Page 126 of These Fractured Bonds
“I didn’t take anything.”
“Silence!” The blow came hard and fast.
She finally saw the stars she’d see in cartoons.
“Disobedient filth. I should display you like this—dirty and broken—then they would agree with me. You are not worthy. And I should thank the one who agreed with me, handing you to me to rid the world of you.”
Her ears rang, the confirmation of betrayal echoing in their chambers.
“Who—”
He gripped her chin, bruising it. He hissed, “Let the doubt devour you.” He let go of her. “Lie there and despair until I return. You’ll be my audience for your friend’s turn.”
The door slammed shut, and Yareli let her tears fall; their hot streaks singed her skin, reminding her that it was her fault Bri and she were captured. Eventually, the thudding in her head was far too great to ignore, and her tears dried up. She lay there, eyes wide open, until the room’s cold temperature chilled her bones. She was exhausted, and despite her wish, sleep evaded her. She wasn’t sure how long it had been before she heard a rustle followed by a sigh.
“Bri?” she asked.
“No, little bird.” Weni’s voice was soft, lilting, and it almost brought her to tears again.
“Weni,” she gasped. “Please, go tell Augrys where Bri and I are being held.”
Her face came into view, her blonde strands falling forward to envelope Yareli in their curtain.
“How obscene.” She clicked her tongue, and Yareli’s leather straps came undone. “That man had no right.”
Yareli pushed herself into a sitting position, groaning as her bruised body shifted after so long. “Weni, please. Send for Augrys.”
“I can’t do that, bird.”
“Why not?” Yareli showed her unshackled hands. “You just freed me.”
“Did I?”
Weni’s face contorted, morphing into a mirror image of Yareli. “You’re dreaming. I cannot assist you. Only you can save yourself.”
“How?”
“Magic,” she said it so casually, almost flippantly.
How easy it was for Fae to solve their problems with magic, like it was a pencil that could make and unmake.
Frustrated, Yareli said, “Sure, let me cast a spell or two here, and I’ll free myself. Except, wait, I can’t because my magic doesn’t work!”
Weni’s eyes hardened. “Are you purposefully acting a fool, or shall I spell it out for you?”
“Of course I’m a fool! It’s my fault I’m in this situation. Now, either help me or get lost so I may contemplate my last rites.”
“You are so alike. It’s almost agonizing,” Weni replied, shifting her face back to her own. She disappeared, reappearing next to Yareli on the metal table. “You must break your core.”
Her core again. How she wished she had broken the damn thing already. “I’ve tried. It’s impossible right now; I don’t have someone who can help me.”
“Then, you’ll die. And what a shame that would be—to die without reaching your potential.” Weni swung her bare feet up, leaping off the table and landing neatly. “I suppose that’s alright. You had chosen to forgo power anyway. You will find,” she said,glancing at Yareli over her shoulder, “ family always disappoints, but power is unwavering. It’s your choice.”
With that, Weni blinked out of existence, snapping Yareli out of her dream. Her breath coiled in front of her in a white mist.
“My choice, huh?”
With death as the alternative, she wouldn’t consider it much of a choice. She was tired of the games Fae played—coercion disguised as a choice. Maybe she’d choose death to spite Weni. Bri moaned, her first sign of stirring since Yareli had arrived, and she was assaulted by guilt. Her friend had been tortured because of her; she couldn’tchoosedeath out of pettiness. Bri deserved better. With her decision made, Yareli began to plan.
