Page 9 of The Ruler
I stared at him, still confused.
“It’s a saying,” he said and widened his eyes. “Don’t tell me no one uses that expression.”
My blank look gave him his answer.
“Never mind, let’s just get back to my brother. He’s waiting to meet you.”
I watched as the large man with the long beard and a messy bun turned around and then I saw it: a tattoo running up his neck making him look even more barbaric.
I kept quiet, allowing him to take my luggage, which had followed the GPS in my wristband.
“Get in,” he ordered.
“You’re not going to tie me up?” I asked.
He scoffed. “Oh, come on, don’t be retarded.”
I jerked back slightly from the insult. I hadn’t been insulted like that since I was five years old and Marlene pulled my hair and called me a stupid girl.
“In case you don’t know, my name is Magni,” the large man informed me and got the drone moving when I was safely inside. “And all I need to know from you is where Laura is.”
“I don’t know,” I lied.
“Of course you fucking know. I’m not a moron. You know and you’ll tell me where my wife is,” he sneered, low.
I turned my head looking out the window, refusing to answer more of his questions.”
“Hey, look at me when I’m talking to you,” he growled.
I slowly turned and looked at him, remembering that lying to this man was my only way of protecting Laura.
“No one crosses that border without you people knowing about it, so don’t pretend you don’t know shit. I have ways to make you speak.”
My pulse was racing, but I kept my calm façade up. “I wouldn’t be offering myself as a hostage if we knew where your wife was.”
“Bullshit, you women are all about protecting the weak, and you think I mistreated Laura, don’t you?”
I didn’t answer.
He raised his voice and sputtered, “Don’t you?”
“I wouldn’t know.”
For the rest of the flight, Magni kept pressuring me for answers, explaining in detail all the gruesome ways he could make me talk. His behavior only confirmed to me how vile and primitive Nmen were.
Determined not to betray Laura, I kept quiet and held on to the satisfying thought that because of my sacrifice, both Laura and Athena were safe and beyond his reach. However, the fifteen to twenty minutes sitting next to this awful man listening to his angry tirade and graphic threats had me mentally exhausted and maybe that’s why Lord Khan was a welcome change. He didn’t meet me with rudeness and aggression like Magni had. Instead he was calm and almost charming in real life.
“Councilwoman Pearl,” he said.
I leaned my head back and looked up at him – not quite as tall as his brother, but still intimidating in size.
“May peace surround you,” I said and reached my hands to him in our formal greeting. The ten seconds that a formal greeting took gave a good chance to feel someone’s mood and energy, and I sensed curiosity and excitement from Khan.
“You’re very tall,” I said when the time was up. “I expected that much but it’s still different to meet you in person.”
“I’m six feet six,” he said and gave a sideways glance at his brother. “Unfortunately my younger brother outgrew me with his six feet nine.”
“I’m afraid we’re using the metric system,” I explained. “I’m not familiar with feet.”
