Page 53 of Hart's Redemption

“Well, no.”

“Did he so much as twitch to defend himself while your lot barbarically beat him?”

“N-no.”

Her icy gaze snapped to mine. “Detective Joshua Hart, do you have any intention of harming myself or attempting escape?”

I barely suppressed a smirk. “No, Director Starling. I ‌have no intention of harming you or attempting to escape.”

She returned her attention to the now thoroughly cowed soldiers. “There. A Lycan Detective is as good as their word. Are we finished now?”

Commander Walsh clenched his fists at his sides and mumbled under his breath. “You’ll get yours one day too, bitch.”

Director Starling’s perfectly trimmed brows rose in twin golden arches. She might as well have guffawed with laughter. “Commander Walsh, you seem to suffer from the delusion I fear retribution from you. If that is the case, you are sorely mistaken.” Once more, she turned on her heel and marched off.

I bit the inside of my already raw cheek to prevent myself from snickering. When fresh blood pooled in my mouth, I opted to spit it out instead of swallowing it down again. The saliva hit the floor in a splatter of red, and the entire troop collectively jumped backward. It was substantially harder to restrain myself from outright laughter as I followed the director.

We walked in silence down the corridor until it became uncharacteristically dim. The walls were still smooth and relatively new, but a pervasive dankness permeated the air with each additional step forward, as if we were venturing deep into the hollows of the earth.

“You wouldn’t by chance be leading me to the deep, dark hole that no one ever thinks to look for, would you?”

She offered me a twitch of a smile that didn’t touch her eyes.

“Seven hells. Seriously?”

“Well, that really depends.” She pulled to a stop in front of what appeared to be a blank steel wall, then placed her hand on a discreet panel. Without so much as a ripple to denote the shift, the opaque wall became translucent.

“On what?”

“If anyone comes to look for you.” She returned her attention to the panel, punched in a code too quick to follow, and leaned forward so it could scan her retina. With a subtle hiss of pressurized air, the now-translucent wall slid open. She gestured for me to step inside, and I did so without argument.

I crossed the threshold and turned to look back at her, surprised at the compassion I found in her eyes. Though perhaps I shouldn’t have been, after all, aside from Elijah, she was the only person in the world who knew I’d never wanted this job.

“Director Starling—”

She held up a hand. “Save it for the trial, Detective. Anything you share with me now, I will be compelled to share later.”

“Understood, Director.” I glanced around at the cell that would be my home for the foreseeable future. All in all, it could have been worse. The bed had an actual mattress with blankets, although both were thin. The walls were a soft shade of green, and the facilities at least had the illusion of privacy. I turned my attention back to the woman with whom I’d always felt an odd sort of kinship. “You should know I have certain… medical requirements now.”

“I’m well aware of your condition, Detective Hart.”

I smothered my surprise that she knew about the moon sickness and couldn’t help but wonder what else she knew.

“It may take some time to find someone… qualified and to provide them with the necessary clearance. Meanwhile, the resident physician will be along shortly to examine your current injuries.

I knew better than to correct her by pointing out that lycan healing would take care of most of it. Instead, I said the only thing that really mattered: “Thank you.”

Her hand hovered over the panel, and she looked at me, her eyes a peculiar mix of sadness and fierce determination. “Iwillsee you again, Joshua.”

The wall slid shut, cutting off all sound beyond myself, and returned to its opaque start. Ambient lighting instantly filled the room with a dim glow.

Out of one cage and into another.

I sank to the floor, having completely forgotten about my shoulder. Finally, I let myself think about the one thing I’d avoided for the last hour. The bond was thin and flimsy, but it was still there. Even all alone in the Pit of Despair, Elijah was with me.

Elijah

“Why won’t you tell me where he is?” I shouted at Remus for probably the fiftieth time since we’d arrived at the cottage, Officer Mack in tow. Eric had arrived a short while later and was now watching me with wary eyes.