Release Me

Part 31

"Time to emerge, my precious butterfly," a voice whispered from the depths of the darkness. A sliver of light beckoned me from around the edge of a door at the foot of my bed. Shadows waltzed across the confined space, and I blinked against the sudden assault of light, my eyes unaccustomed to such brightness. "Slowly. Come out and find your place."

I shuffled across the mattress and let my legs dangle off the end as my eyes adjusted to the light. When I was ready, I stood on shaky legs and opened the door. The room beyond, an odd enclave nested within the larger room, held only a singular circle of light amidst its darkness. A departure from the usual harsh, bright white glow, this light radiated a soft, warm hue reminiscent of candlelight. With cautious steps, I moved toward my place, kneeling when I found myself in its center.

"Welcome home, girl."

I shook my head as I stared at my hands. The words weren't true. This wasn't home, nor was Dominick's place. Everything was in a state of flux and I needed to find an anchor to slow the changes.

"Breathe in... and out." The command was like a gift, and I followed it as if the thought were my own. "Good, girl. After your success display as an exhibit, you've severed the ties to your old life. In ten years, at the end of our contract, you will cut the cord with completion. As long as you seek no assistance from any Sovereign Society member, your transformation will be complete. Until then, you and I will have a great number of interesting adventures."

"Why me?" I croaked out, my voice sandpaper rough, the words catching in the arid desert of my mouth.

"Because your needs and my desires align rather perfectly."

"How?" My naked form shivered as the air shifted in the room, but this was the first time I felt as if my questions were being answered and I'd walk over coals to know what was happening.

"You are a strong woman grappling with a burgeoning sense of duality. One part of you yearns for the structure and order of our Society, while another part stirs with a rebellious longing for freedom, even if the meaning of such freedom remains elusive to you. The two parts of you crave equality. One wants to dominant others and work the control within your grasp, while the other side wants nothing more than where you are right now. A place where you are the hunter and the hunted, the predator and the prey, the one who holds power large enough to exchange it in a way that creates great worth. Many around us may see weakness, but I see potential, and the unusual methods you crave when you need to grow."

"No," I rejected his proclamation, rubbing my arms to ward off the encroaching cold that gnawed at my skin. "I want to be a soft worlder. It is all I want."

"Then you'll need to prove it—not to me, but to yourself. You're surrounded by the intricate games of men. Learn to navigate them well, and you will carve your own path, even against their will. Fail to secure and trust enough allies in times of need, especially heavy peril, and you may well fall back to where many of us think you belong."

"They picked the wrong one. There are others far more suitable than me."

"Is that why you ran, and continue to deny the reality of your choices? Or was it the deepest fears you refuse to face?" I ducked my head, closed my eyes, and refused to answer as I pulled into a smaller ball. "Regardless of what you believe, we do not abandon our members. No matter what you may convince yourself of, we never abandon our own. You are never truly alone, even when it seems you're the sole occupant of an empty room."

Something soft floated across my shoulders and I pulled it tight as I settled into its warmth. The faintest click caught my attention. When I looked around me, I realized the ring of light was gone and now the room glowed in the same soft, warm light. As I glanced around, I realized I was alone and around me hung the grey robes of a contractee with no house and no name.