Burning Flames

Chapter 9 - Mare

Authors Note: 

Yes, two chapters at once, only because I haven't posted in a while and on my invisible schedule 🤦‍♀️. This one is much longer, and I actually finally finished it recently. I also decided to make a plan for what should happen next, so there might actually be plot!!

I'm super happy with this chapter, so please let me know what you think!! Thank you for reading!!

- sheepi

I'm dragged back to Maven's room. I try to be as defiant as I can, but I'm too scared of him to truly disrupt our silent walk. I attacked the king. Others would die for it, but I know I'll be put to worse.

I can feel his anger, it radiates through the almost empty hallways, except for the guards trailing us quietly. He pulls me through his doors and shoves me down to the ground almost instantly. He straddles me, one knee on my chest, one hand on my shoulder, and his other hand next to my face. "Leave," He barks to his guards, and they follow his orders immediately.

His weight isn't much on top of me, but I am still weak with the silence stone. He swiftly takes out a key from his pocket and takes off my collar. It feels like I can breathe easier, but the collar is quickly replaced with his hand. I know I shouldn't anger him anymore, but my body instantly tenses and starts moving under him, trying to push him off.

He squeezes my neck, tighter, and I'm reminded of the first time I faced the sounder. I close my eyes, and try my best not to hyperventilate, knowing that I'm completely at the mercy of Maven. He can do anything he wants, and I'm completely powerless against him.

"How many times must I tell you," He pauses and adjusts his grip on me. "You're my prisoner. You won't ever escape, and even if you do, I will find you," He squeezes tighter, "I will hunt you, hurt you, and destroy you if you ever try to leave me." My eyes involuntarily water. He grins and brings his face a breath's distance from mine.

"The things you do to me," I can't do this again. I don't have the strength to go through this once more. He lets go of my neck. It feels like I can breathe again. Instantly, he rips my sleeves. My eyes widen as he takes in my bare arms. His hand grazes my shoulder, trailing the long white scars, down to my wrist.

"I haven't seen these before," He pauses to look at me. His eyes widen as if he were a mere puppy. "Did I do this?" Bastard. He knows that it was his device that did this. Of course he did this to me. All my scars are somehow connected to Maven.

His hands stop at the silent stone manacles. "How badly do you want these taken off?" Anything, I'll do anything to get them off. Of course, I don't say what I'm thinking. His hands leave my wrists. As quickly as they leave, they return, and surprisingly, he takes my manacles off. I gasp at the sudden feeling of freedom and look up at his face, but he is not focused on me.

His hands clutch my manacles tightly, his long bony fingers wrapping around them, before he looks up, his blue eyes catching mine. We stare at each other for a long moment, neither of us daring to move before he finally breaks eye contact with me.

Without even thinking, I reach for my lightning. I already know it's useless, but still, I try. I grasp onto the mere memory.

He suddenly gets up and throws the manacles aside, the stone ringing on the marble floor. I let out a breath. He's done. He has to be. I'm useless anyways to him. I make the mistake of closing my eyes.

I feel his breath warm on my neck, and it startles me. My eyes flash open, and his face leers down at me. He grins again, this time exposing sharp canines.

His blazing blue eyes flick over my face, and when they connect back with mine, they darken to a deep blue.

He attacks.

Before I can even try pushing him off, his hands have already found my wrists and pinned them over my head. I couldn't move, I was trapped under his body.

With his other hand, he traces the outline of my face, slowly grazing my cheekbones. He runs his hands down my body, stopping at my elbows, when I feel his hand warm up. I already know what's coming. I yell out when it gets uncomfortably hot, and scream when it burns. Not again, why must he brand me like this?

He holds his fingers there, crushing my weak bones under the strength of his own, before trailing his hands up again. He burns more lines all over my arms- taking his time. It goes slowly and my screams last just as long. The burn of fire scarring me forever.

By the time he's done, my arms are lifeless; ugly yellow twigs with red swells everywhere. I can't move them at all. He stops squeezing my already aching arms and instead trails his thumb over my lips. I can tell my eyes are red and puffy from my uncontrollable sobbing and screaming, and I must be a mess, but still, he smiles.

He lets go of me, stands up, and walks out the doors. Almost instantly, Arvens come in and quickly reattach my manacles back on my swollen wrists. It stings like hell, and I cry out at the sudden burst of pain. My eyes water as sharp electricity runs through my body- and for a moment I think it's my power- but it's just my burns shifting.

Shame, embarrassment, frustration, and anger all rise inside me, and for a moment I fear I will snap, but instead, I close my eyes and follow my Arvens out and to my cage.

It seems as though no matter how far I run to hide from the pain, it always seems to find me in the end.

If only things were different.

If only...

OOmg mareeeree!! Yoooh what's gonna happen next?? Poor Mare!! Maveyyy whyyy 😭😭 yeah I know I wrote it but I'm still betrayed. I still have not gotten over chapter 26 in red queen bruv, I legit have trauma nowwww 😭😭

Ok but actually, it's starting to show the truth of Maven, or at least how I perceive his complex character. And also I will try to be writing in different perspectives, but it's so hardddd

Anyway thanks for reading! Comment your ideas and please vote! Thank youuu!

- sheepi