30. Why is it Always Me?
Trapped on this chair, I nervously waited for what will happen next. My heart was beating so hard, my breath shallow.
In this creepy place, God knows what happens. There seemed to be dangerous things around here, there was even a skull placed on a cupboard near me.
The door opened and I heard three pair of footsteps, not two this time.
My chair was facing away from the door, so I couldn't see who was walking in.
I instinctively tried freeing my arms from the handcuffs that tied me to the chair, but it only caused my wrists to hurt more in pain.
The two men who brought me to this place, walked in front of me. One of them, who's name I learnt was Pangborn, squat down to my level, holding my chin so that he could look in my eyes. He let out a wicked laugh.
"Oh, look at this scaredy cat. How she's trembling. Blackwell, do you really think she's a shadowhunter now? Hahaha."
"Pangborn." Said the deep voice of a man, that I never heard before.
Pangborn seemed to understand and moved away from me, to reveal a tall and lean figure, with bleach blond hair cut neatly. He faced away from me, his hands behind his back.
Who was this man, that even these two monsters were scared of?
But then he turned around to look at me, and I gasped. I don't know why. But you could just tell how important he was, how dangerous he was.
He had a handsome face, even though he was a little older. But his eyes were merciless and cold, scrutinizing me.
"You are going to be a great tool for us, darling." He said, the undertone of his voice dangerous.
"What do you mean?" I dare ask.
"Blackwell." The tall man called.
Blackwell understood and took out a little flask out of his coat.
He then approached me, and holding my hair he pulled it down, so that I was facing up.
"Aaah!" I yelped in pain.
He took advantage of it and before I realized it I tasted a bitter tasting liquid in my mouth. I tried to not swallow it but he poured so much of it that I had no choice.
He released my hair and I coughed, trying to cough out the disgusting liquid as much as I could.
"That was a truth concoction." Said the blond man. "A special one I created myself".
"So I would highly recommend, that you only speak the truth... for your own good." He continued.
"You're lying. I don't believe in this fake potion bull crap! I'm not scared of any of you, and I'm not going to tell you any-" I tried to take out my strength, but then all of a sudden I felt a deep and intense pain in my stomach.
"Aaah! Ouch!" I screamed. I tried to bend and reach my hands to clench my stomach but I was tied to the chair which made it even worse. I wriggled and fidgeted in pain.
Blackwell and Pangborn both laughed in amusement. But the Nameless blond man in the middle didn't react, in fact he just looked at me with expressionlessly, his eyes still boring into my soul.
"I told you, don't lie." He said calmly.
The room was quiet again.
So that's what this potion does. It causes pain if you lie.
"Blackwell, Pangborn, leave." He said, and fear crept in my heart.
They both left, closing the door behind.
I was left alone with this nameless cruel man.
"First." He said. "What is your name?"
"Evelyne."
"Evelyne..."
"Evelyne Evans." I replied.
"Are you a mundane?"
"Yes, I'm a mundane." I replied.
"How did you get in the institute?"
And he kept asking more and more questions. I replied them honestly. I didn't want to experience that horrible pain again in my stomach. Besides, I have a child in there.
I wasn't sure I wanted to answer all of them. Why was he asking so much information about me and the institute anyway? Who is he?
"Can I ask you something?" I dare ask.
"No." He replied firmly.
"Are you Valentine?" I asked. I don't know what I was thinking.
"Do you not understand no?"
"I'm sorry." I replied immediately.
"I am Valentine." He replied simply, and I was surprised by how calmly he answered. "I'm sure you must have heard of me."
"Yes, everyone talks about you in the institute, but they never really told me who you were. They seemed like they were scared of you." I replied innocently.
He laughed.
"Did they really?" He asked.
"Don't worry, you'll soon find out who I am." I felt chills go down my spine as he spoke.
I wasn't sure I really wanted to know who Valentine was.
"Thank you for the information. Now I am sure Hodge is telling me the truth."
"Hodge?" I asked in surprise.
Hodge was in contact with Valentine?
"So, from what I understand the only reason you, a mundane, still lives in the institute with them because you were in danger, and were rescued by the Lightwoods, and then were kept in the institute because you knew too much about the clave?" He asked more to himself than me.
"How strange. I think it's more than that."
My heart started beating fast.
"So tell me girl, were you kept in the institute for any other reasons?"
"Not that I know of." I said. I hope I was telling the truth.
I felt no pain coming. So I was right.
"I see..."
Valentine then called Pangborn inside and told him to release me from the bonds, and to take me in a room.
Pangborn held my arm in a tight grip and walked so fast I almost had to jog. He threw me inside a little room, and locked the door.
I ran towards the door and tried to open it, but it wouldn't. I was locked inside.
It was dark in the room and I could barely see anything.
