Page 210 of The Doll and The Domination

“We have to run,” I yell at them so they can hear me over the ruckus. “The plank is really hot now!”

The boys nod as we sprint, my hand clenching around Niles’s knuckles to make sure he doesn’t fall. The metal sears into the sensitive underside of my feet, but we move quickly, never leaving our skin against the panel too long.

I hear Niles yelp as the fluid limbs of the fire reach too close to his legs. I tug him along faster, keeping my eyes nailed to my feet as they move in a straight line. Almost there. Almost there.

A firm hand snatches my wrist, pulling me to the end of the line. I lift my eyes off the ground, seeing Warrose and Ruth looking down at me in relief.

“We made it!” I screech, jumping up and down!

Niles matches my smile.

“Wait…” Warrose shouts, looking over my shoulder to the pit.

Niles and I turn on our heels, searching for Dessin, who was supposed to be right behind us. And he’s there, still on the plank, burning his hands and knees as he tries to free himself from something jagged and black tying his leg to the metal plank.

“Dessin!” Niles bellows, taking off in the direction of the fire.

I freeze at first, not believing what I’m seeing. Niles. Niles, who’s mortified by the flames, runs back to them to save his friend.

I throw myself forward, following Niles back to the plank.

“Keep the other prisoners from pushing us off! I’ll free him!” Niles demands.

I push ahead, stepping over Dessin’s crouched body, snagging the spear so I can fight off the mass of shoving bodies trying to get past Dessin.

I can hardly feel the burning of my feet as adrenaline strengthens my body, fuels my arteries with power. I throw my weight into each defensive movement. Looking over my shoulder, I notice the detail of barbed wire fashioned into a whip, which was used to hook around Dessin’s leg, nailing it to the path. His legs turn bright red as the heat no doubt injures and melts his skin.

“It’s nailed into the metal!” Niles grunts, trying to find a way to unwind the barbed wire.

“Just get out of here!” Dessin retorts, sweat making his face shiny.

But Niles doesn’t listen. Doesn’t respond. Instead, his expression changes into something calm and determined. With his bare hands, he uses all of his strength to pull the contraption free from the hot metal. That soft flesh rips from the tiny spikes, fresh blood spurting out around Dessin’s leg, dripping into the flames with a sizzle.

Niles grinds his teeth, grunting against the fiery pain burning his knees, tearing new wounds into his palms and fingers as he finally breaks the hold of the whip, untwisting it from around Dessin’s calf.

“Go!” I shout, pushing away more inmates that try to rush us.

Dessin helps Niles to his feet, guiding him to the exit as I follow behind.

Once we’re to safety, we stand in a circle, a bubble of silence that separates us from the chaos of this Fun House Night. Dessin looks down at Niles’s blistered, shredded palms still gushing with bright puddles of crimson. His forearms are covered in thick webs of blood that drip down to the tips of his elbows.

And Dessin stares at it all with parted lips. Niles shifts on his feet like he’s embarrassed or uncomfortable being under the spotlight of Dessin’s focus for this long. As I look back, I see Dessin blinking, exhaling slowly, then doing the most unexpected thing I could have imagined.

Dessin takes a step forward and hugs Niles, causing our golden boy to release a heavy sob.

“Thank you, my friend,” Dessin whispers.

57. Swamp Dawpers

Skylenna

Kaspias faces the rusted metal door as I change into the new leather bodysuit, the color of roasted red peppers or oxblood wine. It’s covered in brass buckles, straps, and black armor plates cover my breasts, shoulders, and ribs.

“Are you listening? You need to follow these directions exactly, Skylenna. The Vexamen villages are not ones you want to get lost in.”

I secure the next three buckles across my waist, tightening the leather until it’s snug yet still breathable. The body suit belongs to Persecuting Caretakers, trained guards that taunt inmates sentenced to the prison basement until they starve or contract a deadly disease from the rabid rodents. Kaspias brought us to an empty room so I can change and not be recognized when I leave.

“I’m hearing every word,” I answer.

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