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Minutes ticked past as we stayed on opposite sides of the bed Zel didn’t say a word, but her eyes yelled never-ending questions in et up, to punch soht
My eyes dropped to my scarred torso Every burn, every punishment mocked me and I couldn’t stay naked another minute I felt too exposed, too vulnerable, too weak
Black I need black
Throwing s over the side of the bed, I went to stand, but Zel noring the sheet twisting around her legs "Lie on your stomach"
My heart exploded "You think you can touchto happen I--"
Zel kept advancing "You’re close to breaking Letand commands
I didn’t want to obey; I didn’t kno ht mean I could be free
When I didn’t move, her face twisted into sadness Her hand fell to her sto inward For one insane, wildme immortality in the form of my own creation Her voice was barely a whisper "This is important You need to do this"
The brutal honesty snapped my willpower and I muttered, "I broke the chain" My eyes searched for the ruined silver gleaot up and strode naked to the end of the bed Scooping up my trousers, she tore the belt from the loops and held it up It looked like a snake--a snake about to sink its fangs into my flesh and poison me to death
My breath rattled as she came toward th Don’t ask lint entered her green eyes "You promised me you’d be safe around Clara, but you almost lost it in your office I need tothe belt in two hands, she presented the taut length toher, striking her, and running out the door filled e I didn’t want to succu I didn’t knohat existed on the other side What if my mind exploded--what if I couldn’t cope?
What if I kill her?
One day you will if you don’t break it
The thought compelled my hands forward, and I rested my joined wrists over the loop of the belt Without a word, Zel wrapped the leather twice arounddown, she kissed ently on the corner ofup the bed, I hesitantly pressed ainst the sheets The moment I was horizontal with e I hated she’d putat soain
Silently, Zel cli over ainst the small of my back was the first sharp shock to es built behindhard, digging into e behind my eyes spread towith deep-seated aggression
Kill Sever Devour
I groaned, pressing my face harder into the mattress
"I won’t hurt you I’touch
The brainwashing spread fast until everywith the need to obey the simple decree to kill
"Close your eyes," she demanded
Was she insane?
"I can’t All I see is death and mutilation If I close my eyes, I’ll be consuht and you and this roo as she smoothed her hands froive yourself to me for this to work You have to be coets too much to bear, tell me and I’ll add thened "You have to tell ain"
I nodded, the sound of fabric fro pain of disobedience darted throughso hard to do what Zel said and let o
The silence rushed with the voices ofa direct order, operative?
She’s inflicting you, therefore you must inflict back
Sweat broke out on my brow as Zel’s hands dropped further Her hand landed on rowl-panted,with unrequited orders
"No," she whispered Meticulously, she traced a finger from the crack inme with a mixture of firm and soft, prohibited and allowed
"You spilled so h your past is so sad Focus on ht and I’ll tell you so the torturedwithheart
Kill her, Fox
We won’t coers feathered over the fox tattoo on the base ofat it--the star The single silver star" Her voice turned wistful, full of happy s the day Clara turned four She was obsessed by all things galaxy and drew stars on everything she could get her hands on"
Her fingers continued their lued ht her the necklaces for her birthday Her face lit up as if she’d sed thethem on each other The moment they were on, she announced she would never take it off She’ssad "I bought the necklaces for another reason, too But that isn’t a tale for tonight"
My brain skipped between her voice and the inner commands only I could hear It took allflat
It would be so easy to flip her off
Her neck will snap if you use your legs around her throat
Zel continued, fingertips pressing deep into never before ed flesh "I’ve had so al I bounced froht the world hated me--that I’d be forever alone, but then I learned I could create the life I wanted by lying"