Accidental Surrogate

#Chapter 179 — Bound Trigger warning — Assault (non-sexual)

Ella

"It’s all right, Ella."

The first priest says, approaching me as one might a skittish horse — with slow, measured movements and hands exposed to show he holds no weapon.

"We only want to protect you."

"Protect me from what?" I question shakily, my back flush against the locked door.

"You have a very powerful magic inside you, and if it's allowed to come out you’ll be exposed.We can’t let that happen." He explains, using a tone much too gentle to be trustworthy.

It’s as though he’s trying to trick me, to convince me he’s kind when he truly intends malice.

"I don’t have any magic." I insist, wishing that I did.

Maybe if I was magic I might be able to put a stop to the things happening here — to protect the others without bringing harm to myself.I was so preoccupied with this statement that I almost missed the second piece of information.

"Exposed to what?"

"You do, it just hasn't shown itself yet."

The second priest sighs, keeping his distance but watching me with sharp eyes.

"At least not in ways you understand.Tell me, have you never noticed how much stronger you are than your peers? That you can hear and smell things from much greater distances? That you can run faster, jump higher, suffer greater injuries with less pain?"

He inquires, his hawkish gaze searing into me, "do they not follow you? Gravitate to your side and obey you as a leader?"

My head spins, making me dizzy with the possibilities.He guesses correctly, but that can’t be because I have some sort of special power.It's just the way things are...isn’t it? "And exposed to a world you cannot yet join."

The first man adds.

"It must happen when the time is right - but that time is a very long way off."

"I don’t understand."

I squeak, a sense of pure dread settling in the pit of my stomach.

"We know, Ella."

The second man proclaims, "And I’m sorry that this must happen, it will not be pleasant, but it is necessary for the future of our people."I shake my head, fighting back tears.

Their words are triggering every alarm bell in my young mind.I know what men do to little girls under the guise of necessity, the pretense of helping or protecting.

And I know exactly how unpleasant things can get.

My blood runs cold, and my pulse races, triggering a strange new energy deep in my bones.

It pulses through me like a bolt of electricity, a wild thing writhes just beneath my skin, feral and rabid — begging to be free.

away!" I hiss, my body shuddering with these new

each other with grim

timing was spot on — another

"I’m sorry, child."

professes gravely, closing the distance between

would not do this

terror, unlike anything I’ve ever experienced before,

are screaming at me to run, to

far worse than anything the

isn’t anywhere to

am bearing down on me.I try to scream, but the second priest clamps his hand over my mouth before the sound can

my teeth into his palm, but

the door, propelling me further into

first man grabs my legs, and I’m lifted off

my screams muffled and garbled as the priest continues

mouth, the metallic tang fanning the flames in my already

gagging, fighting for air

fight them — I’m powerless in their strong grips,

a feather swaying in the wind for

distant keening pierces the air, sounding

deeper than my own, thick with grief and pain

tinged with

"It’s too much."

"Just a little more."

voice, floating

"We're so close."

coming from, and the priests don’t seem to

with their task with single-minded focus, and i’m nothing more than a pawn in their game — tiny and helpless

onto the floor

wrists while the other sits on my kicking legs, pulling his tool bag to his

a shimmering silk cloth, it’s pearlescent sheen glimmering

around my body, it tightens around

winding it round and round like a glittering

against my sides and

move a muscle in the fabric’s punishing grip, and soon they’re wrapping my head, as if they intend to mummify me

silk falls over my mouth, the priest finally removes his hand from

my gaping lips, locking my face into the contours

to breathe, though

mind is awake but I’m trapped in my own body, unable to

nerve endings and muscles to move, to do something - anything!

the priests rummaging around outside the walls of my silken prison, and I strain to identify the sounds: the clink of glass? The jostling of beads? novelebook A bottle uncorking? For all the fabric’s strength, it does not stop me from feeling or

fragrance a moment before drops of moisture seep through

laid over my body, stones or crystals placed

the cocoon, that foreign electricity in my veins warning me that I won't be able to

know I’m running out of time, but I refuse to give up hope for

speaking a language I do not

small room, carrying arcane