The Baron's cold voice cut through the air, informing them they were dismissed.
"Oh, and if any of you try to leave, or make a foolish attempt to escape,"
he said, his lips curling into an almost maniacal grin,
"my men will shoot you to death."
His words, and the two heavily armed guards who appeared at the doorway as he spoke, were a clear and final warning. They were no longer guests; they were prisoners. The six of them walked back to their living quarters in a daze, their feet dragging as if they were prisoners on death row. When they reached the door, the moment they stepped inside, Rhys threw himself against it, fumbling with the heavy bolt and shoving it shut with a loud, desperate thud.
The moment the bolt clicked into place, the facade of composure shattered.
"I don't want to die!"
Beatrice's frantic cry pierced the sudden silence. She collapsed onto a stool, her delicate frame shaking uncontrollably. Her face was a mask of pure horror as tears streamed down her cheeks.
Felix backed into a wall, his eyes wide and vacant.
"We... we have to run,"
he stammered, his usual calm demeanor gone.
"We can just try to run, and maybe we'll be lucky. Maybe the Baron will even spare us if we're caught."
Corbin scoffed, his eyes darting to the bolted door. He was alarmed, and his usual serene expression held a new urgency, but his mind remained sharp.
"You saw the men outside,"
he said, his voice low and firm.
" And as for being spared… you should know by now what a monster he is. Hope is something we can't afford."
Briar, already on the floor, had pulled her knees to her chest, her body curled inward. Tears streamed from her eyes, creating tracks in the dirt of her cheeks. She looked up at them, her voice trembling with a desperate hope.
"My Mark… if I use my Mark again, maybe the power will be enough. We might be able to escape."
Emmett, standing perfectly still, his eyes scanning the room, spoke in a cold, even tone.
"It might make you formidable, Briar, but it doesn't make you faster than a bullet."
"Then what else can we do?"
Rhys raged, throwing his hands up in frustration.
"I don't want to die! I won't just sit here and wait for it to happen!"
Emmett's deep gray eyes finally landed on Rhys.
"The only logical thing to do is to accept our fate. He told us what would happen if we tried to escape. He let us live in his manor, treated us like special guests for two weeks. This is what we should have expected."
Beatrice, who had been staring blankly at the floor, let out a choked cry. Her hands went to her chest, and her breath hitched. Her eyes, broken with horror and fear, went wide as a spreading stain of dark liquid–urine– appeared on her skirt. She had lost control, and the humiliation only deepened her terror.
"I don't… I don't want to die!"
she sobbed, and her head began to shake violently. She stood, stumbling toward the door, her movements erratic.
"I'll kill him! I'll kill the Baron myself! We can escape if he's dead!"
"Beatrice, compose yourself!"
Corbin snapped, but she kept moving, ranting incoherently. He stepped in front of her, grabbing her arm.
"You're not going anywhere! Don't lessen our chances of survival with your stupid ranting!"
Beatrice thrashed against him, and in a flash of annoyance, Corbin raised his hand and delivered a hard, solid slap across her face. The sound echoed in the sudden silence, and Beatrice collapsed to the floor, her body now shaking with violent sobs.
Emmett looked down at her, his expression cold and devoid of warmth, before turning to the others.
"Crying won't solve anything."
he stated plainly.
"There's nothing we can do. We must accept it."
Rhys, his face red with rage, lunged forward and grabbed Emmett by the collar, his knuckles white.
"Say that again, you sadistic bastard!"
he snarled.
Emmett, unwavering, repeated the words. Rhys shoved him back and delivered a series of rapid punches to Emmett's face. The blows landed with sickening thuds, and Emmett, though disciplined, was not immune to the pain.
Briar and Felix were quick to separate them, Felix grabbing Rhys and Briar holding Emmett back. Emmett got to his feet, a trickle of blood running from his lip. He wiped it away with the back of his hand, his eyes colder than ever.
"Do as you wish,"
he said, his voice flat.
"But as for me, I'll stick with the Baron. It's the only logical path to survival."
Briar stared at him, her sobs subsiding. She knew he was right. She had no family to run to, and even if she did, they would probably return her to the Baron. There was no escape. She nodded slowly.
"I agree with Emmett."
Corbin, having watched the chaos unfold, nodded too.
"Logically, it's our only chance. I agree."
Felix and Rhys looked at each other, their faces filled with a dawning despair. Felix shook his head.
"We still need time to think things through."
Just then, a voice echoed through the bolted door.
"You don't have the time for that."
It was Charolette's voice. Emmett, without hesitation, turned and opened the door. On the other side stood Charolette, her face emotionless, flanked by two of the Baron's men who were holding sleek, long firearms.
"The Baron has given his orders,"
Charolette stated, her voice devoid of any warmth.
"You are to be taken for medical tests to ascertain your affinity to Calvanite."