Page 38 of Seized to Sacrifice
She looked at the bed and then at him again, her question clear, but he shook his head.
‘Just get back in the bed,’ he said. ‘They'll bring you a bath soon. That’ll help you to feel better. Are you in pain?’
She shook her head, her lip trembling and Nyx cursed again, unable to help striding forward and gathering her up in his into his arms, not truly caring that she smelled of another.
She wept almost silently, pressing her face into the neck of his tunic.
He held her tightly.
‘Tell me who I am,’ she pleaded. ‘Tell me what I did to make all of you hate me so much. Please,’ she whispered.
He said nothing, and she went limp in his arms, the sleeping draught he’d put in her cup taking effect.
He lay her in the bed, covered her with a blanket, and then sat facing her to await the bath.
They needed to tell her the truth. They needed to get her memories back. Nyx didn't need vengeance from her. He didn’t want it. This version of her was so familiar, and yet so alien from the woman he remembered. Who would she be if her memories were returned, when she realized she held true power in the palm of her hand?
There was a knock at the door, and he checked Elle was still covered before he answered it.
Two servants brought in a large, copper bath and began to fill it with jugs of hot water from the kitchens. While they saw to their task, he stepped out into the corridor and went to Thorne’s chamber, knocking gently on the door.
‘Enter,’ came his imperious voice from within.
Nyx opened the door and stepped inside.
‘Are you well, Brother?’
Thorne languished on his bed.
‘Aye,’ he answered. ‘Well enough and you?’
Nyx rolled his eyes. ‘You know what I speak of. Do I have to remind you of how volatile the Beast is? If he escapes you, he could cause untold destruction. He could kill everyone in this keep, everyone on this entire estate before we got him under control and, if he made it to the Evesmere, he'd slay every man, woman, and child there as well. He’s too consumed with madness, anger, and hatred to listen to reason.’
‘I know, Brother. You don't need to give me a history lesson. I am strong and his prison in my mind is secure. Go back to the foolish bitch. Comfort her now that Rye has dented her pride. Do whatever it is that you do, safe in the knowledge that I'm not going to turn into the Beast anytime soon.’
Nyx sighed, knowing that it would be impossible to try and get Thorne to see the truth where Elle was concerned. It wasn’t just her pride that had been hurt just now, he wanted to say, but the fury and hurt of her betrayal had left scars in Thorne that ran deep. He doubted Thorne would ever forgive, not even after he got his revenge.
He left Thorne’s room, walking in the short distance back to his own only to hear the maids inside giggling. He stopped to listen, curious though he rarely concerned himself with servants’ gossip.
‘Iknewshe was trying to fuck them,’ one of them said in a loud whisper. ‘All those innocent expressions, acting like the helpless damsel from a story. I told you it was a ploy!’
‘Nyx has never taken any of us before,’ the other one muttered. ‘What makes her so fucking special? Look how she languishes there in the bed, asleep so early while the rest of us toil downstairs. Fucking house slaves! They’re always doing whatever they want,whoeverthey want, while we bear the brunt of the work. Look! Her body is no better than mine or yours.’
‘Stop, you'll wake her.’
‘I don't care! She’s a slave. What will she do?’
Nyx heard an audible slap.
Had one of them actually just struck the woman he sought to protect?
‘Nothing,’ one of them said with a chuckle. ‘She’s dead to the world. See?’ Another laugh. ‘What shall we do to her? I think that red hair needs to go. We’ll see how much attention she’s paid then! Watch the door.’
Nyx strode silently into the room, rage coursing through him.
The two servant girls were standing around the bed. The coverlet had been ripped away, leaving Elle vulnerable to their caustic gazes. Her cheek was red where one of them had hit her. The blonde one had a piece of Elle’s hair between her fingers, a knife in her other hand, and a vicious look on her face.
‘Get out,’ he snarled at them quietly.
