Page 61 of Thorns of Deceit: The Beast Within

But there were too many of them.

Hands everywhere. Grabbing. Pulling. Tearing.

She fought like a cornered animal, all teeth and nails and desperate fury. But for every blow she landed, two more found their mark on her.

They dragged her deeper into the suffocating darkness. Cobblestones, slick with God-knows-what, slid under her feet. Buildings loomed on either side, pressing closer, trapping her.

Panic clawed at her throat.

This can’t be happening.

Not after everything she’d sacrificed.

The Gryphon’s frenzy consumed her, its rage and terror indistinguishable from her own. It thrashed wildly, threatening to burst from her chest.

A grimy hand clamped over her mouth, tasting of dirt and lant. She gagged, bile rising in her throat.

“Got ‘im!” A gruff voice. Triumphant. “Not so tough without yer beast, eh?”

Skylar’s eyes darted wildly, counting her attackers. Five? Six?

She recognized a familiar figure among them, a young man, barely more than a boy. Skylar’s heart turned to ice. The assassination attempt on Arye.

Thorncrest.

She bit down hard on the hand covering her mouth. The man yelped, jerking away. Skylar spat, a glob of blood and saliva hitting his face. “You’ll suffer for this,” she snarled.

A meaty fist slammed into her gut. Pain exploded through her body. She doubled over, gasping.

Laughter. Cruel and mocking. “Feisty little toff, ain’t he? Gonna enjoy breakin’ that spirit.”

“Look at them eyes.” Another voice, thick with lust. “That fancy lad’s prettier than half the whores I’ve ‘ad.”

The Gryphon roared within her, matching Skylar’s own disgust and rage. She could feel it clawing at her insides, desperate to be unleashed. To rip. To tear. To destroy.

“I’ll fuck ‘im bloody, man or not,” one of them chimed in, the words slurring slightly. “Been too long since I ‘ad a warm body.”

She thrashed wildly, channeling every ounce of strength into breaking free. Her boot connected solidly with someone’s groin. A yelp of pain. Small victory.

But the others only tightened their grip. Fingers dug into her flesh, bruising, crushing.

“What if ‘e calls that fuckin’ monster?” the shortest of them asked, a tremor of fear in his voice.

A derisive snort. “That thing ain’t comin’. Heard ‘e needs to sacrifice virgins or some shite to call it.”

More laughter, cruel and hungry.

Ice flooded Skylar’s veins. Her mind raced, searching desperately for a way out. But her usual quick thinking failed her, swallowed by a rising tide of panic.

The Gryphon’s energy intensified, its wings beating a frantic rhythm against her rib cage. Its desperation mirrored her own—a primal need to survive.

“Shut it.” An authoritative voice cut through the jeering. A tall figure stepped forward, moonlight glinting off something inhis hand. “We got a job to do. Brand the bastard first. Then you lot can ‘ave your fun.”

The acrid smell of heated metal hit her nostrils. Skylar’s eyes widened in horror. She renewed her struggles, a cornered animal fighting for its life.

“Keep ‘im still, you useless twats!” The leader barked. “Don’t let ‘im make a sound!”

A filthy rag was shoved into her mouth. The taste of mold and worse things made her retch.

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