Chương 64: This Is Her Story

A sect member approached Father Leandro with hesitant steps.

"Father…may I speak with you?" Leandro nodded without turning around.

"That heretic allowed two witches to escape. The villagers are beginning to lose faith in us. We have to do something to win back their trust".

"I already am", Leandro replied calmly.

"And not with a mere execution. I want something deeper…I want to convert her. I want to make her one of us". The man hesitated.

"Do you truly believe that's possible? What if her soul has already been corrupted by the Devil?" Leandro slowly turned to face him.

"God is stronger than the Devil, brother. Tell me instead, what about the search for her friends?"

"We've searched the nearby villages and the surrounding forests. There's no sign of them".

"Keep searching. They must be found". The man nodded and walked away. Inside the tent, Felicity carefully examined her surroundings. The ropes binding her wrists and ankles were tight and sturdy. On a small table nearby, she spotted a small straight razor. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. She took a deep breath. She began inching forward, hopping with the chair. She made it.

Leaning forward, she grabbed the razor with her teeth and tried to slide it toward her bound hands. But it slipped from her grip and clattered onto the ground.

"Shit…" she muttered through gritted teeth. She tried to reach it with her feet, but failed. At that moment, Father Leandro stepped back into the tent. One glance at the razor lying on the floor was enough for him to understand everything. He picked it up and placed it back on the table. Then he crouched in front of her. His gaze was cold and unyielding.

"Feli, trying to escape won't help you. You have to let me help you. You have to want it". She glared at him in fury.

"Or what? You'll burn me like you did all those other innocent people?" Leandro lowered his eyes for a brief moment before looking back at her.

"If you continue to reject God, if you continue listening to the Devil…then yes. I'll be forced to carry out divine justice. But I don't want that. You can still be saved. The Devil hasn't completely claimed you…I know that".

"You're nothing but a madman!" Felicity shouted. Leandro slowly rose to his feet.

"I'm sorry, sweet Feli. I've been too lenient with you. If I'm going to make you one of the faithful, I'll have to change my methods". He left her alone. Felicity lowered her head. She was exhausted. Deeply disappointed. Meanwhile, in the forest, Leah and Xia stood beside their horses beneath the night sky.

"Those bastards from the sect tried to kill us", Leah said.

"Why?"

"They consider us heretics".

"Then they'll think the same about Feli…what if they've already killed her?" Xia slowly shook her head.

"No. The man leading them cares about her. He's trying to convert her".

"Felicity will never give in. She'd rather endure torture".

"I think so too". Leah looked at her.

"Then how can you be so calm? Aren't you worried about her?" Xia raised her eyes to the night sky.

"Of course I'm worried. I think about her constantly. But this isn't our story…it's hers. If she manages to defeat him and claim the legendary sword, she'll overcome her past. And she'll become a much stronger woman".