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

21. The

to escape its trap. The woman continued to be combative, profanity springing from her mouth,

out of her

to see.

a syringe!

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… compliant.

cuffs on each wrist and helped to drag

shock was too great. Did

shuffling beside me, I turn to see Phoebe stripping down to her

white fabric of my dress. “Do

was a kind of sedative. I don’t know if it was natural 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

to comfort her, “We’re going to get out of this. They, whoever the hell they are, can’t hold us here forever.” Giving hope to my friend was the only way we would

were going to have to fight our way

I couldn’t connect to any of them. Many of them were injured during the ambush. I hoped they were

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 situation better. I wanted, desperately, to wash away the reminder that I couldn’t save

after I

thoughts out of my head, my clothes, merely a sporty top, and leggings were discarded to the side as I donned the white

Artemis growled deep within me at this foreign feeling. Protectiveness was her best

and the man came in with cuffs. “Arms out.”

77 – The Wernanc

was half the woman she is, like all her power drained away.

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

Oh, Goddess.

they separated Phoebe and me. She was taken away by the man and Nadia took me. From my peripherals, I glimpsed her side view. Her face twisted briefly as if she

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

arched an eyebrow, and stared at her incredulously. “Excuse

Nadia repeated, pale blue eyes full of remorse. “This shouldn’t be happening. None of you

didn’t look like that when you drugged my friend!” I retorted, pissed off.

the few people here who want you and the others to

My anger crackled around me at the recent memories of bloodshed and death. “That…that thing

Cerberus,” Nadia whispered with a face cast

My brain short–circuited.

Her mate?

did you just

you. He commands him because he created him 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 werewolf.”

I am?” 1 growled. “You’re telling me that your mate orchestrated my kidnapping,

sense of justice. My words, the words of his soulmate, were