Page 124 of Ashes

Sully said nothing at that and focused on Sirena instead. Instantly, my fear ramped up.

“Hello, Sirena,” Sully said softly as she stared straight ahead, her focus on Asylum.

Something flickered in her colorful gaze which made me crinkle my brows.Movement. Behind her eyes.It was so brief I wasn’t even sure if I’d actually seen it or was just hoping for it.

“Don’t fucking touch her,” I shouted at the same time Asylum did.

Sully smirked back at us as he cradled her cheek. He dropped his hand away from her.

“Oh, no worries, boys. It’s not me who’s going to touch her.”

The fear which had been a tightly wound ball in my guts burst into strands of complete freakout as my breath caught in my chest over what his words could mean.

I’d kill someone. I knew I would.

I had to hold it together. He’d come after Sirena worse. He’d go for Church. He’d punish me. I knew it.

Everett fucking Church.

Breathe, Malachi. Fucking keep breathing. For her. For angel.

I held my breath as Sully went to a machine and grabbed some electrodes from it. He began fixing them to Sirena’s forehead and temple.

“What are you doing?” Asylum demanded as Sully returned to the machine and turned it on.

A nurse came into the room and began messing with the equipment as Sully turned back to us.

“It’s very simple. Miss Lawrence is sick. She’s catatonic. This is a last-ditch effort to bring her back before her stepfather gives her up. He’s been in talks with Everett Church. Everett has a lot of interest in obtaining her for various reasons, but most of it has to do with who her real father is and just how much money a girl with her eyes and looks could fetch at the market. So we bring her back and have a little fun in the name of science, or we let her go. It’s that simple.”

“Fuck you,” Asylum snarled. “I’ll kill you. I swear to the fucking devil, I will murder you.”

Sully offered him a smile. “The dogs of Everett Church never bite unless he lets them off their leash. I feel pretty safe, Mr. Cain.”

Asylum got to his feet, but two wards shot into the room and shoved him back into his chair and held him there as the nurse left the room.

I had no fucking clue what was going to happen, but I wished more than anything that it wouldn’t.

“Now, watch and learn how we get hands-on here at Chapel Crest.” Sully moved to the monitor and stared down at it.

“Firefly,” Asylum said in a fierce whisper. “It’s going to be OK. It’ll be OK. Breathe. Just keep breathing for us.”

I glanced from Asylum to Sirena and saw a sweep of fear shoot through her eyes.

She was . .back. She was already back!

“No! No!” I shouted, launching myself up as everything moved in slow motion.

Two more wards dashed in right as Sully hit the button on the machine. I wasn’t fast enough. They caught me before I made it to her.

Her eyes squeezed closed as she shook in her seat.

They were shocking her. The monster was shocking her.

Electroshock.

Her lashes fluttered for a moment before she trembled violently.

Asylum and I were both fighting with our captors while she continued to quiver.

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