CHAPTER 137: ROUGH NIGHT

A groan escaped her lips as she drew in a deep breath, only to cough violently when dust particles rushed into her mouth. The motion shook her entire body, each jolt sparking waves of pain. Darkness clouded her vision, she couldn’t see a thing.

Lilith tried to push herself off the ground, but a sharp pain shot through her arm and radiated across her body. She cried out. Trembling, she raised her uninjured hand and felt along the damaged limb. Her stomach twisted at the unnatural angle, her arm was badly broken. Gritting her teeth, she dragged herself slowly until her back pressed against the rough and damp wall of the well.

Her ankle throbbed, another sharp sting blooming as she touched it. Her ankle twisted and broken. She whimpered when her fingers brushed against the bone poking through her skin.

A wet drop hit her face. She instinctively reached up, touched it, then brought it to her nose. It had no scent. Blinking upward, she saw faint streaks of water descending from above. It was raining, she could hear it pattering against the iron lid of the well.

Complete darkness surrounded her. She couldn’t make out her hands or feet. Her throat ached with thirst. Shuffling forward, Lilith tilted her head back, mouth open, catching a few precious drops of rain.

Once she had enough to ease the dryness, she slumped back against the wall, head spinning. Her body was screaming in pain. Everything ached. Her mind was fogged with exhaustion and panic, and before she could form her next thought, the darkness pulled her under again.

~~~

When she woke, the rain had stopped. A dim sliver of light slipped in from the opening above, not enough to illuminate the well but enough to outline her body and faintly shape her surroundings.

Her dress was soaked in blood and dirt. Her swollen arm throbbed with every heartbeat. Tears stung her eyes at the sight of it. She knew what needed to be done.

If she didn’t set the bone now, it wouldn’t heal. She didn’t know how much time had passed or how much longer she could survive down here, but she refused to stay a moment longer than she had to.

With trembling fingers, she grabbed the edge of her dress and tore off a strip of fabric, shoving it into her mouth to muffle her scream. She’d only ever seen someone do this once before. Gods help her that she remembered it right.

Taking deep, shuddering breaths, sweat and blood slick on her forehead, Lilith placed her hand on the exposed bone.

Then, with all the strength she had left, she pushed it back into place.

A sharp snapping sound echoed through the well, followed by a blood curdling scream. Lilith cried out at the top of her lungs, her voice raw with agony. Tears streamed down her cheeks, her veins bulging from her forehead and neck as she trembled in pain.

She sat still for several minutes, gasping for breath, eyes wide with shock. When the pain dulled slightly, she pulled the blood-soaked cloth from her mouth and wrapped it tightly around her arm, securing it the best she could.

Leaning her head back against the cold stone wall, she swallowed hard, dreading what came next. Her gaze drifted to her leg. It was time.

Lilith tore another strip from her dress and stuffed it between her teeth again. Her hands shook as she gripped her injured ankle. Gritting her teeth, she did what had to be done resetting the bone with a muffled scream, then binding it tightly with the torn fabric.

By the time she was done, her body felt like it had been crushed. Her stomach growled with hunger, and her throat burned with thirst. She tilted her head toward the top of the well and silently prayed for rain, but the gods didn’t answer this time.

Eventually, exhaustion consumed her, and she drifted into a fitful sleep.

~~~

When Lilith opened her eyes again, the world had returned to darkness. Night had fallen. Despite hours of rest, she still felt weak, drained from the pain, the blood loss, and the lack of food and water.

Her head spun as she sat up, but she forced herself to her feet. Pain flared in her arm when she moved it, but it felt better, less raw and more stable, though far from healed. Her leg, too, had improved enough for her to stand, though she could barely move without a limp.

Placing her palms against the rough wall of the well, she felt its jagged texture, uneven stones, sharp edges, and crevices deep enough to grip. She might be able to climb, but not in the dark.

She leaned back against the wall and let out a shaky breath. It would be smarter to wait until morning. With sunlight filtering in from above, she would have a better chance of finding footholds, of escaping this pit.

Lilith closed her eyes, trying to conserve what little strength she had left because tomorrow, she would climb out of this hell hole.

~~~

It took Hades quite a while to get out of bed. He wasn’t in a particularly good mood. All he wanted was to be left alone for the day or better yet, left alone with Lilith. But he knew neither would be possible. With a groan, he dragged himself out of bed, freshened up, and got dressed.

Standing before the large mirror in his chamber, he ran a hand through his hair. It had grown much longer. He’d need to cut it soon. Maybe he’d ask Viktor or Lucian to help.

His gaze shifted back to the bed, and he swallowed hard. Everything in the room smelled like her. Reminded him of her. Leaving her behind yesterday had been the hardest thing he’d ever done.

Fuck.

And now, he was paying for it.

The night had been torture, his body aching for her, his cock rock hard. He had tossed and turned for hours, unable to sleep. His arousal had refused to fade, no matter how he tried to ignore it. Only at dawn had exhaustion finally claimed him, dragging him into a restless sleep filled with dreams that only made him feel worse.

With a final tug, he pulled on his coat and buttoned the collar. Just then, a knock came at the door before it opened to reveal Viktor, who looked as though he hadn’t slept much either.

"Good morning, Your Highness. Forgive me for disturbing you," Viktor said, stepping inside. "But I came to ask, Is Lilith with you?"

Hades glanced at him through the mirror.

Oh, how I fucking wish she was.

"As you can see," Hades said dryly, "she isn’t."

He watched as Viktor’s expression change, his eyes tightening slightly with concern.