The Girl of Many Worlds | (Story formerly known as "Multiworldcial")

Chapter 33

His words lulled me away.

I wish they hadn't.

Once I saw the trees, I knew exactly where I was.

My self-preservation kicked in, locking my lips together. I went over to the wooden table and sat as Mercury placed his hand on my shoulder. I tensed up but resisted reacting.

"What happened to your confidence, sweet Jade?"

I hid within myself, not wanting to make a sound that would get him to add more to my sentence.

"While we're here, I want you to meet one of my men. He's the one who's most looking forward to meeting you."

The stench of manure and mud flooded my nose as an animal with pink-colored human hands grasped my wrist. They yanked me up, and I was met with a pigman. Its snout sniffed my face as its human eyes stared predatorily into mine.

"What a pretty thing you are," it said. "I can't wait to see those purple-colored eyes in person."

I trembled as the monster before me snorted and wrapped its hands around my waist. My mental block began to crackle under the weight of its words; Mercury still knew what to do and who to use to tear down the walls and push me back toward the brink.

"We've already set up a chamber for you and him once we bring you home. It's soundproof, so you two can have as much fun without disturbing the other residents of my castle."

I began sobbing and frantically thrashing my way out of its arms. It let me go, snorting, which I quickly realized was its laughter.

I ran to one of the various tree trunks and clambered up it.

I should've known escape was futile as one of the branches shifted and began wrapping around me like a snake in the blink of an eye. Restrained from head to toe, including with a painful tree-branch gag, Mercury and the pigman mulled over me as the branch outstretched me toward them.

"I always love when they put up a fight."

"The chase is the best part," Mercury agreed.

Momentary rage overcame me as I muffledly said, "Since when have you ever had success chasing people, uncle?"

He motioned with his hand, and the gag swiped away from my mouth.

"What did you say?"

"You chased me and couldn't get me," I pointed out smugly.

"Only a momentary setback since your father played dirty."

"I don't think so. It seems to be a pattern. You pursued Dahlia, and she knew you weren't worth her spitting in your direction," I snapped and then spit in his face.

His nostrils flared as he pulled out a handkerchief and wiped my dribble off his face. He calmly shoved it into my mouth and squeezed my face in his hands. His enraged magenta-colored eyes held mine. "You're testing my patience. I tolerated your disrespect because you hadn't had the chance to understand the repercussions of your thoughtless speech. But now you do. So, your punishment starts here. It'll hurt as much in your mind as when he has you in person." Mercury stepped away from me and motioned to the pig. "Have some fun with her."

"With pleasure," it said. "You're so beautiful." It began to reach for me but then gasped. The tip of a blue light sword fizzled out of its stomach as it was lifted. It was thrown to the ground behind Arden, who stuck the blade deeper into its back. With a final squeal, the creature faded out of existence.

"That wasn't very kind," Mercury said with a chuckle. "Brutus is going to have quite the headache waking up."

"Leave her mind, or I'll make you," Arden warned.