Time ✔️

Chapter Forty Five

Word Count: 1676

¬Rosie

I waited for the entire day, and deep into the night, before I was sure Thought would arrive.

With my ear pressed against the door, I listen for any sense of commotion. Usually, there's not much going on that I can hear from the room, until someone comes up the stairs. So for hours, my head has been pressed against this door, and I have been waiting for Thought to arrive, and get me out of here. And so far, nothing has happened.

Suddenly, the lock to the door clicks, making me jump back, stumbling toward my bed to appear as though I hadn't been waiting for my escape. I expected Altin to come in, to try convince me like he had done just yesterday.

Instead, Thought waltzes in.

All the tension deflates from my body, as I see the immortal, dressed from head-to-toe in darkness, looking at me with that silver glint in his eyes, that smile telling all.

"That was shockingly easy," Thought murmurs, switching my light on. Clambering to my feet, I can't wipe the smile off my face. Seeing Thought here means saviour, it means I'm going to go home and see my mate again.

"Where are they?" I whisper, not recalling any sound of struggle, of fighting. Harlen, Altin and whoever else is involved in this are powerful enough to put up a fight against an Immortal. All it would take was more of those arrows to paralyse, or potentially kill Thought.

Yet here he is, standing before me, completely untouched.

"I snuck into their heads before I even stepped onto the premises, and put them all to sleep for awhile. It will give us plenty of time to get out of here undetected," Thought explains, adjusting the lapels of his jacket casually, as if this took him no effort whatsoever. "Once we get out of here, I'm going to burn this entire place down."

"With my brothers in here?" I question in disbelief. "I won't let you do that."

"No, I have someone who can get them out," Thought tells me, allowing me to fully relax. He grabs my hand, nodding at me before we walk out into the hallway. Everything is doused in darkness, but that doesn't seem to be much of an issue for Thought, as he leads me expertly down the stairs, murmuring for me to watch my step where necessary.

At the main floor, something brushes against me, making me jump. Unable to see anything, I yelp, being quickly hushed by Thought.

"What was that?" I ask warily.

"Probably my friend. He's going to get your brothers out of here, before we burn everything down," Thought says softly, leading me out the front door. Looking around me, I try make out the figure that is Thought's friend. I'm trying this immortal with my brothers lives, as my only option for their safety. Without Thought, I may never escape.

Thought places his hand gently on the back of my neck in a sudden movement, making me flinch. "What are you doing?"

"Getting you out of here," he breathes, and everything goes black.

***

Waking up, it takes takes me a few bleary moments to realise what is going on.

I'm sitting in a chair, facing two other people on chairs. It's Harlen and Altin, except they are tied down to their chairs, looking roughed up, but not hurt. Immediately all the tension leaves my body, the relief that they are alive, and not burning in their own home right now is extraordinary.

My relief vanishes quickly, as Time steps out in front of me, hands in his pockets, looking deceivingly casual, even as he drinks in the sight of my bound brothers. I want to be excited to see him, yet immediately I know this Time who stands before me, isn't the Time I know as my mate. He's about to interrogate my brothers, to be the pure-blood immortal that people will fear. They will fear.