Page 14 of Royal Captive
But thankfully, he left.
“I apologize you had to encounter my oaf of a brother,” she said. Faster than my eyes could follow, she procured bandages, wipes, and a nasty-smelling liquid that burned the inside of my nose when she released the cap with a flourish. Had that all been under my bed?
I wondered if all the fae spoke my language, or just the ones who interacted with humans. The first guard who’d smacked me certainly hadn’t. Perhaps it was simply a choice?
“Did you try to run away? I wouldn’t recommend that. You’ll only make it harder on yourself.”
I let the fae mop up my face, but inwardly I seethed. “I didn’t runaway,I—”
“You’re enormous for a human female.”
My jaw dropped to the floor. “Excuseme—”
“You are taller than most human females and more strongly built.” The fae cut over me, her eyes appraising me much like the guard had, but differently; more clinically. “You’ll be targeted for labor and breeding for sure.”
Heat crept along my neck and ears. “I—”
“Don’t be upset. It’s an honor to be a breeder.”
In quick succession, she finished wiping my face and dabbed the foul-smelling liquid on my wounds. It burned and stung so badly I jerked back, but she already had a hand around one of my wrists in an iron grip, forcing me to stay put.
“It only lasts a moment,” she remarked casually, withdrawing a set of five needles from a drawer under my bed, all while maintaining her hold on me.
Oh, that’s definitely where the supplies had come from.
Before I could even ask what the needles were for, she jabbed me with them in quick succession, and it was over before it began.
“There. All done. Come back if you need to be cleaned and re-bandaged. Do not think getting hurt is a way to get out of work. All injuries are cataloged and if a pattern is established you will be disciplined.”
That brought me up short.
“How?” I managed, the only sensible thing I could push out through my lips.
A dark eyebrow raised. “A worse assignment, of course. Did you run away before your orientation?”
I didn’t know. I didn’t know what the other humans had heard or done while they carted away Ellis and I.
“Go on, get out of here. I’m sure my brother is skulking just outside the door for you. Word to the wise: he likes them mouthy. If you want such attention, that is.”
This strange new world had left me suddenly short of quips and comebacks, so I numbly stood and gently touched thebandages around my nose, the gauze tied at the back of my head to keep everything secure.
Saying thanks didn’t seem quite appropriate here, so all I managed was a small nod. Her eyes crinkled with merriment and she turned on her heel, already halfway through the room as she headed out the back arch.
Squaring my shoulders, I walked out the same doorway we’d entered. Sure enough, the dark-haired guard was there. “Well, I’d say it was an improvement, but—”
My mouth opened for an automatic retort, but I shut it, realizing anything I said would just sound ridiculous with how I looked and likely sounded with my nose and mouth all bandaged.
His lips turned down. “Can’t have that, now. Surely you have something to say.”
I mimicked the rude gesture he’d given the healer—his sister—and his bark of laughter was so loud and sudden that a bolt of adrenaline spiked through my veins. He bent over and slapped his knees, wiping a finger under his eyes as he straightened.
“My gods. How fun.” He held out his arms as if he expected to carry me again, but I lived to thwart expectations. I ignored his arms and stepped by him, looking around us, clearly asking where we were going.
“Nice try,” he snorted.
I tried to bolt, but my head pounded, and it was useless anyway. He took a step and a half to my five, and he had me tossed over his shoulder again in short order. I clenched my fists around the fabric of his tunic, hoping I could dig my nails in and rip through it. My blood already covered his shoulder, but he didn’t seem to mind much. He carried me down the hall and into the unknown.
“Cheer up, horse girl.”
