Encounters (The Elder Origins #3) by Bre Faucheux Read Free Book Online

left the cell, his newly formed ‘guards’ following him. One stayed behind just to stare at her as she writhed in pain.
    She wasn’t at all certain whether or not she could take on all these changed men to escape. They had easily overtaken her. She wouldn’t let that happen again.
    The cries above Madison die d down after a few minutes. She could only think as she heard footsteps from the dungeon being led up the stone steps that the people were being led to their death. She was relieved to not hear their pain, but even more distressed to know the screams that would soon follow. Trying to lengthen her hearing to the outskirts of the city, she was surprised to find no one crying out in joy for the people being tortured to death. Nor were there continuous cries from those being tormented. Caspar had said that she would be first. But she couldn’t imagine why the others had been led out before her. Perhaps so they could be set aside to witness what was soon to happen to her.
    The more Madison tried to loosen her constraints, the tighter they pulled. She wanted to kill Caspar for having put her in this contraption. She looked up to see the guard, expecting him to react to her trying to break loose. But he was no longer there. With all the commotion going on upstairs and trying to hear what was happening outside the cathedral’s dungeon, she hadn’t even noticed that he had left. Her loss of knowing what was right in front of her was almost as upsetting as what was coming.
    It was then that she heard three sets of feet coming down the narrow stone staircase she had been carried down. The chain began to move and the needled dungeon doorway lifted upwards. The cloaked men stepped inside. One said something to other in their language. They were all Caspar’s creations, but they were not as in tune with their abilities as she was. She easily seeped into their auras. They were seemingly nervous about something, but she couldn’t decipher what it was.
    She lay on t he cold stone floor. Blood from her mouth stained her matted hair and porcelain skin. They released her from the spiked chain around her wrist and tied to her ankles. She fully intended to try to run as soon as she was released from it, and yet she knew this wouldn’t be possible. If any memory from the past hour served her well, it was the feeling of her skin being ripped apart when the contraption was removed from her mouth and jawline. She couldn’t focus on anything but her hands and ankles as the device was removed. The removal of it was considerably worse than having it placed on. Her skin had tried to heal over the spikes, leaving little to her imagination as to what had happened when they tore it from her body.
    She was brought to her feet from under her shoulders. The force used to pick her up made her feel like a doll as she swayed from side to side. Her ankles were still pushing the spikes and splinters from her skin when they expected her to stand. Rather than giving her a moment to recover they lead her out of the cell. Her feet scrambled to find stability. One hand gripped her firmly from under her shoulder and balanced her weight out. Although, she was less than grateful for the gesture, as his grip was far too firm for comfort.
    She finally got a look at her surroundings. She hadn’t been allowed that before when she was carried over this man’s shoulder. The dungeon was dark and the scent of spilled blood was in each cell. She knew that these men were having a difficult time of it. Unlike her, their cravings were still far from being under control. They got her through the dark stoned cell as quickly as they could manage, only slowing down to a human like pace once they reached the cathedral above. She was taken to the altar at the front where Caspar stood awaiting them. Madison looked up and around as he stood before her. She marveled at the height of the building. If God truly did reside in houses of such magnitude, he was undoubtedly richer