Lilith
I yanked myself away from him, smacking his hand away from my wrist. He chuckled as he turned to head to the back, acting like his actions were justified. I adjusted myself, rolling my wrist to get his sensation off me. I picked up my glass and took a sip.
The room behind me filled with whispers as I picked up the spoon. I blew on the contents, a stray potato lulled about before I took a bite. The warmth felt good going down my throat. I halted before another, contemplating if I needed to finish the whole bowl or not. Lilly snarled at me, demanding I eat. She wasn't happy with my antics, which made her shorter with me than I liked.
"I should just force a heat on you." She huffed out.
"Like you could. You did the spell to keep it at bay." I snapped back while taking another bite.
"Yes, because I love you and I want you to find someone FOR YOU and that person is Sebastian! And I will remove it if you keep acting STUPID!" She snipped back.
"You just said someone for me, doesn't that imply I get to choose?" I folded my arms as I tapped my foot. This arguing isn't going to get us anywhere.
"You do like Sebastian. You keep denying it but you do." She protested.
"How can I like someone I just met!? For all I know, he'll just use me then leave me." I pushed back from the bar, adjusting myself to leave.
"Lilith... you trusted me your whole life. Why not trust me now?" Lilly sighed.
"Because I'm scared... I'm scared to take the steps, Lilly," I clutched my cloak tightly. I always just kept my head down and pushed forward. Lilly always stuck to that. We were never interested in men or women sexually. Even if she would succumb to her urges, it'd always just be us. She's fought off multiple people attempting to take advantage of us during those times.
I stepped outside in the cool night air. The wind picked up, swirling around us. I stepped off the front entrance steps, turned left and continued down the road. Lilly protested, she wanted us to stay the night there. I refused, I wanted as much distance between us and Astion before Sebastian found my note. Part of me wanted him to come after me. Maybe it'd prove a point. The other part was terrified if he didn't. Who are you kidding? You just met him three days ago, you're no one.
"Stop that!" Lilly hissed. I ignored her, as old memories started to flood in.
Missions where I had to sleep in the stables because clients were too afraid of what I was. The time where I had to fight off a group of Astria men who tried to have their way with me. My legs spread so wide I could have been snapped in half. My urge to stay alive being the only thing that snapped me and Lilly into sync. We barely made our way out of that one. The king wanted my head.
My mother was so disappointed in me, saying I should just have let them have their way with me, so I could at least give the clan more children. I protested, telling her I was more than that, that I was a living breathing thing.
"Ha! You were given the weakest guardian. The one who has to spread her legs every time she gets a kill. What did you expect Lilith? You should have let them have their way with you, at least you'd give me something to be proud of." She didn't look up from the fire she was kindling.
"Mom! That's not fair! You know I work just as hard..." she pulled a hot log out of the fire, smashing it over my head, bringing me to my knees in searing pain.
"Keep your mouth shut. Your sister, Luna, is the prize of this family. She's the bread winner and will continue our legacy. You just need to spread your legs to the next warrior who offers and produce us with more Lahnust soldiers."
"No! You know why Luna is the bread winner? Because I do most of the work for her! OR she flaunts her looks and get others to slay the demons!" I stood my ground. My mother slapped me, grabbed me by my hair and dragged me outside to the pits.
"You will learn your place and never disrespect your sister again!" She threw me into the vast hole, the spikes slicing through my arms as I landed at the bottom. Darkness swallowed me. I don't know how long it was before I was dragged out. I didn't even get time to clean myself up before I was strapped down and had a hot needle full of ink dig into my skin from the bottom of my eyelids all the way down to my toes. The infection would have killed me if it wasn't for Lilly. I remember sobbing for days as I realized I was now marked like the weapon I was.
"Stop... you don't need to be thinking about that." Lilly whispered to me. My bottom lip trembled. I wiped my nose with the back of my sleeve as I continued forward. Maybe if I just disappeared or died, you'd be reborn into a more worthy vessel.
"You're worthy Lilith, you've sacrificed so much." Her voice waved shakily as I could feel her wanting to cry.
I stopped walking as I noticed the air was still around us. It was quiet. Way too quiet. Lilly noticed it as well as she whispered, "Someone's been following us."
I quickly spun around, no one was there, but their presence was known.
"I know you're there... So come out now." I firmly declared.
A singular man stepped out of the shadows. He was wearing a hood that had gold etchings around the edge. Everything in my body was screaming at me to leave. I took a step back, bumping into something.
I spun around, throwing a kick just to have it stopped by a large hand that was wrapped up in a green cloth with etchings on it. My heart sank as I realized the etchings were magic deterrents.
I swiftly pulled my leg out of his grip; my strength had been given to me since birth, just for these reasons, in case someone tried to subdue the magic of the Guardian. You'd have to be an especially talented mage to have access to that knowledge.
I found my footing, as I dodged to the left as he lunged at me. I couldn't react fast enough as a rope landed around my neck, pulling me to the floor. I gagged as I clawed at it, it burned like hell. Lilly seethed, "It's a seal to seal us..." Fuck. Whoever this was knew my clan's weakness.
I kicked, I spat, and I clawed every chance I got as I was dragged across dirt and rocks for a good 20 feet. The big man grabbed me, flipping me onto my chest, pining me down as he bound my wrists and stuffed another rune riddled cloth into my mouth. He then picked me up, throwing me over his shoulder as he carried me to a concealed cage that was horse drawn. He opened it, then tossed me into the cold bars.
"Let's go, we only have two days till the next auction, and she's going to pull us a pretty penny." A weasel-like voice echoed through the night. I've heard that voice before... but where? And an auction?
The carriage lunged forward as I lay there. I felt my power leech from me as Lilly struggled to help me break the ruins. I told Lilly to rest; we can accumulate some strength and use it when needed. I don't know how long it was, but I saw the entrance of Astion reappear. The carriage went around to a passage I didn't see when I arrived. The rider and the coachman spoke at the same time "May the old ways become the new". With that they were ushered through.
They pulled up to an area full of different women and beasts in cages. I saw a woman from Astria, an Orc woman, a mermaid and many others. I was dragged out and thrown on the cold floor.
The big man grabbed my clothing, ripping it off me with ease as the other one poured cold water all over me. He took a long scrub brush and scrubbed me raw. I was then yanked onto my feet as a see-through silk gown was thrown on me. My chest heaved up and down as anger crossed my face. This was the sex ring Sebastian told me about.