the top of her like a jump rope and then was pulled tight across her chest. Even through her shirt, she could feel the chain’s silver links burn her skin.
She screamed, bucked, but another loop of chain wrapped around her ankles, and the burning sensation rode up her legs, turning them numb.
“What are you doing? Get off of me. Stop it.”
Rough hands jerked at her arms. Another chain looped around her wrists. She lost her balance and fell to the floor on her side. She felt like a rodeo calf, getting hog tied. Looking up, she saw Kress, Wertz, and now Mica crowding down on her, pulling the chains taut, locking them into place with padlocks. The chain around her wrists was the worse as it touched her bare skin, which sizzled like a greased skillet.
“Why are you doing this?” she cried.
But they wouldn’t talk to her. They carried out Jessie’s shackling with cold, professional eyes, like officers from animal control just here to tie up the beast and take it away.
Once all the chains had Jessie secured, the three backed off and looked down at her. She squirmed and pulled, but the silver wouldn’t break. Blood ran from her wrists down along her forearms.
“Craig is going to kick your ass for this.”
Mica sniffed and bobbled her head. “Think we can handle him, love. No worries there.”
“I’m not doing this to punish or hurt you,” Kress said.
“Well, it hurts,” Jessie pushed through her narrowing throat. Don’t cry. Don’t let them see you cry. She lifted her burning and bloody wrists. “A lot.”
“Those will come off soon.” He patted Mica on the shoulder. “Go get it.”
Mica nodded and trotted out the door, which now hung wide open.
“You think chaining me up and torturing me is going to make me ask the souls for help?” Tears filled her eyes. Her voice quivered. Damn it, do not cry!
“I’m not going to torture you. I’m going to convince you.”
A squeaking echoed from the hall outside. A moment later, Mica backed in through the door, pulling a wheeled cart. On the cart sat what looked like a large kennel cage, only the metal shined like…well…like polished silver.
Jessie’s stomach dropped. She couldn’t hold back any more. She openly sobbed. The smell of her own flesh cooking against the silver chains made her gag, bringing up the taste of the blood she drank from the vials earlier.
Mica brought the cart to the room’s center and Wertz helped her lift the cage off and set it down in the middle of the pentagram. Wertz then unlatched the cage door and swung it open.
Jessie thrashed and hitched as the gnome and the stunk-striped pixie came over to her. She made it as much of a struggle for them to pick her up and carry her to the cage, but she couldn’t stop them. Eventually, they shoved her inside.
The door made no noise when Wertz closed it except for a soft clink of silver against silver. The gnome latched the door, slipped a padlock that also appeared made of silver through a loop in the latch, and locked Jessie in like a feral cat.
Jessie had enough room to lay on her side as long as she curled her legs up some. She could also kneel without fear of touching the top. She got to a kneeling position and held out her chained wrists. “What about these?”
Kress crouched in front of the kennel and peered through the bars. “The locks are charmed. They will release in about twenty minutes. You should be able to shake loose, at which point Wertz will return to collect the chains.”
“Are you serious?”
“I’m not foolish enough to underestimate your strength.”
“You won’t get away with this. This isn’t right.”
“No. It isn’t. And I suspect I’ll suffer some consequence or another. But I’m desperate, Jessie.” He stood and walked away without another word.
Mica and Wertz followed him out. No one glanced backward.
The door to the circular room clanged shut.
The Chosen One curled into a fetal ball and wept.
Chapter Twelve
Lockman came back
She screamed, bucked, but another loop of chain wrapped around her ankles, and the burning sensation rode up her legs, turning them numb.
“What are you doing? Get off of me. Stop it.”
Rough hands jerked at her arms. Another chain looped around her wrists. She lost her balance and fell to the floor on her side. She felt like a rodeo calf, getting hog tied. Looking up, she saw Kress, Wertz, and now Mica crowding down on her, pulling the chains taut, locking them into place with padlocks. The chain around her wrists was the worse as it touched her bare skin, which sizzled like a greased skillet.
“Why are you doing this?” she cried.
But they wouldn’t talk to her. They carried out Jessie’s shackling with cold, professional eyes, like officers from animal control just here to tie up the beast and take it away.
Once all the chains had Jessie secured, the three backed off and looked down at her. She squirmed and pulled, but the silver wouldn’t break. Blood ran from her wrists down along her forearms.
“Craig is going to kick your ass for this.”
Mica sniffed and bobbled her head. “Think we can handle him, love. No worries there.”
“I’m not doing this to punish or hurt you,” Kress said.
“Well, it hurts,” Jessie pushed through her narrowing throat. Don’t cry. Don’t let them see you cry. She lifted her burning and bloody wrists. “A lot.”
“Those will come off soon.” He patted Mica on the shoulder. “Go get it.”
Mica nodded and trotted out the door, which now hung wide open.
“You think chaining me up and torturing me is going to make me ask the souls for help?” Tears filled her eyes. Her voice quivered. Damn it, do not cry!
“I’m not going to torture you. I’m going to convince you.”
A squeaking echoed from the hall outside. A moment later, Mica backed in through the door, pulling a wheeled cart. On the cart sat what looked like a large kennel cage, only the metal shined like…well…like polished silver.
Jessie’s stomach dropped. She couldn’t hold back any more. She openly sobbed. The smell of her own flesh cooking against the silver chains made her gag, bringing up the taste of the blood she drank from the vials earlier.
Mica brought the cart to the room’s center and Wertz helped her lift the cage off and set it down in the middle of the pentagram. Wertz then unlatched the cage door and swung it open.
Jessie thrashed and hitched as the gnome and the stunk-striped pixie came over to her. She made it as much of a struggle for them to pick her up and carry her to the cage, but she couldn’t stop them. Eventually, they shoved her inside.
The door made no noise when Wertz closed it except for a soft clink of silver against silver. The gnome latched the door, slipped a padlock that also appeared made of silver through a loop in the latch, and locked Jessie in like a feral cat.
Jessie had enough room to lay on her side as long as she curled her legs up some. She could also kneel without fear of touching the top. She got to a kneeling position and held out her chained wrists. “What about these?”
Kress crouched in front of the kennel and peered through the bars. “The locks are charmed. They will release in about twenty minutes. You should be able to shake loose, at which point Wertz will return to collect the chains.”
“Are you serious?”
“I’m not foolish enough to underestimate your strength.”
“You won’t get away with this. This isn’t right.”
“No. It isn’t. And I suspect I’ll suffer some consequence or another. But I’m desperate, Jessie.” He stood and walked away without another word.
Mica and Wertz followed him out. No one glanced backward.
The door to the circular room clanged shut.
The Chosen One curled into a fetal ball and wept.
Chapter Twelve
Lockman came back
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