Choices and Consequences
1538 Words
The week passed in a monotonous blur.
Selena fed the men, scrubbed floors, cleaned chambers, and endured awkward bandage-changing sessions with Bianca. Guard surveillance felt endless, and the routine was only interrupted by Caspian, who had apparently appointed himself her tormentor.
He made crude, suggestive remarks whenever he saw her, and his relentless attention forced her to maintain a constant vigilance.
She noticed him by Skalwarg’s side almost always, and often at the dinner table. He would ask about her family, push her to eat, and linger just a little too close. Despite the seemingly goofy exterior, there were moments when a sharp glint in his eyes sent goosebumps crawling up her skin.
Selena remained alert, learning to endure his harassment while her face healed, storing up her focus for a chance to investigate Ajin’s cabin again.
*-*-*-*-*
Finally, after three weeks, her chance came again. She was summoned to clean Ajin’s cabin. This time, she was ready. She had prepared stolen papers and a quilt to copy the spell, careful not to take the original. If she could only remain unseen, she could record the runes that might free her from her chains.
Her skin crawled as she approached the cabin. Even without full communication with her wolf, its agitation was evident; the space radiated unease. When she reached the door, she paused. Caspian stood there, hand in hand with Ajin. His smile was predatory.
“You are here. Good. Get to work quickly. We’ll be back soon,” he said smoothly, tugging Ajin along.
“I don’t remember agreeing—” Ajin protested, but Caspian pulled him away. Their voices faded into the woods.
Selena waited, tense. The cabin seemed worse than before, cluttered and dusty. She set down her bucket and washcloth, opened the windows, and began sweeping.
After three trips to the stream, she allowed herself a break. Retrieving the papers from beneath the floorboards, she carefully examined Ajin’s spell, her memory of childhood lessons in magic flickering to life.
Once, while she bathed in the river, she caught him trying to peek. Ajin had intervened, giving him a stern glare that left him retreating in frustration.
Watching the pair interact left Selena wondering at the complexity of their relationship. Ajin had never spared her naked form a glance, yet Caspian’s teasing persisted with reckless audacity.
Children in the pack were taught basic enchantments; only the naturally gifted advanced to the temple. Selena’s hands trembled as she copied the runes, double-checking each stroke. She couldn’t risk a misstep. Folding her copy beneath her coarse sack, she left the original untouched.
Caspian and Ajin had yet to return, giving her a window of precious solitude. She cleaned a little longer before retreating, nearly dancing back to the kitchen.
Her heart hammered—this was far better than she had dared hope. The spell was hers to use when the time came.
She hid the paper in a small hole by the food storage, returning to her duties with renewed determination.
Selena’s mind wandered that night as she lay in bed. Thoughts of Juno, Myra, and Illys weighed heavily on her heart. She stole glances at them in their cramped sleeping quarters, silently wondering how they would survive without her.
They had become her makeshift family in this place of torment, and leaving them behind felt like betrayal.
*-*-*-*-*
One evening, while they gathered in the kitchen after another gruelling day, Selena finally voiced her fears. Myra kneaded bread absently, Juno stirred a pot, and Illys worked quietly in the corner.
“If you had the chance to escape from here, would you?” Selena asked, her voice breaking the silence.
Juno exchanged a look with Myra before replying softly, “Escape? If you wish to die, perhaps.”
Selena’s fists clenched. “How is this life any different from death? All that’s left is for one of those lunatics to lose their temper—and we’d be executed.”
“You tried once. You saw what happened. Unless you have a death wish, there is no leaving here,” Juno said plainly.
Selena’s frustration boiled over. “What happened to those eager to escape at the start? Where are they now?”
“They’ve learned the reality of this place. You would do well to do the same,” Juno’s words stung sharply.
Silence fell again. Myra yawned, brushing it off, “I tell you all the time: have faith in the Great One. Someone will rescue us.”
