Claim Me 466

Chapter Eighty Three 

“Empress,” I called. But she was not alone–I noticed other empresses and high regents trailing behind her. 

“You were gone for quite a long time.” She said to me, “Did you really think you could run away?” 

“I didn’t intend on running away… All I wanted to do was explore the city.” 

“Explore the city?” she questioned, walking closer to me. You are the Chosen; out there, all you would find is sinful people, ready to taint you; there is nothing out there? 

“Then maybe I don’t want to be the god of light’s chosen! Maybe I want to just live my life like any other girl; maybe I think this–everything, it’s all a lie.” 

She slapped me hard, and the sharp sting was followed by the metallic taste of blood on my tongue. 

“How dare you say something so blasphemous?” 

“I don’t take back my words. You lock me in here, day and night, forcing me to read stupid books, forcing me to learn stupid languages. If the god of light was so 

powerful, she shouldn’t have an issue in speaking with the common tongue. You said everyone is full of sin, but so far the only living, breathing sin I’ve seen is you.” 

The empress lifted her hands to slap me again; I waited for the hit, but it never came; Trian stopped her hand midair. 

“If you’re looking for someone to punish, then punish me. helped her escape this place twice. This was all my plan, and she was naïve enough to follow me. I’m sure she doesn’t mean anything she just said; she is only a child.” He said to her, 

“Why?” she asked him. “Why did you take her out there?” 

“Breaking the rules excites me, that’s why.” 

The others watched, waiting for Julia’s choice of punishment for Trian. But I could 

want to punish him. And yet… she had to, or she would be seen as 

jetin her eyes–she didn’t 

“I welcomed you into our home, gave you a position above others- and this is how you repay my kindness?” 

“I guess this is the part where you sentence me to death?” He inquired with a smirk on his face. 

“Death? No, that’s too easy for you. You’ll be taken to the darkest depths of the dungeons, where all you’ll ever know is darkness–you’ll wake to it each day and sleep in it for the rest of your life.” 

“No!” I cried out. “Please don’t do this.” I begged Julia, but she didn’t spare me a single glance. 

The soldiers took Trian away; he didn’t fight or even try to resist. I ran toward him, but the empress held me back -she was strong, very strong. 

“Please don’t leave me, Trian.” I cried. 

But no one made a move; the other empresses and high regents wore frowns, their faces marked with disappointment. 

“You will suffer for what you’ve done; I’ll make sure of it.” Julia said to me, but her threats meant nothing. 

Back at his house, Trian had said something about this being the last night he would spend with me. I hadn’t read deep into that; of course he knew that this time, we wouldn’t be as lucky. He could have escaped; he didn’t have to bring me back. The Empress would never kill me, but she would kill him to punish me. 

Julia shoved me into my room and shut the door, locking me in. I banged on the door until my knuckles bruised, 

+25 BONUS 

Chapter Eighty Three 

but there was no response. Finally, I slumped to the floor. Trian was down there because of me; if I had been patient, if I hadn’t gone out to the city on my own, this would never have happened. Trian was going to die, the only person who called me by my name, the only person who didn’t see me as a sacred object, was going to die, and it would all be my fault. 

Chapter Eighty Five