Chapter 25 #2
“No,” he said, and spat on the ground at my feet, but I detected his fear. His eyes flared with terror as I confirmed my identity, but he still managed to say, “She one of your whore friends?”
“Bring me a spoon and two pieces of rope!” I called to Bastian.
Bastian knew the games I’d played with Father Benedict, so he rubbed his eyes like he couldn’t quite believe he was dealing with this shit. But he called back. “I don’t have a spoon, Sigrid. Would a fork work?”
I sighed heavily. “Too sharp. I need something blunt.”
Bastian grinned at me and shook his head from the other side of the tree. His smile took my breath away.
“Would a shovel work?” he shouted, his voice serious despite his grin.
“I’ll make it work.” I leaned on the tree over the boy. He was scared, but still pretending to be tough, the brave little bastard.
“You hungry, young vermin?”
He licked his lips. “Why? You gonna let me taste that cunt?”
My mouth fell open, and I had to turn so he wouldn’t see my reaction. Was this how the Saxons felt around me? He couldn’t have been older than twelve. He shouldn’t have even known what that meant.
I didn’t have a motherly instinct in my body, but I found myself wanting to take him home with me to see what kind of man he’d become if given the smallest amount of love and structure.
If being raised by a notorious murderess on a pirate island sounded like an upgrade for this child, his real upbringing must’ve been hellish. Besides, I wasn’t going back to Ocracoke. And I had no business taking in strays when my days were numbered.
“You the son of one of the bandits?” I mused.
He spat again. “Fuck those bastards. Killed my family. Kept me as a slave.”
“Now we’re getting somewhere. I’ll avenge them if you tell me what I need to know.”
He’d started to tremble when he mentioned his family, but I wouldn’t insult him by pointing it out.
“Not telling you nothing, bitch. Hate the Saxons more.”
I squatted down in front of him, now truly convinced this was how Bastian had felt being forced to deal with me. “I shared that particular sentiment too up until recently. But they’re not all so bad.”
Bastian met my eyes, and my heart did the thing it always did when he looked at me like that.
Down the slope, closer to the riverbank, Elric paced shiftily, looking conflicted. My powers were muted, but the instincts honed from a lifetime of reading people were still there. My suspicions about Elric were beginning to form into an idea.
“Want to fuck with the Saxons down there? If you play along with me, we might get the best of them.”
“How?” he asked, eyeing me skeptically again, but there was a gleam of interest in his expression.
“I’m going to pretend to torture you, and all you have to do is scream believably while I cover the sound.”
He nodded cautiously and allowed me to put my hand over his mouth.
“Bite me, and it’ll be the last thing you do.” I wouldn’t kill him, but he didn’t need to know that.
A soldier handed Bastian the shovel, looking uncomfortable.
I might have developed a wary trust with the men after our battle, but they still believed me capable of torturing a child.
I didn’t bother to point out that they were all willing to stand there and let it happen if it got them the outcome they needed.
How many times had I been painted as the monster while others stood by and benefitted?
Bastian walked up the slope and handed me the shovel, but it was clear from his calm expression he had some idea of what I was up to. Even if he didn’t understand that I was testing Elric, he trusted me.
“Hold him,” I said to Bastian, giving the boy a wink.
Elric came sprinting up the hill. “Leave him alone! I know where the Shrikes are.”
He broke long before I thought he would.
Dutifully playing his part, the child said, “Don’t tell her a thing, you slimy cunt!”
“Gods, I like this little heathen. A slimy cunt is a truly horrifying insult, don’t you think, Captain?”
Elric reached us and pushed his way between me and where the child sat at the base of the tree.
Elric gripped the pommel of his sword. “This isn’t a laughing matter, Princess.”
I stepped back, not actually interested in starting a fight with him.
“No shit, slimy cunt. The Captain of the King’s Guard knows where the Shrikes are…
and I think he knows other things he hasn’t been telling us.
And he’s going to fucking tell us now. My new little friend here will let me know if you’re lying, won’t you… what’s your name, boy?”
“Rufus,” he said with a definitive nod. Just like that, he was on my side against a common enemy.
Elric turned to Bastian. “The bandits are heading to a cave about a day’s ride from here. They’ll hide there until you’ve passed them and then ambush you from behind.”
Bastian glared. “How do you know?”
“Because it’s where they leave the king’s portion of the coin and goods they loot.”
I tilted my head. “I’m sorry…the what?”
Elric let out a breath. “The Shrike king pays our king a cut of their tolls and stolen goods to entice your father to ignore their dealings.”
“Why the fuck would he do that?”
Bastian looked at me significantly. “To keep the people scared. Terrified people are easier to control if they think you’ll offer safety. And to let him levy whatever taxes he wants, not to mention lining his coffers with stolen funds.”
I cursed. “So…greed. Greed is the answer.”
Rufus stood, skirting around Elric to stand at my side. “Know a back way into the cave, mistress. I can lead you there, let you beat them at their own game.”
“It’s getting dark, and there’s no moon tonight,” Bastian called down to the men. “We make camp and move out at first light.” He shoved Elric against the tree. “You knew.”
Elric got in his face. “I suspected! I didn’t know until your father bribed me, and even then I doubted my suspicions. You don’t accuse the king of treason without proof!”
Bastian was ready to snap. “You kept silent in exchange for a fucking bride?
Elric shoved him back. “She’s not just any fucking bride.
Even if you’ve always been too blind to see it!
What fate might befall her if I don’t offer her protection?
And I disobeyed orders to be here now, and will see the king punished for his crimes, which is more than we’ve been able to say about you, so get the fuck down from that high horse, Your Highness. ”
I shoved between them before fists were thrown. “We can decide what to do with him later. For now, let’s let said fucking bride out of the wagon. It’s hellishly uncomfortable in there.”
Now Elric rounded on me. “You kidnapped her?”
I shrugged. “Call it what you will. Say a goddamn word to her about it, and I’ll tell the soldiers down there what you were willing to hide for the king.”
“I wasn’t—”
I put a hand up to stop him. “Not a word.”