Page 13 of Bound By Darkness

Moria’s eyes widened, fear shining within her irises.

Gayle laughed. “You think you’re a person? You are property.Property belonging to His Majesty. It is his right to sell you to the highest bidder.”

“Thalia, don’t cause trouble,” Moria whispered.

“Listen to Moria,” Gayle purred. “She knows her status. Don’t you?” His fist banged against the iron bars, startling her where she sat. “Don’t you?” he repeated, his cheeks tinged red.

“Y-Yes,” she whispered, her eyes lowering.

My face softened as I watched the years of torture eat Moria alive. She retreated back into her shell. Gayle haddone that to her. Had manipulated and shattered her to the core.

He smirked as he backed away from the bars. “See how easy it is? Now, stand up.”

“No.”

“Stand up,” he growled.

“No,” I repeated, my palms sweating as I stared at him. My knees shook violently as I commanded my face to remain neutral.

Gayle’s hand swung to grab my chains, but I hauled them to my chest, tucking them in tightly.

He swore as his hand missed.

Instead, he settled on wrapping it around my hair. He yanked hard, a cry leaving my lips as my head collided with stone. My vision blurred as he kicked me, blood oozing from the fresh wounds.

“Stop… stop it!” Moria whispered, her hand reaching between the bars.

Gayle lifted my bloodied face, his hands intertwined to the roots. “Slave,” he spat. “You are a slave, nothing more.”

Gripping the ends of my hair, he yanked me toward the iron doors. “Your master is waiting,” he grumbled as he hauled me out of my cell.

All of my senses were laced with agony as my legs scraped against the flooring. Hoping… hoping to catch a groove between the stones that might slow him and prevent me from my fate.

Gayle slammed the cell door shut as he half-dragged me through the hallway.

My eyes met Moria’s, her face dimming with each stone between us. Her eyes glistened as she mouthed something to me, but I couldn’t make it out in the room.

Another tug at my hair sent me reaching for my scalp as we rounded a corner, Moria gone from view.

My back blazed, fever tinging my face and skin pink.

“I was going to be courteous and let you tell her goodbye,” he said as we rounded another corner.

“What?” I choked, the air thinning as I gritted through the pain.

Gayle chuckled. “Did I forget to tell you he wants to see you because the transfer is happening now?”

My legs stiffened.

“Oh no.” He gasped. “I did forget to mention, didn’t I?” His laughter echoed long and hollow as he dragged me through the prison catacombs. “No need to say goodbye to that lowly Fae. She’s worse than dirt mingling with your kind.”

He pulled me through the winding corridors making up the underground tunnel away from the only person I cared about. My plan to escape with her shattered as his keys sang their misery to me.

Chapter 5

Bleeding Purple

THALIA

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