Page 22 of Seized to Sacrifice
Elle’s eyes widened as she saw the state of the room. There were dishes and pots all over. She turned back and gave Rosalie an incredulous look.
The woman shrugged. ‘Don’t then, but I’ll tell Fen you aren’t doing as you’re told, and he’ll tell the lords. How do you think they’ll punish you first?’ She leant in and, giving a mock shiver, said in a conspiratorial whisper, ‘You’ll probably be caned by one of them, or maybe they’ll put you back in the dungeons.’
Elle turned away as the girl tittered and began to scrub the largest of the pots.
It was wellinto the night when Elle finally finished in the scullery. She was exhausted, but she eyed the closed storeroom door fearfully from the main kitchen, wringing her raw hands. Where could she sleep that Eruk couldn’t find her?
She padded from the kitchen and through the hallways, up the stairs and across the landing to Nyx’s chamber. Hoping he was asleep, she opened the door as quietly as she could and slipped into his room. It was dark, but warm and she heard a soft snore from the bed. Thank the gods.
She could just see by the moon coming from the casement as she went silently to his chair by the hearth and curled up in it. She felt safe here. Although he’d taken her by the throat that first night, she knew instinctively that he was nothing like the man downstairs. She closed her eyes and slept deeply, and, in the morning, she woke with the sun feeling better than she had in days.
Nyx was still asleep in his great bed and her brow furrowed as she looked at him. He seemedlargerunder the coverlet. She crept towards the door, intending to leave before he awoke. Rounding the high, wooden footboard, she cocked her head in confusion. Why was there a bull’s hor—
She clapped her hand over her mouth, stifling her gasp as she saw him, jumping back. It was Nyx, but his skin was grey and silver, iridescent in places. He had horns –fucking horns!– curling out of his head and … he’d been a big man before, but he washugenow!
Elle swallowed hard, a memory coming back to her of when she’d been ill. She’d seen him like this and been terrified. She’d thought it was just a bad dream.
He rolled over, his sharp horns adding another deep gouge to the already well marked headboard that she hadn’t noticed before. He groaned in sleepy annoyance and shifted his head away from the wood.
Elle turned and fled, silent and thankful she hadn't woken him. What was he? Were the other two lords the same? How did he look human?
Deep in thought, she didn’t realize that she’d run to the main door until she was in front of it. If she could just get through the yard …
She opened the tiny door that had been fitted into the much larger one and looked out. No one milled around. She could do this!
Elle tried to step outside, but she couldn’t go past the threshold. She tried again, but something she couldn’t see stopped her from stepping outside. She was trapped. Stifling a sob, she tried a third time. What magick was this? She couldn’t leave.
She closed the door and leant against it. There was no way out. There were monsters upstairs and down.
Spirits plummeting, she walked numbly to the kitchens. Fen and the rest of the kitchen staff were already hard at work. She was late.
The cook grabbed her with an angry sound and pushed her to the sideboard next to Eruk.
He didn’t give her a moment’s respite as he immediately edged closer.
‘You were lucky last night, girl,’ he whispered, ’but I'll have my chance at you. It's only a matter of time.’
He chuckled low as he went back to work, and she tried not to show how much his words terrified her.
‘You!’
She knew that voice. She turned around, finding Thorne.
‘Come,’ he ordered, spinning around and walking from the kitchens without another word.
Shoulders slumping further, she followed him down into the cellars again.
‘Get more done today than you did yesterday, or I’ll start believing you’re idle,’ he said, pushing her inside and turning the key in the lock. ‘Trust me, you don’t want us thinking you’re lazy, Elle.’
She ignored him, eyeing the spluttering torch, knowing that it would soon wink out and she'd be left in the pitch black again.
She moved more boxes, trying to get as much done as possible before she was reduced to the rocking, weeping creature of yesterday. There was little else she could do.
A little while later, the flame began to dim. Before it went out, she went back to her corner by the door and wrapped her arms around herself again. She didn't bother screaming as the room plunged into black. She knew no one would come, but that didn't stop the quiet sobs.
What had Elle done to these men that they would do this? How much more could she endure down here before her body or mind succumbed?
She closed her eyes and tried to pretend she was somewhere warm and bright. For some reason, she kept thinking of Nyx’s room.
