“The babies come,” Faolán called to them with malice in his sickening tone. It scared me with the sheer volume of hatred in it. The pains were growing closer and stronger now. I knew it meant I was running out of time and soon I’d have to push or chance the babes dying inside of me. Right now I wasn’t sure I’d get a choice as the Mages continued to pour into the room.
“Place her on the stone; it’s time to finish this,” one said coldly. He produced a dagger from the sleeve of the black cloak he wore, and then whispered to the candles, which leapt to life and bathed the room in the gentle glow of candlelight. I hadn’t been able to make out much of the room before but now with it finally lit, I could.
They began to chant, and as I watched, the entire room transformed. The magic they were using was the same as I used before I discovered I was fully Fae. In the middle of the room was a stone slab, which looked like something out of a medieval era. I was roughly picked up and placed on it, and angry hands held me down as chains were slipped around my hands and legs.
I couldn’t move, and I felt the power draining from me from the bolts still lodged in my shoulders. I watched as the male who had posed as Ryder moved forward briefly, as if he was unsettled with what he had done, but then he sifted out, leaving me to a fate worse than death.
“Stop this, please!” I begged the Mages. “They’re just babies!” I hate that I’m begging these hateful beings for anything, but for the lives of my tiny unborn babes, I’d beg. To save them I’d give my own life, or anything I could to give them a chance for life.
The knife was brought closer as hands held my motionless limbs in place—as if they were afraid I would break through the chains and fight them. I was spread out like a sacrifice. Tears of helplessness fell freely, and when the chants began, so too did my anger. “I’ll gut you all! I’ll eat out your fucking hearts like a Demon! Pussies! You stupid useless waste of beings! Hiding behind your hoods; take these bolts out and fight me! Me! Not the helpless beings you plan to kill! Fight me! You murderous bastards,” I seethed.
They ignored me and continued on task as they chanted around the stone slab. The one closest to me watched me with wonder in his eyes. As if he found it amazing that I was willing to challenge them even bound and helpless.
I was about to challenge him directly when something exploded into the room. I lifted my head as best as I could with the bolts still in, and watched as the man who had saved me from Faolán at mine and Adam’s handfasting, fought singularly against the Mages. His eyes were wild as he took down as many as he could.
“Cailean?” Faolán growled and moved in his direction. I screamed out to Cailean, and he sifted, his hand pulling out one of the bolts which gave me a slight reprieve. He hadn’t removed both, which left me still unbearably weak and unable to do much. Instead of challenging the Mage closest to me, I reached out with my weakened power and tried to blast him, but it only seemed to shock him. I pushed more power into it, and watched as he exploded, but it drained me. I was about to try another one when I felt the bolt being shoved back into my chest violently.
Someone had stabbed it into my chest instead of my shoulder without taking into account the proximity to my heart. I screamed in agony and ceased struggling as I fell back against the unforgiving slab. I coughed violently and winced as blood from my lungs splattered across the closest Mage to me.
I searched the room and fray for Cailean, and watched as he was downed by Faolán. I coughed again, but just as hope was failing, something struck through Faolán’s shoulder, impaling him. He looked down at his shoulder, and then up into my savior’s unforgiving gold and obsidian eyes. Faolán screamed in anger and frustration at his attacker, and then he was gone, sifting out at the first sign of losing, as usual.