Chapter 10 #2
I slip my dagger under my pillow. I’ve slept with it under my pillow since the first night a man broke into my bedroom.
I awoke to him lying naked on top of me, working on taking my chemise off as well.
Let’s just say he didn’t walk out with his favorite appendage still attached to his body.
Berttom gave me twenty lashes and locked me in the Abysm for three days for that one.
Still, I couldn’t bring myself to regret it, because word spread, and now, if a man is stupid enough to break into my bedroom all it takes is a flash of my dagger and they skitter their way back out like the cockroaches they are.
Berttom has artifacts he uses as security to protect us but they rarely bother actually protecting me. It doesn’t matter. I don’t need them.
I change into the white chemise I wear to sleep, the hem of it barely skimming my thighs, and climb into bed. The sounds of the night have already begun, and I quickly drift off.
A massive body stands before me, facing away.
He’s reaching behind him, his large hand resting on my hip.
My skin tingles where he’s touching me. He seems to be shielding me from something I can’t see.
His head turns and green eyes meet mine.
My breath catches. I know those eyes, but I can’t place from where.
Dark, wavy hair falls over his forehead.
His full lips are pinched, and his eyebrows are drawn together in concern, though I can’t tell why.
He turns his face away from me and removes his hand.
I feel a bizarre sense of loss when his gaze and hand are off me.
He takes what I recognize quickly as a defensive stance.
He charges directly for a creature that appears to be covered in decaying pine needles.
It looks like one of the topiaries outside the gates of the Estates.
Isi and I wander that way from time to time to get a glimpse of how the other half live.
I’m fairly certain this thing is a gijire, a bloodthirsty creature from the children’s stories my mother would tell me.
He takes the creature to the ground and an earsplitting roar clefts the misty air.
I can’t tell which body it came from. The man goes still, and my blood freezes in my veins. He can’t be dead. He just can’t be.
I approach the heap of man and beast. The pile stirs. A scream explodes through the air. I swivel in place. I can’t tell where it’s coming from. Did I scream? The shrill sound pierces my mind again.
I jolt upright, eyes darting around my tiny bedroom. It was a dream. I press my hand to my chest, taking deep, calming breaths, willing my heart to calm down.
Another strangled cry reaches me. That isn’t part of my dream.
I tear my blanket off and sprint down the hall, looking in every room, searching for the source, distantly wondering why Berttom’s security isn’t scurrying around looking with me.
I can hear crying and a man hollering. I scurry down the stairs to the second floor, getting more slivers in my bare feet than I care to acknowledge.
As I reach the landing on the second floor, Isi is thrown into the hallway, her face bloody, her eye already swelling shut.
Oh fuck no.
The other artifacts creep into the hallway, just watching.
That’s the way it is in here, everybody for themselves.
But Otyx’s security artifacts should be stopping this.
I push through the crowd and slide on my knees to her side, cutting them open on the rough wood.
She curls into me, terrified. A chuckle comes from her bedroom.
I tear my eyes away from Isi and stare up at the shirtless man standing in the doorway.
He’s roughly the size and color of a bear and nearly as hairy, his muscled chest and arms covered in scars.
I drag my gaze to his face. His eyes are bulging out of it, looking as though they’re trying to escape his head, and his scarred lip is pulled back in a sneer.
I’ve definitely seen him before. He thinks since he’s paying for it, he can do whatever his demented mind can concoct.
He’s not alone in that belief, unfortunately.
A lot of people who visit this bordello have the same twisted sense of ownership.
This guy usually isn’t this violent though.
“Want to join us, Red?” he says as he adjusts himself in his trousers, his voice deep and rough. In my mind, I see him reach for me, throwing me out of the way. Moments later his arm wraps around my stomach and he throws me to the floor as if I’m nothing more than a sack of flour.
My heart stutters and I freeze. How did I see that happen before it did? I suddenly remember back when the same thing happened all those years ago in that alley. I was too focused on my fight to analyze it then, too focused on Isi. And I’d forgotten about it by the time I had a moment to think.
I shake my head, snapping back to the present when the big bear grabs Isirae by the collar around her neck.
She lets out a soft choke as he drags her back into her room by it like she’s nothing more than a dog.
I look around, looking for help, looking for Otyx’s security.
I’m not positive I can take on a bear on my own.
My eyes collide with Otyx’s. He’s just standing there.
Watching like the rest of them. My heart turns to stone as the truth hits me.
This man must have paid a lot of money to do whatever he wants this time, and Berttom is going to let it happen.
Rage clouds my vision and my blood pounds in my ears. Over my dead fucking body.
I spring to my feet and charge for the man.
He’s large, which means he should hopefully be pretty slow.
Something I can use to my advantage. He has already dragged Isi back into the room and is about to shut the door.
I throw all my weight behind my shoulder and slam into the door.
It doesn’t open very far, but judging by the yowl the bear emits, I must have hit him with it.
