Chapter 38
Soon enough, Aurora wouldn’t give her those superior looks again, Maura thought, her eyes gleaming with anticipation. Caleb approached with the syringe, thrusting the needle close to Aurora’s face. Its sharp point glinted menacingly in the dim light. “See these!” he growled, gesturing to the angry red scratches on his cheek. “Your handiwork.”
The afternoon’s kidnapping hadn’t gone smoothly. Despite Tom’s iron grip on her arms, Aurora had fought like a cornered tiger, leaving Caleb with deep scratches across his face. The worst ran from his eyelid to his nostril, pulling painfully with every word he spoke. Aurora, meanwhile, was still cautiously working at the rope binding her wrists; the faint snap of the fraying rope was lost beneath Maura’s taunting voice. “Well? Still too proud to lick my shoe?” Maura reveled in trying to break the defiant spark in Aurora’s eyes.
Caleb crouched before Aurora, slowly depressing the plunger. Its contents were just starting to ooze from the tip, a wordless reminder of the danger.
“Fine. I’ll do it,” Aurora said, finally freeing her hands as she carefully feigned a cowed, humiliated air.
A cold laugh escaped Maura’s lips as she ground her shoe against the gritty floor before shoving it toward Aurora’s face. “Get to it, then,” she demanded, relishing her newfound power. Here, away from judging eyes, she could fully enjoy tormenting Aurora.
A glint of cold determination flickered in Aurora’s eyes as she leaned forward, seemingly poised to obey. Maura’s smile widened in anticipation—until Aurora’s hand suddenly whipped out, clamping down on Maura’s ankle in an iron grip before giving a violent yank.
“Ahh!” Maura’s triumphant smirk transformed into a shriek as she toppled backward. Caleb, alarmed, jerked the syringe away to avoid accidentally stabbing Maura, but the sudden movement threw him off balance. He landed hard, inadvertently depressing the plunger and losing half the syringe’s contents.
Tom and Eric, who had been standing behind Maura, stumbled back instinctively, equally startled, leaving Maura to crash to the ground in an eruption of dust. In that split second of chaos, Aurora tore open her sleeve, revealing a hidden cache of white powder. She split the powder into two handfuls and threw it at Maura and the three kidnappers.
Mistaking it for lime, the four raised their hands to shield their eyes. Maura and Caleb, who were closest to Aurora, were covered in the mysterious powder; a cloud of it settled over their faces and clothes.
“Don’t worry, her feet are still tied. She won’t get far,” Caleb yelled, choking slightly on the dust cloud Aurora had kicked up. He scrambled to his feet and charged at Aurora as she fumbled with the ropes around her ankles. Without a second’s hesitation, he swung his leg in a vicious kick aimed at her exposed side, but Aurora rolled away, narrowly avoiding the blow, even though her legs were still tangled in ropes.
By now, Maura, Tom, and Eric had regained their footing. “Get her!” Maura screamed, eyes blazing with fury. “Damn it, I can’t believe I let my guard down. How dare she fight back? I should’ve kicked her when I had the chance,” she fumed inwardly.
Aurora, still nimble despite the chaos, weaved and rolled, buying herself precious seconds as she evaded the grasping hands of the three kidnappers. She was still cornered. “Thought you were clever, didn’t you? Slipping your hands free?” Caleb growled, breathless and seething. His lips curled into a cruel sneer. He shook his head mockingly. “Not so quick now, are you?” He scoffed inwardly. Did she really think cutting those ropes would be enough? Naive.
Maura staggered forward, a mix of rage and humiliation burning in her chest. The sight of Aurora, battered and cornered, soothed her wounded pride.
Just then, Aurora, who had been pretending to hang her head in defeat, lifted her eyes. Her gaze was icy, sharp as blades glinting in the dark. Meeting her gaze, Maura froze, her next insult dying in her throat, silenced by the chilling intensity in Aurora’s stare.
Meanwhile, Caleb started to feel a strange itch creeping across his face. He gritted his teeth, determined to ignore it, but it only grew worse. His scalp began to itch too, and soon he couldn’t hold back.
“What the hell… why am I feeling itchy all over?” Tom muttered, twisting his body awkwardly as he scratched at his neck, leaving deep red marks.
Maura fought the urge to scratch, unwilling to show weakness in front of Aurora. But after a few agonizing seconds, she succumbed. It felt as if her entire body had been overtaken by invisible insects crawling under her skin, and no matter how hard she scratched, the relentless itch wouldn’t stop.