Touch of Death

This chapter may be disturbing to some readers please check the Trigger warnings.

TW// Sexual assault, Child abuse/pedophilia, blood

It was, again, Nick who cleaned his wounds, bandaged them, and took him to his net. Elias was passed out for a whole day and when he finally woke up, he struggled to make himself sit up. Every inch of his body hurt.

"You're up."

Elias slowly looked at Nick, carrying a plate of what Elias guessed was dinner. He laid down and turned away from him. He knew Nick heard everything. Suddenly, he felt ashamed and embarrassed. Elias was aware it wasn't the first time and it probably wouldn't be the last, but just knowing Nick heard it…

"You know you don't need to hide the pain from me."

Elias bit down on his lower lip, struggling to keep the tears from falling. He knew it. He knew he could turn to Nick. Moreover, Nick was the only one Elias ever allowed himself to be vulnerable with. But he couldn't keep crying in his arms.

"It will stop." he said in a low voice. "The beatings."

Elias sniffled. Just him mentioning it, spread pain through his body.

"If you do as you are told, he will stop." Nick paused, swallowing down hard. "Everyone here had to go through it. Just don't let it get to you." He placed the plate by his net. "But I know that won't be a problem for you. You are strong Elias. Always remember that."

Elias wanted to turn around, but he was afraid he would burst out into tears if he did that. When he finally decided to turn to him, Nick was already long gone.

Elias stayed in his net for two days, not wanting to move. The pain was agonising, and it took everything for Elias not to weep in pain. He only sat up to change the bandages and to eat. In the two days, he had time to think about Nick's words.

He didn't believe him fully.

The crew only seem to think he is strong because Elias wouldn't let them see otherwise. He would never let them know how much he suffered. Nick was the only one who knew his other side. Why then, did Nick believe he was strong?

Elias' body began to ache, not from the pain but from lying down for days. It was night and the crew was sound asleep. He slowly got to his feet and took his jacket. Elias wanted to leave the mask behind. It hurt when he wore it, for it was pressing on the bruise on his cheek. In the end he still put it on.

Like Nick said, he just had to do what Sabur told him to.

The night's in Bradfordshire were chilly, but the breeze felt nice against Elias' bruised body. He sat down by the ship's railing looking towards the sea. He pulled out his father's dagger like he always would when he was alone and couldn't sleep.

Elias traced the lines carved in the handle, always stopping by the red ruby. He tried to remember dad's workplace, the street leading up to his house and the tree he would always sit under with his ma. He tried to remember her, them - their features, their gestures, their smiles.

He was starting to forget them.

Did she have green eyes? Brown?

Was the scar, Elias would always trace, on dad's left side or right?

He couldn't remember.

That terrified him.

Suddenly, in the midst of quiet, Elias heard a creak. Elias figured it was probably Kian on the patrol, so he first didn't pay it any mind. But it could be Pit. Elias quickly turned around. What took place next, happened in a second.

Someone grabbed his shoulder and yanked him over, pressing a cloth doused in a strong smelling liquid. Elias tried to kick the person off, but his vision began to darken rapidly.

Elias could only barely see a green mask that resembled a jade dragon, before he drifted off into unconsciousness.

His head was throbbing when he finally became aware. He found himself in a room, lit up by a dim lantern. There were no windows and only a cabinet for furniture. Elias tried to move and then realised that his hands were tied behind his back and that his legs were tied to the chair he was sitting in. He tried to recall what had happened, but he could only remember the jade green mask.

The door opened and in walked the woman who visited Sabur a few days ago now. Up close, Elias could see her black smoky eye makeup, brown hair pulled up in a messy bun. Her red lips painted into a smile. She spoke in a raspy, yet soft and unsettlingly gentle voice. "Hello, marily."

Elias opened his mouth to speak, but he could only stutter inaudible words.

"Oh marily, don't worry." She moved closer to him and brushed her fingers along the bruise on his cheek. He flinched away. "Did Sabur hurt you? He really is a cruel man, isn't he? Pity," she crouched down to look him directly in the eyes. "He could've just said you were his."

The woman reached to his other cheek and stroked him gently and deliberately down to the chin. Her hands were cold and it sent shivers down Elias' spine.

"Do you know who I am, marily?" Elias gingerly shook his head. "I'm Luana, but many prefer to call me The Green Woman." She smiled, brushing Elias' hair that was stuck to his forehead and tucking it behind his ear. "Do you know why that is?"

Elias shook his head again, desperately trying to think of a way to escape. The door was still open, he just had to get rid of the ropes.

"Well, I own this little business called The Jade Paradise. You may have seen it or you've at least seen my beautiful jade boys. In fact you're in The Jade Paradise as we speak." She placed her hand on Elias' thigh, slowly caressing it. "You know, I think you'd fit in perfectly, it's just…" She lifted her hand and held his chin pulling it towards her, so he could look at her. "You're far too beautiful, marily."

Elias' heart was slaming against his chest. He had to get away from here. He had to get away from this devious woman. Luana smiled mischievously as if she could hear his thoughts.

