The Iron Butterfly (Iron Butterfly #1)(2)

“Don’t worry about your friend,” Crow spoke slowly, cruelly. “She has outlived her usefulness to the Raven. He was extremely disappointed in her results, she lacked, what did he say? Oh yes, the determination to live; unlike you. The Raven was displeased that you weren’t able to help him last night.”

Cocking his head to the side like a bird he went on. “He was quite angry and unnecessarily took it out on the girl. So in fact, what happened to her is your fault.” His eyes lit up with joy in sharing the news. He used his dirty fingernail to dig at one of my barely healed wounds until blood began to pool. I could see the red-raised skin of the brand that marked him for a member of the Septori; two slash marks within a circle.

“Such a pity that she doesn’t have your strength. But few do.” He slowly raised his hand covered in my blood to his mouth. “What a waste.” He moved away, releasing the pressure on my pinned wrist. Quickly, I pulled it back into the darkness of my cell and away from the taint of having been touched by one of the hated and vile Septori. I was horrified and disgusted at what he had done.

“You lie!” I yelled uselessly at the locked cell door.

“Do I?” Crow’s voiced crept through. “You will learn soon enough. You may even see firsthand what’s left of her when the Raven sends for you tonight. And make no delusions; he will send for you tonight.” His evil laughed echoed behind him as he walked away and out the door.

Normally those words would turn me into a terrified bundle of nerves. But I was too shocked by what had just happened and the news of Cammie’s death. I knew better than to get emotionally attached to the other prisoners. I had learned my lesson after my first cellmate. I closed myself off after that as numerous girls came and went. None of them were as strong as me. But this one was different. She was different. A loud droning noise filled my ears and I placed my hands over them to make it stop. Then I realized, I was making the noise and it was only getting louder with my pain.

“Control yourself,” a deep male voice barked from down the hall. “You can’t fall all to pieces down here if you want to live.” The noise just became higher pitched with hiccups as I tried to control the sound.

“C..Cammm…Cammie’s dead,” I stuttered out. “It’s my fault, if I were stronger, I could have, I should have.”

“Hush,” Tym from across the hall whispered. “There’s nothing you could have done. You should be happy it wasn’t you. If you don’t quiet down and stop talking they’ll hear you, and then they will come back.” A week ago his brother never returned to his cell after a night with the machine. I haven’t heard him utter a word since. He had withdrawn into his own pain.

“It doesn’t matter,” spoke the first voice, “Let them come.”

It was a voice I didn’t recognize, so I assumed this must be the new prisoner they brought in a few days ago and it was the first time he’s been coherent enough to speak.

“Who are you?” I asked.

“No one,” he muttered.

“If we are going to die down here I would at least like to know your name,” I pleaded into the echoing halls.

“Kael.”

“I’m Thalia,” I said with a small smile. “Why are you here? Why were you drugged for so long? Are you someone important?” The questions came sputtering out.

“Someone important?” he made a snort. “No. They’ve kept me drugged because they know that I will eventually kill them all.”

“Can you do it? Can you break out and take us with you?” The desperation rang in my voice.

A long silence followed and I prayed that Kael was planning an escape. I didn’t expect his painful answer. “No.”

I felt tears of disappointment burn at my eyes but I wiped them away with the back of my dirty hand. Feeling my world crumble around me, once again as my hopes were dashed of ever leaving.

“I could if I were stronger, I’m a Denai, or was,” Tym interrupted sadly. “I can barely shift anything since they brought me here. Wherever we are?”

“Hell!” Kael spoke gruffly.

“It’s the drugs,” I whispered. “It blocks all of your power and gifts like Cammie.”

“If only Sal was still here,” Tym whined. “He would know what to do.” A moment of silence followed before Tym became talkative again. “Why are we here?”

“I don’t know.” We could only speculate at what the Septori’s motives were behind these painful experiments. I had never seen Raven’s true face, for he hid behind a silver, hook-nosed mask and a robe. The sound of his raspy breath and hollowed eyed mask haunted my dreams each night.

“What did I ever do to deserve this? I shouldn’t be here!” Tym argued. I knew he was confused and rambling, but it was becoming annoying.

“I don’t know? Why are any of us here?” I muttered. I started to wind my dark hair around my finger, something I tended to do out of habit when I was nervous or frustrated.

Just then a loud pounding sound came from the cell down the hall. It sounded like Kael was throwing himself against the door, and then he would intersperse it with pounding his plate against the lock.

“You aren’t going to open the lock with that plate,” I remarked dryly.