I step into the room, the bear glowering up at me from the floor, holding his nose, blood pouring from behind his hands. I smile a dark, twisted smile.
“Get out,” I say to Isirae. She scurries for the door, and I close and lock it behind her. My confidence may have been lacking earlier, but now I’m raging. This is going to be fun. I haven’t had a real fight in a while.
I distantly hear Otyx banging on the door demanding I open it through the roar of blood in my ears.
I ignore him as I stare down at the despicable man on the floor.
He lumbers to his feet and looks at me with a wide grin on his face that shows he only has about ten teeth.
Only now, standing facing him, do I realize I’m about half his size, dressed in nothing but a chemise and I stupidly left my dagger back in my bedroom.
Shit. Breathe. Just breathe. Assess. Think.
“Alright, sweetheart. Let’s have some fun.” He smirks.
Again, in my mind, I see what he’s going to do.
I don’t hesitate or question it this time.
I decide to trust what I’ve seen. He goes low to tackle me.
I leap and roll over his back, his meaty fingers grasping for me.
I land on my feet behind him and slam my fists into his kidney at a rapid pace.
He roars and turns on me. I see what he’s going to do moments before he does it.
He swings his fist, and I dodge it easily.
He swings again as I slip under his arm and kick out.
My bare foot collides with his crotch. It quickly becomes glaringly obvious violence turns this man on.
Gross.
As he doubles over to clasp the area men value above most everything, my knee comes up to meet his already bleeding nose, hearing a satisfying crunch.
He falls to his back, cursing me, blood pouring out of his face.
I leap onto his large frame, grip his unimpressive cock and balls through his trousers, and twist. Hard.
He lets out a squeal like the pig he is.
“If I ever see you here again, I will cut this off and shove it so far up your ass you will have to fish it out through your mouth,” I growl. I twist it one more time to emphasize my point. “Understand?”
He whimpers and nods. I release him and he sags in relief.
He’s groaning on the floor holding his nose and his crotch while I head for the door.
I throw it open and meet Otyx on the other side.
He looks at the man behind me, then back to me.
I know I’m in serious trouble, but I can’t bring myself to care.
I shove him out of my way and peel off down the hall, looking for Isi.
I find her in my room curled up on my bed facing the wall.
I sit on the edge of the mattress and roll her over, searching for injuries.
She’s bloody and bruised, and a sizable gash still oozes on her forehead, but I don’t think anything’s broken.
She looks me in the eye, and I can see she’s trying to be strong.
But the tears swimming in her eyes give her away.
I pull her into a tight embrace, wanting to protect and comfort her while knowing there isn’t much I can do or say.
We sit there for a while as she cries into my shoulder.
When it seems as though her tears are drying I lay her back down, grab the bowl I now keep in here to catch rainwater with or melt snow in, and my dagger, then head to the bathroom to get clean towels and water.
Otyx is still in Isirae’s room. I can hear his simpering apologies before I make it to her door.
I have to pass it to get to the bathroom.
Right now my priority is Isi. I don’t have the time or the patience to deal with Otyx.
Every fiber of my being is screaming at me to mutilate him, and if he tries to come at me before I get Isi cleaned up and settled, I might just do it.
I stop beside the open door, peeking in.
Otyx and the bear are sitting on Isi’s bed while Draya fusses over the bear, cleaning the blood from his face.
I wait to make sure no one will see me and dart for the other side of the door frame.
I wait a moment more to make sure I wasn’t seen, then continue down the hall to the bathroom.
I fill my bowl with the water left for the bath and grab clean towels from the cabinet before heading back toward the stairs.
I stop at Isi’s door again, waiting, listening.
I scurry across the frame, but Draya sees me this time.
“Princess!” her deep voice hollers. I roll my eyes and keep walking. I just took down a seven-foot bear in men’s clothing—I don’t particularly want another fight.
Besides, Isi needs me right now, and if I’m already looking down the sharp end of the lash for what I did to the man, I don’t need to add kicking Draya’s ass to my record.
Draya follows me anyway. I reach my door before she reaches me and slam it in her face, shoving the lone chair in the room under the handle. She pounds on the door, her massive fist making the crack down the middle a little wider.
“Can’t hide forever, Princess,” she snarls at the closed door.
“Master is pissed. You won’t be our problem much longer.
” I can hear the smile on her face. I roll my eyes again, not really giving a shit, and turn to my friend.
She’s curled up on her side, staring past me.
I set the bowl down, sit her up, and get to work cleaning the blood off her face.
Once that’s finished, I move to her hands.
Her knuckles are cut and beginning to bruise.
My heart swells with pride. She tried to fight him.
I wipe them clean and lay her back down.
We don’t say a word as I curl my body around hers, providing what warmth and comfort I can.
She cries until her breathing slows, soft snores filling the room. I follow her into sleep soon after.