- 2 days later -
"So now Evelyne's lost again. But this time we know who kidnapped her, it's one of Valentine's followers." Said Isabelle.
Hodge watched from the corner, spying their discussion.
"All we need to do now is find where they are. Not only will we save Clary's mom but Evelyne too."
"Have you tried tracking Evelyne's phone?"
"Yes, but there were no results. The phone must be broken or something."
Jace, Alec, Clary, and Isabelle all discussed this issue in worry. They've been stressed ever since they heard Evelyne getting kidnapped by Valentine's follower. Because now it wasn't just about Evelyne, but Valentine too.
xxx
"Valentine?" Pangborn called his master.
"Yes, Pangborn, now what?" Valentine asked in an annoyed tone.
"We forgot about that mundie girl, you never told us what to do with her since two days."
"She's still in the room?"
"Yes."
"Well, don't you have common sense? She needs to be kept alive for now. Give her the basic needs." Valentine said in frustration at his follower's stupidity.
"Right away." Said Pangborn, leaving immediately.
Pangborn opened the door to see the girl, sitting in a corner trembling in cold, with a pile of vomit on the floor on the other side of the room.
Evelyne's P.O.V.
The door opened and Pangborn was there, looking around the room and at me. I thought they were just going to leave me here to die. Maybe they will.
I got so depressed in this dark room for god knows how long. It felt like a year. I almost considered killing myself.
"Get up." He said.
I did what he said. I got up with a little difficulty, holding the wall behind me for support.
"Follow me."
I walked but after a few seconds of following him in the little corridor my head started getting dizzy and I started seeing stars in front of my eyes.
I stopped walking and leaned against a wall and put my hand on my head. I wasn't able to walk further.
"What's wrong with you?" I heard his angry voice.
Fear crept up in me.
"I'm dizzy."
"You mundanes are fucking weak." He said in frustration before picking me up on me on his shoulder with ease. I felt disgusted.
I felt anger at his ignorance. How dare he say that?! I was left in a little dark room for two days straight.
Finally he stopped and put me down. He opened the door of a bathroom and sent me inside. And then I heard his footsteps walking away.
Thank god. I could now take a shower. After all the vomiting from last 2 days. Speaking of vomiting, I vomited again.
After taking a shower, I wrapped the white towel around me. I really don't want to wear my old clothes again. But I had no choice. This is not exactly a safe place to walk around with your towel asking for spare clothes.
I heard a hard knock.
"Open the door!" It was Pangborn.
My heart started beating fast.
I opened the door.
"That's all I could find." He said, holding a white cotton t shirt.
I looked at it hesitantly. Is that all he could find?
He noticed my expression.
"If you don't wanna wear it, you don't have to. You don't have to wear anything, baby." He said, followed by a sinister laugh.
Disgusted by his comment, I snatched the t shirt.
"I'll wear it." I said.
He walked in the little bathroom, his height towering me. I wrapped the towel tighter around me. But all he did was take my old clothes with him.
"Hey wait, I need my shorts!" I said.
But he didn't listen. He walked away laughing in victory, giving me a mischievous look.
What a pervert.
I guess I'll have to just go with this.
I put on the t shirt, it was v neck and too long for me, almost looked like a dress. It ended on my mid thighs. It still wasn't enough. It wasn't decent enough to wear.
Besides, this place was cold.
I walked out of the bathroom, without any idea where I was supposed to go. I decided to look around, maybe I'll find any clue, an exit, anything.
I was too far from the bathroom now, and ended up in an alcove.
An unconscious woman's body was floating in mid-air.
What?
As I walked closer and as I inspected her face, her resemblance was uncannily similar to that of Clary. Red hair, freckles, same eyes, nose and lips. Except this woman was a bit older with slight wrinkles around her mouth.
Oh no. This was Clary's mom.
"What are you doing here?!" An angry voice said.
I turned around and gasped. It was Valentine.
He looked at me up and down.
"Who let you roam around like that?" He asked.
"Pangborn." I replied.
"He stole my clothes and left me with a t shirt!" I said, defending myself.
"You are not supposed to walk around anywhere you want." He said, walking towards me in an intimidating way.
"Next time you disobey, you will be sent to the hungry demons in the dungeons. I'm sure they will appreciate your fresh young blood very much." He whispered in my ear, twirling a lock of my dark wet hair with his fingers. "They'd love to do many other things to you."
I was at the brink of crying. If I never knew about the shadow world, I would have laughed it off, since it would have sounded just like someone scaring a child to sleep, but unfortunately now, I have to believe in all this.
"Please, I'm sorry. I'll never disobey again." I said, my voice quivering.
He smiled sadistically as he watched me trembling.
"Off to your room now." He said, and walked away.
I walked back to that room, the same dark little room. Sitting in the corner, I thought; "why is it always me?"
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