Page 12 of Bound By Darkness

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“You said orange rhymed with sporange?—”

“Because it does,” she huffed. “Itold you. I read it in a plant book once.”

“Right, a plantbook.”

“Admit you’re terrible at games.” Moria grinned.“And maybe I’ll let you win once.”

“I refuse to acknowledge a cheater.”

“Your loss,” she said, her hair billowing over her shoulders.

It grew quiet, the banter between us silencing as the air remained stale.

After a long pause, the hay rustled as Moria curled into a tight ball. “I do cheat. You focus so much on my hand you don’t even notice I’m shaking your elbow.”

“I knew it… and the rhyming?” I said through gritted teeth. Fever was settling in brutal and swift.

“It does rhyme.”

“Agree to disagree.”

Moria’s soft laughter echoed, filling the dismal cell with more joy than it deserved.

“Aren’t you a touching pair.” Gayle whistled, blood splattered across his face and torso as he peered into my cell.

“What are you doing here?” Moria whispered, the laughter in her tone vanishing.

“Admiring my work,” he uttered, annoyance plastered across his face. “I pay you for your body. Not your voice.”

Moria’s face reddened, but silent she remained as she eyed him from the hay.

“You don’t pay her for anything,” I snapped.

Gayle chuckled. “Apparently, a whip can’t remove human arrogance. I guess it is true what they say about half-breeds. You can whip them repeatedly, but they remain unintelligent and incapable of learning.”

Heat boiled my blood at the mockery, my hands fisting at my sides. The chain dug into my flesh as it rested across my lap.

The cool iron did little to suppress my rising anger and the fire across my forehead.

“At least you are useful for breeding,” he mused.

“Gayle, that’s enough,” Moria answered softly, her voice trembling.

My eyes swiveled to hers, pleading to remain silent. I always handled him. Always took the brunt of his abuse if it meant sparing her at least one extra minute with this foul man.

Gayle’s eyes narrowed, but he ignored the statement as he reached into his pocket. A rusted key ring appeared and the cell door groaned awake. “Let’s cut the chit-chat,” he stated. “Change of plans. Your master wants an appearance with you.”

“Right now?” I blurted.

Gayle’s eyes narrowed. “Either you stand, or I drag you by the ends of your hair.”

“No.”

“Thalia,” Moria said, her eyes screaming at me to listen.

“No, Moria. I refuse to leave. I’m not property that can be tossed around. I’m a person!”

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