The Escape Attempt and Unexpected Location

Key Insight

Serena and Misery devised an escape plan from their attic confinement. The strategy involved luring one of the Were guards, whom Serena called 'Bob', to the small food slot in their door. Misery, a Vampyre, was tasked with utilizing her thrall ability, which necessitates physical contact, to compel Bob to release them. Serena planned to create a sufficient distraction for Misery to initiate contact with the guard, providing a crucial window for the thrall to take effect and secure their freedom from the heavily insulated and secure room.

The escape attempt commenced with Misery feigning a severe eye condition to draw Bob's attention and proximity. While Bob peered closely through the slot to inspect her eye, Misery attempted to thrall him. However, the attempt only momentarily confused him before he recognized her hostile intent. Enraged, Bob thrust his hand through the opening to attack Misery. Serena, demonstrating surprising speed and strength for a Human, seized Bob's wrist, bending it at an unnatural angle. Despite his inherent Were strength, Bob was incapacitated, and Serena proceeded to break his thumb and two other fingers until he reluctantly unlocked the door.

After successfully escaping the attic room and locking the injured Bob inside, Serena and Misery navigated a hallway. Serena's resourcefulness was further evident when she effortlessly opened a subsequent door by simply checking the handle, which proved to be unlocked, contrasting Misery's expectation of forcing it open. Their escape, however, took an unexpected turn as they discovered their location: 'The Nest', a high-rise building that Misery recognized as Vampyre territory and her childhood home, which was at least twenty floors tall. This revelation complicated their understanding of their Were captors. Their brief taste of freedom concluded abruptly when Vania appeared, smiling, and instructed Misery to accompany her, signifying their re-capture.