The Blood of a Nightlock

Chapter Twenty-Three

"Hello, my Queen."

"Ugh." I pretended to gag. "I was having such a great morning."

Nathan smirked at me. "Just your daily check for consent."

"It's so gentlemanly of you to wait for my consent."

"I'm not a complete monster." He said.

"Ehhh. I beg to differ."

"I could take it, Wren. I'm trying to do the right thing here." He thought about it. "Well... that and I don't feel like getting beat up before I can channel my magic."

I didn't respond.

"Plus, I don't want to have to explain to our child one day that I raped their mother."

I snorted. "Yeah, I'm sure you're worried about appearances." I got to my feet. "If you were that hair choice wouldn't have been an option."

"Let's move on here. We need to get this started."

"You said that yesterday and nothing changed aside from my boiling veins."

"So you're denying me again."

"Denying. Today. Tomorrow. Friday. Next week. Three weeks from now. Seven months from now. Eight years from now. Two decades from now. Denying."

"Great, I might have a chance by the time I'm pushing fifty with that logic." He said.

"No chance. Not now and not ever. You can do whatever you want to me, but I'm still saying no."

He sighed heavily and cast a glance over his shoulder at The Chosen. "Such a shame. I hate doing this."

"Yeah because telling your children that you tortured me into having them is a much better solution."

"Shows ambition." Nathan said.

"You're disgusting." I bit out as Selena and her friend snatched me up and dropped me to my knees.

Nathan moved into the cell, and Dr. Harden left to watch. "I want this to be easy for us, Wren. Name-calling isn't going to make me feel any more comfortable with this."

"I hope it hurts." I whispered.

"What's that?"

I bit back tears that were threatening to spill just at the thought of the pain. "When they kill you."

He slid a hand along the back of my neck, wrapping his thumb to the sensitive space under my chin.

"I hope it's excruciating." I said as a tear slid down my cheek.

"They'll never get me." He said quietly. "I'm unstoppable."

The heat started through my skin as the bubbling carried through my veins, down my back, and through my arms. I screamed as the heat intensified and the fire started inside of me. He removed his hand from my body and the fire diminished. It was slow to retreat, my body sagging in relief as the fire went out and the heat remained. The lingering power was brutal, but the power itself was much, much worse. I blew out a shaky breath as he backed away and left the cell. The Chosen waited a few moments, their hands on me relenting slowly before they too backed out of the cell and locked it. I slid my eyes back to them, the tears still falling. Dr. Harden was staring at the ground, avoiding any kind of eye contact with me.

"I hope it feels good for you too, Dr. Harden." I said. "Seven years of helping students and here you are watching your brother kill me from the inside out. I hope it feels so good."