Gifted

Chapter 4

Chapter ~4

The rain poured down outside the castle walls. It pelted the townspeople as the darted around through their daily lives. Weeks go by. Days of beatings, days of failed escape attempts. My door opened slowly but I didn't turn away from the window to see who it was. I already knew. Tucken came by every day to bring me my meals and then came back to get them when I left them untouched.  

"Kani," he said, "you have to eat. You are withering away." I shook my head and he sighed. I heard the clatter of the tray and the sound of my door shutting. Laying down on my bed and turning on my side, I let the pitter patter of the rain lull me into a fitful sleep.

"Leave her alone! I promise, I'll get her to eat." Came a distant voice.  

"You had your chance, Tucken. It's been ten days. We have to take drastic measures." A feminine voice said. Someone grabbed my arm roughly but I bit back my cry of pain. Pain was just pain. Pain was constant. I could barely open my eyes, I was so weak.  

"Please don't do this. She's just depressed. Wouldn't you be too? Caged up in this God forsaken castle with no way out? Leave her be!" Tucken bellowed. 

"Orders are orders." I felt a sharp prick in my arm.  

After days of being fed by force, I was summoned to the King. I could barely stand on my feet so I felt myself being carried down the hallway.  

"Stop! Don't take her to him!" I looked over at Tucken as he fought against some of my guards. I felt guilty for shutting myself away from him.

The guard carrying me brought me into the thrown room and laid me at Lucifer's feet. The King sneered at my pitiful state and I cursed myself for being so weak in front of him. I shouldn't have let him get to me.  

"Did I finally tame the fire out of the great Kanella?" He barked. I pushed myself up onto my hands and knees and winced at how painful it was. With a swift kick to my ribs, he sent me sprawling back down to the floor. "Get up!" He bellowed. "Fight me, O gifted one." He mocked. I closed my eyes and curled into a tight ball when another kick was placed at the small of my back. "I said GET. UP." With a fistful of hair, he pulled me to my feet. I gritted my teeth and locked my jaw to keep from giving him the satisfaction of hearing me cry out in pain. "You will scream for me. You will beg me to save you." He breathed down my neck as I controlled a shudder of udder repulsion. He truly was the devil. Pulling me by my hair, he took us down a hallway and into a room. In the room was a wooden chair with leather straps. I fought as the guards pushed me down and bound me to it. With an evil glint in his eye, Lucifer bent down in front of me and said  

"Let's see how long that fire can burn." I braced myself for the onslaught of pain to come. There was a sizzling sound and then came the pain. The smell of burning flesh seeped into my nose. My flesh. Uncontrollable tears flowed down my face but I refused to scream out. I felt my shirt being lifted up and then I felt them touch the branding iron to the soft skin of my stomach. "Scream Kanella." The devil tempted. "Scream and it will stop. Beg me to save you." Hotter the fire burned, until I couldn't take it anymore.  

"PLEASE!" I screamed and thrashed my head around. "Please stop it. I'm begging. Lucifer, make it stop!" I heard a cackle through my wails. Then the burning stopped. Hands dug into my cheeks as Lucifer turned my face to look at him.  

"You are mine to control." He glanced at the guard. "Give her to Lecum for the night. We all know how he likes to destroy beautiful things. He can have his way with her, but let him know that if there are any scars left on her, his head will be on a platter."  

And with that he left.

I was pushed into a room and froze when I saw Lecum standing in front of me. His thoughts made me sick. His hands snaked out, grabbed me, and threw me on the bed. With a wicked smile he pinned my arms above my head and said "Get ready, girl."

He straddled me and slapped my face, leaving a stinging handprint on my face. He called me horrid names and spit in my face. Before I had time to react, Lecum was sent flying backwards. Standing in front of me, in a protective stance, was Tucken. He had picked Lecum up with his mind and sent him across the room.  

"Get out." He screamed at Lecum. "Get out, or I will kill you." 

"I'd like to see you try." 

And before I had time to blink, Lecum lay dead on the floor. Tucken's sword clear through his heart. I wish I could say I felt bad, but I felt no type of sadness for the man. Tucken picked me up and ran with me to his room. When we got there, he laid me down on his bed and gently put burn cream on my scalded flesh. I hissed as the cold cream touched my sizzling skin. But the pain from the burns subsided to a dull smolder. My body throbbed and was spotted with bruises, which made me aware of my naked body in front of Tucken. The only man who had seen me was Landon. And he wasn't Landon. As if reading my mind, Tucken covered me with blankets on his bed and he took down my hair. Slowly, he brushed through it, coaxing out the snarls, and then he braided it again. His big rough hands went so slow and gentle, it made my heart swell that he wanted to spare me any fraction of pain he could.  

"Why, Kani? Why didn't you fight? Why didn't you defend yourself? You have powers. You could have stopped it. You could have stopped it all!" He said, cupping my face.  

I blankly looked at him. "I thought he would kill me. I thought he would kill me and I would finally be free. I am nothing anymore. I'm weak now. I'm not me... I am alone." Tears sprang to my eyes and I tried to push them down. No tears. Crying was a sign of weakness. Weakness. I am weak. Tucken pulled me into his arms.  

"Oh, Kani. You are not alone. Let your tears come. I promise that I will always protect you. Even if you don't want me to. Cry your tears, Kanella. You can be weak in front of me." 

And so I was.