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.

I hiss, my body shuddering

each other with

another week and we’d be too

"I’m sorry, child."

first priest professes gravely, closing the distance between

do this

anything I’ve ever experienced

at me to run, to get

that whatever these men intend will be far worse than anything

there isn’t

and stronger than I am bearing down on me.I try to scream,

into his palm, but he doesn’t

the door, propelling me further into

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

their hold, my screams muffled and garbled as the priest

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

rises, and I’m gagging, fighting for air and struggling to focus

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

feather swaying in the wind for all the effort they

keening pierces the air, sounding

with grief and pain more complex than

deep voice, tinged with

"It’s too much."

"Just a little more."

voice, floating

"We're so close."

sounds are coming from, and the priests don’t seem to

than a pawn

thrust onto the

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

cloth, it’s pearlescent sheen

but when they begin wrapping it around my body, it tightens around me with the unyielding force

enclose me in the fabric, winding it round

arms are locked against my sides and my legs tightly

the fabric’s punishing grip, and soon they’re wrapping my head, as if they

falls over my mouth, the

scream escapes before the moonlight closes over my gaping lips,

breathe, though I don’t understand

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

move, to do something - anything! But nothing happens because this

outside the walls of my silken prison, and I strain to identify the sounds: the clink of glass? The jostling of beads? novelebook

before drops of moisture seep

crystals placed in deliberate patterns on my head, chest, arms

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

out of time, but I refuse to give up hope

then, speaking a language

room, carrying arcane power older