Cages

SIERRA POV

Cold water dripped down my face as I lifted my head slowly.

The man watched me like he had just uncovered something priceless.

“I had a feeling this wasn’t your real face,” he muttered.

My mask was already melting, clinging uncomfortably to my skin. With a quiet sigh, I peeled it off completely and tossed it onto the table.

No point hiding anymore.

“What do you want from me?” I asked, my voice steady despite the storm raging inside me.

He stepped closer, his gaze sharp, calculating.

“You’re the most wanted woman in the world,” he said. “And I’m the only person who has seen your real face.”

A chill ran down my spine.

“It would be a shame,” he continued, “if the media got their hands on this information.”

I clenched my jaw.

He straightened, adjusting his sleeve like this was just another routine task.

“I want justice.”

And just like that, he walked out.

The next few hours felt like pieces of me were being stripped away one by one.

My jewelry.

My clothes.

My phone.

Everything that made me me.

“Take them off,” the female guard ordered, eyeing my necklace.

I instinctively covered it.

“You can’t take these,” I said sharply. “They’re important.”

“Rules are rules, princess.”

Her tone made my skin crawl.

“What if they get stolen?” I snapped. “Are you going to replace them?”

She sighed, clearly annoyed, then opened a small locker behind her.

“This is yours,” she said. “You can keep your things here.”

I hesitated.

“But I keep the key,” she added coldly.

Of course.

“And don’t worry,” she smirked. “You’ll have plenty of time to think about your belongings.”

My stomach dropped.

“Since you’ll be spending the rest of your life here.”

The rest of my life.

The words echoed in my head like a death sentence.

I swallowed hard and removed the necklace.

Then the bracelet.

Then the anklet.

Each one felt like losing a piece of home.

I placed them carefully inside the locker.

“Done?” she asked.

“Yes.”

She tossed an orange uniform at me.

“Change.”

Orange. Of all colors.

I stared at my reflection once I was done.

I looked… wrong.

Like someone had erased who I was and replaced me with a stranger.

“Stop staring,” the guard said. “You won’t survive a week in here if you keep that attitude.”

“Good to know,” I muttered.

She smirked.

“Name’s Mabel. Try not to get yourself killed.”

Great.

Handcuffs clicked around my wrists again as she led me through the corridors.

Eyes followed me.

Some curious.

Some mocking.

Some dangerous.

I kept my chin up.

Let them look.

“This is your cell.”

The door creaked open.

“I thought I’d be alone,” I said.

Mabel laughed.

“Not a chance.”

The door slammed shut behind me.

I exhaled slowly and sat on the edge of the bed, trying to process everything.

Then a voice spoke.

“You must be new.”

I looked up.

A girl stood near the wall, watching me with cautious curiosity.

“My name is Anna,” she said. “What’s yours?”

I blinked.

“You’re… not going to threaten me?” I asked.

She laughed softly.

“This isn’t a movie.”

I almost smiled.

“I’m Sierra.”

We shook hands.

“You don’t look like a criminal,” she said.

“Looks can be deceiving.”

She tilted her head. “So what did you do?”

“I tried to steal the blue diamond.”

Her eyes widened.

“Wait… you’re that Sierra?”

I nodded.

For a moment, she just stared at me like I was something out of a legend.

“I still don’t understand how I got caught,” I admitted quietly. “I don’t make mistakes.”

“Everyone does,” she said gently.

I didn’t respond.

Because I knew one thing I hadn’t made a mistake.

Someone had betrayed me.

The next morning, the cafeteria was chaos.

The smell alone was enough to make me lose my appetite.

“Eat,” Anna whispered.

“You’ll need your strength.”

I pushed the tray away.

“I’m fine.”

A hand suddenly slammed the plate back in front of me.

“We don’t waste food here.”

I looked up.

Three girls stood there.

The one in front smiled but there was nothing friendly about it.

“You must be the new girl.”

Anna stiffened beside me.

“Sierra… don’t”

“Eat,” the girl ordered.

I leaned back.

“No.”

Her smile vanished.

“You’ve got attitude.”

“I’ve got standards.”

She grabbed my hair.

Pain shot through my scalp.

“I’m talking to you.”

“Let go.”

“Sierra, please,” Anna whispered.

“That’s Adeena…”

Ah.

So she was the queen bee.

I smirked slightly despite the pain.

“Not impressed.”

That was the wrong thing to say.

I grabbed my tray and flung it at her.

Silence.

Then chaos.

She lunged at me and we hit the ground hard.

Her fists slammed into my face again and again.

Pain exploded through me.

Voices shouted.

Alarms blared. And then darkness.

When I woke up, everything hurt.

My head.

My face.

My ribs.

“Sierra?”

Anna.

I blinked slowly.

“Why would you do that?” she asked.

“You just made an enemy out of the most dangerous woman here.”

“I don’t care,” I muttered.

And I meant it.

“Where’s her cell?”

Anna stared at me.

“You’re not serious.”

“I want revenge.”

She shook her head.

“You’re insane.”

Maybe.

But I wasn’t weak.

My stomach growled loudly.

Great.

“I need to make a call,” I said. “Can you get Mabel?”

Anna hesitated, then nodded and left.

I turned toward the mirror.

My reflection stared back at me.

Bruised.

Swollen.

Broken.

What have you done, Sierra?

A few minutes later, Mabel returned with a phone.

“You’re trouble,” she said.

“And you’ve only been here one day.”

She handed it to me.

“Five minutes.”

I dialed Faline.

No answer.

Kage.

Off.

My chest tightened.

Then I called Nash.

He picked up immediately.

“Sierra?”

My voice cracked.

“I’m sorry.”

“Where are you?”

“I’m in prison,” I whispered.

“Saint Patrick’s.”

Silence.

Then movement.

Keys.

A door.

“I’m coming,” he said.

“Don’t tell dad,” I said quickly.

“I’ll handle it.”

My throat tightened.

“Can you bring food?”

A small pause.

Then softly.

“Of course.”

The line cut.

Mabel took the phone.

“Time’s up.”

As she led me back to my cell, one thought echoed in my mind.

I didn’t just get caught.

I was set up.

And when I find out who did it. They’ll wish I never made it out of that prison alive.