His Little Flame

Chapter 17: Orgy

☽ MAEVE ☾

The bullets tear through the paper hanging from the metal contraption, "I did it!" Sabrina shouts, throwing her arms around Luca. The contraption retracts, bringing the poster closer to us, two in the stomach and one in the chest.

"Alright, it's your turn," Elias says, shifting my attention to him. He grabs my hand and shoves the gun into my palm.

The last and only time I touched a gun was when I pointed it at Elias, now I'm actually learning how to shoot it.

It's been two weeks since Elias and Luca started teaching Sabrina and me how to use a gun, so far all I've got down was switching safety on and off. Sabrina on the other hand has proven herself a natural.

I give Elias a reluctant look and he smirks, turning the gun to the target, "shoot," he demands.

I take a deep breath and fire the pistol three times. Only one manages to nick the drawing's arm, while the others scatter in the empty space, "why do I have to do this, I rather be painting right now!" I complain, thrashing my arms around.

Elias snatches the pistol and switches on the little switch in the side, Elias called it 'the safety', "you have a fucking target on your back, you need to learn how to use a gun," Elias explains.

"I have my knives-,"

"Knives won't help you against multiple fucking men with guns, the best you'll do is give them a few scratches," Elias says, raising the gun to the poster and firing five times. "A bullet is final." The contraption rolls in revealing the two holes in the head and three in the chest.

"Wouldn't teaching me to fight be a better idea?" I bargain with Elias.

Elias's jaw clenches and in an instant, his behavior flips. He grabs my wrists in one hand and slams my back against the wall, "escape," Elias deadpans, "can you do that?" Elias interrogates, his grip burning my wrists.

My heart thumps, but different from before. He's scaring me.

"Elias, cool it, you're scaring her," Luca warns Elias, holding Sabrina back with an arm.

Elias looks down at my trembling form, the sight of my tears makes Elias release my wrists, but he still doesn't let me go, he cages me in with his arms, "you're just so small, these men are more than double your size, they're bigger and stronger than you, you can't fight them," Elias says in a much softer tone, "even if you hate me, you have to learn." Elias flips the gun around and offers it to me.

"I can't," I refuse.

Elias waves his hand, motioning for Luca and Sabrina to leave. Sabrina fights it at first but Luca pulls her away. "Why?" Elias keeps his soft tone, "does it scare you?"

"Yes, you don't understand how terrifying the idea of taking someone's life is, how could anyone do it? It's horrible!" I shout, crying, "I don't want to, I can't Elias!" I fist Elias's shirt while breathing heavily.

Elias looks shocked at first, it probably hadn't crossed his mind that he was essentially teaching me how to kill. Even when I learned how to use throwing knives, my intention wasn't to kill, it was a sport, that's what Papà said.