The Heir of Night

30

*Violence and non-consensual  touching.

Her body ached more than it ever had. The pain consumed her so entirely that she couldn't pinpoint where it began. The males had taken turns holding her and hitting her. Their feet landed in her stomach, their fists against her face. She stopped fighting when her eye swelled, knowing she couldn't overpower them. She'd done enough in these past three months that whatever fate the Cauldron decided for her now, she would accept.

At least, that's what Theia accepted before she saw one of the males pull out a dagger as another threw her to the ground. The story of Penelope flooded her mind, sent shocks of panic through her veins. Not this, not this.

"Come here you little bitch," one of them spat, kneeling beside her and gripping her leg to drag her toward him.

"Awe, not yet. I wanted to have some fun," another male above her said, his boot brushing her jaw. Theia was on her stomach now, each breath feeling like that dagger was being sent through her chest again and again.

"Please," she croaked, fists curling in the snow.

"Shut up," the male at her leg snarled. He shoved her leg away, standing. "Do what you want but we will be clipping her before the damn night ends."

The male above her chuckled, boots scraping snow as he walked around to her side. Theia squeezed her eyes shut, willing herself to stay calm. She thought her body hurt well enough that she couldn't feel what this male planned to do to her, but then she remembered what would come after. Her jaw popped as she clenched her teeth, the male's hand slipping beneath her tunic to the waist of her leggings.

"You all going to watch or can I have some fucking privacy?" The male snapped. Theia heard the other two grumble, snow crunching as their steps retreated around the building. A sob escaped her when the biting chill of steel touched her skin.

"Stop," she begged, pressing her face against the snow. Did she have enough strength to fight off one of them? Could she run fast enough? His blade slid down the length of her leg, slicing the fabric of her leggings. The second his fingers slid beneath the fabric, over the flesh of her rear, adrenaline ripped through Theia like she'd never felt.

Her head lifted, snow sticking to her tears and drying blood. She tested her leg, trying to slide it up. The male grunted and shoved it back down. Anger sparked, and she tried again. He slammed a fist into the back of her thigh, the hand on her rear moving too quickly to her core. Theia yelped,  her body deciding to move before her mind could catch up.

She twisted, letting her opposite leg lift and her boot connecting with his jaw. The male snarled, reaching for her but Theia was already scrambling up. The adrenaline may have brought her mind from the all consuming pain as she began to run, but sobs still wracked her chest.

"Get the fuck back here!" The male shouted. Panic flared, the other two males coming out from behind the building. Her wide eyes scanned the area in front of her, dancing from building to building until she realized where she was. Around the corner, up the hill, was Nyx. Her limping told her she'd never outrun them, even the small distance.

Gritted her teeth and letting out a strangled cry, Theia spread her wings. She hadn't flown in years, her back no longer trained to command the wings. Still, with their shouts and footsteps nearing, she flared her wings and pushed down with every ounce of strength she had.

Theia sobbed at the ground below her. By the grace of the Mother, her wings brought her up. Uneven, shaky, she still flew. The muscles in her back roared, her spine feeling as though it'd snap. Nyx's house was in view, smoke rising from the chimney and firelight flickering in the windows. Daring a glance behind herself, Theia's heart stilled when she saw the males in the air, grins on their faces. They knew she wasn't strong enough, nor could she fly fast enough to get away from them.