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.

my body shuddering with these new

men look at each

timing was spot on — another week

"I’m sorry, child."

priest professes gravely,

not do this if there was

anything I’ve ever experienced before, takes over my

screaming at me to run,

intend will be far worse than anything the doctor or dormitory matron

isn’t

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

my teeth into his palm, but he doesn’t

the door, propelling me further

first man grabs my legs, and I’m

hold, my screams muffled and garbled as the priest

tang

rises, and I’m gagging, fighting for air

fight them — I’m powerless in their strong grips, and they seem completely unaffected by

in the wind

the air, sounding very far

grief and pain

A deep voice, tinged with

"It’s too much."

"Just a little more."

voice, floating above me,

"We're so close."

coming from, and the priests don’t seem

nothing more than a pawn in their game —

thrust onto the floor

restrains my wrists while the other sits on my

it’s pearlescent sheen glimmering like moonlight, glowing in

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

the fabric, winding it round

against my sides and

grip, and soon they’re wrapping my head, as if they

the priest

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

to breathe, though

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

my nerve endings and muscles to move, to do something - anything! But nothing

to identify the sounds: the clink of glass? The jostling

before drops of

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

foreign electricity in my veins warning me that I

out of time, but

then, speaking

carrying arcane power older