Mind Raking…but why…
Ender couldn’t stophimself from freezing up as the words were spoken aloud. The warmth inside him seemed to be zapped away by them.
Mind Raking…the name was too innocent for what it really was. A more accurate name for it was Mind Raping. It was when a Fate would forcefully enter your mind and take whatever knowledge they wanted, but more than that, they took control… It was all about control. For an act they claimed was forbidden, they sure were always ready to use it when it served them.
But this… This wasn’t about him. Calm…he had to stay calm.
“It’s not that bad.”
Ender flinched as the words slid through his mind, clawing their way forward easily due to the dream he had last night.
“It’s bad at first, but you’ll get used to it, Ender.”
NO, no, no,he desperately screamed in his head as more came.Not now. Calm, I have to stay calm!He shuddered, swallowing hard as the fear started to trickle over his skin, and goosebumps formed.
“You should really stop fightingme. It’s no use. And the sooner you accept you are where you’re meant to be, the better your life will become.”
Ender couldn’t respond, he couldn’t move at all. His body was moving though, and Halus could hear his responses regardless… He was like a puppet on strings, being manipulated to do whatever the person with the stick wanted him to.
He felt him… Ender felt him in his head and he wanted him out… It hurt… Probably the only thing he could do now was feel and experience… But he didn’t want to feel!
As his arms, without his consent, wrapped around Halus, he screamed inside his head. Just begging for his body to listen, feeling helpless as the man pulled him against his chest.
No…no, I don’t want this!
Suddenly,Ender could move, so he did all he could do…he struggled. His body changed instantly into his Gorgon form, and he struggled to get free of the arms wrapped around him. He didn’t know why he could move, but this… This was his chance! Halus had lost control, for some reason, and it could be his only chance to escape!
Hissing, he desperately tried to twist in Halus’ hold, to just be within biting range of any part of the man. Trying to lunge, his jaw snapping, Ender attempted to plunge his fangs into the Fate’s bicep, letting out a frustrated scream when he was short of reaching it.
“Fuck! WATCH HIS TEETH!” yelled a voice that was so melodical it almost hurt to hear.
He frowned…whose voice was that?
“ENDER, stop! We aren’t going to hurt you!” a man begged, the voice much deeper than whoever had first spoken.
Oddly, it sounded as if it had come from the Fate holding him, as he had felt the words vibrate in Halus’ chest. But they couldn’t have… Halus didn’t sound like that…
No…no, it was, it had to be a trick! Hissing violently, he tried once again to bite into the man, angling for his arm, but not being able to reach, only to frown as he really looked at what he was trying to bite. The skin was way darker than Halus’ had ever been, and was clearly not someone white.
“Cyrus, his teeth, his teeth!” the first voice snapped.
“I AM AWARE! Ender, you are going to hurt yourself. YOU HAVE TO STOP!”
Ender stilled when, once again, the voice came from where it shouldn’t, his eyes still on the arms and the tawny bronze skin.
Wait…Cyrus…? Why do I know that name…
He gasped, the fog in his mind clearing as his eyes widened and reality came rushing back. With his heart still racing like crazy, Ender’s body shook as he slowly shifted back to his fully humanoid form.
He felt chilled to the bone while he swallowed down whatever poison had leaked out. The bitter taste remained as he retracted his fangs, and he tried not to tailspin into even more panic at what could have happened.
Tears flooding his eyes, Ender whimpered, “Cold…”
As Cyrus’ hold loosened, the Fate ran a hand over his hair and pressed his face to the back of Ender’s neck. “Shh, I got you, I got you. It’s okay.”
Sagging in his hold, his chest heaved as a sob slipped out. Flinching at the soft touch of Killian’s hand to his cheek, the man knelt there as he continued to whimper, while gently brushing the tears away.
“Are you okay?” the Siren asked.
