Zenith whimpered.
“There,” the pseudo-doctor whispered. “Much better.”
The Rogies
Sometime later—Zenith couldn’t tell how long—they wheeled her down a long corridor and then upended the hospital bed, dumping her into the floor of the ward. She tried to stand, to pick herself up off the floor, but she crumbled instead, whimpering for mercy.
But the orderly marched away without helping her up or to one of the nearby beds. They weren’t people in here. They were… worse than animals. They were test subjects.
She didn’t know how long she laid there. She squeezed her eyes closed and wished for it all to be over. A chill settled in her bones, and she shivered from head to toe. Warm hands helped her to her feet. The room spun.
“Come on, girlie,” a soft voice whispered. “They only win when you give up.”
Zenith’s eyes fluttered open. She stared into the pale face of vampire. “Have you seen my friend, Sam?” Zenith whispered. How her throat ached. They hadn’t let her have anything to drink or eat for hours. “Has she been here? Or a little boy? I think he’s a dragon shifter.”
The stranger tucked her into an empty bed. “We haven’t met them yet. They’ll be here soon, I’m sure of it.”
Zenith could already hear the lie, though. She sighed and turned away from the kindness.
More strangers gathered around the bed, but Zenith couldn’t make out what most of them wore. She couldn’t even make sure how many were actually real and which were doubles. Her brain had been turned to mush and reconstructed. She squinted at them. It helped marginally.
One of them snorted, a half-shifted werewolf, maybe. “You’re the first new blood we’ve seen in months.”
Zenith groaned. “How long have you been here?”
None of them answered.
Finally, the vampire shrugged. “Years, maybe. They don’t let us keep track.”
Zenith gestured to all of them and then patted her mattress. “Maybe we should work out a plan for escape.”
“What if they see?” a Fae girl asked.
Zenith scowled. “They aren’t here.”
The girl pointed to the nearest corner. A black glass half-circle, about the size of Zenith’s palm, had been fixed to the ceiling. “They’re always watching,” she said.
Zenith chewed her bottom lip. “Then we’re extra careful. We have to plan an escape. We have to find a way to get out of here.”
The Fae laughed a sad laugh. “What escape? We’re here until we die or their experiments kill us. Escape is impossible.“
“It’s not impossible. We just have to come up with a decent plan.”
They all leaned in.
“What did you have in mind?” the vampire asked.
Zenith straightened her shoulders. “Tell me about your powers, and we’ll work it out from there.” She met the gaze of each prisoner. “When it’s all done, I promise you, we’ll be free. Nobody gets left behind.”
To be continued…
Read about Zenith and the Rogies’s prison break in the
Prison of Supernatural Magic boxset.
About BOKERAH
Bokerah Brumley lives on ten permaculture acres, complete with sheep, goats, peacocks, turkeys, geese, guineas, ducks, chickens, five home-educated children, and one husband. She serves as the president of the Cisco Writers Club and moonlights as an acquisitions editor for The Crossover Alliance.
For more information and a complete list of published works, please visit:
www.bokerah.com
Enjoy Abducted ?
Read about Zenith and the Rogies’s prison break in the
Prison of Supernatural Magic boxset.
Or read about when the Rogies meet other magical kids in
the Creature Caretaker Academy series.
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Before The Storm
A Deadkrest Short Story
Quirah Casey
About Before The Storm
Aphaedra has been the crown’s weapon her whole life, but a princess can only take so much before she snaps…
Prologue
“I will love you until the ends of time, Aphaedra Tempest. When the winds carry my ashes and the seas wash away my blood, my love for you will stay strong. I’ll live for you and I’ll die for you.”
I’ll die for you.
The vows play on repeat in my head as I stare down at the blood coating my hands and the lifeless, topaz eyes of my one and only love.
“No,” the word leaves my lips, little more than a gasp as my heart beats an uneven pattern in my chest.
I’ll die for you.
I cradle his head softly, as whimpers escape from me.
“No, no, no.” No matter how many times I say the words, the body in my grasp doesn’t move.
I’ll die for you.
Die for me, he did, and now I’ll avenge him if it’s the last thing I do.
Chapter One
24 Hours Earlier
Soft lips brush my neck and warm hands trail up my waist. “Good morning.” Kofu’s deep voice sends a shiver up my spine as his fingers flirt with the edge of my silver nightgown.
A smile spreads across my face and I slowly open my eyes. Beautiful, topaz eyes stare back at me. A light smile touches my husband’s lips and he leans down, planting a soft kiss upon my own lips. “Aphaedra, my love, you’ve slept like the dead this morning.” He chuckles and moves away, the warmth of his body leaving with him.
I roll over with a groan, pressing my face into my soft, silky pillows. “I’m tired from the ball,” I groan, the pillows muffling my words slightly.
“Ah, yes, you’re the one who insisted upon the extra glasses of wine.”
I turn my head, my gaze landing on Kofu’s dark brown skin as he pulls his shirt down over his head. I smile when he catches me watching him. “What can I say, I love sweet things.” I let my eyes roam over him from head to toe. “Get back in the bed, love,” I order.
He lets out a light laugh, taking a step away from the bed. “You know I can’t do that.”
His hand
