Page 69 of Shifter King
"Your compliance and a vivid point about what happens to those who defy me. Even those heaven-blessed and of an ancient race. The children you bear will raise us to new heights. They will do all that is foretold. The oppression of the Abliatos will be ended. And the new Bealorn empire will rise under my guidance. The role you play, whether the gibbering breeder or the subservient mother is up to you. I don't care which you choose right now, but if you fail to please me, I'll ensure it is whichever wounds you most."
When she reached the door, she opened it. The two attendants stood at attention. She gestured to the woman. "Stay with her. Keep the outer door locked. She has ten minutes to rest and then she will be brought out."
With a nod, the young woman stepped inside. She closed the door behind her and stood at attention.
Amelia drew in a deep breath as she stared at the wall. Be reasonable. Be cunning. Be—the obvious answer stood before her. She wasn't strong enough to run or to fight her way out of this place. If she ripped out the Vawtrian woman's soul or broke her mind—
She ducked her head, covering her eyes.
The Vawtrian woman out there had been brutalized. She'd read about mind breaking in her books, so she couldn't even convince herself that it would be a mercy if she did manage to break her mind. Mind breaking simply meant the person stopped being able to respond. It didn't mean they wouldn't experience what happened to them. It would be even more torment with no way out.
"You should do it." The woman attendant continued to stand beside the locked door. Her tone and voice had changed completely from when they were in the room Amelia first woke in. "You seem in need of a friend to remind you of what matters. And what matters is survival. The queen has asked you to do this one thing. You should do it. Even if it destroys your heart."
Amelia held her head, fighting the tears that choked her. "If you were in the Vawtrian woman's place, it is what you would want?"
The hazel-eyed woman shook her head. "I would fight it. Or kill myself. But I'm not a slave, and I would never let myself be made one. What happens to those people—" Her lips pressed into a tight line. "I am not saying that what has happened is good. But what I do know is true is that the queen will destroy your mind if you don't take this woman's."
"And you care about that because?" She rubbed her temples, the blood throbbing harder now. There were too many people out there. It was hard to block them out. There was something odd about this woman as well. A guilt and unease. What she saw troubled her. Perhaps even the other attendant. This was not a happy place. But people saw it as necessary.
"You think your husband and his family will come for you. That they are unnaturally strong and cunning. More than enough for this place."
"They will come for me. Yes."
"They won't come for a corpse or a mindless."
They'd come for her no matter what. Once they found where she was, they'd be there as fast as they could. In that regard, it was just a waiting game. What this woman wanted though, well— "So you want to leave with me?"
"Maybe. Or maybe your skinchangers will make enough of a distraction some of us can get out."
"How many would leave if they could?"
The attendant shook her head. "Who knows? But if you defy her here, you will never have that opportunity. If you humiliated her, she won't rest until you have been humiliated and broken. She has endured much, and she has survived it all. But she will happily break you to prove that she is the survivor and that she is the most powerful."
"I'm surprised you'd speak so frankly." She massaged her temples, trying to push those boundaries up but grateful that the Ki Valo Nakar was not pressing hard upon her yet again.
"You are a Neyeb. Is there any reason to try to keep secrets from a Neyeb?" She managed the faintest wisp of a smile. "And they say that Neyeb know how to mend minds. There are stories of one who survived here for centuries and centuries. He was even able to help the mind broken."
Her eyes narrowed as she studied the woman. "So you want me to break this woman's mind so that I can heal others."
"It is in line with a number of common tortures and punishments when one is deemed useless," she said. "If you knew how to heal it, then this would only be temporary. And think of all the good you could do later once you were able to heal them. Even if you aren't good at it yet, it would be better than nothing."
She didn't know how to do it at all though. And it wasn't something that she was certain the texts could teach her either. "It's a shame that ancient Neyeb isn't still around." She could really use someone who knew how to make things work. The horrid part of it was that Zorna was right. It was far easier to break than it was to heal. Shuddering, she ducked her head.
"You should listen to this woman,"the Ki Valo Nakar whispered."She is wise. You have to survive this. If you don't want to rip out her soul, let's try breaking the mind together. I'll tell you what I know."
A sharp rap sounded on the door. The attendant straightened her shoulders and adjusted her grip over her weapon. The door pressed open with a soft creak as another attendant with green eyes leaned in. "It is time."
Amelia stood, her hands shaking already. Soul ripping and mind breaking both sounded so horrific. To even think that this was what was required—she shuddered. Somehow she kept walking. Back out onto the platform in front of the dais.
Zorna sat on her throne, watching her with hawk-like eyes.
Bowing her head, Amelia stepped closer. She knew what to do. "With your permission, your Majesty, I need to get closer. I can't control my abilities as well from a distance. Physical contact, at least to start, helps me."
Zorna gave her a long hard look, then nodded. "If you can walk."
"I can. I’m feeling clearer now. Not so dizzy." She forced a smile. "I promise. I can do this. Or at least I will give it my very best."
Zorna gave another nod, then gestured toward the Vawtrian woman. "Do your best. You really can’t fail this task if you try, Neyeb."
