They swung open the cage door, cattle prods at full power, humming with electricity. The man lazily lifted his hands in surrender. "Now, now." He said softly. His voice was like velvet. "No need. I'll do as you please." The man in the cage said, his...
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Theo jerked awake with a garbled cry, the visions of Clara's ruinous body fleeing before her waking sight. The door flung open a moment later, revealing a tired Ivan, his hair plastered to the side of his face.
His eyes centered on her, and his stiff shoulders relaxed. "A dream?"
"Nightmare," she corrected with a mutter under her breath. The clean sheets bunched up in her taut fists. "You knew."
Ivan shrank down in the doorway, his face crumpling in with guilt. It was enough of an answer for her. Theo ripped off the blankets and rose to her feet. "Go away before I kill you too," she threatened with a snarl.
"Everyone has to sacrifice somethi-"
"GO!" she yelled, storming forward until she was just inches from his face.
He lowered his head to stare at his feet, but he balled his fists. "No, Theophania. You're my friend, but you have no hold over me," he whispered, his voice cracking despite his resolve.
The presence surged in her, and this time she found herself agreeing with it. She threw the first punch, taking him square across the jaw with a stomach-turning crack.
He stumbled back into the hallway, a hand to his face, his eyes wide with shock. She advanced on him, fists raised for a second strike, prepared despite the persistent ache in her muscles. This time, the strength was all her own, built up by all the activity she'd been drilled on for her entire time in Ilaross. The ripple of muscle in her shoulders felt, for the very first time, good.
There was a flash of white out of the corner of her eye, and then there were arms like iron bars wrapping around her waist, hauling her away from the redhead. She struggled in the grip, but she didn't have the leverage to hurt in any meaningful way.
"Stop," Kiril whispered.
The tears came unbidden to her eyes, flooding them with an embarrassing heat. "Look at what you've made me!" she screamed, doubling over with the force of it. "I'm just like you! I'm a MONSTER!"
Kiril kept his hold on her while she broke down, her body alternating between the softness of giving up and the rigidness of resisting anger. The shameful tears flowed with both.
"Leave us. Find Samuel." The Russian murmured once her whole body sobs turned silent and gasping. Ivan stood, spit out a mouthful of blood, and walked away.
Kiril settled onto the hallway floor, dragging her down with him. His grip softened and she slumped to the ground, pressing her forehead to the wood floor as she wept.
"Be silent now." The Russian said in his thick accent, brushing the hair out of her face, tucking it almost tenderly behind her ears. "The girl sleeps with our ancestors. Her suffering is over. Yours has just begun."
"She should be ALIVE!" Theo cried, her voice cracking.
"You blame me." He said, though she answered with a nod as if it had been a question.
