Chapter Thirty

Iris:

I was not going to escape them. My thoughts moved around, I was panicking and although it was not full blown yet, it was going to be very soon. My mind races as I watched the men approached me where I was huddled together with other women.

“She thinks she can hide.” The man who seemed like the leader spoke with laughter.

Another member of his gang took in a deep breathe close to my hair even as I shrank away from him. “She smells of ATI from afar, polished and pompous. The queen raised her replica.”

I found my voice through my fear and unclogged my tongue from the roof of my mouth where it was. “My mother did not raise me, my father did. The king of the folks.”

“And the brat just had to talk.” The men laughed between themselves as if my information about who my father was is a joke to them. “Yes silly girl, we are aware of who your father is. That is why we know that when we have broken your spirit, your father would be willing to pay for your empty body.”

One used his fingers to trail my top and the small cleavage my shirt was showing, I jerked away from his hand when I got their meaning and I started to struggle earnestly, no wanting any part of what they were doing.

When the fist came and hit me across the face, I felt my cheeks were on fire as I struggled to realize what that means. I soon realized it when it happened again.

And this time, no matter how much I clawed to stay awake, I couldn’t help it as my body dragged me into unconsciousness.

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I woke up to the sounds of whimpers and cries of woman. One part of my face felt tender and extremely heavy and that included one of my eyes.

“No please, I have a mate…” I heard a woman crying and I struggled to open my eyes, fighting the waves of nausea that swept through me.

“Just a taste of what you would be gobbling down, don’t be shy. I will be nice.” A man stated even as I shook my head and tears fall faster while trying to escape the man’s iron grip which I knew must be bruising me as I kept moving around but I did not have a choice.

I was shocked when the man’s hand on me slackened and I pushed myself away from him, only to see light streaming into the room while guards rushed in, tackling the men.

A jacket with a familiar smell covered my head and before I could struggle, I heard his voice. “Keep your head down,”

“Cirdan.” I whispered through hoarse throat as relief crashes through me. I was safe, Cirdan was here, and he would protect me.

He told me to keep my head down but, my head yanked up to see that a lot of women were dying to protect the me and the guards just kept on killing.

Something about the scene broke me and I just watched on with unseeing eyes.