Chapter Four #3
“Equipped? Why? Because you’re a woman and not a man?” His voice wobbled with rage. “Of all the things you could’ve asked me, Ily.”
Before I could reply, he roared, “It’s not just fucking sex, little nightmare.
It’s violence. It’s degradation. If you think I’d willingly, actively, make him hurt you instead of me.
” He scoffed with a cold laugh. “Fuck, how could you even ask that of me? Of course, I’ll do what he wants if it means protecting you.
Of course, I’ll give him my body if it means you go untouched.
What sort of man would I be if I didn’t? What sort of monster could—”
“You’re not a monster!” I shouted over him.
“That’s the point! You’ve already suffered so much.
In your childhood and here and I can’t...
” Stinging tears shot to my eyes and trickled down my cheeks.
“I won’t be able to watch him break you, Hen.
I just...I can’t do it. Let him have me instead of you.
If you get strong enough, you can find a way to—”
“I’m not letting him lay another fucking finger on you, Ily! I vowed that the night he raped you. And I’m not going back on my word. Even if it kills me.”
“But don’t you see? It will kill me watching him hurt you!”
“Then do what you’re so good at and don’t watch!
” Henri snarled and yanked at the chain, trying to pull it out of the wall like the countless other times he’d tried.
When he didn’t succeed, he punched his pillow with enough violence to make me shiver.
His rage fanned out in the small space, licking at my ankles and tainting my blood to fight.
When he’d finished losing himself to fury, he clenched his jaw and hissed, “I’ll be okay.
If you need to hear that I won’t let a little sodomy break me, then fine.
I can handle it. I promise you on my life, Ily, I won’t let him break me.
No matter what he does. I won’t break because I have you now, and you’re worth a thousand tortures. ”
I rubbed my aching heart as tears ran hotly down my cheeks.
“I mean it, mon c?ur.” He smiled gently. “I can handle it. No matter how bad it gets, I will always come back to you. You have my word.”
I shuddered with his oath. “Henri...”
His violence became a benediction. “I’m yours, little nightmare.
And you’re going to have to trust me because you’re trapped in this awful place because of me and while you’re here, you’re mine, just like I’m yours.
My heart and body belong to you, not him.
And I’ll use every piece of myself if it means I can keep him as far away from you as possible. ”
My tears turned to sobs.
Our fading fight finally woke Peter.
He came to as if he’d been deep underwater and barely knew how to swim above the surface of it anymore.
Groggy eyes, tussled hair, scratchy voice.
“What the—” Blinking at Henri fuming with helplessness across from us, he came awake in an instant.
“What the hell did you say to her, you idiot?” With a soft groan, he crawled onto my bed and wrapped me in his chilly embrace.
None of us could get warm.
And I so longed to be warm.
I’d give anything to slip into the large spa bath in the jewel quarters.
I’d give five years of my life just to take a hot shower and then crawl into a hot bed with Henri’s arms tight and hot around me.
I cried harder.
The images of Victor bending Henri over and taking him.
The mental videos of other Masters whipping him, beating him, making him do unspeakable things.
It almost broke me seeing Peter and the others having to service men they despised. But watching the man who woke everything primal inside me? The man who seemed so invincible and immortal be diminished to a piece of meat for their pleasure...I-I can’t.
I couldn’t stop my tears now that I’d started.
Peter gathered me tighter and dragged me onto his bony lap. “Hey, jaanu, it’s okay. You’re okay. We’re all okay.”
Yes, but for how long?
How much longer before—
A noise.
A loud clang followed by heavy footfalls.
No.
Tears froze on my cheeks as Henri stiffened and Peter turned to a statue beneath me.
Please no—
Footfalls came closer, closer, echoing down the dungeon corridors, louder, louder, until...
Four guards appeared.
Crawling off Peter’s lap, I swiped at my tears and glowered at our unwanted guests.
None of us spoke as the guard in front used a ring of keys to unlock our bars, then kicked the door wide.
“If you move wrong, I’ll electrocute you.
If you try to run, I’ll shoot you. If you try to fight back, I’ll beat you.
” The guard pulled free a black remote and gun from his utility belt. “Any questions?”
Henri stood by his bed, his hands balled. “What do you want?”
“Your time down here is up.” The head guard shrugged. “My orders are to take you to get ready.”
“Get ready for what?” Peter asked.
“You’ll find out soon enough.” Waving his gun, the guard commanded, “Unshackle them.”
I didn’t move as the three other guards fanned out. One went to Henri and unhooked the chain from his collar. One to me to free my own neck. And one to Peter.
Once all three of us were no longer tethered to the wall, the guard by the door marched into the corridor. “Follow quietly and obediently, and no one will get hurt.”
Peter went first, the beads of his spine bruised and red from sleeping on such a hard bed for so long.
I trailed him, my bare feet icy and white dress completely filthy.
Henri slipped silently behind me.
A current of connection tingled across my back.
His energy blended with mine like a warm blanket across my shoulders.
So close.
Far closer than we’d been in over a month.
I shivered as his hand landed on my hip. His thumb stroked those wonderful Morse code circles.
“No touching.”
Henri grunted as the guard behind him struck him.
His hand fell away.
We all shuffled in a long line, barricaded by guards and guns. None of us spoke as we travelled down the long pathways of the dungeon. No other cell was being used. BDSM equipment waited in the gloom for players. Torture devices in others stained by previous victims.
I lost all sense of direction as we turned left then right and left again.
My numb toes hobbled over pebbles and grit, my eyes slowly growing used to the brighter light as we reached a staircase. Memories of traveling down them so many weeks ago on the night of the Halloween masquerade came quick and sharp.
The crowd of Masters as we’d been carted like sheep to the slaughter.
The Temple of Facets. The altar.
Swallowing hard, I followed Peter and the first guard.
My heart pounded at the exercise as we climbed up and up and up.
I squinted as light slowly stopped being artificial and became sunshine instead.
I could barely see as we spilled out at the top and stepped into the small courtyard with its spearing tower and flapping flag far in the sky.
Too bright.
So bright.
Not midnight after all.
No stars.
No moon.
Just a glowing golden disc, a cloudless sky, and a monstrous acropolis ready to swallow us whole.