I STARTED AWAKE with a jolt; the familiar scream caught in my throat as it did every morning. At some point in the night I could no longer fight my body’s exhaustion and I had fallen asleep. Choking back the scream I shook myself awake. How could I have been so stupid?
The room was still dark. Arden’s motionless form was still breathing deeply but something had changed. The blanket I had left sitting at the foot of my bed was now draped over me. Our food tray was gone and a fresh glass of water lay on the floor by my cot. Someone had been in the room and I had slept thorough it. The hair on my arms stood up.
Normally I was so vigilant, so aware of my surroundings, and last night someone had not only come into the room without my knowing, but had actually managed to place a blanket on me without my knowledge. I shuddered and pushed the blanket away from me. Staring at the matte wool, I wondered if it was a sign of kindness or a threat, warning how close they could get to me.
In my experience, kindness did not exist in Tartarus.
The lights flicked on, causing me to flinch. Arden began to stir, grumbling as he folded his arm over his eyes. Not two seconds later the guards were outside our door scanning their palms to enter.
“Sleep well?” Maddox’s hard eyes raked over me as he entered the room.
At the sound of his voice Arden jumped up from his bunk, clearly on edge.
“You two have a busy day ahead of you.” It was the blonde ponytail that spoke this time. I had still not learned his name. Not that it really mattered. To my disappointment he moved toward Arden while the hulking Maddox descended upon me.
I restrained myself from breaking his nose when he grabbed my arm and yanked me from the cot. But the satisfied sneer on his face told me he could see the anger burning inside me. He was enjoying this.
They dragged us from our confines and at the first split in the barren hallways they separated us. I glanced over my shoulder. Arden was watching me too with apprehension in his chocolate eyes. Not wanting to appear weak, I broke our connection and marched forward with robotic precision. Whatever torture they would administer, I would not give them the satisfaction of breaking me.