The Stableboy's shadow (BL)

Chapter 2

Riley's entire body jolted as the Flesh Eater punctured his skin — sharp, searing pain flaring from the four hooked teeth that dug in and pried his flesh apart. He bit down hard on his tongue to keep from screaming, his breath catching as something slick and almost alive slid inside him.

The sensation was unnatural — cold and squirming, like a worm soaked in ice water, wriggling its way beneath layers of muscle and settling deep in his gut. His knees buckled, and if it weren't for the chains holding him aloft, he might've crumpled to the ground. A guttural, involuntary sound escaped his throat — half-growl, half-gag — as his stomach clenched. He could feel it moving, coiling somewhere inside, and his vision blurred with nausea. Sweat beaded on his brow. For a moment, the pain of the entry wound was nothing compared to the foreign, invasive presence now living inside him.

Then, it stilled.

Riley froze too, his breath shallow, barely daring to move. He could feel the thing's weight like a stone in his belly — quiet, dormant, but watching. A slow trickle of blood slid down the front of his pants, and he instinctively twisted to look, only for a jolt of pain to shoot up his bound arms and pin him in place.

He closed his eyes and focused on the cold rage rising beneath the sickness. Not fear — not yet. Rage. It steadied him.

Lord Alessio's voice slithered into his ear.

"Trying to remove said parasite would only result in it burrowing further up with each attempt. That being said, I now hold your life in my hands. The second I release the spell, it will start feeding. The matter of when is entirely up to you." 

Riley didn't respond right away. He was too busy counting his breaths and suppressing the urge to vomit. He'd been stabbed, burned, even hit with magic — but this was different. This was ownership.

And he hated it more than anything.

He tilted his head up slowly, eyes narrow, jaw clenched tight. The chains creaked as he straightened under their weight, blood still dripping from his abdomen. The surprise caused a single tear to slip out of his eye. He prayed to the gods Alessio wouldn't see it. He looked up to the man still looming over him. It took every bit of resolve he had left not to lash out.

"Point made," he sounded between his teeth, voice low and raw. "Now get your thing off me, before I decide to stop caring whether I live or die."

Alessio only grinned with an air of satisfaction Riley wanted to slap off. He pulled the tube out, sending another wave of pain through the thief's body. He saw behind the man that both the guard and the boy had their mouth hanging open, white as snow, staring at the prisoner's belly.

"As to the matter of making sure that you won't try anything funny to have me fooled, I'd have to assign you one of the knights... though one cannot really afford losing a guard in these perilous times. I suppose... Ah yes! Percevin! Come here a moment."

The younger boy still waiting behind his master straightened up in surprise. The man turned to him, one arm open like an invitation. Eyes wide, the servant stepped forward. Riley tried to think – was there a way out of this. Fleeing? Too easy. He might be able get his loved ones to a safer place, if they were willing to listen to him, but it would only be a matter of time before Alessio found them. Could he alert the king or the prince about the intents of this treacherous lord? They would never believe a shadowmaster, especially one wanted throughout many kingdoms. Could the thief go through with this -- kill someone?

He eyed the younger man. He was quite tall, needing to bend slightly to fit in the room. His pale hair was long enough to be tied in the tiniest bun. He seemed muscular, but not too much, and the obvious elven origin in his traits might be to blame for him not being too bulky. It was too dark to make out more.