Page 15 of Gift from the Nexus

CC’s voice silences the rejection about to spew from me. If that’s going to make them stop, sure, absolutely. It won’t be too hard to pretend. The darkness has been lurking around my vision, beckoning me in, promising solace in the black abyss, but my fear of what may happen if I pass out has kept me from giving into the call.

Locking my eyes on Trex’s, I open my mouth slightly like I’m going to speak before letting my lids flutter a few times, then slowly close them. With the others’ hands still on me and a needle still shoved in the crook of my elbow, I battle with my body to relax, but once I do, I hear him murmur shit.

“She’s out,” he tells the others.

“Damn, I only bit her a few times.”

“A few? There’re at least twenty punctures across her legs.” Max barks out a mocking laugh and I force myself not to tense, not to react.

“I’m so sorry, filia mea, but I’m also so incredibly proud of you for what you’ve done and what you will do. Take a moment and just listen. It’s almost time.”

I’m not sure what it’s almost time for, but I do as they say.

Blocking the pain to the best of my ability, I lie perfectly still, and with slow, measured breaths, I listen.

“She’s far stronger than you made her out to be. It took twenty bites from a vampire to knock her out.”

Although I can’t see them, the three newcomers have spoken enough that I can identify their voices and that one was Trex. I don’t know what to make of him yet. He’s different than the others, and that makes him even more of a threat.

“Well, I was unaware of how strong she’d truly grown since coming here, but she won’t be an issue to the four of us once we bind her and her father’s going to drain her daily,” Donald replies coldly.

Daily? There’s no way. Absolutely not.

“Unfortunately, Willow’s always been mentally strong, but these are forces beyond her will. Once her soul is tied to the four of you, she’ll have no other option. She’ll be defiant, disrespectful, and combative at every turn, but her power won’t work against the four of you, nor me or the Summum-Master once she is marked.”

Franklin’s tone is bored as I feel him tugging on the tubing, changing out my blood bag once again. My head’s starting to get foggier, and I know at this point it’s because of both the pain and blood loss.

I don’t miss the words he said, though. It isn’t what he said I catch, it’s what he didn’t say. My powers won’t work on them, but he mentioned nothing about their powers working on me. I’ll be completely at their mercy, with no way to defend myself.

I have to get out of here. I need a plan. Now.

“Calm down, don’t give yourself away. Listen to their plan.”

Gradually, I exhale, releasing the tension that has taken over my muscles, and I let my body go limp once more. No one’s called me out, so thankfully, my brief panic went unnoticed.

“There’s a vial for each of us on the table. She’s going to have to have one as well before entering the forest. Despite the creatures knowing their place, the amount of blood covering herwill send them into a frenzy. This is the last bag I need, then we need to leave.”

“Ugh, that ghastly tonic makes you all smell and taste horrific.” Bryce groans extremely close to me. His freezing breath is the smallest of warnings I get before he licks a path up my arm to my shoulder blade. “Such a pity to sully such a delicious meal.”

It takes unimaginable resistance not to react in any way. Every part of me is revolting. I want to gag, sneer, and punch him in the face all at the same time.

“Yeah, well, I’m not gonna allow my new pet to be torn to bits before I even get a piece of her,” Max growls, followed by glass clanking together.

“You all have been given only one rule to follow. The leniency you’ve been granted is a gift, not a right. Take it as far as you please with her, but you will honor and obey the plans in place for her and if she dies, so do the four of you. Now, Donald, go inform Gish we’re leaving in thirty minutes. We’re taking half the baggage with us,” Franklin commands firmly.

The hush that follows Donald’s mumbled “yes, sir” as he stomps out the door is eerie. There’s tension in the air and I’m not sure if it’s from Franklin’s harsh demand or the words he said. Hopefully, these assholes don’t like being told what to do, and it has nothing to do with the plans for me. I can’t imagine how awful they’d have to be to silence this whole group of men who just spent who knows how long torturing me.

That thought spurs on so many others. Mainly, how in the hell am I getting out of this?

“What do you remember about this building when you first arrived?” CC asks.

The sickly feeling of having no control over my body is the first thing to come to mind, but I block that out and think about what I saw when we first transported in.

“I remember everything I could see.”

“Good. The structure you’re in is heavily concealed. Only those who bear the mark can see through it. You were able to see because of your gift.”

“So the haze I saw was a concealment spell. That’s why they haven’t come for me yet,” I state. I know they’re out of their minds looking for me, but they can’t find me.

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