Page 161 of Bonds of Starfall

"No—stop."

He didn’t stop.

Kit ripped open the top of her pants, sending the button skittering to the floor. He yanked the edges to the side until her panties were revealed, pants half-hanging onto her hips, shoved low due to her seated position. He bent, those cold brown eyes lifting to meet hers. His breath was warm against her hipbones as he carefully, slowly, placed the last two electrodes under her navel, one on either side. The back of his hand brushed her panties. Rin’s eyes filled with tears.

Kit stood. "Cooperate, and this will be over soon."

"What will be over?" The wires trembled from Rin’s shaking. "What are you going to do to me?" She was slowly realizing Kit was no longer a friend.

He was an enemy.

"I—" Kit’s eyes raised, pausing on her wet cheeks. He tilted his head as if the sight of her tears was strange to him. "I am doing what I was commanded. I will employ whatever means necessary to see my duties through."

He reached for a remote-like thing resting on the small metal cart near her chair. He held it in a gloved hand, thumb hovering over the dark red button.

"Take deep breaths," Kit said tonelessly, then he pressed the button.

Shocks of white-hot electricity lit her up in every spot the electrodes were stuck to.

Rin gasped, muscles seizing. Oh god, oh god?—

It hurt?—

Worse than the taser. Worse than any episode with her heart.

She felt like she was going todie.

She shook violently, tendons in her neck popping out, and her mouth stretched in a silent scream. Her jaw locked. Fingers twitched. Hips stuttering from the shocks at her stomach. The ones at her breasts sent straight fire roaring from her chest to the very tips of her fingers.

Just when she thought she couldn’t take any more, it stopped.

Rin gasped, boneless against the chair.

Residual shocks ran underneath her flesh; her vision wavered.

"W-w-why…?" she stuttered, incoherent.

Kit’s eyes kept flicking all over her face, curiously, in a way.

He changed a dial on the side of the remote. The next jolt was lighter, but no less painful.

Her legs and arms jerked. Tears slipped down her cheeks. "Kit!"

Rin must’ve blacked out.

When she awoke, her eyes drifted, watching speckled shapes take form in the light above. Like Stars…

A jolt ran down her spine, shocking her back awake. Her heart shifted from a gallop to a sluggish patter.

She wanted to go to sleep. Please?—

Her body convulsed, but her mind screamed at her to stay still. Kit’s shadow leaned over, and panic burned hotter than the electricity.

The pain in her skull increased.

Her lips struggled to form words, but just one broke through:

"Mercy."