Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Txälina

Three days had passed, and tonight the full moon would rise. Worry throbbed me as I dreaded the prospect of the full moon event.

I lay on my bed, eyes rigid on the clock's hand as it chimed methodically. At some point, I drowned myself in wine, presuming it would preclude the thoughts in my head.

But when I woke, the feeling of trepidation was palpable.

The bell gonged in the distance, the sound filling my ears with more fear, marking another hour whisked away. The warriors would be here soon, and we would be steered to the mountain where the priest waited to perform the ritual that would dredge out whatever remained of our wolf.

From where I lay, I saw the gown, hanging deftly over the door. The glimpse of it made my teeth clench and my muscles tick. I execrated that gown, hated how it reminded me of my submission every full moon.

I dragged myself from the bed, trudging toward the bathing chamber. I stared at the cracked walls and felt a twinge of buried memories. I let out a wistful sigh, shaking my head.

I was about to strip the gown from my skin when a soft voice called from behind.

"What—"

I turned around, jarred, and found Täneli standing there. Nuxiwän, one of Kaluen's pets, stood at her side. She was dressed in a long white gown, her straight blond hair braided and bobbed to her chin. Her skin was pale, smooth and free of any blemishes. Her enormous golden eyes blinked, giving her the appearance of a doll.

"You… You. Don't do that."

"Do what?" Nuxiwän smirked, masticating the apple in her hand.

"Frighten me."

"Nonsense, Txälina," she smiled. "We came to check on you. There is not much time. The warriors' patience is fraying."

Exhaling loudly, I skimmed my fingers through my hair.

"You're apprehensive," Täneli said, noticing my expression.

"I'm… I'm not…" My shoulders dropped. "Yes, I am. I dread what will happen tonight."

"We can't continue to live like this," Nuxiwän said, her expression turning solemn.

"What?" Täneli reared her head to the side.

"We need to leave at once to procure aid. We'll journey to the King to inform him of the atrocities that have been imposed on the women of Säli."

"Nuxiwän," Täneli called. "You know it's implausible to escape."

Any woman who attempted to abscond would be put to death. There was nothing I loved in this life aside from my two friends, Täneli and Nuxiwän.

"If something abject occurs—"

Täneli's gaze softened. "We will survive. We will thrive like we always do."

Täneli pulled us close into a warm hug, and for a moment, my heart felt light.

…..

Alone again, I took a bath in silence, scrubbing my body. I dressed in the gown and slid on my sandals.

Stepping outside, I gazed at the window, at the land that stretched vast.

Mätxin and Kaluen would be conniving treachery. I pondered if they were aware of how close they were to death. Alpha Wyränkla had ruled for centuries, and in those years, he had perfected the art of precedence.

I remembered vaguely the previous challenger. I remembered how he was fettered to the wall while Alpha Wyränkla pared his skin from bone. Wolfsbane was decanted onto his raw flesh. When he died, Alpha Wyränkla ordered the death of his family, and his corpse was hung on the outer wall for days as a presage to anyone who attempted to challenge Alpha Wyränkla again.

A shiver pebbled over my skin. I shuddered. If Kaluen failed, I would be dragged into this. Exile wouldn't be enough to save me.

The door opened, and a guard sauntered in.

"Have you forgotten what night it is?"

"No."

"Then come at once. It's time."

My body moved, hauling me downstairs where the others waited. Under the gaze of the chandelier, their faces were leeched of emotion.

The warriors herded us to the mountain. A turbulent wind whipped against my face and braids as we clambered up the slope. At the pinnacle, the priest stood there, swathed in white.

At my side, Täneli moaned, her body thrilling with tremors.

A commotion erupted behind us, and when I turned, I saw a warrior dragging a woman, her face scraping the stoned surface of the mountain, her white gown smudged with earth.

"She was caught attempting to utilize the voice," the warrior spoke.

"Please," she sobbed. "I swear I wasn't trying to exert the voice!"

"Lies!" the warrior bellowed. "She must be punished."

Anger spiraled across my face. Säli had bestowed the voice upon me. Expected me to make use of it. But did she envision I was strong enough to implement it? That i could end up like this woman?

I felt Säli. When she spoke, her voice was slick.

She doesn't have the voice.

I shivered.

You could save her. One word, and they'll obey.

My heart pounded furiously; I thought it might combust. Swallowing a knot of tension, I closed my eyes for a moment.

The woman tugged free, brandishing a dagger with quivering hands, her pale cheeks colored with a distinctive flush.

Her gaze was fierce but fragile, like a sheet of cracked glass.

Just as I was about to take a step forward, Nuxiwän grabbed my arm, pulling me back.

"Don't," she whispered, and the throngs of emotions dissipated.

"What do you think you are trying to do?" she murmured.

I opened my mouth to speak, but a shrill scream tore through the air, and I angled my head. The woman dropped to the ground as claws split her flesh, her gown besmirched with blood. The warrior heaved her with his claws still buried in her body, then flung her down, her body landing on the ground with a loud thud.

Look! Säli shouted in my mind. Säli men will pay with their blood.

A sob broke from Täneli's lips.

Tears burned my vision as the warriors hauled us to the priest's feet. I watched their once stoic faces break, watched them unravel with emotion under his gaze. One after the other, the ritual was performed on them, the women fractured as the warriors dragged them away.

Then it was my turn.

"Pin her down," he commanded.

Rough hands clamped my arms, wrenching my head back. My mouth was coerced open, my body trembling violently.

Please, I pleaded with my eyes.

Please… Please… Please.

The liquid concoction swigged down my throat, searing. Every breath I drew felt like I was inhaling fire. Threads of pain tethered to my muscles, strangling every part of me until it was hard to breathe.

When it was over, I squirmed, curling into myself in pain as tears streamed down my cheeks.

Breathe.

It hurt to breathe. Gods, it hurt so much. Pain hurtled through my veins, my muscles, my skull, my eyeballs, as if something with honed fingers was clawing through me. Every limb was aflame.

My stomach heaved. I fought the sickness, but when it came, I spewed the concoction from my mouth and collapsed to the ground with a pounding headache.

A hand struck the back of my head, and I barfed more liquid.

"We'll have to do it again," the priest said.

No… No, please.

I was too weak to struggle as the warriors dragged me to the priest's feet.

In the deepest part of my mind, a voice resonated:

Säli men will pay with their blood.