Sawyer
The only good thing was that his stomach was no longer cramping, especially now that he’d emptied it.
He took a second to become aware of his surroundings and realized he was on a boat.
He could tell they were moving fast through the water, the bouncing doing nothing to help either his stomach or his splitting headache.
He heard footsteps and looked around the room desperately for some sort of weapon, but there was nothing more than a pillow.
He grabbed it, because if nothing else, he could use it to deflect a weapon if he was lucky and stood at the far side of the room.
When the door opened, Magdalen appeared with a sweet smile on her face.
“You woke up! I thought I hit you harder than that. Oh, well, you must be resilient. It makes sense.”
“Magdalen? What’s going on?”
She really believed what she was saying. “Magdalen, you need to let me go. Eduard isn’t going to be happy about this.”
“I know, but he’ll come around. I’m more worried about your dragon friend, but I called in a few favors and I think we’ll be able to stay hidden long enough that he won’t be able to find us.
And if he does, I have a plan for that as well.
Oh, Sawyer, you’ve truly challenged me. I only had a few days to fix this.
I honestly thought it would take longer for Uncle Augustus to fall prey to your charms, but you really must have something, huh? ”
“I’m the chosen one, Magdalen. That’s something.”
She scoffed. “Sawyer, you really aren’t going to be able to fool me.
A human cannot be the chosen one. What a ridiculous notion.
I can’t believe the others fell prey to your scam, but then, we all are very desperate.
I’m sure Eduard is feeling the pressure more than any of us as the heir.
But, see, desperate times call for desperate measures, as they say, and I found a way to fix our little problem with you and a way to find my mate and have an heir of my own. It’s so neat and tidy.”
“Magdalen—”
“Sawyer, do shut up. I just came to let you know that you shouldn’t leave this room.
I’ll be very angry if you do. There are guards and you will be punished.
They have their orders. I would like to present you to Tiamat without injury, but as long as you’re alive, I don’t honestly think it’ll matter that much. ”
Before Sawyer could protest again, she left the room, closing the door firmly behind her.
He racked his brain for memories of Tiamat.
The name was familiar, and he knew he’d read it in one of the many books he’d studied since he first stepped into the supernatural world.
He thought back on Magdalen’s words and suddenly he remembered.
Tiamat was one of the old goddesses, one that had lost her place once the mother goddess took over. She was a fertility goddess.
“Okay, think, Sawyer.”
If he remembered correctly, people used to offer sacrifices to Tiamat in order to receive blessings in the form of children.
And since Magdalen desperately wanted an heir, it seemed like his memory hadn’t failed him.
Now he just had to figure out what to do about it.
Magdalen could have been lying when she said she had guards.
She was a griffin and strong enough to get him to the boat without help.
They’d been on an island so it wasn’t like boats weren’t all over the place.
And he hated thinking that any more of Eduard’s relatives had a part in this.
It seemed like she wanted Tiamat’s blessing all to herself.
Sawyer opened the door a crack and didn’t see anyone.
He stuck his head out slowly but only saw stairs leading above deck.
He crept out and slowly made his way up the stairs.
The hatch door was closed, so he turned the knob slowly, carefully, and then pushed it open a fraction of an inch. Still nothing.
The boat was moving at an alarming speed and they were bouncing on the waves hard enough to make Sawyer’s still aching head spin.
He held on through a rough patch then pushed the door open further.
He dropped into a crouch, as Andvari had taught him, but still didn’t see anyone.
But someone saw him. He heard a screech, and then footsteps behind him.
The boat hit another wave, and he lost his balance.
While he scrambled to find something to hold onto, a nimble-footed guard ran across the deck and tackled him. He hit the floor with a crashing of limbs and his head hit the deck again. And all he saw was black.
When Sawyer next woke, he was no longer on the boat, but instead in a musty cabin.
He could hear waves crashing nearby, so he knew they were still on the coast. It was fully dark outside, though, so it must have been hours since he was first taken.
He tried not to panic over that realization.
His guardians would find him. All he had to do was hold on until they did.
In the meantime, he took stock of his injuries.
His head was throbbing, an ice pick in the eye kind of hurt that made him wonder if he had a concussion.
His wrist was aching, probably wrenched when he’d fallen on the boat.
Not that he could move it very far to test his theory.
He was tied to a chair, his wrists attached to the arms and his ankles to the legs.
