Lungs tightening, I strode towards the boulder separating the living and sleeping quarters. Hellen wouldn’t be so brazen as to … to torture Jemma, in her own …

I stopped short at the sight of Jemma’s brother, chained ankles and wrists to a rack in the corner of the room. His eyes caught mine, and for a strained moment, we just stared at one another.

“Simeon!” he gasped. “Where’s my sister?”

Trying valiantly to regain composure—unfortunately for me, I knew what Hellen liked to do with the males she strung up on that thing—I answered, “I know not. But I will find her, I promise.”

That thudding in my chest growing more agitated with every wasted moment, I nevertheless cursed silently and strode towards him. For all her animosity with her brother, Jemma would not look kindly upon me leaving him chained to my sister’s sex frame. She was too good, too kind.

Too everything I didn’t deserve.

He stiffened as I approached. “What the hell are you doing?” he demanded roughly. “Don’t waste time, go find her!”

“Just let me uncuff you,” I muttered, fumbling with the buckles securing his wrists as Beezle, ever helpful, jumped in to gnaw through the leather at his ankles.

“Take him to my chambers, Beez,” I commanded as Joe dropped to the floor, stumbling. “Find the portal seam. It should still be open to Jemma’s …” I eyed Joe, but there was no time for embarrassment. “To Jemma’s bedroom. Just stretch it and send him through.”

Beezle gave a curt nod, and I turned to Joe. “Did Hellen give any clue as to where she was taking Jemma?”

He shook his head. “Just … save her!”

I gripped his arm. “I promise I will.”

Hoping I wasn’t lying, I turned back towards the open boulder that would take me through her living space and into the castle proper. From there? I cursed again. The Pit first. I wasn’t sure if Hellen would be stupid enough to take a living human down there … but she certainly was sadistic enough …

Please be the strong, brave woman I know you to be, Jemma! I begged silently, hurrying across the room. Please hold on until I can get to you!

“Hellen!”

Shit.

It was Father. If he found Joe in here …

I gestured madly behind me in the direction of Beezle and Joe, waving them to get down, to hide. I crept closer to the doorway as Father continued.

“I keep thinking about that reaping from a couple of decades ago that you were asking me about.” His tone was thoughtful. “You know the one, the lawyer, or whatever he was … the one who kicked the bucket a month after I secured his soul? His name was Bliss. Robert Bliss. You might have been right, you know; I think he was related to Junior’s little experi⁠—”