"Oh marily, you won't be going anywhere." She stood up and turned to the doors. "I'll have you all for myself."

"N-no, p-please-"

Luana slammed the door shut. Elias didn't even realise he was hyperventilating when the room fell silent. She approached him and sat in his lap. His breath hitched.

"Don't worry marily," she smirked as she pulled out a band and started tying it over Elias' eyes. "I'll try to be gentle."

"N-no, please. I b-beg you." He tried to jerk away from her.

"Beggin' won't do you any good."

"P-please, I don't want-"

"What?" She tightened the band. Her lips were brushing over his ear. "You don't want what, marily." She said it so slowly and low, Elias' whole body froze.

One hand was gliding through his hair while Luana traced her lips down to Elias' lips while she whispered. "Don't lie to yourself, marily." She traced the hand down his shirt to his inner thigh. "Your body says otherwise."

Elias' gasp was silenced with the lock of her lips on his. Elias couldn't take it anymore. He bit down hard on her lip. She pushed herself away. Elias couldn't see but figured he had to draw blood, for he tasted metal on his tongue.

"The audacity!" Her voice thundered through the small room and then as if nothing happened, it turned back to her slow, chill voice. "Don't worry, marily. There's other things I can do."

Elias' heart froze. He heard her move to the cabinet and open a drawer to retrieve something from it. Luana turned back to him, fidgeting with something in her hands. She circled around Elias, tracing her long nail over him. "This might be even better."

He flinched as she sliced his shirt behind his back, revealing his smooth untouched tan skin. "Interesting, thought it would be scared like your arms." He could hear her smile as she spoke. "Glad to have a clean, empty canvas."

Elias had just planned to launch to the door as he felt something sharp and quick going through his back. He didn't even have time to register the pain. Something warm and wet dripped down his back. Luana leaned to his ear and said slowly. "You like that, marily?"

She didn't let him answer as she made another slice to his back. This time Elias screamed, a cry of agony ripping the thick stuffy air in the room that made it impossible to breathe. Luana hastily grabbed him by the hair and yanked his head back, pressing the knife to his throat.

"Shhh, I don't want to wake up my boys." The hand gripping his hair, relaxed and melted through his hair. "Besides, I don't like it when you scream." Luana pressed the knife to his skin and made another slice, to which Elias reacted with a stifled groan. Her lips were brushing over his ear as she said ever so slowly. "Marily."

Tears streamed down Elias' face as he gasped for oxygen, his body shaking, twitching with every slice she made. He hated it. He hated the coldness of her hands, her lips against him. He hated her hand going through his hair, he hated the whispers.

He hated every second of it.

But more than that, he was scared.

Elias was terrified.

When Luana finished, she let him lay on the cold floor, blood from his back staining it, his body still twitching. The cloth covering his eyes had slipped down and his eyes, now dull and lifeless, had just caught her red smile, as she closed the door and locked it before his vision went dark.

That night The Green Woman broke Elias.

He didn't know for how long he was out. When he first came to, he couldn't move his body. His back hurt too much and his skin felt heavy wherever she had touched him. His legs wouldn't hold him up. Elias couldn't even cry.

He would just stare at a wall, his look fixed on one spot.

Elias waited for it to be all over.

She didn't come back, and Elias didn't want her to come back. Just the thought of her made his body shiver uncontrollably.

After some time when he could finally bring himself to sit up, he heard someone storming down the stairs. Panic seized Elias.

She came back to him.

She came back for him.

The door came crashing down and Elias' terrified eyes met with Kian. Elias thought he would be relieved to see his crew. He thought his body would relax and he wouldn't have to worry. Yet, at the sight of Kian, dread spread through Elias.

Sabur was going to kill him.

"Kid!" Kian approached him. "What-"

Elias didn't wait for Kian to get a hold of him. He jumped to his feet and ran straight past him. He heard him yell something behind him, but Elias didn't stop. He wouldn't stop.

Elias didn't know where he got the energy or where he was even going - he didn't register the place around him. He was running up the stairs through a hallway and ran through the first door he saw. He came out on the main street. Elias was about to stop when he heard shouting behind him. He knew better than to stop, so he rushed up the street, ignoring the pain. He was going on pure adrenaline and panic.

It was still dark, dawn just around the corner. The streets were empty, but the further up he went, the busier it became. The people were looking at him. Some with worry and some with disgust on their faces.

Elias' mind was sparling, the borders of his sight rapidly consumed by black spots. Tears were coming in waves. He wasn't going to make it far.

He crashed into someone and he fell to the ground. When he looked up, he glanced into familiar eyes. Her pupils shrank at the sight of Elias.

He only managed a weak help, before he collapsed to the ground in front of her.

Elias' eyes were heavy and he struggled to keep them open as Violet carried him to the room behind her shop. She laid him down on the bed and started rummaging through her drawers. Elias sat up, but Violet shook her head violently. She placed her hand on his wrist, but Elias flinched away. His body was shaking uncontrollably.

