Page 139 of Gift from the Nexus

“We’re going to our bonding ceremony. That’s what’s going on,” she says, slamming her hand over my mouth to keep it shut, and my body begins to tingle.

Bonding ceremony? No, I’m not ready for that yet.

Why would the rebels be here for that?

A group of men floods into the room and I try to jump out of my seat, but all that happens is a small twitch in my fingers. Even if the weight of her wasn’t holding me down, I wouldn’t be able to move.

“Wh…” The words won’t leave my lips and the more I push, the heavier my face feels.

“See you soon, honey.” She waves as one of the men slings me over their shoulder. Her laugh haunts me through the transport and my stomach rolls with uncertainty.

What the fuck are they going to do to me?

Darkness still surrounds me even as the men step us out of the transport. Wherever they’ve taken me, is murky, dark, and the chill has my teeth chattering involuntarily.

Loud, commanding shouts pierce my ears and I try to peer around the body holding me, but I can’t. I can’t fucking move. Why can’t I move?

Suddenly, my body hits the ground and my head lulls to the side where I get my first glimpse of what’s going on around me.

Torches light the circled area in a petrifying glow. They highlight the bodies hitting the ground and the individual moving around them faster than the speed of light. There are snarls and sneers as he rips people’s throats out easier than I could slice a sandwich in half.

“He’s a child,” he bellows as he’s brought down to his knees a few feet in front of me. Eyes as red as blood glow brightly, burning through me as I’m frozen in place by whatever Silvia shoved down my throat and by fear.

Va-vampire.

They’re going to feed me to a vampire. He’s going to drink all my blood, then rip my throat out.

“I’m so sorry, boy. I’m so sorry.” He apologizes over and over as his red eyes gain clarity and the glossy rubies beg for forgiveness.

Don’t do this, please. Help me.

My mouth doesn’t work no matter how much I command it to, so I try to communicate with my eyes. I beg, plead for him to help me, not hurt me.

Boney fingers grip my jaw, ripping my gaze from the vampire’s, and I’m sat straight up. The burnt orange shirt thatSilvia said looked good with my dirty-blond hair and olive skin is ripped over my head and I’m flung back to the ground. The lower half of my body is tugged and slung around until my dark jeans are thrown into the fire that’s been made of the pile of bodies.

I’m naked.

No, no, no. What is happening?

Please move. Please work.

Fucking move, legs.

Drugs. She drugged me.

Bile collects in my mouth, washing away the aftertaste of the poison Silvia gave me, and although a little disoriented, noise filters into my ears. I take slow, deep breaths, trying to calm myself down so I can figure out what to do, where I’m at, and how I can get out of here.

We’ve trained. Trained hard, but they never trained me for what to do if I’m drugged, stripped of my clothes, and thrown into a forest with a bloodthirsty vampire.

What did she give me?

What do I do?

What would Core do? What would he…

“Oh, Caspian, don’t look so fearful. You’re okay. I’m going to take care of you.” Silvia coos softly as she straddles my hips.

Silvia…No. Please don’t do this.

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