Scorn and Devotion

Chapter 28

Warnings - sexual assault, torture, mentions of death, shaming someone for potential sexual assault, mentions of rape, attempted suicide.

"I suppose I won't ask you if you are insane," I said casually when we'd been deposited back in our cell. "We need allies."

"I'm glad you aren't mad," Timothée grumbled.

"Well, you know how dangerous Fae can be."

"I think she is just broken," Timothée murmured.

"And cowardly, I don't care how much shit I'd been through. I wouldn't stand for half the things that go on here."

"I don't know if she can really do anything."

"You've always been too kind," I grumbled.

"Yes too kind," he snapped. "But also rude and self-centered and pompous. Which is it Y/N?"

"I-"

I didn't know what to say. Admitting I had lied to him to get him to leave me could have worrisome results. I didn't know if I was ready to admit that I didn't believe him to be a monster.

Timothée's eyes were gleaming even in the dark. His chest rose and fell heavily as he stared at me. I was rendered speechless.

"Whatever," He finally said. "I'm going to sleep."

"Sounds good," I nodded, and with a finally full stomach, I was able to drift off into a reasonably restful sleep. This was interrupted when I heard the light stepping of feet on the floor. I looked up to see some black, glittering dust being blown into Timothée's face by a short Fae.

"What the Hell are you doing!" I demanded of the Fae. They turned towards me baring their teeth. I kicked out with my leg, trying to catch them to knock them off balance. It didn't work.

I threw myself against the Fae, knocking them to the ground. I noted worriedly that Timothée didn't stir. I wrestled with the Fae as quietly as I could, not wanting to attract the attention of any companions they might have.

The Fae easily overpowered me in our struggle and I was pinned to the floor, head knocking hard against the cold dirt. The black glitter was also blown into my face, and the last thing I remember was coughing as the Fae grinned at me.

When I was able to peel my eyes open, the area around me had changed drastically. I was no longer in a cold, silent, cell, but surrounded by bright lamps and a shouting crowd. As I came to, I noticed more about my situation.

I was gagged, and hanging from something. I had been tied expertly to a chair that was dangling over a glass tank of water. Within the water something dark swum back and forth in an undulating fashion.

I turned to my side to see the same Fae who had snuck in our room holding a rope. The rope was what bound me to the chair, and this Fae must be responsible for lowering me down into the maw of whatever was lurking in those depths beneath me. I looked around wildly for help, and a short distance away, I saw Timothée waking up from his magical sleep. He blinked drowsily at first, and then fiercely as he started to realize where he was. His eyes then landed on me as I spun slowly in the air, hung over that massive tank of water. His eyes traveled down, and I knew he must be trying to make out what kind of creature swum below me.

"Welcome back!" The twin voices of Abraxas boomed through the hall. 'So happy to see you again."

"We were beginning to think you had forgotten about us," I meant to call out but I found I couldn't. I was still so out of it from that black dust that I hadn't realized I was gagged. As my senses came back, I felt the cloth biting into the sides of my mouth and the rough, rope rubbing the skin on my wrists raw as I squirmed.