Sheep to be Slaughtered

~Chapter Seventeen~

My cloak was ripped from me, I could hear the seams coming undone as it was torn. My knife fell from the pocket that concealed it causing the crowd to become more riled up as it fell to the ground.

"She's armed!"

"Seize the knife!"

I heard frantic cries as my knife was swept up. Someone landed a kick to my side, and I rolled over the cold, hard ground. I barely registered the pain though my ribs were surely already bruised. Everything was happening so fast... could it just, please, slow down for but a second? Let me think... let me think of a way out... this was happening so, so quickly... Had Founder Marco truly referred to me as a sacrifice? Was this happening? This all had to be a dream... it felt so unreal so surely, this couldn't really be happening...

"Leanna," I cried pathetically. "Momma, where are you? I need you..." Tears streamed in thick currents down my face. "Help me..."

My arms were suddenly yanked behind me. I felt rough rope being tied around me, binding my wrists together. I let out a sob. I was going to die... I was going to be ripped to pieces, I knew enough and could think clearly enough for that to register... I had been found out. Founder Marco had found out... Zander... Zander had told him...

The betrayal cut deep... hurt so intensely that it overwhelmed me more than my fear of death. How could he? How... how could he do this? How could he do this me?

"Oh, the glorious Venge! To them we owe our eternal piety! We prepare this sacrifice with humble hearts and gracious souls! We plead for their mercy, their grace and forgiveness with this sacrifice! We ask for more time! We ask for more life! We ask for their protection!" Founder Marco screeched as the crowd echoed his words. "We beg for them to continue to allow us to live out our lives in this hallowed village... this esteemed and scared place! We offer them blood... flesh, and bone! We offer them life itself to take as they please!"

This was sick. This was so twisted and wrong.

I was yanked to my feet. My hair pulled from my face so I could look upon Founder Marco. I saw death in his eyes... I no longer feared the Venge. It was him I feared. The Venge would merely rip me to death... but this man... this man was a devil... far worse than the Venge.

He was shaking from his excitement, maniacal laughter slipping from his throat. "Deliver the sacrifice to me!"

And I was drug up the steps and thrown to the floor of the platform. My chin bounced off the floor and I tasted blood in my mouth. I knew no help would come... there was no one coming for me... no one was on my side... no wings would grow from my back, and no one would dare defy Founder Marco on my behalf. I would die... I would die just as all the others that had gone before me... just as my mother had.

I placed my hands on the platform and pushed myself up. If I was going to die... I would not die a crying, sniveling victim of the evil that was Founder Marco. I would die like my mother... my held high and defiant as she had been... I was unsure where the courage had come from, but maybe it had risen from the ashes of my former life that had been burned... perhaps it was because there was nothing, I had to lose now... I would be dead. Leanna would be alone. I could do nothing for her now. 

I pulled myself to my feet, the harsh winter winds biting at my skin due to the loss of my cloak. I welcomed the cold, letting it focus my mind as I faced Founder Marco. Something warm stirred within the core of my being, something had ignited... My eyes were now locked on Founder Marco's. The jeers and shouts of the crowd grew louder and louder and suddenly, it felt as though he and I were the only two beings on the earth.