Thirteen

I threw the door open then we went towards the table that acted as a desk, but I saw a bell and went to ring it.

"Nyx." I looked at Pelna then felt sick as I saw Grandmother Eloise Demose's body under a desk, though it was mostly decomposed now. I heard a scream upstairs then ran to the back stairs, running up them and towards the voices. As I kicked the door in for Sorren's apartment and went inside, I glared as I saw Tommy and some blonde in Sorren's bed, but I didn't see her anywhere.

"Get dressed, the king has summoned you to the Citadel."

"Don't we usually get a letter in advance?" Tommy asked as he turned his back to us, but I adverted my eyes as he stood to get his pants on.

"This is an immediate summons. You are to be escorted by us to the Citadel." Crowe said then I looked back as the woman came towards me.

"Yeah? And why is that, huh?" She asked, but I glared at Tommy.

"Where is she?" I asked, but he snickered.

"Who, huh? The only 'she' I know is Bianca here-"

"Sorrentina." I cut him off then looked at the closet as I heard muffled screams. Tommy glared, but I went over and tried to open the door, but it was locked by a padlock that wasn't there the last time I was here.

"Open it." I commanded, but Tommy shrugged.

"I don't have the keys, sorry." He said, but I huffed and grabbed my kukri, sliding the blade into the lock that was holding the door shut and yanking, making it snap off. It hit the ground as I unlatched the door then I slid it back, staring as I saw Sorren on the ground, bound and gagged. I noted that she wore shorts and a tank top, but her face was bruised, her lip was cut, she was lined with bruises, and there was dried blood on her legs.

"Sorren." I dropped down then got the rag out of her mouth, letting her close it.

"Nyx, I'm sorry-"

"Shh, let's just get you out, okay?" I said and she nodded as I untied her wrists. I got her legs free then slid my jacket off, covering her with it and lifting her. As Crowe, Libertus, and Pelna saw her, they glared at Tommy, but he was already in handcuffs.

"Let's go."

~*-*~

"Eloise Demose, an old woman who you murdered, and Sorrentina Demose, the young woman you tortured and raped daily for the last three months!" Clarus growled, but I gripped Nyx's jacket tighter as I stood at the base of the steps leading up to King Regis' throne. All the Glaives and the prince with his Crownsguard were behind me, standing with me in case I got scared or something.

"Clarus!" King Regis yelled then stood, gripping his cane tightly as he looked at me. He slowly came down to me then stopped just in front of me, brushing my hair back behind my ear and looking at my swollen eye.

"Did Thomas hurt you, Sorren?" I slowly nodded then he nodded once.

"Thomas Kingston, you will be sent to the same maximum facility that Drautos currently sits in, and you, like him, will never be free again." He said then guards grabbed Tommy, holding him tightly.

"As for you, Bianca, you will be sent to a normal prison for aiding him in this woman's abuse and the murder of her grandmother." He said then she was also grabbed.

"And what about her, huh?! She ain't even a saint!" Tommy growled, but King Regis glared at him.

"She is the victim here. If I have a reason to suspect her of something-"

"Stealing food when I was little." I said and he looked at me.

"And-and money, before my grandmother took me in. It was right after my mother died, I was alone and I had nothing. I was just trying to survive." I said then he smiled.

"That is not a crime, Sorren. Surviving is not a crime that I can punish." He said then glared at Tommy.

"You bitch-"

"Come up with something more original, you piss pot!" I yelled then he looked shocked.

"Now that you got your stupid Glaives backing you, you're all brave again, huh?! Where was that bravery when I was shoving my-" I punched him then he hit the ground as he was knocked from the guards' hands. I glared down at him as he stared up at me in shock, but I didn't care.

"I'm not brave, Thomas, I'm terrified of you and I will never forget what you did to me. I will never forget how many nights I spent begging for death, for the astrals to just kill me, for someone to figure out what you were doing, but I never once imagined that it would be the friends I had tossed aside because I was hurt. Yes, you hurt me in so many different ways, but that doesn't mean shit to me when I know for a fact that you will rot in prison while I sit here on a comfortable couch, surrounded by the sunlight and those I care for. I know that while you waste away, I will be living my life because I was afraid of you." I said then the guards pulled him to his feet, but I reached up and grabbed his cheeks, squishing them and making him glare.

"I hope you become somebody's bitch. Isn't that what you said? Well, here's karma for you. You're my bitch now." I spit then let him go and he was dragged off as Crowe came towards me.

"Are you okay?" I nodded then smiled at her.

"I will be once I burn my apartment." I said and she laughed.

"Let's get you cleaned up, hmm?" I nodded then let her lead me out, my friends following. When we got back to my apartment, I was given a potion so that I could heal, I got a shower while they cleaned my entire apartment, then I got into fresh clothes when I was done. As I left my bathroom, I saw Nyx washing my dishes as the others cleaned the rest of my apartment and smiled. I went over to him then he looked at me and dried his hands on a dish towel, holding my cheeks as he scanned my face.

"You're healed up pretty nicely now." I nodded then laid my head into his left hand.

"Thanks to you." I whispered then he smiled. I moved closer to him then grabbed his shirt, watching his eyes closely.

"Sorren-"

"I forgive you, Nyx." I whispered then closed the space between our mouths, softly kissing him.