Page 61 of Blood Caged

He nods sympathetically. “That’s understandable. Try to rest after this, okay?”

As the blood begins to flow, Soren starts his usual small talk. He asks about my childhood, about my favorite sports growing up. I answer on autopilot, my mind racing with tomorrow’s plans. Every second feels like an eternity.

“Mia?” Soren’s voice cuts through my thoughts. “You seem distracted. Are you sure you’re alright?”

Why, oh why, do I find the sound of his voice so pleasing?

I force a smile. “Sorry, just lost in memories, I guess. It’s strange, the things you think about in here.”

He looks at me for a long moment, and I’m certain he’s going to call me out. But then he just nods, a hint of sadness in his eyes.

“I understand,” he says softly. “It can’t be easy, being away from everything you know.”

The procedure finishes without incident. As Soren helps me up, our eyes meet again. For a split second, I’m overwhelmed by a rush of conflicting emotions. Gratitude for his kindness, anger at my captivity, fear of what’s to come.

I let out a shaky breath as Soren guides me back to my room. His hand on my elbow is gentle, steadying me after the blood draw. It’s a familiar routine now, one I’ve grown oddly accustomed to over these long months.

As we reach my door, I hesitate for a moment. A strange, unexpected pang hits me as I realize this might be the last time I see him. Despite everything, Soren has been one of the few bright spots in this horrible ordeal. His kindness, our conversations – they’ve kept me sane in this place. Part of me wants to say something. Share some sort of sign of gratitude.

I quickly shake off the thought, disgusted with myself. How can I feel anything but hatred for the man? It’s perverse, a trick of my mind after months of isolation and fear. If he was anything other than a monster, he wouldn’t be here doing any of this.

“Get some rest,” Soren says softly, his blue eyes meeting mine with what looks like genuine concern. “I’ll check on you tomorrow.”

I nod silently. As the door closes behind me, I lean against it, my heart racing.

Tomorrow. Everything changes tomorrow, one way or another.

Mia

I wake up with my heart racing, the reality of what we’re about to attempt hitting me like a bucket of ice water. Today’s the day. Our chance at freedom. I force myself to take slow, deep breaths. Can’t let anyone suspect something’s off.

I go through my morning routine on autopilot. Every movement feels surreal, like I’m watching someone else go through the motions. As I eat my breakfast, I make a point of savoring each bite. Who knows when I’ll get another decent meal?

While I chew, I run through the plan in my head one last time. The guard rotation changes at 3 PM. There’s a 90-second window where the east corridor is unmonitored. Jemma will create a distraction in the facility, giving Sabine and me the chance to slip away. I’ve weakened the wards enough for Jemma to craft a cloaking spell so she can sneak past the guards and join us.

I close my eyes, picturing the garden layout. Although the grounds seem to go on forever, there’s a boundary wall topped with razor wire and strengthened with runes. There’s a smallaccess gate at the bottom end, though. I’ve never seen it, but Jemma swears it’s there. It has to be.

When the guard comes to escort me to the garden, I plaster on a bland expression. Just another day in captivity. Nothing to see here. As we walk, I work hard to remain casual, but my palms are sweating by the time we reach the garden.

I spot Sabine across the lawn, looking calm as ever. How does she do it? I give her the barest of nods as I settle onto a bench, pretending to enjoy the sunshine.

Now, we wait.

I sit on the bench, my fingers digging into the weathered wood, every muscle tense as I wait for Jemma’s signal. The garden around me is deceptively peaceful – birds chirping, a gentle breeze rustling the leaves. It’s almost cruel how normal it all seems.

Suddenly, I hear it – shouts of alarm from inside the building. My heart leaps into my throat. Jemma’s done it. I force myself to stay seated, to not react visibly. Just another clueless prisoner enjoying the sun.

“What’s going on in there?” I hear one of the guards mutter. His radio crackles to life, and I strain to catch the words.

“Emergency in Cell Block C. All available personnel report immediately.”

I watch from the corner of my eye as guards start rushing toward the building. I reach out with my mind, feeling for Sabine’s presence.

“Ready?”her voice whispers in my head.

“Now,”I respond, the effort of maintaining the connection already giving me a dull headache.

I sense more than see Sabine’s magic at work. The cameras on the garden wall flicker, their red lights blinking erratically. One of the remaining guards curses, tapping his earpiece in frustration.