Divine Charity

Chapter Twenty-Six: Nice Try Brother

Earth: American Consulate for Star-travelers

Anno Domini: 2011.7.25

Lena woke slowly, head hammering under the onslaught of psychic rage. The stench of sulfur burned her nostrils, making her gag, fully rousing her to unwanted consciousness as a fist slammed into her ribs. The resounding crack of her bones paralyzed her with pain.

Her eyes fluttered open. The twisted face of her brother sneered in a rendition of a smile at her. Lena wanted to laugh, but only a pained squeak escaped. She tried to curl in on herself to ease the pain in her ribs, only to realize she was manacled to a wall. Lena tried reaching out with her mind to find Khamuel, her girls, or Fiadn, needing to know their fate before she surrendered.

"Not worth trying, princess," Adam said with a grin. "This room is fortified. You won't reach them, and your powers will not work with those manacles working to sap your strength."

Lena's eyes turned black.

Adam smiled again. "Beautiful. I always told mother she did you a disservice by not teaching you more about our ways. Now look what's become of you—whore of a Ka'al barbarian and in my keeping."

Lena tried freezing the metal that bound her wrists and ankles, but whatever the manacles were crafted from made them impervious to her attempts. She tried letting loose her static energy, but only fizzled weakly. 

Adam smirked at her attempts as he pulled something from his belt. "Remember this? It was the only thing mom and I could find that actually worked on you."

Lena broke into a cold sweat as the cauterizing implement forged from iron glinted in the dim light. "No!"

Blinding, searing heat forced a scream of pain from her as he trailed the heated end down her arm. "Quiet! No wonder your father never wanted you, you whiny little bitch. Never could keep your mouth shut."

"What do you want?" she slurred, pain fogging her mind.

"Where is he, Lena?"

Lena pressed her lips together.

Adam backhanded her. "Don't play games, princess. Where is he?"

"Fuck you."

Adam reached up, sliding his fingers along the manacle until he reached her hand, cupping it in his. "I remember what I used to make you do with these hands. Do you?"

Lena remained silent, tense, defenseless.

"You always had the best hands. It would annoy me when mom held you down for me. I wanted your hands on me."

Lena suppressed her rage. Think, Lena. Think! "You wanted a lot of things you shouldn't."

Adam glared at the symbols on her palms. He lit the cauterizer. "But I always got what I wanted. Didn't I, princess?"

How many times can I survive?

"What did you do to your father with these sweet little hands of yours?" He lit the cauterizer again and touched it to her palm, destroying the artful symbol Khamuel had given her. Lena's face contorted with pain, her body instantly shrinking away from the burn. She held her scream inside, but her silence only made Adam determined, and the cauterizer moved wildly over her other palm.

Still, Lena only clenched her teeth and eyes shut, refusing to give him the sounds he thrived off of. Lena fought to reach her Zen place, but her thoughts were too chaotic as she thought of how much she had to lose if she didn't survive. Lena didn't even know if Khamuel or the rest of her family had survived the attack. What would happen to her daughters without them? What about the baby she carried? This wasn't fair. It wasn't right. Her baby deserved a chance at life.