Ruin (Rhodes #1) by Rina Kent

                             The long corridor walk is spent in silence. My eyes stray behind me, expecting the monsters to appear and chase my brains out.

                             They don’t.

                             Aaron’s presence scares them away. Even monsters are afraid of this monster.

                             Still, my harsh breathing doesn’t decrease. Being forced into a jog to keep up with Aaron’s pace is of no help.

                             We climb the stairs— that almost led me to freedom before— and pause at the top for Aaron to open a double metallic door.

                             Glimmers of white blinds my eyes. I halt, my hands fly up to protect my vision.

                             Heat infiltrates my skin as I tentatively open my lids. Light burst in sharp lines through large windows.

                             Sun. Warmth. Light.

                             “Move, mouse.” Aaron tugs on my hand and I follow his steps, my eyes trying their best to adjust. It’s been so long since I was exposed to daylight— a week judging from the soup I got twice a day.

                             Who knew I would miss such small necessities in life?

                             Four tall windows adorn the length of a vast hall we walk through. Or more like Aaron walks. I’m struggling to keep up with him. The sound of my slippers against the white and granola marbled floor is anything but quiet. The white walls are decorated with bold vertical lines of gold painting and horizontal beige patterns, obviously designed by an artist. The ceiling holds more gold, less white. A round chandelier with a thousand crystals dangles to the centre. The size so massive that I duck when we pass underneath it. What if it falls atop my head?

                             You’re being silly, Mae.

                             The longer we walk, the more I’m dazzled. It’s like I’m assessing an evocative painting. The hall is symmetrically filled with leather chesterfield sofas, high tables and elegant curtains. My mouth drops when we approach the stairs. Beside it, on a high platform, sits a marble statue of a knight on his horse. A black panther in dark stone rests by the horse’s side, his frozen eyes sharp and glinting, made from sapphire. The sword in the knight’s hand has the same crest on Aaron’s ring.

                             My family is wealthy. I’m used to luxury, but this place is different. It’s old money. Judging from the refined taste, Aaron could either be from a prestigious mafia, or a long chain of aristocrats. His signet ring could be a noble family’s heirloom.

                             Does that mean he uses his power to get away with kidnapping people? And maybe killing them?

                             Don’t go there, Mae.

                             We ascend long marbled stairs, the dark red carpet embellishing them soft underneath my slippers. When we turn into a hallway, I get a brief glimpse of countless tall paintings decorating the walls. From the renaissance to the baroque, romanticism and impressionism eras. There are even East Asian paintings. Wait... is that Robins’ missing painting?

                             Does Aaron collect art? Or steal it?

                             We stop at double white doors with the same golden lines of the walls. Aaron gives me his back and my vision gets blocked from whatever he’s doing.

                             Why is no one here? This place must be kept by servants.

                             I search the place for a possible exit or a rescuer. Perhaps they don’t know their master is a psycho kidnapper and will help me escape.