Page 10 of Gift from the Nexus

He looks…younger.

Like he’s…aging backward.

“You have magic. A gift. You’re from this realm,” I whisper in horror.

“You’ve always been far smarter than I would’ve cared for in a daughter. The silent, illiterate ones are so much more compliant. You’ve always had to figure things out fast, never satisfied with any answer given to you if it didn’t please you. Raising you was utterly exhausting.”

The exasperated sigh he releases pisses me off even more. He knows good and well he didn’t raise me. He had no hand in any part of my upbringing other than his torture sessions.

Just as I open my mouth to say that, he slams his finger to my lips, silencing me. I have half a mind to bite the digit off when suddenly a wave of magic zaps across my face.

The sensation of my jaw being pried apart, seconds away from being torn off, mingled with every tooth being ripped out of their sockets engulfs me. I thrash my head back and forth, trying to sling him off, but it’s no use as he snatches a handful of my hair and holds my head in place. A scream tries to escape me, but it’s muffled as he presses his entire palm so hard against my lips, my front teeth cut into the tissue and the salty tang of my blood awakens every one of my taste buds.

The moment he snatches his hand away, the entire sensation stops. The pain’s instantly gone, aside from the tenderness I feel when I flex my jaw, opening my mouth over and over. It’s like it never even happened.

“Pain, that would be my gift, daughter. I can inflict any sort of pain I wish to and not leave a single trace of it behind. Or I could trap you in it entirely until I feel like releasing you. I don’t feel any agony whatsoever. The pain of others or myself feedsmy gift, keeping me charged, but with you, your pain feeds me like no other I’ve ever experienced. The first time I ever felt it, it stopped the aging process that miserable realm brings forth,” he says giddily like he’s high on cloud nine with the power flowing through him.

“You were no more than two, running through my study like an insolent child, and you fell, cut your head open on the fireplace. Your pain caused my gift to flare to life, stronger and more potent than I had felt in years from being assigned to that realm. It soaked your pain up and flourished throughout every cell in my body. I knew then you most certainly had an extraordinary gift flowing through you, and if it were to emerge, it would power me fully until we could return here for good.

“I waited and waited, upping our sessions in your teenage years to force your emerging. When it didn’t happen, I figured a new brand of pain was needed and Donald was rising quickly through the ranks. I knew he’d be a very suitable match for you. Your emerging, of course, didn’t happen until his initiation, but I knew the moment it did. I could feel your agony all the way back to my estate. I didn’t have to seek out any pain for a full week after that.”

To know he’s been feeding, fueling himself off my pain for so many years, since I was a child, and that he sold me off to Donald, knowing what would come from it, makes me feel disgusted, violated. Just another thing that’s been taken from me unwillingly to make an unworthy man more powerful.

The sick, pleasured smirk on his face and the subtle glow in his irises tell me he’s feeding right now. Relishing the mental and physical torment I’m currently in. I try to block out the pain, the heartache, to the best of my ability, but it doesn’t work. It doesn’t stop.

I want to burn the look right off his face despite knowing he wouldn’t feel it. Even if he can’t experience the pain, I find peacein playing his hypothetical demise in my mind. His lips melting away from my flaming purple fire. Both Draken and Caspian cheering me on, giving me tips and tricks on how to make it more exciting.

Draken would make some sexual comment about how sexy I am burning him to a crisp or he’d suggest we play catch with his body like a chew toy in our dragon forms. Then he’d declare we eat him.

Caspian would put the flames out with his water, just so I could start again. He’d insist or rather take over, once he grew impatient, not one to be left out of getting his pound of flesh. But he’d let me finish him off if that’s what I wanted.

Tillman would sit back, telling me to correct my stance or raise my hand higher. He’d take this as a teaching opportunity, show me how to hone my torturing skills. Then he’d stand in front of me protectively to block out the gruesome sight.

Corentin would pinch my chin, forcing my eyes up to his. I can hear his voice clearly in my mind asking,“What do you need, princess?”I’d tell him I need to end the man who started my suffering, and he’d smile down at me with soft eyes and tell me okay, he’s got me.

Each of them would handle my fury, my rage, so differently, but equally supportive. Each would match my emotions, balance me so completely. Despite my current predicament and the fear I can’t force away when I look at Franklin, the thought of my men causes my lip to twitch.

Knowing that his life is on borrowed time makes my mouth curl up in a smug grin.

The bright golden rings start to fade and his eyes narrow on me like I’ve stolen away his favorite treat. He sneers, taking a step forward, and I brace myself for whatever he’s about to do, but a knock at the door stops his outstretched hand.

My body relaxes as the momentary distraction takes his attention off me, but that was a premature move. Faster than I can prepare myself for, he turns on a dime and lays his finger to my forehead before strolling happily to the door.

Electricity zaps through every nerve ending in my body like I’ve stuck my hand to a live wire, causing every limb to convulse, and the surface of my skin twitches uncontrollably. The blood flow from my cuts that had previously slowed comes roaring back like wild rapids. The sticky mess smears all over me as I wither violently.

Sauntering back over to me, there’s a pep in his step that has my stomach sinking deeper. Either being here brings out emotions in him that the nonmagical realm couldn’t or something grueling is about to happen to me.

“Wonderful news, Willow.” He smiles, laying his finger back to my forehead, ceasing the electric shock. “Your husbands will be here any minute now.”

There are still muscle spasms wracking my nerves and his words make my entire body shiver more wildly. That’s the second time he’s said it like that.

Husbands…as in plural.

“I…I don’t have a husband,” I stutter, refusing to acknowledge what that man “legally” is to me. Here in this realm, he isn’t shit.

“I suppose that’s true now. You have four.”

“What?” I whisper, mortified.

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