Page 130 of A Dance With Fire
A deep chuckle sounded behind her that made her skin crawl. The hand on her neck squeezed, making Filomena gasp against the table. She knew she should kick out, fight with all she had to get out of such a vulnerable position, but fear kept her rooted. Fear of a blade to her side or worse.
“Remember me, pretty thing?” The soldier’s voice slithered around her skin, full of vile promise.
“S-s-sir?” She hated how her chin wobbled, how the word came out more a fearful sound than firm like she’d trained herself to be.
“Ah, so you do remember.” He pressed closer to her with each word, grinding his hips into her backside. She swallowed the bile coating the back of her tongue at the action and breathed through her nostrils. “You seem to be an intelligent girl. So tell me, pretty thing…” He kicked at her ankles, and a whimper escaped her as the action caused her legs to widen. “Why did you lie about the Fae?”
Her heart hammered up to her throat.
“S-sir, I d-d-don’t—”
He slammed her face down again, and pain exploded behind her eyes. “Don’t fucking lie to me, sympathizer scum. You recognized the female Fae. I could see it in your eyes.”
Filomena was prepared to deny it until her very last breath, but the words caught in her throat, choking her in the rising panic. Her vision blurred around the edges. Not with tears. She wouldn’t give this soldier scum that satisfaction.
“Don’t even think about lying to me.” His hand went to the curve of her backside and squeezed. A promise if she lied. A promise if she told the truth, too.
She was familiar with position, with the cruelty of men, of fists and worse. She’d lived through it once before; she could do it again. She could go far away into her mind. To greener pastures, to beaches and waves and sunlight. Whatever he wanted to do, she would let him.
But she would not betray the Fae.
Foolish, maybe, but she knew men like him. A confession wouldn’t be enough to stave off his violent desires. He’d get the truth and rape her and kill her in the name of his murderous emperor.
Filomena wouldnotgive in. No matter what, she would protect the Fae.
Because they were perhaps the only chance everyone had at a better world.
And if she had a hand in creating a better place, even if it came at the cost of her own pain, then she would suffer in silence.
“Talk!” he barked, slamming her face down again.
This time, her skin grazed against the knife there, splitting open. She felt the warm rush of blood down her forehead, staining her vision red. She blinked it away from her lashes, sucking in sharp breaths. She refused to show pain. She didn’t dare.
“So help me, if you don’t start confessing…” He hiked her dress up, baring her legs.
Filomena couldn’t find the energy to fight back against him. He was stronger, bigger. He’d kill her slowly. But she found the courage to speak. “Do what you have to do,” she spat, “and go straight to hell.”
He chuckled. “I like my women with spirit.” The words were accompanied by the sound of clothes rustling. She bit the inside of her cheeks to avoid screaming and tasted blood. Her hands slapped against the table, grazing the handle of the knife.
A moment of clarity settled over her. Panic was a blinding thing. She’d felt the pain of the blade against her face, but it hadn’t registered until her fingers brushed against the handle, until she opened her eyes through the haze of red and saw it gleaming in the light of the hearth.
Her skirts lifted higher, and she felt the press of his skin against hers.
Her hand closed around the hilt.
The soldier’s hold loosened on her neck, the other hand holding her hip steady.
She breathed in deep, gripping the weapon tightly.
Before he could tear through her, Filomena angled her body and swung.
The blade sliced through the leather of his uniform, startling him enough that he cursed and jumped away from her. She whirled, brandishing the knife like it was her last protector in the world.
“You little bitch!” The soldier fixed his trousers and reached for his sword. It made a scraping sound as it was unsheathed.
She tried not to be intimidated by the sheer size of his weapon compared to her much smaller butcher’s knife.
“I was going to spare your life, but now I think I’ll kill you and fuck your corpse.” His eyes gleamed with malice. “How about that?”
