Damien took no chances with Zia trying to escape. He took her straight to his office but not to the same room she met the stranger in.
This room was dark, like a real holding cell. There was one small window with bars on it and no bed.
The glass was so dirty, she couldn't see out of it.
A lonely wooden chair fit in the corner of the room, but Zia couldn't reach it. She sat on the filthy floor with her knees pulled into her chest as she leaned on the walls.
This room smelled of death and rotting food. She kept swallowing her bile so she wouldn't add to whatever stench was surrounding her.
The room was small and cold, much like the healing room but so much smaller. It caused her to feel anxious as though the walls were closing in on her.
She wondered what Damien used this room for. She had an idea but did not want to believe it.
Zia looked down at her dance shoes. They were the color of the walls. She still wore her red wine-stained costume and her jewels and crown had broken off in her tussle with Damien's guards.
She passed her fingers on her neck where Damien's fangs had scraped her and felt it burn. She wanted to rub his touch off of her. Everything about him disgusted her.
Her hands were cuffed with metal shackles that bruised her wrists. She grabbed one of chains that were connected to the shackles and pulled at it, but it wouldn't budge.
There was no ways she was going to get out of that room.
She pulled again at the shackle, trying to pull it out of the base and screamed at the wall when she realized she was really stuck there.
Tears poured out of her already swollen eyes.
She thought about Orion and how much trouble she caused him. She never meant for him to get hurt. He was the first man she found interest in and Damien took that away from her. Orion was there when she lost Emrie. Damien took him away from her too.
He took it all away from her. Anything she cared about was ripped away like any love in her life was forbidden.
Why was she restricted from being happy? Why did she have to live like a prisoner? What did she do to deserve it all?
Zia cried until her head hurt. Her whole body became numb. She felt as though she had no purpose in this world if this is how she had to live in it.
Suddenly, the door being unlocked startled her, distracting her from her thoughts. In walked one of the stagehands with a tray of meat and bread.
He said nothing and placed the tray in front of Zia like she was a dog. Zia looked at the food and turned her head away.
The man grabbed her by the back of her neck and pushed her face down to the tray.
"Eat or die," He said roughly.
Zia held her lips together tightly. She knocked over the tray of food with her shackles and hit the mans arm with the same shackles that restrained her, causing him to bawl out.
"Ungrateful wench." The man said as he rubbed his arm and walked out, closing the door behind him.
Zia leaned back against the wall, hugging herself as her legs fell to her side.
Rats and other creatures began crowding around the spilled food, eating it as Zia scrunched her legs closer to her body.
The sight of it crawled her blood. She closed her eyes tightly and began humming and rocking. She often hummed as a child when she was feeling scared or worried. It was the only thing that comforted her.
"Maybe I should let you sing and dance next time." Damien said as he unlocked the door.
Zia kept humming and rocking.
"So here is the thing, if you want to live, you will do what I want. If you don't want to live, you will continue to defy me.
Zia stopped rocking and humming but did not look at him.
"Your performance tonight was perfect. Many of the men who come here to see you were surprised to see you come back after your little mishap. They are willing to pay even more to see you privately."
Zia began rocking again quietly as she gripped the shackles tightly.
Damien walked over to Zia and grabbed her face tightly, forcing her to look at him.
"You know I hate when you ignore me, princess. Just do as I say, and we will all be happy." He said tightening his grip.
Zia glared at him and remained quiet.
"You have a few minutes to decide. Your favorite customer his here tonight. He offered the highest bid for you tonight. I will let you get out of here and take a shower to get ready for him if you behave. It's all up to you. You either stay here until I get rid of you or you make money for me and live comfortably. See you in five minutes." He said as he walked out of her cell.
Zia's blood began to boil. She did not sign up to be a whore. She was barely eighteen and didn't want anything to do with a man other than Orion. He was the only person she felt comfortable with. He would have never hurt or abuse her.
How could she agree to Damien's terms? How could she agree to allow herself to be treated so?
There were so many girls for Damien to rent out. They loved it. They wanted to do it. They would do just about anything for an attractive stranger to give them thousands of dollars.
Why me? Why couldn't I just dance? She thought.
"How do I get out of here?" She whispered as she looked around the tiny cell.
There was no way out. The walls and floor were solid bricks. The bars on the window were made of steel. Even if she could move them, she could never fit through the window.
Then it suddenly occurred to her that she was smarter than she was allowing herself to be.
There was one way to escape but she would have to force herself to live with it for the rest of her life.
It couldn't be any worse than what she had already endured. It was her only way out. She had already lost everything else.