Salvation's Kiss (Tales Of Mython Book 1) Kathryn Jayne (best sci fi novels of all time txt) 📖

The restraints were a single chain attached to the metal shackles on her wrist and secured into a locking wall plate above her head. Yanking the chains, she tried to twist, to pull herself free, but it was to no avail. Panic welled and fear churned, adding to the nausea. She had to get out of here. Turning, she placed her feet to the wall, using all her weight as she pushed and strained, hoping to break something. But no matter what she did, no matter what she tried, she was trapped. The only thing she achieved was to cause the throbbing in her head to intensify due to the abrasive sounds of her chains as she fought against them. Exhausted, she allowed herself to rest for a moment.

That was when she heard it, the sound of the mirror before her sliding open. Her pulse quickened as a darkened corridor briefly flashed into sight before someone stepped inside, leaving the door to slide shut behind them. Her panicked gaze absorbed his every detail at once. The smart-casual clothes had clearly been tailored to fit his hulking frame, his collar remaining unbuttoned so the cords of his thick neck muscles were visible. His dark hair was the colour of pine cones and mirrored the shade of his eyes. He lifted his hand to stroke the short stubble that didn’t quite conceal the large scar across his cheek. But the most threatening thing about this imposing figure was the way he advanced, his hungry gaze greedily examining her every curve as the sound of his hurried hands unfastening his belt echoed through the silence.

Her breathing erupted into panicked sobs, the heaving of her bosom through the corset eliciting an appreciative growl from her captor. Turning her panicked gaze towards the chains, she tried to find a way out, a weak point, something she could break. She fought and struggled, using her entire weight to once more pull down on the shackles, but her attempts only amused him and she could hear his breathing quickening as he stood appreciating the display for just a moment, before closing the remaining distance between them.

“You’re certainly easy on the eyes. Our child will be glorious,” he whispered in her ear, pressing his body against her.

Without thinking, she turned her head, her teeth sinking deep into his throat, latching on, refusing to let go. He howled in agony as her jaw locked. His blood trickled down her chin and she tried to tear the flesh from between her teeth. Her breathing froze as he drove his fist into her stomach, forcing her to release him. Her body trembled until finally, she pulled in an agonising breath through a pain that had made the world around her dim.

He staggered backwards, his hand pressed to his throat, cursing her, but it was the amusement in his eyes that scared her most. She knew she couldn’t stop now. Bringing her knees up, she used the chains to support her weight as she thrust her legs forward to connect with his stomach, forcing him back, away from her.

“I’ll enjoy making you pay for that.” He spat, causing his blood to stain the mirrored tile floor.

His hands fastened around her throat before she could even plan her next move, pushing her up the wall. Choking, she gasped for breath, using every inch of the space she had to twist and push, to try to manoeuvre away, to gain enough space to lash out again. But his grasp was suffocating her and she knew that if he didn’t release her soon, she would fade into unconsciousness.

“You’re mine now, understand?” He released her, pressing his lips to hers aggressively as he reached up to release the chain from the locking plate above her head. With a sharp tug, he sent her tumbling to the floor, allowing the restraint to fall from his grasp. Pushing to her knees, she gasped for breath and tried to crawl away towards the place where she had seen the door. The loose chain dragged across the floor between her hands, the sweat on her skin causing her to slip and slide upon the smooth surface. She screamed as she felt his hand clasp her ankle, dragging her back towards him.

Kicking and screaming, she tried to free herself as he flipped her over, positioning himself above her, his weight pinning her down. Her fingers brushed the cold metal of her necklace as she fought against him. Far from deterring him, her blows seemed to be encouragin, but she knew that to stop fighting was to surrender to this brute’s will.

He was bigger, stronger. She cried out as her left wrist was pushed to the floor above her head, lashing out with her other arm, trying to swing the chain between the two restraints around his neck. But he was quicker. Her muscles burned as she strained against him, her fingers finding the cool chain of her necklace just as he thrust her hand above her head. He secured both her wrists in a single grasp, pinning her helplessly, his other hand now tugging at her clothes with a look of sheer elation on his face. He was enjoying every moment of her fearful struggle, unaware of her necklace breaking.

The sound was inaudible, the breaking of a single link. The heat she had been trying to call up engulfed her with force as he tore open her corset. She screamed as she saw the fire envelop the room, but hers was not the only cry. He wouldn’t scream for long. He wouldn’t run. Her fire engulfed him as her body pulsed with fire, melting the flesh of her attacker. He backed away, howling in agony, but he was trapped with her now, and the fire wouldn’t still, it was hungry, enraged, and something inside her would not rest until everyone felt its fury.

Something inside her pushed through her core, taking control, relishing its freedom with a gleeful