Chapter 17: The Golden Cage

I woke up to the feeling of someone watching me.

Not in a creepy horror movie way. More like a cat staring at you while you sleep, except the cat was an ancient cosmic horror who had literally kidnapped me into her personal pocket dimension. The bed beneath me was soft. Too soft. Like floating on clouds made of velvet. Stars surrounded us on all sides, vast and endless and beautiful in a way that made my brain hurt if I looked too long.

Thalia was draped across my chest.

Her body was cool against mine, that strange not-quite-human temperature that felt like ice and silk at the same time. Her hair moved on its own, black strands curling around my shoulders like they were trying to hold me down. Her dress had shifted in the night, riding up even higher on her thighs, one strap completely off her shoulder now.

She was staring at me with those emerald eyes. Intense. Focused. Completely obsessed.

“Good morning, darling.”

Her voice was soft. Happy. Like waking up next to the person you kidnapped was totally normal behavior.

I tried to sit up. Her arms tightened around me, keeping me pinned.

“Thalia, I need to move.”

“No you don’t.”

She shifted her weight, practically lying on top of me now. Her fingers traced patterns on my chest, slow and deliberate. The sensation was weirdly intimate, like she was memorizing every detail.

“You’re always moving. Always rushing off to see someone else. Not anymore.”

I looked around at the endless void surrounding us. No walls. No doors. Just infinite darkness dotted with stars that probably weren’t real stars. They were parts of her, manifestations of her power.

“How long was I asleep?”

“Time doesn’t exist here. I told you that.”

She leaned down, her face inches from mine. Her breath was cool against my skin. Her lips curved into a smile that was equal parts beautiful and terrifying.

“We have forever now. No schedules. No interruptions. Just us.”

Her hand moved up to my face, fingers tracing my jaw. The touch was gentle. Possessive. Like she was handling something precious that she’d finally stolen.

“I’ve been watching you sleep for hours. Or maybe minutes. Or maybe years. It’s hard to tell.”

That was lowkey the creepiest thing she’d said all morning.

“That’s not helping your case.”

“I don’t need to help my case. You’re already here.”

She sat up, straddling my waist. The dress shifted with the movement, the fabric clinging to every curve. Her hair fell around her shoulders in waves that moved like they were underwater. She looked down at me with an expression that was pure satisfaction.

“I won.”

Before I could respond, she waved her hand. A silver platter appeared out of nothing, floating in the air next to the bed. It was loaded with food that definitely didn’t exist in normal reality. Fruit that glowed with soft purple light. Wine that sparkled like liquid starlight. Some kind of pastry that smelled like ozone and honey.

“You need to eat.”

“I’m not hungry.”

“You’re always hungry. You skip meals when you’re stressed.”

How did she even know that? Oh right. Ancient cosmic entity. Probably had been watching me for months before I even realized.

She picked up one of the glowing fruits. It looked like a cross between a grape and a star. She held it up to my lips, her other hand cupping my face.

“Open.”

“Thalia—”

“Open.”

The command in her voice was undeniable. Not magical. Just the sheer force of someone who was used to getting what they wanted. I opened my mouth. She placed the fruit on my tongue. It tasted like electricity and sugar, fizzing against my taste buds.

“Good boy.”

I swallowed, fighting the urge to argue. Arguing with Thalia when she was in this mood was pointless. She’d just find another way to get what she wanted.

She fed me another piece. Then another. Her fingers lingered against my lips each time, tracing the shape of my mouth. The gesture felt weirdly intimate, like she was claiming ownership through touch.

“You’re being ridiculous.”

“I’m being affectionate. There’s a difference.”

She set the platter aside and leaned down again, her body pressing against mine. Her hands slid into my hair, fingers running through the strands slowly. The sensation was actually kind of nice, which made it more annoying.

“Your hair is always messy. I like it.”

“Thalia, we need to talk about this.”

“We are talking.”

“About the kidnapping. The fact that you literally ripped me out of reality.”

She tilted her head, her expression genuinely confused.

“You say that like it’s a bad thing.”

“It is a bad thing. It’s a very bad thing.”

“Why?”

She said it so simply, like she genuinely didn’t understand the problem. Her fingers kept moving through my hair, gentle and methodical. Her body was warm against mine now, like she’d adjusted her temperature to match something more comfortable.

“Because people don’t kidnap people they care about.”

“Humans don’t. I’m not human.”

Fair point actually.

She shifted her weight, resting her chin on my chest. Her eyes searched mine, looking for something. Understanding maybe. Acceptance.

“You know what’s funny, darling?”

“What?”

“You could leave.”

I blinked. That was not what I expected her to say.

“What?”

“You could leave. Right now. Walk out into the void and find your way back to reality.”

She gestured toward the endless darkness surrounding us. The stars flickered like candles in the distance.

“Your immunity protects you from everything here. The void can’t hurt you. My power can’t touch you. You’re the only person in existence who could survive out there.”

