Chapter 35

• Jake***
• The air was thick, suffocating, laced with damp stone, rusted iron, and something far worse—fear. It curled around me like a phantom, wrapping itself into the very fabric of my skin, seeping into my bones. The flickering overhead light barely held its glow, casting distorted shadows against the grimy walls. The stench of rot clung to the air, thick enough to taste, curling down my throat like rancid smoke.
• Victor stood before me, his grotesque smile twisting his features. His dark eyes flickered between Belle and me, a look of twisted amusement playing in his gaze. His fingers tightened around her wrist, bruising the delicate skin beneath them. She winced but refused to make a sound, her lips pressed into a thin line, her chest rising and falling with shallow breaths. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction of showing weakness.