Page 12 of A War Apart

“Mila Dmitrievna?” Marya Ivanovna stood in the doorway, looking between me and the nobleman.

“Where is he?” he snarled.

I glanced nervously at the soldiers, who had both stepped closer. “I told you, my lord. I haven’t seen him.” This was getting out of hand. I had to get them out, before he turned truly violent. My chin quivered, but I raised my chin and looked into his eyes. “I believe you need to leave.”

“I don’t believe I will. It seems to me you and your husband both need to be taught a lesson.”

“You are no longer welcome here. Leave my home this instant, or I will be making a complaint to the baron.” I realized, belatedly, that I didn’t know this man’s title. For all I knew, he could outrank Lord Ilya.

The nobleman grinned, baring his teeth. “Oh, I hope you do. I would relish the opportunity to expose Ilya Sergeyevich for the traitor he is.”

Marya Ivanovna stepped forward. “My mistress has asked you to leave.”

“Shut up,” he snapped.

She moved to stand in front of me, eyes fixed on him. “Mila Dmitrievna, why don’t you go on to visit Anna Ilynichna until these men have gone?”

He grabbed her headscarf and shoved her out of the way. “Shut her up,” he barked at the soldiers. They each grabbed an arm, and one of the men put a hand over her mouth.

The nobleman turned back to me. “Now, I’m going to give you a choice. You tell me where I can find the traitors of Barbezht that attacked my soldiers, or I’ll kill your housekeeper.”

Marya Ivanovna shook her head, eyes wide in warning.

“What’s it to be, girl?” He drew a dagger from the sheath at his side.

My heart raced. Marya Ivanovna’s life or Han’s. An impossible choice.

Han wouldn’t thank me for protecting him. Not at the cost of someone else.

Stomach in knots, I hung my head. “He’s in Selyik,” I whispered.

“What was that?”

“He’s in Selyik,” I said, louder. “He’ll be back this evening.”

He nodded. “Good.” He turned to Marya Ivanovna and sliced the dagger across her throat.

I screamed, bile filling my throat. The housekeeper’s body fell, blood pooling across the floorboards.

He ignored my scream. “I’d rather not spend all day waiting for your husband to return. I’ve already spent enough time hunting the bastard down. He has to be punished, of course, but I’m not wasting the rest of my day waiting to arrest him. I’ll just have to send him a message instead.”

He took a step toward me, and I backed into the wall, hands over my belly. The baby. I had to protect the baby.

He grabbed my shirt in both hands and tore it, baring me down to the waist. I jerked away, scrambling to cover myself, and my foot caught on the rug. I slipped, landing in Marya Ivanovna’s blood as he kicked me.

I curled up into a ball. Keep the baby safe. That was all that mattered. I couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t scream. I looked up at the soldiers, silently begging for help, but they watched with hostilegrins on their faces. One yanked my kokoshnik off and dragged me to my feet.

“Please,” I gasped. The nobleman smacked me again, knocking me onto the divan.

The two soldiers tugged and tore at my clothing until I was naked before them, bruised and bleeding. I curled into myself again, shielding my stomach. They could hurt me, but not my son.Otets, shield him.

“Now,” the nobleman looked down at me with hatred in his eyes, “I’m going to show you what happens when you defy the tsar’s men.”

***

Gone. They were gone.

Everything hurt.

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