After tugging experimentally on the bindings, Sawyer quickly realized he wasn’t getting out of them.
Not that he would have had time anyway. The door opened and Magdalen walked inside followed by two burly looking guys with shaved heads.
So those were her promised guards. He’d only caught a glimpse of the one who tackled him on the boat before he lost consciousness.
“Oh good, you’re awake. I was worried we’d run out of time.
I’d like you to meet Frey and Sol. They’re part of Tiamat’s cult and will be handling the sacrifice portion of tonight’s events.
They have quite a bit of prep work to do to you, Sawyer, and I’m afraid it isn’t going to be pleasant, but know that once this is over, you’ll have helped my people continue our line.
I’m sure it’s not much consolation, but I do hope it gives you some comfort. ”
Sawyer wanted to tell her to go fuck herself.
He really did. Instead he glared, trying to channel his inner Eduard.
No one could give the evil eye like his griffin, and he knew Eduard was looking for him this very second.
Draco, Andvari, and Henry, too. All he had to do was get through this alive and they’d find him.
“But before they get started, I do have some questions for you myself. Frey and Sol have promised me that it doesn’t matter if you’re a bit tenderized before the sacrifice, but I’d really prefer not to hurt you, Sawyer.”
“I’m sure,” Sawyer grumbled. “But since you’re planning on killing me, I’m not sure how I feel about helping you out.”
“Oh, I’m not going to kill you Sawyer. Frey and Sol are.
But they have to fuck you first. Don’t worry, though, they have a special ritual that will make you like it, at least until it’s over.
The rules are very specific. Those ancient rituals tend to be so tedious.
Now, what I want to know is how you were able to bring the guardians together.
You must know who the chosen one is, Sawyer, and I want to find him.
Just think, when I’m blessed with a child by Tiamat and I have the chosen one as the father of my child! It would be glorious!”
“You’re ridiculous and demented.”
She slapped him and his head flew around. He fought back the bile that threatened to choke him. His head spun, black spots dotting in front of his eyes.
“Tell me who the chosen one is, Sawyer. Tell me how you managed to ingrain yourself with the guardians. You’re cute, but I honestly doubt you fuck well enough to convince them you are the chosen one. Which means you must have had help. Tell me who helped you Sawyer.”
“I’m the chosen one.”
She grabbed his face, her nails shifting to talons which very nearly pierced his skin. Her eyes had sharpened to the same dark orbs Eduard’s became in his griffin form. “Stop lying to me. Tell me.”
“I’m the chosen one,” Sawyer repeated.
Magdalen pushed his face aside again, and then turned to the guards. “Rough him up. Spare his head. I don’t want him to lose consciousness again.”
Sol and Frey both grinned at him. Sawyer had never been more scared in his life. The first punch was right to his stomach, stealing the air from his lungs. He doubled over, fighting the urge to puke again, when one of them stepped behind him and wrenched his head back by the hair.
“You need to tell her what she wants to know.”
“I already did,” Sawyer panted. “Not my fault she doesn’t believe me.”
The guard in front of him rained down a series of blows across Sawyer’s torso and arms. The other held his head still, even as he struggled to try to escape the bright flashes of pain that accompanied each punch.
His body throbbed, the sharp pains exacerbating the excruciating pain in his head.
The blows stopped and Magdalen approached him again.
“Are you ready to tell me the truth now?”
“I’m telling the truth,” Sawyer said. His voice was a husky croak and tears burned in his eyes. “The goddess herself told me I was chosen.”
Magdalen sneered then raked her claws down his side from shoulder to hip. He screamed then, the pain more than he could imagine. “If you were anointed by the goddess, don’t you think she’d be here now, stopping this from happening?”
Sawyer wished she would come and show Magdalen the truth, but he knew it didn’t work that way. “Magdalen, you need to stop this now. If you let them kill me, Eduard will never forgive you. You’ll never get what you want.”
She huffed and spun away. “It’s too bad you won’t be alive to see just how wrong you are. Work your magic boys. If I stay here any longer listening to him spout his lies, I might kill him myself.”
Magdalen stormed out of the cabin, slamming the door behind her.
Frey and Sol grinned at him even as they began loosening the ropes tying him to the chair.
The moment he was free, he tried to fight, realizing he had limited chances and was growing weaker by the second.
His hopes were dashed within seconds when one of them swiped his legs out from under him and he hit the floor once again.