Than the Water of the Womb (Book 4 in the Coven Series)

Chapter 5 Hostage

Cinder

Harsh light dried out my eyes and the ropes binding me to the chair seemed to get tighter with each minute that passed. I was also in desperate need of a drink.

I struggled to look to my right to see Leon, his arms shackled over his naked chest. Morgan chained in exactly the same way on my left, feet hovering above the cold floor.

A door slammed open overhead, followed by heavy, boot clad footsteps. Three hunters waltzed into the room, eyeing us like food. I swallowed deeply as they approached me.

"You think have us fooled?" A gloved hand gripped my jaw roughly. "You are a harpy wearing a human face!" He spat in my face.

"We should burn her." A woman with severe, angular features sneered my way.

The man started untying the ropes, with a hand fisted in my hoodie he pulled me up. I started punching him. I couldn't use my magic for some reason; they had injected each of us with some sort of chemical substance.

"Bitch!" A palm connected with my cheek and I fell to the floor.

"Stop!" Leon and Morgan pleaded from behind me. "Don't hurt her!"

They began kicking me in the stomach, over and over.

"Chronos!" I cried. "Chronos!" I curled into a ball. "Decarabia!"

The kicking stopped. "What did you say?"

"Decarabia." I could barely breathe it out.

I was pulled roughly to my feet, blood spilling from the corner of my mouth.

"Could she be...?" They spoke in hushed voices as they consulted with one another. "...We better take her."

They bound my hands behind my back and ushered me towards the door. I looked over my shoulder to see Leon nod my way. I knew what he wanted me to do, to get out of this place and formulate a plan to get everyone else out.

My bones throbbed as I was pushed up the stairs and into the bowls of a building with hunters stationed around every corner and at the ends of every hallway. I could hear the thrumming of electricity and the screams of imprisoned Witches and Warlocks behind bolted doors.

I found myself in the office of the man or woman behind the torture of innocent people.

"What is the meaning of this?" The high-backed chair spun around to reveal a man in his fifties, silver frosting the tips of his once dark facial hair.

"We believe her to be important to a high Demon." The woman answered.

"She is nothing more than common vermin." He looked at me as if I were beneath him. "The sooner she is dead the better, now stop wasting my time."

"Decarabia is my guardian." I spoke up.

"You dare speak to me without being spoke to." He looked at me with incredulity. "Do you know who I am?"

"No." I said softly.

"I am the bearer of hope, I am the savior of humanity." His voice rose as he spoke. "It will be I, that will open humanity's eyes to the Satan worshipers that bring disease and chaos to our world. It is you!" He pointed at me. "That heat the earth, drowning our continents and bringing us closer to extinction!"

"You use me as an excuse for your own mistakes." I didn't care if I earned another slap. This man had no right to talk about me, or my kind in that manner.

"I'll kill you myself." He pulled a long dagger from its sheath at his waist.

"Wait!" One of the men spoke up. "What if she is the girl which Decarabia looks over? There are rumors of his ascension, imagine the destruction that he would bring if we were to kill her."