Page 114 of Speak No Claim

“Little girl,” one of the council members pressed their knife up to my throat. Onyx lost his shit, continuing to try to get free.

It was no use. They took a bat to his knees, making him bow at their feet. I heard something crack and whimpered in pain for him.

“What the fuck are you talking about?” the man holding the dagger to my throat remarked.

Thinking quickly, praying that Onyx could hear my thoughts like always, I told a tale, “I made sure if I disappeared, your dagger would see the light of day.”

“Onyx.” His stare flew to him. “What the fuck is she talking about? The night you deleted her photos from her phone, you confirmed the dagger was in your possession again.”

Spitting blood at his feet, he caught on, “I lied.”

Thank you, God…

It didn’t matter what you believed in. God was always on your side. You just had to not lose faith in him. It was how the devil won in the first place. You’d always be tested, tempted, scorned. The secret was not to let it wear you down. The moment weakness took over was the second you’d sell your soul for strength.

“Enough with the fucking games!” the council member roared.

Onyx deviously chuckled, singing out, “But they’re so fucking fun!”

They kicked him in the stomach, knocking him over.

“Stop it!” I pleaded. “He didn’t do anything wrong!”

“All he’s done since you arrived has been wrong! You’ve put a spell on him!”

“Then you should know not to fuck with me!” I spewed.

The back of his hand came up, and I knew what was going to happen next. I braced for it, but in the end, it didn’t matter in the least. The moment he backhanded me across the face, I saw stars regardless.

“No!” Onyx screamed with everything inside him again.

He gripped my face, yanking my head back to look at him. For a second, I thought he was trying to snap my neck. I panted through the pain, trying not to show Onyx how badly it hurt, not wanting him to take the grunt of what was happening to me.

I didn’t wait, blurting, “You hit like a bitch,” spitting blood on his beloved mask.

“You’re nothing but a traitor!” He yanked me toward him, close to his face. “Just like your father! We should’ve never agreed for you to attend here, and now you’re going to pay the price for your fucking sins!”

I resisted the urge to beg for mercy.

Fuck him.

Fuck all of them.

They wouldn’t get what they wanted.

He backhanded me again, but when he gripped my neck, choking me out, I saw my whole life flash before my eyes. It was only then I was smacked in the face with some of the truth. Right then and there, a memory broke loose.

“Mamita, you’re going to stay right here, like a good little girl,” Mamá ordered in a scared tone. “Promise me, alright?” Even though we were in a playroom, I didn’t want to play with anything.

I smiled, hating that sad expression on her face. Mamá was never sad. It made my stomach hurt.

“I promise.”

“Here, play with this,” another woman’s voice added, grabbing my wrist, showing me the music box.

“Don’t touch my daughter!” Mamá shouted in a voice I’d never heard before.

“Please… a little bit of reason… my children are here too.”