Cold Light

CHAPTER 17 Punishment

Freezing cold water splashed over Kateryna's bowed head. She jolted awake, slamming into the wall behind her. She cursed under her breath and tried to reach up to rub her head, only to find her wrists bound with twisted cloth.

Kateryna's eyes focused and she saw a girl standing over her, an empty vase in her hands. The girl glared at her.

"Finally awake, are ya?"

Kateryna blinked. "Who... who are you?"

"Don't expect to get anything out of me." The girl turned her back and placed the vase on a table.

Kateryna shook her head vigorously, shaking water from her hair. "Why am I all tied up?"

"You're even stupider than you look. You were kidnapped, obviously."

"Kidnapped?" Kateryna chuckled. "By you? You look like you can't harm a fly."

The girl glared at her murderously. A knife had appeared in her hands in an instant.

Actually, she looks like she could kill a fly with no problems, Kateryna thought.

"Hazel, don't let her get to you." A hand gripped Hazel's shoulder.

Hazel turned around, surprised. "Shannon!"

The girl named Shannon took the knife from Hazel and approached Kateryna. "Monster. Are you a demon spy?"

Kateryna stared up at her, bewildered. "Demon spy?"

Shannon squatted down and poked Kateryna's shoulder with the knife. "Yes, you monster. How else did you wipe out an entire field of demons? If you were an angelblood, you wouldn't have hurt your own kind! You wouldn't have killed Kasey!"

Guilt flashed through Kateryna, followed quickly by indignity. "This monster thing is getting old. I have a name you know."

"You don't deserve a name! Answer me." Shannon pushed the tip of the knife into Kateryna's shoulder, right at her old scar.

Kateryna winced in agony and gritted her teeth. "I'm sorry about your friend, okay? I'm sorry I saved the academy, okay? I just wanted to help. I'm not a spy!" Tears started forming in her eyes from the pain, her shoulder turning numb.

"Liar!" Hazel cried. "You little monster! You killed Kasey!"

Shannon twisted the knife deeper, almost forcing Kateryna to cry out.

"Don't you dare lie to us. If you're not a spy, what are you?"

"I don't know what I am."

Amongst the annoyance and frustration, Kateryna started to feel pity. "You guys just want someone to blame, don't you? Someone to hate for losing your friend."

Shannon snarled. "We don't need your pity! It's all your fault!"

She pulled the knife out and Kateryna fell forward, black spots forming in her eyes.

Shannon pushed her back against the wall and called to Hazel. "Bring it!"

There was a pause before Kateryna's head was roughly tilted back and the opening of a small vial was shoved between her lips. A cold liquid flowed into her mouth and Kateryna coughed, choking as her throat started to freeze.

Shannon tipped the rest into Kateryna's mouth and took out the vial. She put her hand over Kateryna's mouth to make sure she wouldn't spit it out.

"Swallow it."

The liquid trickled from her lips but Shannon pressed her palm harder against Kateryna's mouth. It burned her throat as she swallowed it slowly.

Shannon smiled when Kateryna glared at her and removed her hand.