Chapter 74


    Chapter 74 Strange man


    CA SSANDRA


    My heart pounded in my chest as I stared at the bottle. My hands began to shake so hard that for a


    moment, I nearly slipped and dropped the container on the ground.


    Were all of these bottles full of poison?


    Did someone raise these vipers here?


    Everything was so strange and confusing and my mind began to drown in the possibilities.


    Just as I started to steady myself, I heard something move behind me. I started to turn around, but I


    was shoved forward before I could. A cry rose up from my chest, and when I whipped around, a tall,


    dark figure stood behind me.


    The light down here was too dim to make out his features, and even if I could, he was moving far too


    quickly for me to recognize him.


    The man lunged at me, and suddenly, my mask was knocked off and crashed to the floor. As it broke


    into pieces, the smell of the basement hit me in full force. I plugged my nostrils as I tried to put some


    distance between my assant and me, but it was toote. The scent of the anesthetics was too strong.


    My knees began to wobble involuntarily and my head swam with dizziness.


    I tried to run, but the man was too fast. He came up behind me and shoved a cloth over my mouth. I


    tried to scream, but the sound was mu ffled. Another pungent scent reached my nose before I could


    stop it. There was something on the cloth, something toxic, and it was strong enough to finally send me


    to my knees. I copsed halfway and then momentster, I waspletely on the ground.


    I wanted to scream and cry out for help, but I was frozen, paralyzed. A wounded animal trapped on a


    cold dark floor.


    This feeling was all too familiar. It was simr to how I’d felt just before the inferno five years ago. My


    eyes were swollen and my legs werepletely numb.


    Even though the effort was nearly impossible, I strained to keep my eyes open. Beyond me, the man


    stood at the table with his back turned. When he shifted, I could see him gathering up all of the books


    and bottles. He threw them into the bag. he had draped on his shoulder, and once they were all


    collected, he turned to look.


    at me.


    Fear ran through me.


    Now that he’d collected what he wanted, what was he going to do to me?


    He began to walk toward me and I wanted nothing more than to disappear. I’d been through hell all


    those years ago, but every day I’d spent here in Anemond had be nightmarish in of itself.


    face.


    I tried again to cry out, but the effort was of no use. I was trapped.


    When the man reached me, he squatted down, and I finally got a look of his


    Well, sort of.


    His features were concealed under a grotesque mask that made my stomach turn. Whoever he was,


    he was a viin for sure.


    As I trembled, the man snorted, and without another moment’s hesitation, he scooped me up off of the


    cold basement ground.


    I wanted to kick and scream as he gripped my paralyzed body tightly, but there


    was no use.


    Where was he going to take me?


    I tried again to make a sound, but none would escape me. The anesthetics thrown into the basement


    coupled with whatever chemical the man had put on the cloth were far too much for me to overpower. I


    waspletely at a loss here.


    The man carried me over to the far right wall. As we moved through the darkness, I tried to stay


    focused, but my vision was obstructed.


    Once we were there, however, I could see a small button on the wall.


    A button?


    What was that doing here?


    The man pressed it gently, and momentster, the wall before us began to rotate. Dread rose within me


    as the rotating door revealed a hallway. The corridor was dimly lit and appeared to be never-ending. I


    couldn’t even see the end of it if I


    tried.


    Where did it lead? And how far was he going to take me?


    The man let out a soft sigh and just as he was about to take a step forward, I heard a voice far in the


    distance.


    “Ca ssandra?”


    I managed a gasp.


    It was Asher.


    “Ca ssandra?” the Alpha King called out again, his tone full of concern. “Ca ssandra, where are you?


    Are you alright?”


    I wanted to call out after him, but I couldn’t. Everything was far too numb.


    Footsteps rang out around us, and I heard Asher order his men to break through the corridor. A few


    other voices, those of his guards, urged the king to reconsider. One pointed out that there was a


    chance the wall could copse.


    “I don’t care!” Asher practically bellowed. “Do it. Do what you have to do!”


    Suddenly, a series of crashes and thuds rang out, and my assant let out a curse. The guards


    sounded like they were getting closer.


    The man whipped around and practically threw me to the ground. As Inded


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    I with a heavy thud, the wind was practically knocked out of me. I struggled to catch my breath,


    meanwhile, the man grasped the hidden door and ran through it into the strange corridor. The door


    closed behind him, and as he got away, Asher finally


    reached me.


    “Ca ssandra?” he cried out in rm, and he got down on the ground. Even in the darkness, I could see


    the worry that painted his features. “Ca ssandra, can you


    move?”


    I wanted to reply, but I couldn’t.


    Asher took me into his arms and lifted me up. He cradled me gently against his


    chest and held me close.


    “Ca ssandra, what happened?” he asked.


    His eyes locked onto mine, and suddenly, I decided I needed to do anything I could to say something


    back. I took a deep, steady breath, and tried to move my hands. It took all of my effort, but I managed


    to raise one of my fingers high enough to point at the wall the man had escaped through.


    My lips trembled and I felt as if I were trying to speak underwater.


    “H-h-he,” I forced out of my mouth co ar sely. “H-he… ran…”


    Asher followed the direction of my finger. He seemed confused but nodded anyway. The guards


    swarmed around us and the Alpha King gestured to the wall.


    “Check over here,” hemanded. “There was someone down here and we need to find them, quickly.


    Then I need a few of you to deal with the vipers. I’ll get her upstairs.”


    “Yes, Your Majesty,” the guards replied obediently in unison, and they got to work immediately.


    A few of the guards headed toward the pit, and Asher tightened his hold around me.


    3


    “Let’s get you out of here,” he said to me quietly.


    I managed the smallest of nods as relief began to swell within me. Asher was


    here. I was safe.


    My eyelids began to feel heavy as the Alpha King carried me through the basement and toward the


    corridor. Just as we reached the stairs, my eyes closedpletely, and I was lost in oblivion.