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.

go away!" I hiss, my body

look at each

— another week

"I’m sorry, child."

professes gravely, closing the distance between

not do this if

anything I’ve ever experienced before,

me to run, to get away

worse than anything the doctor or

isn’t anywhere to

and two attackers far larger and stronger than I am bearing down on me.I try to scream, but the second priest clamps his

my teeth into his palm, but he doesn’t

the door, propelling

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

screams muffled and garbled as the priest

seeps into my mouth, the metallic tang fanning the flames in my already

fighting for air and

do or how to fight them — I’m powerless in their strong grips, and they

a feather swaying in the wind for

pierces the air, sounding

thick with grief and pain more complex than the sheer fright in

voice, tinged with concern, joins

"It’s too much."

"Just a little more."

second voice, floating

"We're so close."

where these sounds are coming from, and

nothing more than a pawn in their game — tiny and helpless to

onto the

other sits on my kicking

it’s pearlescent sheen glimmering like

but when they begin wrapping it around my body, it tightens around me

fabric, winding it round and round like

locked against my sides and my legs tightly shut, I’m completely

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

the priest finally

my scream escapes before the moonlight closes over my gaping lips, locking my face into the contours of a silent

though I don’t

of my nightmares come to life - my mind is awake but I’m

- anything! But nothing happens because

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

moment before drops of moisture seep through the silk and

laid over my body, stones or crystals placed

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

I’m running out of time, but I refuse

to chant then, speaking a language I do not

small room, carrying arcane power older than the