#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

at each

— another week

"I’m sorry, child."

first priest professes gravely, closing the distance

would not do this if there was

unlike anything I’ve ever experienced before, takes over my

are screaming at me to run, to get

that whatever these men intend will be far worse than anything the

isn’t

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

my teeth into his palm, but he

the door, propelling

grabs my legs, and I’m lifted off

my screams muffled and garbled as the priest continues

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

gagging, fighting for air and struggling to focus on

— I’m powerless in their strong grips, and they

might as well be a feather swaying in the wind for all the

keening pierces the air,

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

deep voice, tinged with concern, joins the

"It’s too much."

"Just a little more."

voice, floating

"We're so close."

where these sounds are coming from, and the priests don’t

and i’m nothing more than a pawn in their game — tiny

thrust onto the floor

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

extracts a shimmering silk cloth, it’s pearlescent sheen glimmering like

looks soft and airy, but when they begin wrapping it around my body, it tightens around

in the fabric, winding it round and round like

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

grip, and soon they’re wrapping my head, as if they intend to mummify me

over my mouth, the priest finally removes

of my scream escapes before the moonlight closes over my gaping lips, locking my face

though I don’t

awake

move, to do something - anything! But nothing

can hear the priests rummaging around outside the walls of my silken prison, and I strain to identify the sounds: the clink of glass?

a moment before drops of moisture seep through the silk and

my body, stones or crystals placed

fight the cocoon, that foreign electricity in my

I know I’m running out of time, but

to chant then, speaking

swirl around the small room, carrying arcane power older than

The Novel will be updated daily. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

Comments ()

0/255