Violet with horror in her eyes turned to pull out a canister of cream from a drawer. She turned to Elias reaching for his back. Elias jerked away.

"N-no. Please don't h-hurt me." Violet shook her head, her face drenched with worry. "Don't h-hurt me." Repeated Elias.

His head began to spin when he once again became aware of every wound on his back. "P-please." He stammered as his vision darkened. "S-she hurt m-me. Please n-no more."

Elias fell down to the wooden floor.

His dream was a blur of fragments of his past. Elias saw his parents die once again, but this time Luana was holding the knife, her red lips grinning. He saw himself stab the boy in the chest, however, this time when the boy looked up, he was the boy Elias saw with Pit, dressed in green veil. He was looking at him with terror in his eyes.

The dreams shifted and Elias was holding the metal rod soaked with blood, Sabur laying in front of him, unmoving. He felt touches on his skin. Hard, rough hands going down his back, Pit whispering shary into his ear.

Elias jerked awake, startling Violet sitting beside him. She reached her hands to hold him, but she quickly moved them away.

"V-Violet?" Her hands were clutched to her chest, shaking. "Violet I…"

She moved closer, her hands still pressed against her chest. Elias looked down, his whole upper body wrapped in bandages. As he became aware of it, the wounds on his back began to ache.

"V-Violet." Tears burst out. "I'm s-scared."

Elias jumped into her arms, digging his head into her chest as he sobbed. Violet carefully and slowly put her arms around him. Elias flinched, then hugged her tighter around her waist. Violet let him cry until he had no tears left to shed.

Suddenly someone rushed into the store. Before Violet could stand up, Kian entered the room. Elias clutched Violet tighter, her own grip on him tightened.

"We need to go, kid." Elias was surprised to hear gentleness and sympathy in his voice. Elias dug his fingers into Violet's dress as he shook his head. "Now, Elias. We need to go."

Elias hugged Violet tighter, holding on to her for his dear life.

"Elias, now!"

Kian didn't wait for Elias to let go. He grabbed him and pulled him off Violet. Elias clutched to her dress, refusing to let go. Kian managed to pull him off, holding him tightly in his hands.

"Viole-!" Shouted Elias, when he had a ball of cloth stuffed into his mouth and covered his head with a bag.

"Don't." said Kian to Violet and then he started running. Elias trashed his arms but the grip was relentless.

Elias' heart began to beat faster - he didn't want to go back to The Rose Sparrow. He didn't want Kian to take him to Sabur. If Sabur got him, he was a dead man.

They must've already been on the ship when Kian shouted. "Go. Now!" Elias kicked in his arms, trying desperately to scream. "Stop it, kid. We're tryin' to save ya."

Save me?!

You're taking me to my death!

Kian opened the door and placed Elias down, removing the hood off him. Elias spat out the cloth, ready to scream his lungs out, when he suddenly realised Kian had taken him into Sabur's cabin. Dread crossed him as he looked up into Sabur's eyes. Elias' mask and dagger were on his desk.

"Did Luana do that?" Elias was just looking at him, unable to process his words, so Sabur repeated. "Did she do that?"

Elias slowly nodded, the memory dampening the corner of his eyes.

Sabur sighed. "We could've avoided that. Or at least it can be avoided it in the future." He crossed his arms on the table. "Do you know why she got to you?"

Elias hesitated to answer. He shook his head.

"Because you aren't technically part of the crew yet. You haven't signed the contract." Elias didn't quite understand what he was talking about. Sabur reached for his drawer and pulled out a piece of paper. He placed it in front of Elias. "If you sign the contract she won't hurt you. She won't be able to have you." He said the next words slowly. "She won't be able to hurt you."

Sabur handed him the pen. Elias looked at the paper. There were symbols, words Elias didn't understand.

She won't be able to have you.

She won't be able to hurt you.

Elias grabbed the pen and made a line on the paper. Sabur took the paper and gestured to Kian. He picked up Elias and carried him below deck, ignoring Elias kicking and screaming at him. He sat him down, pushed a ball of cloth in his mouth and held his wrist firmly.

"Sorry for this, kid." His voice was full of pity and understanding. He turned Elias' wrist, so it showed his inner wrist. He held it down firmly. "It'll only hurt for a bit."

Another pirate turned to them with a big needle and a container of black pigment. He dropped the needle into the liquid and placed it on Elias' wrist. He didn't know what the man was doing, so he wasn't prepared for the pain that struck him as he pushed the needle into his skin with a small hammer.

Elias bit down on the cloth, as the pain spread through his wrist. The pain was insufferable. It ached through his skin, spreading in waves through his whole body. He screamed himself hoarse. When it was done Kian and the other man left, leaving Elias there, body shaking in pain, sorrow, fear, and anger. His teary eyes were fixed on the black lines, now forever engraved into his skin.

It looked like a curse mark, glowing through his red skin. Elias wasn't aware at the time that he had became part of the curse ever since he stepped foot on The Rose Sparrow.

He realised now, there was no way he would ever be free again.