Her smile widened. Her fingers traced down my neck, following the line of my pulse.

“But you’re not leaving. You’re not even trying. Maybe you like being mine.”

The implication hung in the air like a challenge.

I grabbed her wrist, stopping her hand before it could wander any further. Her skin was smooth under my fingers, cool and yielding.

“I’m not staying because I’m seduced, Thalia. I’m staying because of the consequences.”

“Consequences?”

“If I walk out of here right now, what happens? The facility realizes you kidnapped their Head Warden. They label this a hostile extraction. Director Esdeath personally leads the strike team to drag you back.”

Her expression flickered. Just for a second. A crack in the confident facade.

“And then what? You think they’ll let you stay in your nice cell with your books and your floating furniture? No. You go straight to solitary containment. Heavy suppression. Twenty-four hour lockdown. No visitors. No me.”

I sat up, forcing her to adjust her position. She ended up in my lap, her arms wrapped around my neck. Her face was inches from mine, close enough that I could see the way her eyes shifted between green and gold.

“I’m staying to keep you out of solitary. Not because I want to be here.”

She stared at me. Just stared. Her expression went through about five different emotions in the span of three seconds. Surprise. Understanding. Something that might have been hurt. Then finally, pure adoration.

“You’re worried about me.”

“Of course I’m worried about you.”

“You were kidnapped by a cosmic horror and you’re worried about what happens to the kidnapper.”

She laughed. The sound was bright and sharp and genuinely happy. Her arms tightened around me, pulling herself closer. Her forehead pressed against mine.

“That’s so stupid. That’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard. I love you so much.”

She kissed me. Not a soft gentle kiss. A claiming kiss. Her lips pressed against mine with desperate intensity, her fingers tangling in my hair. The sensation was overwhelming, cold and warm at the same time, sending electricity through my entire body.

I pushed her back gently. She let me, but her smile was triumphant.

“You can’t just kiss people without permission.”

“I can. I just did.”

“Thalia—”

“You’re adorable when you’re concerned. Has anyone ever told you that?”

She cuddled closer, her body molding against mine like she was trying to occupy the same space. Her head rested on my shoulder. Her arms wrapped around my waist. Her legs tangled with mine.

“I don’t care about the facility. I don’t care about the Director or her strike teams or their protocols.”

Her voice was muffled against my neck. Her breath was cool against my skin.

“They can try to drag me back. It won’t work. This dimension exists outside their jurisdiction. Outside their reality. We’re untouchable here.”

“That’s not how this works.”

“That’s exactly how this works.”

She pulled back just enough to look at me. Her expression was soft. Genuine. Terrifyingly sincere.

“I’ve existed for eons, Kai. I’ve seen empires rise and fall. I’ve watched stars die. I’ve forgotten more about reality manipulation than your facility will ever know.”

Her hand cupped my face, thumb tracing my cheekbone.

“They can’t hurt me. They can’t reach me. The only thing they could do to punish me was keep you away. And now they can’t do that either.”

She kissed my forehead. Then my nose. Then my lips again, softer this time.

“I finally have you. Nothing else matters.”

I realized with sinking certainty that there was no reasoning with her. You can’t logic your way out of an obsession that’s lasted longer than human civilization. You can’t negotiate with someone who literally remade reality just to keep you close.

She shifted in my lap, getting comfortable like she planned to stay there forever. Her fingers started playing with my hair again. Her other hand traced patterns on my chest, following the buttons of my uniform.

“We should make up for lost time.”

“Lost time?”

“All those hours you spent visiting other prisoners. All those minutes you wasted on paperwork and protocols and sleeping in that terrible house.”

She looked up at me through her eyelashes. The expression was calculated. Devastating.

“I want all of it back. Every second.”

“Thalia, that’s not how time works.”

“It is here. I control time here. I control everything here.”

She was getting more touchy, her hands wandering across my shoulders and down my arms. Her body pressed closer, eliminating any space between us.

“We can stay like this for days. Weeks. Years. However long I want.”

“That sounds like torture.”

“That sounds like paradise.”

She kissed my neck. Then my jaw. Her lips were cold against my skin, leaving trails of sensation that felt almost electric.

“You’ll see. Eventually you’ll understand. This is better than that cell. Better than those daily visits that never lasted long enough.”

I looked out at the endless void surrounding us. Stars flickered in the distance. The bed floated in nothing, suspended by her will alone. No walls. No doors. No escape that wouldn’t result in her getting punished.

The absurdity of my life hit me all at once. I was being held hostage by a cosmic entity who was highkey obsessed with me. She was currently sitting in my lap, planning activities like we were on some kind of demented vacation. And I couldn’t leave because I was worried about her wellbeing.

My dad was right. This was going to be a long week.

“This is going to be a long day.”

Thalia smiled against my skin, her arms tightening possessively.

“We have forever, darling. Every day is long when you’re with the person you love.”