Selena frowned. “How can we be rescued when no one knows what happened to us? For all anyone knows, we were attacked—or defected.”
“True,” Myra said, her voice drowsy, “but who are we to question the Great One? I’ll survive till that day, even if it means being used.”
Selena’s eyes narrowed. Their nonchalance puzzled and frustrated her. A spell of obedience, or fear, seemed to hang over them.
She turned away with a sigh. She had decided: she would escape, even if it meant dying in the attempt.
Bianca’s hands trembled slightly as she unwrapped the bandages from Selena’s face. The dim light in the infirmary flickered, casting ghostly shadows across the walls. Selena flinched at the touch but kept her gaze locked on Bianca.
“I can’t believe you let him ruin your beautiful face,” Bianca whispered, her voice gentle yet laced with worry.
Selena clenched her jaw. “I had to try, Bianca. I can’t live like this.”
The healer dipped a cloth into warm water and dabbed carefully at the dried blood. The burn marks beneath were raw and angry, the silver in her skin making it difficult for the wounds to close correctly. Selena winced at the sting, but her eyes never left Bianca’s.
“I understand, Selena, but you have to be careful. Skalwarg… he is not someone to be underestimated,” Bianca said softly, concern etched across her face.
Selena let herself relax for a fraction of a moment, thinking back to her pack. Memories flooded in: the days spent with Bianca, her father saving Bianca’s family, their inseparable friendship, and the betrayal when Esmaray colluded with another pack.
Pain prickled through her chest, but so did determination.
She would not let herself be trapped here forever.
“I missed you,” Bianca admitted quietly, her voice trembling. “When they banished me, I thought I’d lost everyone. But seeing you again… even in these circumstances…” Her voice faltered, and she tightened her grip on the rag.
“I missed you, too,” Selena said, grasping Bianca’s hand. “I felt so guilty when it happened. I thought, Why worry about that betrayer? I was a fool.”
“Don’t say that, my lady. It’s fine now. I truly believe things will work out,” Bianca reassured her.
Selena hissed softly as the bandage caught against her raised skin. “You’re lucky these burns aren’t deeper,” Bianca muttered. “Will it heal?”
“Yes,” Bianca confirmed. “But you must be careful. No more nonsense about running away.”
Selena’s resolve hardened. “I can’t make that promise, B. This place… It’s not for me. I have a plan now. We can get out of here, together,” she said, squeezing Bianca’s thigh gently.
Bianca hesitated, finishing the bandages. She picked up a small vial filled with a calming herbal concoction and handed it to Selena. Her gaze remained steady. “Drink this. It will ease the pain… and any fever that returns.”
Selena swallowed, feeling the liquid burn as it went down, but it left a comforting warmth in its wake. She had trusted Bianca’s skill for years—her hands, precise and careful, had healed more than just wounds.
Just as Selena was about to leave, Bianca grabbed her hand. “Please… think this through. I’m worried about you.”
Selena exhaled heavily. Bianca was not someone she could easily lie to. “I’ll let you know when I’m leaving. And I still think you should come with me,” she urged.
“I cannot, my lady. If you see this through, you should go alone. I won’t slow you down,” Bianca said firmly.
Selena pressed her lips together, trying to coax her. “We’re faster together. We can do this.”
“These people need me here. I cannot abandon them,” Bianca gestured toward the sleeping slaves in the infirmary, their soft breaths filling the room.
“But you will abandon me?” Selena asked, her voice sharp, her eyes flashing.
“You already did that, my lady,” Bianca said, her hand twitching as she saw Selena flinch. “I pray the gods protect you, but I believe it is a fool’s errand.” She forced herself to speak harsh truths, wanting Selena to see reason.
Selena hissed in frustration. “Fine. I don’t need anyone. I should be used to this by now.” She turned, walking out of the infirmary, resolve etched in her every step.
Bianca lifted her eyes to the heavens, whispering a prayer under her breath. “Please protect her, Great One.”
- Writer
