Painful Reminders

Chapter Eleven: Re-Introduction

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"Don't move." I could feel the adrenaline pumping through my veins as I held the medical saw against Cassian's skin, ignoring the nausea rolling around in my stomach. "Don't move, Cassian, or I'll—"

He had me pressed against the back shelf, one hand around my throat before the clatter of the saw hitting the ground could even be heard. His face was inches from mine, "Humans don't have the luxury of warnings," he said, leaning in to breathe the words into my ear. "Not if they want to survive."

"Then kill me," I breathed back, fighting the shiver his breath on my skin had caused. "Or let me go." I jolted at the sudden feel of his hand beneath my shirt. "What are you—"

"No pain?" I realized immediately that he was tracing my ribs; testing for the bruised ribs I'd had less than twelve hours previously.

"No," I replied, attempting to push his hand away from my body. "Can you let me go now?"

He removed his hand from around my throat, taking a half step back and looking down at my bare legs. The cast had been a hassle I'd nearly cut off my leg with that damn saw in my attempt to hack it off. As it was, there were numerous little cuts up my shin toward my knee, trickles of blood dripping down to cover my bare foot. "How?"

"You tell me." I looked away and to the left, wondering how hard it would be to just slip by him. "I'm only human after all. I have my limitations."

"You were locked in that room for your own safety," he said, switching topics instead of fighting me for information. "You should've stayed put."

"Your idea of safety is vastly different from mine."

Cassian shot me a contemptuous look. "You can follow me, or I can drag you."

"I can't stand you," I muttered, following behind him. Any plans of escape would have to be put on hold.

Stepping out of the supply room, he gestured toward a chair, "Sit."

Pursing my lips, I glared at the back of his head. "For what?"

"To clean your wounds."

"I don't need your help for that," I replied, moving toward the door to the hallway. "It's just a few minor cuts."
Catching me by my elbow with an iron grip, he pulled me toward the chair anyway, pushing me down into it before picking up a few cotton swabs and a bottle of alcohol. "You're lucky it wasn't worse," he said tersely. "You were reckless."

Rolling my eyes, I crossed my arms and looked away. "How long are you going to keep me here?"

"It's been less than forty-eight hours," he replied in a tone laden with disinterest.

"Abduction is abduction."

He shot me a look of annoyance as he cleaned the blood from my leg and inspected the open cuts. "Some would consider it important to try to be on their best behavior so has not to upset their captors lest they be made an example of."

"So make an example of me," I shot back with a shrug. "I don't see what any of this has to do with me anyway."

"Amya," he ground out, finished with his task and getting to his feet. The better to look down his nose at me, I'm sure. "I would be happy to discuss all of this with you at another time. As it stands currently, I've somewhere else to be and I would like for you to remain in your room until I come to get you."