Unwilling to Succumb (The Dragon Lorde #2)

Chapter Nineteen: Exposed

Time stood still, like a sharp inhale before one would sneeze. It was a consuming pause of anticipation. A full awareness of the pain that will come. But most pauses are fleeting and what follows is never pleasant. So, as a wave of air would spit from one's lips and as a shout would pierce the air, the high priest shattered the pause with his voice. Like a horribly painful sneeze.

"Silence, witch!" The high priest glared at me, before turning towards his crowd of men. "Fret not men! For there is another way to slay this bewitching temptress!"

I smiled. "Is there really?"

The high priest ignored me. "I sentence Mori without a surname, to be, on this day, sentenced to death by stoning. May Salvador forever hol-"

"Hold my peace as I wither to blah blah blah." I straightened myself against my chains, as numerous heated glares bared up at me "Oh, did I interrupt? Sorry, go on."

The high priest shook his head. "As I was saying! Pick the stones up at your feet! Let-"

"Her soul be burned in hell... la dee-dee dum." I yawned. "You know this is becoming quite repetitive."

By now, even the furthest set of eyes in the crowd were narrowing in incredulity, that some were even muttering of my ability to mind read. Not that I was complaining! Oh no! It would be amazingly spiffing if it were true!

With the sun disappearing behind the intricate shingles of each slanted roof, so did the street darken in shadows. Making me, my naked body, and the charred stake against my derriere, less noticeable to any blatant gaze. But that wasn't the cause of a mischievous smile splitting across my face, nor the source of excitement warming my fingertips.

No, it is the fact, that I, me! Now held the upper hand! I, a woman who stood chained and bare to a street swarming with men. You see, when the fire licked and attacked my clothing away, it not only left me more exposed then an ugly mole rat. It allowed me more room to wiggle, twist and possibly escape....

Yess! Yes! Yesss!

I shimmied the chains off my hips, the metal leaving cold kisses down my skin as it past. There was a soft clunk of the chains hitting the floorboard. And then.

Then I was free.

Free and ready to fight!

With the high priest far too invested with his grand speech and the crowd too entranced with his silky cult-leader-like voice. I had nothing to lose! I only needed to leap off this pile of waste, and run as fast as I could, perhaps even nab some clothing on the way.

They wouldn't dare to catch me! I am invincible! I am marvelous! I am butt cheeked exposed to the world! I am-

"Eh? What are you doing, witch?" Smelly uno demanded, startling me away from my thoughts.

His voice caught his accomplice's attention, now both guards stared bashfully up in my direction, but not quite landing on me directly, as if the sight would frighten them right off their feet.

Not that I was complaining. Oh no! Because they gifted to me, an out of this world, dandier than a pie with a cheery on top ...advantage! If they weren't for these perfectly chauvinist gentlemen...I would already be chained up!

"Robbing you of your clothes." I crossed my arms across my chest, before demanding. "Now that blue cloth around your neck, hand it over!"

Two grizzled faces tanned under the sun, with muscles parallel to the mighty Hercules, would surely have made any sensible women shriek her lungs out, or more or less tip over in a faint. But these two fools wouldn't even dare a glance at me! All I spotted were the back of their dirty heads and the glowing redness of their necks. Sunburnt or embarrassed, how would I know?