Chapter 26: Just a Taste

Emilia’s own screams reverberated off the stone walls, echoing through the hollowed-out mountain.

The finger in her neck drove down deeper, crushing her vertebrae and pressing against her spinal cord.

Her arm twitched, flying back and bending awkwardly. Her right leg slid out to the side, twitching again.

Emilia groaned. She ground her teeth together, layers of enamel scraping off. She couldn’t move, but her nervous system twitched and jerked uncomfortably.

“Emilia!” Tommy said her name frantically.

“I-I’m okay,” she ground out. “Don’t get any closer!”

Blood tears dripped from her eyes, splashing against the marble beneath her face.

Slowly, the finger retracted from her neck. Emilia groaned, silently willing the Old One to move faster. Her hands clenched and unclenched at her sides.

She knew if she tried to pull away or if she jerk in the wrong direction, that one finger could tear her apart from the inside out, even unintentionally.