Frost's Touch (Book One of the Eternal Warmth Trilogy)

XXXI. Dying

XXXI

Dying

  There was no second that Iana wasn’t shaking. Every part of her body was moving from the internal cold. She had already emptied her stomach hours ago, now she would dry heave every hour or so.

  This made the man in the suit laugh sinisterly when he’d enter the room. He said that his Father would be arriving soon, and Iana was dreading when it came.

  Iana wasn’t able to fall asleep, one of the disadvantages of being away from Jack. She wished she could pass out from blood loss or exhaustion, but no, she didn’t. The man said that her soul was constantly repairing her since it was so strong.

  Suddenly, Iana’s restraints were no longer restraining her, and she fell over off the chair. Her body hit the ground with a dull thud, and she groaned, her lips trembling.

  “Get up, you scum slut,” a very familiar voice said, and Iana turned her head towards it gasping at what she saw.

  “Gracie?” She said, horrified.

  “Oh shut up and get the hell off the floor!” Gracie snapped, and grabbed Iana’s arm harshly. She ripped her from the floor and kept her from falling again. “We need to clean you up, my boss wouldn’t want a slut like you smelling of puke and blood.”

  Iana winced at what she said. In truth, Iana was worse than what Gracie described.

  Without care, Gracie hauled Iana through the only door in the bright room and down the hall to what must’ve been a bathroom. When the door opened Iana was pushed hard into the room, landing at a weird angel against the iron tub.

  “Get up! You weak piece of shit!” Gracie snarled, spittle coming out of her mouth.

  “I-I can’t,” Iana admitted lamely. It was embarrassing to be weak, to not be able to stand or even push into a sitting position. 

  Gracie huffed, and again clamped her hand onto Iana’s arm. “You’re pathetic. For someone who has the eldest soul in their body, you are truly pathetic and weak. That soul doesn’t deserve you. It should be in someone strong and capable.” When Gracie smiled Iana knew what she was going to say, “strong and capable, like me.”

  Iana wanted to puke again, but she knew nothing would come out of it other than a sore throat and a torn stomach.

  She was thrown into the tub with no gentleness, and she felt something in her arm snap. Clenching her teeth, Iana held in the scream of pain that silently roared through her body. She didn’t want to make Gracie happy at her pain.

  Slowly, Iana’s body began to feel numb as Gracie ripped off her dress with her bare hands. Soon she was only in her underwear and strapless bra, which were both dirty.

  Iana rested her head against the tub as she cradled her hurt arm against her chest. Iana breathed through the numbness, hoping it would fade away and not make her feel empty. It tingled through her body more profusely before it wore off completely, and by then Iana could feel the water. It was ice cold!

  “Turn it off! It’s too cold!” She cried helplessly. Gracie looked at her in shock and confusion.

  “It’s on hot you bitch! How could it be cold?”

  Iana was out of the tub, shivering but clean. Her hair was still damp since Gracie only allowed her to dry her body in the amount of time she’d given Iana. So a big dark spot was on the back of the dress Iana was wearing.

  The thought of a dress drew sadness through Iana’s body. Her perfect dress was ruined, soiled from dirt and blood, ripped by Gracie’s hands, on the floor of the bathroom Iana hated now.