AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Vines split the earth’s surface and circled her, each dancing like snakes in the rain with inch-long thorns protruding from the thickening stems. They rose higher and higher, and the male pulled his lips back from his teeth, snarling at her while he clutched his bloody wrist.
This was it. She’d fought back. She knew what came next.
The remaining two slaves backed as far away from the males as they could without drawing attention.
“It’s rare for a half-breed to possess magic. If you plan to kill her anyway, we could put her to use.” The one with the scar had his boots propped up on a barrel, picking at his nails with a knife.
The other male shook the hand she’d bitten as if it were nothing more than a mosquito bite. “What did you have in mind?”
His boots slid off the barrel and he pointed the blade toward her. “If she’s willing to fight, we could drop her off in the general’s cabin.”
The male she’d bitten gave her a wicked grin. “It’d be worth it to hear her scream.”
Another to their left chimed in. “He doesn’t like slaves, and I’d rather not have his blood-thirsty ass parading around camp for those foolish enough to shove a female into his private quarters.”
The one with the scar cocked his head to one side. “Take off her chains. Maybe he’ll see her as an offering instead. She’s easy on the eyes and she’s been fairly docile. I don’t see why he’d kill her right off.” He leaned back again. “Besides, blowing off a little steam might do him some good.”
They all considered then one sniffed the air. “We’ll have to clean her up. What do you think? You’re the one she bit.”
The vines vanished back into the earth with a slurping sound. “As I said, it’ll be worth it to hear her scream.”
The male with a blade stood, stretched, then shoved the small knife through his belt. “All right, do what you will with the others. I’ll see to it she’s taken care of.”
“He comes back tonight, right?”
The male nodded and the way they each smirked at her had Arianna’s blood running cold. Blow off some steam? No, she couldn’t let that happen. She’d rather die than be used as someone’s plaything. It was the one aspect of slavery she’d managed to avoid, the one thing she had that was still her own.
Arianna drew her legs up, ready to flee, but a hand grasped her upper arm with an iron grip. She tried to yank her arm free, but the male punched her in the gut, and she gasped, doubling over in pain.
Arianna screamed, kicked, hissed, and fought with every remaining ounce of strength she possessed as the male hauled her through their vile camp.
Another male whistled to their right. “Damn Lan, what do you have, a feral cat?”
Lan growled and twisted her around, but Arianna sank her nails deep into his skin and tore at the flesh on his hands. He grabbed her by the throat and slammed her head into the nearest structure. Stars shot across her vision. He did it again and again and again until the only thing she could think about was the pain.
“If you want your friends to live, I suggest calming the fuck down.” Hot blood trickled down the side of her face, but she didn’t growl at him again. “Your choice, princess, what’s it going to be?”
Her choice. What a pitiful lie. It didn’t matter what she chose because those females would suffer either way and she was going to join them. Was a torturous death any better? Would these barbarians peel their skin away bit by bit? Would they break every bone in their bodies, then leave them for the crows and scavengers?
Arianna took a steadying breath, then another. Her body shuddered in pain and defiance and the male before her smirked. “Better.”
He gripped her arm again, hauling her deeper through the camp. They passed row after row of tents full of males huddling near warm fires. The constant banging continued, grating her nerves and noises she would have rather ignored floated from behind drawn flaps.
Survive. It’s what Talon would tell her to do. He’d promised to find her after the battle. He’d just needed her safe.
The male tugging her along, Lan, kicked open a cabin door and threw Arianna inside. She tripped and her palms stung when they skidded across the uneven wooden floor. Her head still spun, and the nausea returned tenfold.
A female, dressed in tattered rags with wild, unkempt hair, leapt from her makeshift bed and scurried to the far corner, pressing her forehead against the floor.
“Clean her up,” Lan commanded. “You have ten minutes.”
The door slammed shut, and the female was on her feet, running into the other room before Arianna could ask questions. Water sloshed and utensils clinked together as the female rushed to follow Lan’s orders. Arianna took a moment to examine the dank space this female lived in.
There were cracks in the walls and cold air swept through, leaving a chill crawling across Arianna’s skin. But it seemed dry enough, comforting even, compared to the leaky overhang she’d occupied last night.
The bed appeared to be made of straw crudely stuffed in various sized sacks. The blankets were worn and moth eaten. And the scent. Arianna couldn’t tell how many males had been here from the way they wove together.
Her stomach sank. Was this to be her fate?
