EIGHTEEN

Ember

Tameka sensed Celindria’s invasion immediately, but not fast enough to warn anyone. As her lungs expanded to call for help, a great weight held Fury down. When she next opened her eyes, she was in a space inside her mind. The others called it the ‘mindscape,’ and the moniker suited the minimal zone.

Tameka was naked and chained down in the presence of one majestic statue of a villain. Celindria paid her captive no mind and kept her sharp eyes on the action.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

Suddenly exhausted and near tears, Tameka whimpered, unable to hold up her head more than an inch from the floor. It was soaked in her sweat from the effort to regain control of herself. All she could manage was, “How?”

Eyes on the battle, Celindria said, “The Shadow are arrogant and assume too much of their prowess. Yes, your vaccine was innovative, but I knew from the time you first resisted me that the Shadow would implement it galaxy-wide. Your astonishment at my brilliance to overcome it insults me, child.”

Here, they go again with the ‘child’ bullshit—

Tameka’s actual mouth twitched into a grimace at her thought. She felt the muscles flex to obey her command.

Celindria stiffened at the same time, giving the lapse in volition away. It garnered enough respect for the woman dressed in white and gold, like a crazed angel, to face Tameka in the mindscape. Celindria said, “You are so bothersome.”

With everything in her—the love for her friends, for her family, and for her son—Tameka screamed, “BANANA!”