StarPyre by Jade Waltz (ebook reader 7 inch .txt) 📕

My wings gave out as a sudden sickness coursed through me. Someone gagged beside me, but my attention was on the silk-wrapped body on the floor. Her very existence determined our destiny. This was a game to them, and we were the players in this sick prison of theirs.

“And if we refuse?” Luwyn asked meekly.

“Then, you will be served to the crew while the other prisoners watch as an example of what happens when you don’t comply.”

Three

TORI

Waking up dizzy and wrapped up in a white blanket like a cocoon was a first for me. I didn’t think I even had a white blanket in my possession. Who slept in white? Someone who wasn’t bothered by dirty bedding, because no matter how much you bleached it, stains would remain. That was why I never wore white, no matter how trendy it was. I always felt the urge to check for marks on my butt that might look like I had some sort of accident. Props to whoever could pull off a white outfit, but to me, it caused more stress than I could handle.

Definitely not worth it.

Laying still, I listened to a constant hum, which must have been the bass from someone’s music somewhere. It couldn’t be the whirring of an appliance, because the sound was accompanied by a gentle rumble, barely detectable against my back. No dishwasher I knew of was capable of shaking an apartment.

The noise was oddly soothing, reminding me of those miniature waterfall displays people placed in their homes. My eyes struggled to stay open as I tried to remember the night before, but couldn’t recall anything other than arriving at the music festival. Did I inhale too much second-hand smoke last night? Or had someone slipped something into my drink? Why was I so relaxed?

An image of Rocketman pricked at me. Had I gone home with him? Was this his house? Had the sex been so amazing that he’d fucked my memory away? I’d never had that happen to me before until now.

Fuck, I wished I could remember the best orgasm of my life, but no matter how much I tried to summon any recollection of last night, I couldn’t. Perhaps I could convince him to go for round two, so I could get another chance at the full-blown experience.

There was no better way to start a day than with great morning sex.

Wiggling my body, I tried to kick off the blankets, only to fail. My arms refused to budge in the tight fabric, making it impossible to get a solid grip.

What the fuck?

I had no issue with people’s kinks, but being tied up wasn’t my cup of tea.

“Hello?” I tried to call out. My voice was strangely muted, barely a mumble behind the white cocoon that covered my mouth. “Is anyone out there?”

Panic struck me when no response came; only the low hum filled the silence.

Who in their right mind would leave a stranger alone in their room?

Yet if the stranger were in my position—tied up with no means of escape—then they would have no reason to worry.

What if the reason I couldn’t recall how I ended up here was more nefarious than I thought? I’d heard rumors of people luring unsuspecting victims to a secluded location to kidnap them, but I refused to believe that something so awful had happened to me.

Yet what else could explain my current situation?

Tears fell, soaking the material that bound me, as I attempted to call out again and tried to shimmy my arms up from my sides.

A series of unfamiliar voices replied.

I stilled, surprised by the sudden response. I was unable to comprehend the voices, and my covered ears didn’t help me to make out their words.

“Let me go, please!” I cried out as I jerked my body, trying to make my desperation known to whoever stood out there. “I’m begging you! Help me!”

Hands gripped my sides, stilling my movement. I froze, afraid I might accidentally injure those who had found me, whoever they were.

A deep voice rang out, its tone instantly calming me. I wasn’t sure what he said, but I was willing to believe that he was here to save me. I couldn’t consider there might be another reason why I was here. I refused to. Nightmares like this didn’t happen to people like me. There had to be a benign explanation for the situation I was in.

A ripping sound near my feet startled me. After a few moments, I could feel fresh air hit my legs. I wiggled them in joy, trying to convince myself that everything would be fine. Slowly, the tear in the fabric advanced along my body, releasing my legs. As the fabric was removed from beneath my thighs, I felt a cold, hard surface that sent shivers through me.

Where the hell was I? There was no possible reason why I would be tied down on a metallic surface. Unless . . .

Had they harvested my organs? I’d heard horror stories about people waking up strapped to a medical examination table in a foreign country, with half their organs sold on the black market for a hefty price.

Who the fuck had I pissed off?

The ripping sounds continued as hands tugged on the restraints around my arms. I tried to lift them and get a sense of my surroundings, but someone held them in place, preventing my search. It took all my willpower not to fight back, kicking and clawing myself free. There had to be a reason why he didn’t want me to move, and until I could see it for myself, I decided to stay put.

Something slid out from underneath me, and instantly, the bare parts of my back made contact with the cold, metallic surface below. Whatever had been wrapped around me, it definitely wasn’t a blanket like I’d first believed.

Another voice sounded, different from the first, yet clear enough for me to know he wasn’t speaking English.

Was he trying to explain to