SWNOVELS Chapter 35: "He Escaped!"
Ten minutes later, the guards deposited Selina in the Harem and left unchained in her leather restraining cocoon. Once they left, everyone surrounded her with Myra, Izanami, Tasha, Sakura, Jasmine, Hitomi, and Jennifer immediately around her. By time Selina reached the Harem, the severity of the pain that she had felt from Hanna had diminished, but it remained on the high side. When they saw Selina in great pain with a deeply bruised face and neck, they assumed the worst. “Selina; what happened?” Myra asked with great concern.
Selina looked up at Myra and motioned for her to come close, which she did. Izanami leaned down to hear too. “Hanna escaped and they don’t know it,” Selina whispered weakly.
“What? Then why are you in such pain?” Myra asked in amazement.
“It’s our link. It’s like I said before; the fusion of the Teacher allows us to feel each other’s pain,” Selina whispered to Myra and Izanami. “Hanna’s seriously injured, mangled by the fights, and burned by Hades’ infernal fire, but she’s still alive. I can still feel her, though I cannot say for sure where she is.” Selina reached out and grabbed Myra by the arm, saying softly through the pain, “Say nothing to the others except that I’m wounded, which isn’t far from the truth. I....” At that, Selina passed out from the pain on the cushions where she had been chained since she first came to the Harem.
Myra looked at her sympathetically, caressing her face like a worried mother, saying, “Sleep, sister, sleep.” She picked up a blanket and covered her up to the shoulders with Izanami’s help.
“What happened?” Tasha asked as Myra and Izanami laid the blanket on Selina. Several other women asked the same thing, greatly concerned with Selina’s welfare.
“She was injured at the Arena,” Izanami replied. “Her husband, who was turned into Hanna by the Emperor and brought here briefly, has been brutally taken from her.”
By this time, everyone was gathered around her. They fell to their knees and wailed for Selina’s supposed loss for a few moments. Tasha sat down at Selina’s head and Jennifer sat at her feet. Sakura, Jasmine, and Hitomi sat to Selina’s left with tears in their eyes and puzzlement on their faces. They’d heard Selina’s cryptic remarks before passing out. Tasha looked into Selina’s face, and despite the pain seen there, she detected a faint smile and wondered what it could mean. Tasha rubbed her head and pondered the events, saying, “There’s more going on here than is being told. Obviously, the Emperor thinks he’s disposed of her man and doesn’t believe her to be the threat that she was when she was first brought here. Otherwise, they would have chained her back up.”
Myra smiled at Tasha cryptically and put her finger to her lips in a be-quiet gesture. Tasha then began to understand and continued to stroke Selina’s hair. She also noticed a rather large bruise forming on Selina’s face where the Emperor had struck her brutally. Myra turned to the rest of the women and said, “She will be all right, sisters. Just give her time. This was her first direct encounter with the Emperor. She’ll be all right.”
“But she’s alone. Her man is gone and with him, all hope,” Lola wailed in despair.
Izanami looked at the crowd, particularly at Lola and said confidently, “Hope is never lost, sister. Selina said Hanna vanished from the Arena in the final battle with the outlander that captured them. Do not give up hope just yet. Fate may still have a wild card in the mix for the Emperor.” Her words seemed to strengthen the crowd.
“Izanami is right, sisters. We need to be patient; when Selina awakes, she should be able to give us more information as to what happened. So for now, let her rest,” Myra informed the crowd. Slowly the crowd dissipated, going back to their activities. However, a small group of ten stayed with Selina, which included Myra, Tasha, Sakura, Jasmine, Hitomi, Lola, Trinity, and Jennifer. Some of them gathered around her and prayed.