Untouchable by Marii Solaria

Chapter 77 – The Woman

“Choice is what enables us to tell the world who we are.” -Barry Schwartz

Kiya

My body demanded sleep after my panic attack. The cell was cold, but Phoebe was warm. She held me close and I rested my head on her bosom as I slept. Our cuffs were removed when the blonde–haired woman from earlier checked on us, conveniently ignoring the puddle of vomit in the room’s corner.

She said nothing.

There weren’t any windows in our holding cell, making it easy for us to lose track of time. We didn’t know how long we had been down here. The sunset from earlier was a distant memory, so perhaps it was nightfall?

I went from trainer to kidnapee in twelve hours.

It was just the three of us, Violetta, Phoebe, and me, trapped in this dark place. But it didn’t mean we had to be miserable. We made use of our time through conversation.

Violetta’s an avatar like us. Of Amphitrite, the Goddess of the Seas. She awoke several years back but has a tough time connecting to her true self. Sadness ached in my heart as she talked about it. Her past was painful, something Phoebe and I understood.

Was it common for avatars to have shitty childhoods?

Another hour rolled by, or what seemed like an hour, when the cell door opened again. This time, the blond woman had a man flanking her right. He was dressed…oddly. Who wears a violet and black suit in this place? Especially one with a tailcoat? In his hands were three dresses of assorted colors.

“Get up.” With little resistance, the three of us stood with our backs pressed to the wall. “You three are to change into your new clothes.”

The blond woman held the cuffs as the man tossed the dresses to us. Thick strapped and passed the knees. I didn’t like it. The only difference between this dress and the slave dress I burned five years ago was that this was pure white.

Not only that, but they sewed crystal rhinestones all around the chest area, swirling around where my breasts. were to be. Phoebe’s dress was purple, and Violetta’s was blue, both plain. Why was mine so different?

“No.” Violetta snapped. “I’m not wearing this.”

“Don’t be difficult, girl.” The man warned, red eyes narrowing on Violetta’s form. “Wear the damn thing and come peacefully.”

“Fuck being peaceful!” She threw the dress to the ground. “You expect me to strip down and change in front of you and her?” She pointed to the blond woman. “Like hell, I will! I want out of this place!”

I didn’t see it coming.

I don’t think Phoebe or Violetta saw it either.

In a blink of an eye, the man was behind Violetta, restraining her arms behind her back. It was like watching a

The Woma

to be combative, profanity springing from her mouth, I think she recited

Nadia.” Nadia, the woman with tired eyes, fished something out of her dress pocket and

to see.

a syringe!

the needle in Violetta’s neck, injecting her with a clear liquid. My fellow avatar’s combativeness soon ceased, she looked like a shell of her former self. She didn’t faint or fall, she became…

two want the same treatment as your friend, get dressed.” We watched as Nadia clasped cuffs on each wrist and helped to drag

was too great. Did they drug her?

me, I turn to see Phoebe stripping down

on?” I demanded, clutching the white

or concocted with dark magic, but I’m not in the mood to find out.” Her breaths were shaky as she slipped on her new clothes. “It’s like I’m reliving my childhood.”

can’t hold us here forever.” Giving hope to my friend was the only way we would get out of this with our heads.

to have to fight our

hoped the others back home were working on our rescue. Because of the distance, I couldn’t connect to any of

ached at the thought of Neron and that horrific injury he received when he sacrificed himself to protect me. That big, perforating hole in his stomach left a lasting image in my mind. My hands were no longer sticky, the blood was dry. However, that didn’t make the

after I

a sporty top, and leggings were discarded to the side as I

my skin like a spider. Artemis growled deep within me at this foreign

man came in with cuffs. “Arms out.” He

77 – The Wernanc

out her arms first. Thick, silver cuffs clamped around her wrists and instantly, I could see my friend weaken. She was half the woman she is, like

less than a newborn pup’s. That’s when I knew. It meant these cuffs were meant to weaken me. Weaken us. Weaken the avatars. Every avatar in this facility had these cuffs, making them susceptible to whatever command these brutish folks have. These people know we have the capability of

Oh, Goddess.

was taken away by the man and Nadia took me. From my peripherals, I glimpsed her side view. Her

darkened hallway after leaving the dungeons, with her icy hand wrapped around my upper arm. “I’m

stared at her incredulously.

repeated, pale blue eyes full of remorse. “This shouldn’t be

friend!” I retorted,

here who want you and the

us then? Didn’t you send Cerberus after us?” My anger crackled around me at the recent memories of bloodshed and death. “That…that thing killed people. It

Nadia whispered with a face cast down. “My mate did.”

My brain short–circuited.

Her mate?

did you just say?”

with the blood of our strongest avatars.” She explained, her head darted from left to right, watching out for anyone who might walk by, “You know about mates, right? You’re a

me that your mate orchestrated my kidnapping, and you didn’t do a

world. He is a vigilante drunk on his twisted sense of justice. My words, the words of his soulmate, were not enough to stop his lunacy. Please understand that I’ve tried, over and over to get through to him but he’s…my love is too far