Page 221 of Fangs
“You may undress or remain clothed; the choice is yours.”
“Clothed,” I bit out.
He took my elbow without commenting and began pulling me into the river. It was cold. Not as cold as the half-frozen river, but still cold enough to make me gasp. My boots slipped on the rocks, but Talmar’s grip tightened on my elbow. The five Voiceless watched as Talmar led me to the middle of their half-circle and then stopped. The current tugged at my legs.
“God of Death, we invoke you as humble vessels awaiting your will,” Talmar began. “May your shadows guide us and bear witness.”
I pressed a trembling hand against my breastbone, trying to steady myself.
“Ember, Goddess of Life,” Talmar turned and stared at me, his eyes like two black holes in his face. “You stand before us with a heart hardened by pride and defiance. You have turned from your divine path and rejected the sacred union with your God.”
The other Voiceless stepped forward, closing the circle around me.
“Wait,” I gasped, holding out a hand. “What are you… what are you?—”
“Only by accepting death can one truly honor life,” Talmar intoned over me.
Hands grabbed my upper arms and head andshovedme underwater.
I fought them instinctively, but there were too many of them, and they held me firmly in place. I opened my eyes, squinting in the dim, murky light. I could see the light reflecting on the surface above me, but so many hands restrained me. My lungs began to scream for air, and my struggle grew more desperate as I panicked. Just as I thought for sure my body would give in and try to breathe, they hauled me up out of the water.
I gasped in a lungful of air.
“Pain is but a fleeting moment in the eternal expanse of existence. Through suffering, we are cleansed, and through trials, we are purified.”
They shoved me underwater again. This time, I forced myself not to fight and let my body go limp. I half hoped they would pull me up if it appeared that I’d lost consciousness, but they continued to hold me under. I waited, panic building despite my best efforts, and soon, instinct seized control. There was no reaction as I kicked and scratched, and they still didn’t pull me up. Hard as I tried, I couldn't stop my body from attempting to gasp in a breath. Water rushed into my lungs, and ithurt. I was drowning. I was fucking drowning?—
They pulled me back up, holding me upright as I retched up water from my lungs, my eyes and nose streaming as I sobbed and tried to breathe.
“Embrace this pain, Ember, as the shadows lead you back to the light of humility.”
I went under again.
I lost track of how many times they half-drowned me, but it seemed to lasthours.The sun set lower and lower until the surface was just as dark as the blackness underwater. My throat felt raw, my chest ached, and I thought if the water didn’t kill me, the panic might. I fought them the whole time, but I stayed silent every time they hauled me back up, simply puking up water and gasping in air. I knew better than to beg them to stop.
“You cannot escape this destiny, Ember. You must find the peace that comes from submission, the power that comes from surrender to the will of the Divine.”
When they dragged me to shore, I couldn’t even manage to stand because my legs trembled so badly. I stayed on my hands and knees where they left me, gagging up water and shivering, my wet hair plastered to my face.
“Ember, do you renounce your defiance and embrace your sacred duty as the Goddess of Life, destined to become the God of Death’s bride?” Talmar asked.
Talmar and the other five stood before me, staring with grave expressions. Their wet robes clung to their bodies, and I counted two metal legs and three metal arms. I spit a mouthful of river water and bile in his direction.
Talmar sighed like I was a rebellious child. “The sacred rite of correction shall resume tomorrow.”
Two of the Voiceless stepped forward and grabbed my arms, half carrying and half dragging me back up the embankment. Roe was waiting inside our tent, his face pale, and he gasped when the Voiceless dragged me inside. They dropped me to the ground and left, and Roe crashed to his knees next to me.
“Em! Em, what happened? Are you ok?” he cried.
“I’m ok,” I said through chattering teeth. My voice was hoarse. “I’m ok, Roe.”
“Why are you all wet?”
“Went for a swim,” I said, my lips twitching up in an insane smile.
Roe stared at me, his little brow furrowed with confusion.
“I’m ok,” I tried to reassure him. “Just cold and wet.”
