Page 15 of Devil's Sinner

Chapter 6

Violet

Thedarknesshadshatteredmy mind, but hope put it back together.

Every time I needed another hint, I tasted Devlin’s blood on my lips to remind myself that it was real instead of the miserable hallucinations that tried to push my sanity away. His blood became an anchor in reality that I could cling to, a piece of him that was spilled in pursuit of me.

I forced myself to sleep. The exhaustion didn’t claim me like it had so many times before. I simply let the ropes grip my wrists until they were numb and then drifted into the darkness. I wasn’t worried about a white light, or never waking up again because Connor said I would live. It might have been the only piece of truth that ever left his disgusting mouth.

I don’t know how long I slept, but I had a little more energy when I woke up. I twisted, pulled, and yanked on the ropes. I didn’t care if they made me bleed or scarred my skin. The numbness allowed me to peel away scabs and flesh while I stayed focused on survival or escape. I battled the ropes until I had nothing left, then I slept again. Sleep gave me more energy, so I kept fighting, twisting, and doing everything in my power to force a single thread to loosen.

Time passed like molasses in an hourglass, and I knew it was my blood dripping away. I felt it on my arm. I felt it on my shoulder. If I could have seen how much damage I was doing, I might have quit. The vain image of the girl I used to be would not have sacrificed her porcelain skin for freedom, but I wasn’t that girl anymore.

I was a different version of Violet Cabot.

I was a fighter.

“Ow, fuck!” I nearly screamed when one hard pull on the rope squeezed my bones so hard my thumb almost broke, but it wasn’t the only new painful sensation.

The rope had moved. It had slid from my wrist to my hand. Progress. It was like salvation poured on my soul. The rope was no longer wrapped around numbness. I could feel it again. Every centimeter was agonizing, but I burned my skin on the roughness until I felt the rope against my fingernail. I was almost there.

I bit down on my tongue and yanked so hard it was pierced by my teeth.

For nothing, but I refused to give up.

Blood pooled in my mouth, but I didn’t care. Another yank. Then another. A harder one, one that made the pain manifest in a kaleidoscope of color in front of my eyes. My hand started to go numb like my wrists, but then I felt the rope pass the nail on my thumb. I was almost free. A quick tug and the weight of the world crashed into my arm as it slumped at my side.

“Almost there…” I sputtered my own blood and it mixed with Devlin’s on my lips.

I squeezed my hand into a fist and pumped until the feeling returned. Hanging by one hand was more agonizing than having the support of the rope on both wrists, but I was able to push up with my toes. My arm slowly lifted until I wrapped my fingers around the blindfold and ripped it off.

Light. It was blinding. I had to force my eyelids closed until I adjusted to it. When they slowly opened and came into focus, I saw that I was in some sort of old shack, or shed--the light that blinded me was coming in between the boards and around the door. Even that shimmer was enough to sting my eyes. I looked up at the rope on my other wrist and forced my arm to lift so I could fight with the knot.

There was enough adrenaline left to make it surge through my body. I chipped and broke my nails as I fumbled with the rope on my other wrist, but after a couple of minutes, I loosened it. My other hand came free, I dropped flat on my feet, and then I simply collapsed to the ground.

“You can’t slow down.” I spat out the last bit of blood in my mouth and stared at it. It was mine. It was Devlin’s. I couldn’t tell the difference. It didn’t matter anymore.

I was a mess. The wrist I fought to free was mangled. It probably needed to be cleaned by a surgeon. It could very well be permanently scarred when the wounds finally healed. It seemed to stop bleeding as the blood congealed. That was another symbol of hope. I wasn’t going to bleed out. I pressed my palms to the floor and tried to get my legs to work. They were weak, but with a little effort, they responded.

Being on my own two feet felt more liberating than being free from the ropes. I tried to take a step and almost collapsed, but I pressed on. Panic shot through my veins and swelled up in my throat. I swallowed it. The last thing I needed to do was have a panic attack when I was so close to freedom.

The adrenaline pushed me forward. Willpower did the rest. I kept walking until my hands were on the door and I was able to push it open. The sun blinded me again with even more fury than the glimmer, and it took a few seconds for my eyes to adjust.

Then I saw where I was.

“You fucking asshole.” I cursed Connor as I stared at the withered remains of Cabot Vineyard.

The vineyard was a gift from my paternal grandfather to my parents when they got married. After my mother died, it was left to rot. It was one place nobody would go if they were searching for me, that was for damn sure. My feet moved along the path between vines that had dried up as they died. I had a slight limp, but my gait steadied with every step. There was a house ahead that used to belong to the caretaker. I had no idea what was inside, but if there was a telephone, one call could put an end to everything.

I made it to the house, and the door was locked, but I could see a phone through the window. I scrambled around, fell to my knees in the dirt, and finally found a rock. I hurled it at the window and the glass shattered, but the rock went right through. I pressed on the glass and broke more of it off, but cut my hand in the process. My limbs were no longer numb, so the pain registered, but I ignored it.

As soon as I broke enough of the glass away, I carefully pulled myself through the window. There was still enough glass left to slice me open, but thankfully, all I got were a few scrapes. My hand grabbed the telephone.

My shot at freedom was so close I could taste it.

“No!” I screamed as the phone responded with silence.

I slammed my hand on the base and realized it was dead.