It felt like my entire body was numb, and yet, all I felt was pain. It wasn’t the same fiery feeling I felt
earlier, but it felt as if I was just beaten. My body felt heavy, and my breathing was rash, but at least I
was breathing.
I had yet to open my eyes, but I knew once I did, I wasn’t going to find myself in the arena. I wasn’t sure
where I was expecting I was, but I knew Professor Xander had to do with this.
I also had this strange sense of loneliness, but it wasn’t that I felt alone in general, I somehow knew,
without even opening my eyes, that I was alone in this area. I didn’t feel safe, but I also didn’t feel as if I
was in immediate danger as well.
Managing to open my eyes, I finally got a glimpse of the darkness that surrounded me. I heard myself
groaning as I lifted my head, trying to get a grasp of my surroundings, but I was getting nothing. All I
felt was pain and all I smelled was nasty mildew and maybe even Hay.
Was I in a stable?
The school didn’t have a stable, which meant I wasn’t on campus. But I can’t imagine he took me far
from school.
How long have I been out for?
I moved my hands, trying to grip the ground under me and I was relieved to feel that my hands were
free of any cuffs. When I moved my feet, I was even more relieved.
He didn’t shackle me for whatever reason, but that didn’t help me if I didn’t know where I was. The
quick movements of my body caused pain to shoot through me and I gritted my teeth at the very
sensation, trying to keep myself from screaming in agony.
That fiery feeling was returning to my veins, and I took a steady deep breath to keep myself from
passing out again. I gripped the dirt that lay under my body, silently begging for the goddess to relieve
some of this pain.
Soon, the pain eased, and I found the strength to sit up.
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I scooted backward until my back was able to rest against a wall and I allowed my body to relax slightly.
Once my eyes adjusted to the darkness and I was able to get some kind of look at my surroundings, I
realized he didn’t shackle me because he had locked me in some kind of cage.
I was also right about the hay; I was surrounded by it. It was like a stable, but I didn’t sense any life
around me, which meant there were no animals. The walls were made of rustic wood and on the very
top of the tall wall sat a couple of windows. They weren’t big enough to crawl through though, so I
didn’t find much hope for them.
In front of me, beyond the cage I was placed in, I saw a giant arched closed door with streaks of light
breaking through the cracked corners and I realized I was inside of a barn.
My heart was racing rapidly; why would he bring me here to just leave me?
I tried to remember the last thing he said to me.
“You need to learn to escape the impossible.”
Was this some kind of test?
“Val?” I whispered out loud to my wolf. “Are you with me?”
I knew the answer long before I even asked the question; her silence only confirmed it. I was completely
on my own. She was too weak to say or do anything, but I knew she was there in the back of my mind,
itching to come out.
Take it in. Embrace it. Own it.
Those words still haunted my mind.
I wondered if Enzo could feel my distress, even if I was out of range.
“Professor Xander?” I called into the dark, knowing he wasn’t there.
I lay defeated on the ground, with zero hope of getting out of here.
You need to learn to escape the impossible.
What did that even mean?
I pressed my knees to my chest and buried my face in my lap as tears freely escaped my eyes. I was so
defeated, I was in a lot of pain, and I was exhausted. All I wanted at that moment was to be wrapped up
in Enzo’s arms.
It was clear to me now that Professor Xander was targeting me because I was a Volana. He, like
everyone else, must have had some kind of vendetta against us and this was his way of getting rid of
me. Maybe he’s trying to make it look like an accident, or maybe he had a sick and twisted way of
playing games.
I gazed up at the small window above my head; it was high enough that I couldn’t reach it without
standing on something. The light that peered through was fading, which meant it was becoming dusk
quickly. I knew once night fell completely, I’d be in even more danger.
That’s when the creatures of the night start lurking around because they can blend with the shadows.
Like evil rogues, dark witches, vampires, and other rogue shifters.
My heart was pounding at the very thought; it wouldn’t be long before they could smell me and come
looking for me. I doubt Professor Xander properly sealed this barn before he left. Why would he? The
whole point of this is to kill me without getting his hands dirty.
I pressed my lips together angrily; I was stupid to try and investigate him by myself. I should have told
Enzo of my problems with him from the beginning. Maybe he could have helped me, and I wouldn’t
have ended up in this position.
I fought to stay awake, though it seemed like a losing battle. I was so exhausted, and I felt so weak. I
knew something was wrong with me, but this was a feeling I never had before, and I wasn’t sure what to
do about it.
I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, focusing on my senses though they weren’t particularly
strong. If I could just figure out where I am, I might be able to find my way out of here.
As I gathered my senses, the strong smell of Hay and mildew consumed my nose, making me want to
gag. But then I heard something that made me freeze entirely. It sounded like footsteps coming from
outside; I could also hear the rustling of trees from the wind, but these footsteps fell in line with one
another, so I knew they belonged to more than one person.
Or whatever creature it was.
But maybe it could be someone who could help me. As my hopes began to rise that I was about to get
out of there, the words of Xander played in the back of my mind.
“Trust no one… even if you think they can be trusted, when it comes to your life… think survival.”
At the time, it didn’t make sense as to why he was giving me this lesson, but as I lay in this barn, caged
in and weak, I realized that there was nobody around to help me in this situation besides myself.
Whoever was approaching this barn was not a friend and I needed to be careful.
The footsteps grew closer and soon, I was starting to hear the murmuring sounds of voices. It sounded
like a guy and a girl and once they neared the barn doors, the scent of rogues invaded my nose.
I quickly scurried to the farthest corner of the cage, engaging myself with the shadows that lurked
nearby. I might not have the ability to manipulate the shadows, but they still worked in my favor, and I
knew I was safe within them.
The doors of the barn swung open; as predicted, Xander didn’t even bother locking them. I saw the
figure of a guy walking into the barn. He was shirtless with a pair of ripped jeans and he was barefoot.
His hair was on the longer side, resting just above his shoulders and it looked wet from rain. I hadn’t
even realized it was raining… or maybe it was sweat?
His back was turned from me so I couldn’t get a good look at his face, but I saw deep and gnarly
scratches on his back, making me wince. I’m sure that must have hurt; it’s strange how he hadn’t healed
from that, but maybe it had just happened.
Behind him stood a young girl; she didn’t look much older than me. She had long blonde hair, which
was also wet, and she wore a bra with a pair of jeans that looked almost designer. She had a nice figure
and bright features, though she reeked of rogues.
Unlike the guy, I was able to get a look at her face and I was shocked to see that her eyes were tinted
red, and she looked like a mix of pissed and worried.
She looked around the barn for a moment with a look of disgust.
“Are you sure nobody is here? It smells like shit,” she muttered, staring up at the man.
He looked around as well, and that was when I also saw his face. I had to stifle a gasp when I realized
who he was. I covered my mouth with my hands and kept myself buried in the shadows.
They were part of Paul’s clan.
They were Volana hunters.
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