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

look at each

timing was spot on — another week and

"I’m sorry, child."

professes gravely, closing the distance

do this if there

unlike anything I’ve ever experienced before, takes

screaming at me to run, to get away at

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

isn’t anywhere to

a bolted door at my back and two attackers far larger and stronger than I am bearing down on me.I try to scream, but the

teeth into his palm, but he doesn’t

simply wrenches me away from the door, propelling me further into

my legs, and I’m lifted

my screams muffled and garbled as the

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

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

to do or how to fight them — I’m powerless in their strong grips, and they seem completely unaffected by my

be a feather swaying in the wind for all the effort they

keening pierces the air, sounding very far

thick with grief and pain more complex than the sheer

with concern, joins

"It’s too much."

"Just a little more."

second voice, floating above

"We're so close."

are coming from, and

with their task with single-minded focus, and i’m nothing more than a

the floor

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

shimmering silk cloth, it’s pearlescent sheen glimmering

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

it round

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

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

over my mouth, the priest finally removes his hand from

half second of my scream escapes before the moonlight closes over my gaping

to breathe, though

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

lie there motionless, my brain screaming at my nerve endings and muscles to move, to do something - anything! But nothing happens because this isn’t

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

herbaceous fragrance a moment before drops of moisture seep through the silk and onto my

over my body, stones or crystals placed in deliberate patterns on my head, chest, arms and

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

out of time, but I refuse to give

begin to chant then, speaking

words swirl around the small room, carrying arcane power older than the