Mirror of Embers (Book 1)

f i f t e e n

TW: being taken advantage of, if this triggers you, please take note!

☾ Ember ☾

MY HEART HURTS. I feel as though it will fall out. That my heart is hanging on by a long silver thread. It's thin and loose. My heart is dangling on the thinnest string. Whatever's happening to me is not good. Eden and Landon left . . . thirty minutes ago? I'm not sure to be honest, it could've been hours. I wouldn't have known. I remember closing my eyes then waking up to the quiet, Minette isn't slumped on the floor anymore. I don't know where she is, and I don't particularly care. I'd rather not die listening to Minette's shrilly voice. I'd rather be fed to the mermaids than deal with her.

    I glance around my cell and instantly regret it. My head pounds just moving it. My vision blurs a bit. I slam my eyes shut and hope to soothe this awful migraine. Slowly, I open my eyes once more. My cell is small, I have a grey cot and sheet. Beside me seems to be a bucket to relieve myself. That's it. How lovely. I can't imagine what King Adrian has in mind for my suite. It can't get much worse than this. Can it?

    I'm already dying. Whatever these cuffs are, they seem to be draining the life out of me. My power. They're power dampening. I guess I never realized how strong my Boundment was before these cuffs were slapped on me. The fact that without my powers I'm just some withered body? Not good.

    But, I've never really used my powers before. I've used my wolves and occasionally other things. But fully? No. Reighla made us hide it, from everyone. We'd be found and kidnapped. Maybe if I had used it to fight off the guard I wouldn't be in this situation to begin with. If they already knew how powerful I was what was the point in hiding it?

    Also, how the fuck did they know my Boundment?

    They had to make special cuffs just for me. My hands are bound inside them. I can't even move my fingers. Maybe they're not there. Well, that'd be something. I smile at the thought of running around with no fingers and terrorizing children. Gods help me. I think I've gone insane.

    I hear footsteps. I straighten my spine and bring my legs to my chest. Hugging them to me. My toes are freezing. I wish I had a pair of socks right now. Fuzzy fleece ones. With pretty little flowers sewn in.

    Someone finally comes into view in front of me. They're tall, definitely male. Dark trousers cover his legs, he's got knee high black boots on as well. That's all I can see because I can't move my head up. It hurts too much. The man standing in front of me crouches on the ground. Gold eyes meet me.

    "Kam?" I ask.

    His lips pull upwards in a grim smile, "Yeah, it's me, love."

    "Okay," I say, closing my eyes. I don't have the strength to engage in a conversation right now. Especially one that would end in a screaming match. I feel incredibly weak right now. I need to sleep. That should fix me.

    "No," he says, "no sleeping. I need you awake."

    "Mm?"

    "Ember, you can't fall asleep, you need to stay awake." He repeats, I'm not really listening, I'm too tired. My eyes are droopy.

    "I'm so tired, Kam." I mumble. I can feel myself drifting off. Sleep coming to claim me. But, I'm stopped by loud sizzling. Kam hisses, I open my eyes. He's reaching his hands through the bars. I'm instantly alert. "S-stop, you're h-hurting yourself." I stutter. He stretches his hand to me, his long delicate fingers reaching for me. I crawl over to him. I reach my hand out, then stop, realizing my fingers are encased inside the cuffs. He doesn't seem to notice though, he cups my cheek. He rubs his thumb up and down my face. I lean into his touch.