi C. Foss & Jennifer Thorn
Wraith Captive by Lacey Carter Andersen
Blindly Indicated by Katie May
Stolen Song by Autumn Reed & Ripley Proserpina
Prison Princess by CoraLee June & Rebecca Royce
Succubus Chained by Heather Long
Also By Lacey Carter Andersen
Monsters and Gargoyles
Medusa’s Destiny *audiobook*
Keto’s Tale
Celaeno’s Fate
Cerberus Unleashed
Lamia’s Blood
Shade’s Secret
Shorts: Their Own Sanctuary
Shorts: Their Miracle Pregnancy
Dark Supernaturals
Wraith Captive
Marked Immortals
Wicked Reform School
Untamed: House of Berserkers
Mates of the Realms
Renegade Hunter *audiobook*
Cursed Hunter
Betrayed Hunter
Rebel Lover
Rebel Lies
Rebel Loss
Rogue Demon
Box Set I: Demon Hunter
Box Set II: Rebel Angel
The Firehouse Feline
Feline the Heat
Feline the Flames
Feline the Burn
God Fire Reform School
Magic for Dummies
Myths for Half-Wits
Alternative Futures
Nightmare Hunter *audiobook*
Deadly Dreams *audiobook*
Mortal Flames
Twisted Prophecies
Box Set: Alien Mischief
An Icelius Reverse Harem
Her Alien Lovers
Her Alien Abductors
Her Alien Barbarians
Her Alien Mates
Collection: Her Alien Romance
Steamy Tales of Warriors and Rebels
Gladiators
The Dragon Shifters’ Last Hope
Stolen by Her Harem
Claimed by Her Harem
Treasured by Her Harem
Collection: Magic in her Harem
Harem of the Shifter Queen
Sultry Fire
Sinful Ice
Saucy Mist
Collection:Power in her Kiss
Standalones
Goddess of Love (Blood Moon Rising Shared World)
Worthy (A Villainously Romantic Retelling)
Beauty with a Bite
Shifters and Alphas
Collections
Monsters, Gods, Witches, Oh My!
Wings, Horns, and Shifters
About the Author
Lacey Carter Andersen loves reading, writing, and drinking excessive amounts of coffee. She spends her days taking care of her husband, three kids, and three cats. But at night, everything changes! Her imagination runs wild with strong-willed characters, unique worlds, and exciting plots that she enthusiastically puts into stories.
Lacey has dozens of tales: science fiction romances, paranormal romances, short romances, reverse harem romances, and more. So, please feel free to dive into any of her worlds; she loves to have the company!
And you’re welcome to reach out to her; she really enjoys hearing from her readers.
You can find her at:
Email: laceycarterandersen@gmail.com
Mailing List: https://www.subscribepage.com/laceycarterandersen
Website: www.laceycarterandersen.wordpress.com/
Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/Lacey-Carter-Andersen-1940678949483316/
Lacey Carter Andersen, Wraith Captive
