11. Raven

11

RAVEN

The sunlight was too bright behind my eyelids. Groaning, I tried to roll away from the light, but found myself unable to move. Pain lanced through my head as I thrashed in bed.

"Hold still."

I tried to open my eyes, but a thick bandage held my right eye closed. My left eye was swollen, making it difficult to see who was in the room with me.

"What's going on?"

"Your face is burned," a woman said quietly. "Mr. White has been gracious enough to let me help you."

"Mr. White?" I didn't understand. I was groggy and nothing made sense to me. "Where am I?"

"On an island."

"An island?" I realized I was repeating everything the woman said, but I still didn't understand why or how I was here. "Who are you?"

"My name is Mirabelle."

"Are you?—"

"Shh. You must not ask questions. Mr. White could come at any time."

The tone of her voice scared me. With what little movement I had with my hand, I reached out, snagging her hand in mine. "Mirabelle, you have to help me. I don't know what's going on."

"You have been taken by Mr. White."

"What does that mean?" My voice rose in panic. I didn't normally get scared, but I was all alone right now, unable to help myself in any way. I was bound to a bed without any freedom.

"Mr. White has his ladies. He just brought you here two days ago."

"Two days ago…" I murmured, trying to remember any details from the past week. Everything was a blur. I couldn't even remember the last thing I did. I was pretty sure they had drugged me. And while my face hurt, it was more tight than actually painful. "What do you mean he has ladies?"

Silence followed my question, only tightening my chest as anger and fear took over.

"Mirabelle, please, I need to know what's going on."

"You have been brought to the island for Mr. White's pleasure."

"His…"

"If you do what he says, you will be okay. If you cross him, you will end up like the other ladies who tried to get away."

I swallowed hard at the implication. "What happened to them?"

"They're never heard from again."

"Are you one of his ladies?"

"No. I'm the housekeeper, among other things. It's my job to keep this place running."

"Then you can help me escape."

"No." Even in the darkness, I could feel the defeat rolling off her. "I cannot help you. If I do, I will end up like the others."

I felt the bandage on my face shift and light burned my eyes. I tried desperately to move from the light, but it was impossible when tied down like this. "Please!"

"I'm almost through. I need to apply some ointment so these burns heal."

I hissed as her fingers brushed over my abused skin. It hurt, but it wasn't that bad. "Why am I not in a hospital?"

"Because Mr. White couldn't take you there without revealing who you are."

"A kidnap victim?"

Her voice lowered in a hushed whisper. "Please, do not speak like that around Mr. White. He will show you kindness as long as you treat him with respect."

"Why would I respect a man who's torn me away from my life?"

"If you want to live, you will do just that," a deep voice rattled around the room.

I stiffened at the tone in his voice. I had to assume this was Mr. White. The anger rolled off him in waves, but it was the way Mirabelle stiffened that had me clamming up.

"Apparently, you're not grateful for the treatments I've allowed. Perhaps, Mirabelle should leave and I'll throw you in with the other women."

I didn't respond. How could I? I didn't know who I was dealing with or where I was. These other women were probably faring worse than me, but I wasn't sure being strapped to a bed was too much better.

Hot air fanned over my face making me flinch back. I hadn't realized he'd moved closer. With my sight gone, I had to rely on my other senses, but I was still groggy and the fog around me hadn't lifted even the slightest.

"I can't wait to get you in my bed," he whispered. "I can tell you're a fighter."

My spine went rigid at his words and my breath halted in my chest. Just the thought of this unknown man getting his hands on me made me want to puke.

"You'll never have me."

"That's what you think," he chuckled. The air shifted and he took a step back. "Give her another dose. I want her out of it until she can join the others."

"Yes, sir."

I jerked in my straps as a cold hand brushed against my skin. Something wet slid over my skin at the center of my arm and I tried to jerk away, but couldn't.

"Just stay quiet," Mirabelle whispered. "He's gone. Just stay calm and you'll wake up when this is over."

"You can't do this! You can't?—"

"I have to," she said urgently. "Just relax and let it take you."

I felt the prick in my arm and tried to fight it, but there was no use. The drugs were soon flowing into my system, sending me into a near-catatonic state. My head rolled to the side as I moaned and pleaded through numb lips for someone to help me. Minutes ticked by as I waited for the drugs to fully pull me under, but that dull sensation never came.

Voices could be heard around me, whispering about the new girl and how she was Benji's first choice. Was that me? Was I the new girl? Confusion swam in my head, making it impossible to tell what was real and what was only in my mind. Time passed in varying degrees of listlessness, followed by the feeling of waking up. But every time I tried to pull myself from the darkness, I was dragged back under.

From time to time, a hand would brush the hair from my head as a voice spoke softly to me. I felt my body being shifted here and there. Soft fabric slid over my skin, but I never quite understood what was going on. I was caught in an in-between world, never truly sleeping and never fully awake.

And the more time that passed, the more I worried that I would be caught here forever.