RUTHLESS POSSESSION

CHAPTER TWO

The stairs didn't lead to a bedroom.

They led downward.

Enzra noticed it immediately.

Damon walked ahead without saying a word.

The further they went, the colder the air became.

The polished floors of the mansion disappeared.

So did the expensive decorations.

The walls became plain.

The lights became dim.

Then Enzra heard it.

A metal door slamming somewhere ahead.

Then another.

She stopped.

Damon turned.

"Keep walking."

"Where are you taking me?"

"You'll see."

Enzra continued.

At the end of the hallway stood a thick iron door.

Damon unlocked it.

The moment it opened, the smell hit her.

Damp walls.

Cold concrete.

Too many people in one place.

Enzra stared.

There were rows of cells along both sides of the underground corridor.

Iron bars separated them.

Some cells had two people inside.

Some had three.

Every person inside was dressed in simple, worn clothing.

Nobody spoke.

Nobody looked directly at Damon.

Enzra slowly turned toward him.

"This is where you keep them?"

Damon didn't answer.

She looked through the bars.

A girl sat on the floor of the nearest cell, her knees pulled against her chest.

Another woman lay against the wall.

An older man stared at the ground.

They looked exhausted.

Afraid.

Enzra's stomach tightened.

She looked at Damon again.

"I thought you said I was going upstairs."

"I said nothing about a bedroom."

Damon walked toward one of the cells.

Enzra followed.

He stopped at the last cell on the left.

He unlocked it.

"Inside."

Enzra stared at him.

"You've got to be joking."

Damon's face remained expressionless.

"This is your place now."

Enzra looked inside.

There was a thin mattress on the floor.

A metal bucket sat in the corner.

A small window with iron bars was set high into the wall.

And someone was already inside.

A girl.

She looked around Enzra's age.

She immediately moved backward when Damon opened the door.

Damon pointed at Enzra.

"She's your new roommate."

The girl said nothing.

Enzra looked at Damon.

"You expect me to sleep in there?"

"Yes."

"In a cell?"

"Yes."

"With a stranger?"

Damon's patience was disappearing.

"You have a lot of questions."

"And you have a lot of terrible answers."

The girl inside looked at Enzra with wide eyes.

Damon stepped closer.

"Listen carefully. Nobody in this section gets special treatment."

Enzra glanced at the other cells.

"Good."

Damon frowned.

She looked back at him.

"I wouldn't want it."

His expression hardened.

"You will work when you're told to work. You will eat when food is given. You will follow instructions."

"And if I don't?"

Damon leaned closer.

"You'll learn."

He shut the cell door.

The lock clicked.

Enzra stared at him through the bars.

Damon turned away.

"Lights go out at ten."

He walked away.

Enzra watched until he disappeared around the corner.

Then she looked at the girl.

Neither spoke.

Finally, the girl whispered,

"You shouldn't talk to him like that."

Enzra turned.

"Why?"

"He'll punish you."

"He already hates me."

The girl looked down.

"That's not what I mean."

Enzra sat on the thin mattress.

"What's your name?"

The girl hesitated.

"Mara."

Enzra nodded.

"I'm Enzra."

"I know."

Enzra frowned.

"How?"

"Everyone heard about you."

"What did they hear?"

Mara lowered her voice.

"That you were brought here because of a debt."

Enzra looked away.

"My uncle made a deal."

Mara didn't ask anything else.

She seemed to know better.

Enzra looked around.

"How long have you been here?"

Mara's fingers tightened around the edge of her shirt.

"Eight months."

"Why?"

"My family owed money."

Enzra's eyes moved toward the other cells.

"So everyone here?"

"Most of them."

"Slaves."

Mara looked at her quickly.

"Don't say that."

"Why?"

"Because they don't like that word."

"Who?"

Mara didn't answer.

Enzra understood.

Genesis.

She looked at the ceiling.

"So what do they call us?"

"Workers."

Enzra gave a humorless laugh.

"That's convenient."

Mara looked toward the corridor.

"Keep your voice down."

Enzra leaned against the wall.

"Does everyone here call him Master?"

Mara nodded.

"Always."

"Even when he's not around?"

"Especially then."

Enzra shook her head.

"I won't."

Mara's eyes widened.

"You did it upstairs."

Enzra remembered Genesis's warning.

Never call me by my name.

She looked down at her hands.

"I don't care."

Mara stared at her.

"You're going to get yourself killed."

Enzra looked at her.

"Maybe."

Then she added,

"But I'm not going to spend my life pretending I'm something I'm not."

A bell suddenly rang.

Every person in the cells immediately stood.

Enzra frowned.

"What is that?"

Mara stood too.

"Food."

A metal door opened at the end of the corridor.

Two guards entered carrying large containers.

Nobody spoke.

They moved from cell to cell, handing out bowls.

When they reached Enzra's cell, one bowl was pushed through the bars.

Enzra looked at it.

Rice.

Barely enough for one person.

She looked at Mara's bowl.

Then back at hers.

"That's it?"

Mara quickly pulled her bowl toward herself.

"Don't complain."

Enzra sat down.

She took the bowl.

Then she noticed something.

Mara wasn't eating.

"What's wrong?"

Mara shook her head.

"Nothing."

Enzra looked at her bowl.

"You're lying."

Mara finally whispered,

"I'm saving it."

"For what?"

"The morning."

Enzra stared at her.

There wasn't enough food to save.

Not really.

She pushed half of her own portion toward Mara.

Mara looked at her.

"No."

"Take it."

"They'll notice."

"Then let them."

Mara stared at Enzra for several seconds.

Then she slowly took the food.

Across the corridor, one of the slaves was watching them.

An older woman.

Her eyes moved from Enzra to Mara.

She said nothing.

But she remembered.

And Enzra didn't know it yet, but in this place, people remembered everything.

Who helped.

Who betrayed.

Who survived.

And who didn't.

Later that night, the lights went out.

The underground corridor became almost completely dark.

Enzra lay on the mattress, staring at the ceiling.

She couldn't sleep.

Her uncle.

The mansion.

Genesis.

The slap.

The cells.

Everything kept replaying in her mind.

Then she heard footsteps.

Slow.

Measured.

Coming down the corridor.

Mara suddenly sat up.

"Don't move."

Enzra whispered,

"Why?"

Mara didn't answer.

The footsteps stopped outside their cell.

A shadow appeared beneath the door.

Enzra held her breath.

Then a voice came from the other side.

"Enzra."

Her eyes widened.

Genesis.

The lock turned.

The cell door opened.

Genesis stood outside.

He looked at Mara.

"Leave."

Mara immediately stood.

Enzra grabbed her wrist.

"Why?"

Genesis looked at Enzra.

"Because I said so."

Mara pulled away and stepped outside.

The door closed behind her.

Enzra stood.

"What do you want?"

Genesis looked at her.

"Your uncle."

"What about him?"

"He told me something before you were brought here."

Enzra's stomach tightened.

"What?"

Genesis stepped closer.

"He said you would know where to find it."

"Find what?"

Genesis's eyes remained fixed on hers.

"That's what I'm going to find out."

He turned toward the door.

Enzra frowned.

"Wait."

He stopped.

"You brought me here because of something my uncle said?"

Genesis looked over his shoulder.

"Your uncle brought you here."

Then he walked away.

The cell door remained locked.

Enzra stood there, staring after him.

She had no idea what her uncle had hidden.

But now she knew one thing.

Genesis Black wasn't simply keeping her because of a debt.

He was looking for something.

And somehow...

he believed she had the answer.