Touched

Seventeen, The Serum

'one death too many'

My body aches terribly from the cold floor of the cell they shoved me in yesterday, I woke up on the ground just inside, sprawled there, my shoulder aching from how I landed.

I should've known better than to ignore that bad feeling I had yesterday morning but even before I started my life here, I wasn't the best at listening to my intuition and that is probably why I found myself in so many bad situations.

Mady and Cole are clinically insane, and I finally understand for what purpose the curse was made, except the reality is that it made being horrible and cruel even easier. I am in no place to discredit the work those original witched did, because maybe they had the right idea but the wrong method, but I could slap them all if I was given the chance.

If I close my mind for long enough, I can locate my friends locked in Rhydian's office. I know they are aware of me being in a place like this, surely working out that their oh-so humble guests were really planning to overthrow Rhydian's kingdom.

I shouldn't shit on them to much because I was the cause of their distraction, but it does make me wonder how many of the people living in this castle and the region at large actually swapped sides. If he is viewed as highly as Sel and Kyle say he is then why would everyone jump ship at the earliest convenience.

They've been so caught up in looking after me and catering to my problems that they didn't even realise the gradual way they got more and more staff members on their side, I feel horribly for the betrayal that Rhydian no doubt is suffering with.

The gashes on my arms are stinging and will surely get infected from being coated in dust. The irrational side of my brain wishes that I had more control over the power that I was given; that I would have the ability to get out of the hell that I've been trapped in. Rationality is still winning for now, even if I could access the magic there is no guarantee that I would even know how to use it.

Sure, Rhydian mentioned Mady and I almost threw him across the room, but I couldn't keep them off me yesterday so there's no correlation. A part of me wonders if it's those three that gave me access to it- especially Selena and Kyle- that being my magic, are also what drew me to them in the first place.

The obnoxious clicking of Mady's heals alert me of her impending presence and I press myself further into the back of the cell. I wonder if she worked out that her handsome crush is my mate, it would explain some of her irritation towards me, but I know it's because I'm more powerful than she will ever be.

Makes me wonder if she was from a witch bloodline that she shamed, or if she was just an asshole human first. She deserves this curse as well, the worst and most awful parts only.

"My life would be so much easier if you just shifted into crazy magic girl already" She says in a bored tone, Cole standing behind her with a cruel look on his pinched face, and it stirs a nauseous feeling in my stomach.

"That's not really how it works" I reply, my voice steady despite the war of emotions inside my tired and bruised body.

"And why's that?" He asked.

"No idea, it comes out when I'm threatened or angry. I thought it'd be here by now but apparently not, maybe it doesn't like you" I quip, raising a singular eyebrow at them.

"We could always beat her into" Cole says darkly, "I have heard that has worked previously"

"Rhydian wouldn't appreciate that" Mady replies with a glare.

Cole scoffs at her, "Why would you care what he thinks?"

"He cares for her, if we want to convince him to join us then we need to keep him happy as much as possible" She explains, rolling her eyes as if it all makes perfect sense.