Compel (Rae Wilder #2)

Chapter Five

Chained, I was dragged kicking and screaming back down into the tunnel, feeling my strength leeched away by the hostile environment.

The humiliation didn’t stop there; they took my clothes. Embarrassed, I pulled my glamour on and felt less exposed.

I still had some magic left and I tested it unsuccessfully on the on objects around me. It seemed I could heal and use my glamour, but I could not make it work on anything else tainted by iron. I tried to get my manacle to fall from my neck again but nothing happened, my magic dissipated the moment it touched the iron. My stomach sank. I had wasted my one shot on Cleric Tu.

Thrown into an even smaller hovel than before, my chains were clipped onto iron rings on the floor. As the Two Clerics set to guard me worked, I saw Amelia – still in cat form – being forced down the passageway too, the Clerics jabbing at her with batons. Nimah was behind her cussing and swearing at them, dragging her twin back by the scruff of the neck so she wouldn’t be hurt.

“Tell him what he wants to know.”

Startled, I jumped back into a defensive crouch.

The handsome Lord Cleric I remembered from before peered at the wall with a hard expression. The other one had left and it was just him … how brave. He tugged off his wide-brimmed hood revealing dirty blonde curls and a neatly trimmed beard. His eyes – plain brown and wholesome – darted to me then back to the wall. He cleared his throat, hands behind his back. “He won’t stop hurting you until he’s heard whatever answer he is looking for, so just tell him.”

I eyed him distrustfully then muttered, “What do you care?”

His face creased in pain, turned to me a fraction. “You think I like being ordered to torture young women. I don’t.”

I blinked. It had not occurred to me that some of the Clerics might object to my treatment here. Still wary, I made no move to approach him but relaxed, seeing he was not going to strike me. “Then why are you following him?”

“To survive,” he replied simply.

Glancing over his shoulder, he slipped a hand into his crimson blazer and pulled out a bread roll. He placed it on the floor and stepped back, pointed at it. Scooting forward I plucked it from by his feet then skipped back.

He gave me a small smile. “What’s your name?”

“Rae,” I croaked, choking up at his kindness.

He nodded. “My name is Samuel.” He sighed. “Look, I’m not much of a thinker, and there’s nothing special about me apart from the fact I fight well, but I like to think I am a good judge of character.” He paused. “I don’t think you’re evil, or out to get me. I just think….” He smiled. “Well, thinking is not my strength so I’m going to stop now, but you need to understand that you’re in a bad situation here, Rae. I know you used to be a Disciple, I remember seeing you, and honestly, I can’t tell if you were planted here to spy on us or not.” He shrugged. “But somehow I don’t think so. He glanced over his shoulder again. “I better go. Tu has called the Priests to Council, and I need to be there.”

My head snapped up. The Priests only assembled in Council in times of great danger. “Why?” I demanded.

He watched me carefully, shrugged, as if thinking what could it hurt to tell me. “To persuade them to evacuate the Temple. He believes that more of your kind are coming for you, that you’re special.”

Looking away, I rubbed my nose and tore into the bread roll. Here our conversation stalled, because I could no longer lie.

Samuel left without another word.