Chapter 2.4

Chapter2.4

Rei took his time with the answer and stared into the fire, which radiated a cozy warmth but only caused an intense burning on his skin. He should take care of himself urgently, but Quinn was more critical.

"No, as long as you eat at least a few spoonfuls. You don't have to choke it all down, but you need food," he finally said. "However, should you disobey my orders, I guess I have no choice."

Quinn glanced at her hands. She didn't want to reject his kindness, but he was basically doing it to make her obey. She preferred it when he forced her through the transformation than to be so kind. It made her feel remorseful, but at the same time, she didn't want to participate in her transformation. Wanted to oppose it and fight so that later no one could say that she had enjoyed it.

She didn't want to comply with his orders, no matter how good he meant it. With that, she felt she had made up her own mind.

"If I follow your orders, it's as if I've chosen to do so. It's like I want this to happen. I can't do this," Quinn brought out with difficulty. She knew it would cause her unnecessary pain and humiliation, but it was worth it.

Rei could understand her just fine. Slowly, he turned to face her but remained close to the fire. Quinn could now see that his skin was slowly turning black. It gave him a creepy appearance.

Behind him, flames were flickering up the log, and there was a loud crack, making him wince briefly.

"Then I am sorry if you will experience inhuman conditions at my hands until the transformation is complete," Rei replied indifferently and coldly. She had had the opportunity to decide which method she was more comfortable with. "However, I would prefer that you choose to look positively into the future and accept your existence with a dragon."

Although a shiver ran down her spine, she remained silent. She didn't want to admit her fear, and she didn't want to help either. She had been kidnapped and brought here with no choice.

"Do what you have to do," she said almost as indifferently as Rei.

Sighing, he stepped towards her and crouched down in front of her to look into her face. Of course, Rei could have just stood in front of her and crossed his arms. Just like he did with the men to intimidate them. But with her, he couldn't. "Quinn, don't make it any harder. I don't like to use the methods, but if you keep this up, I'll be forced to. Come on, have a couple of spoonfuls, and you can rest," he pleaded urgently.

Quinn's fingers clawed at the bedsheet. "I'm too afraid to," she confessed tearfully. The last time had been enough for her. That had been a kind of pain she couldn't escape, and it had taken over her entire mind. She connected it to the food. It was the same as it had been a few hours ago, and she was afraid that something had been mixed into her food. The same potion that was responsible for the transformation.

As much as Rei would like to help her, he couldn't. "It's a simple soup that we all ate. If you get sick again, I'll be prepared," Rei promised, trying calmly.

Quinn snorted softly. "Of course you are. You're not in pain," she said, curling up on the bed as best she could. As if that would give her a chance to escape it all.

Hard, he grabbed Quinn by the wrist and pulled her to him before roughly pushing her chin up. Thus she had to look him straight in the face. "Then look at what you've done and tell me again that I'm not in pain," he hissed at the young woman.

"I did not attack you," she replied firmly and stubbornly. "However this happened, it's not my fault."

Snorting, he stared at her with narrowed eyes, and the blue in them turned really cold.

Light clouds of ice escaping his nostrils formed between them and settled on her skin.

"It's your fault because you escaped, and I had to get you back. I'm responsible for you. And whether you want to understand it or not, your welfare comes first with me," Rei said seriously.

Quinn laughed bitterly. "If you really cared about my welfare, you wouldn't force me through the transformation," she asserted confidently. "You are also just doing what you were told to do, and you simply don't want me to die so that you can fulfill your mission."

Her words were correct. He could not deny that. That's why Rei nodded as well. "You're right about that. Still, that doesn't mean I won't do anything to ease your agony," he replied. His grip on her chin still didn't loosen. "Even though I haven't changed women, I know what to do. You have no right to accuse me of just letting you suffer. That I'm locking you up and leaving you alone with everything because that's not going to happen," Rei pressed out.

He would not repeat again that her well-being was paramount. Rei would do everything she could to make her as comfortable as possible. Quinn didn't want to believe him, but that wasn't his fault.

She had no reason to believe him either. After all, she didn't know him. And she was just getting to know him better.

Although she had run away, he did not punish her. The fact that she was tied up was not a punishment for her, more a consequence that she did not run away again.

She did not eat. He threatened her but did not carry out his threat. Instead, he was still trying to persuade her. So slowly, she didn't believe he was doing anything more than threatening.

"Then can't you just make sure I get it over with quickly?" she asked, wishing it was all over already.

He looked at her thoughtfully before his grip on her wrist loosened, and he finally let go. "No, I can't. Your body will show how quickly it's ready for the next phase. This way, though, it will be delayed because it lacks the strength. It's entirely up to you how quickly you regain your strength," Rei explained, straightening up.

He walked over to the table and took the soup plate before returning to her and holding it out to her.

The sight was enough for Quinn, and she felt sick. Everything inside her bristled, and she literally squeezed her eyes shut. She knew she wouldn't be able to eat it alone. Why, however, she could not say.

It was as if her body was resisting taking the spoon and eating. Still, she tried to open her mouth. Maybe it was better if she didn't see what she was eating.

Since she had not accepted the bowl, he sighed softly and took the spoon. This he dipped into the liquid and held it in front of Quinn's mouth. "Open your mouth," Rei demanded. As he did so, he wondered if she would rather eat bread and fruit.

Since he was already giving her orders again, he wasn't making it any easier for her. Everything in her resisted complying with his command, and only with difficulty did she manage to open her mouth.

"That's it," he said with satisfaction and carefully pushed the spoon into her mouth. Careful not to spill any. "If you don't like soup, there's still fruit and bread," Rei explained the choices.

Slowly, Quinn closed her mouth, and although her stomach still growled loudly with hunger, she felt like she was about to throw up.

Her fingers clawed at the sheet, and she tried hard to swallow. As she did so, tears came to her eyes.

Rei gave her time and didn't push her but waited to see what would happen. If there was no other way, she should sleep, and he would administer it to her while she slept. He was familiar with some methods, but he would only use them in the worst case.

Already with the stone dragon, she had refused to eat, as Rei knew. However, this seemed to have other reasons than he had believed. To him, Quinn did not seem as if she was doing it on purpose. She was merely panicking, and it seemed to be constricting her throat and causing her stomach to rebel.

It also seemed to make her body begin to retch after just one spoonful. However, she still held her ground and fought against it.

That she was panicking from the pain, he could understand. The reports that had come to his ears made him shudder. What tortures the women had to suffer just so that they could be impregnated. He had been glad so far not to have to walk anyone. It did not suit him to do such things to a holy woman.

"Just breathe easy and think about something else," he advised Quinn, placing a hand on her shoulder reassuringly. "What exactly are you afraid of?" About the soup being poisoned? That wouldn't make sense because everyone had eaten some of it.

Quinn tried to breathe, and more and more tears ran down her cheeks. "If I eat, the transformation will continue," she whispered softly. "I'm afraid of the pain and of surviving the transformation," she continued through her tears. "I don't want that kind of immortality. I don't want to live hundreds of years in the clutches of a man who can do whatever he wants with me."