Page 109 of A Warrior's Heart

“If you think I’m going to help you defeat those I love, you should just kill me right here and now. I willneverbetray them.”

Ezra turned the dagger in his hand and smirked. “We’ll see about that.”

He lifted the lamp off the hook and started walking away.

“Where are you going?” I asked, fear gripping my chest as he took the light. I didn’t want to be in the dark anymore.

“While you sit down here and rot, I plan to eat a nice meal and take a hot bath,” Ezra said to me over his shoulder. “Then, I’m going to fuck the king until he screams my name. He’s quite the lover. Surprisingly gentle for a man who is nearly as wicked as I am.”

I slumped down to the floor as Ezra ascended the steps, sending the room back into darkness. My eyes stung, but I refused to cry. Refused to feel sorry for myself.

I pictured Malik—his orange eyes, strong jaw, and soft lips. As I curled into a ball, wrapping my arms around my torso, I pretended Malik was the one holding me. He would tell me to stay strong.

The night didn’t last forever.

One day, I’d see the sun again.

***

The shock of the cold water being thrown on me made me shoot upward, my body shaking with chills. I wiped at my eyes and focused on the man standing outside my cell.

“Good morning,” Ezra said, holding a metal bucket. “Time to eat.”

He tossed down a bowl of gruel, and I lunged at it before scarfing it down. I barely even tasted the food in my desperation to fill my aching belly.

“Like a wild animal,” he said, cocking his head as he watched me. “Pathetic.”

Ezra took out a key and unlocked the cell door. I pushed away from the bars. With my body drenched in cold water, I shook as he approached me, his boots heavy on the floor. And then he backhanded me across the face.

I cried out and curled up against the wall, putting my arms over my head to shield myself from further hits.

He grabbed the back of my hair and yanked me upward. His red eyes glowed as he glared down at me. “Such a waste. It’s only been a week since I last saw you, and you’re a cowering beast in a cage. Where’s the fire inside you, archer? Where’s your fight?”

A sudden strength took over me. I grabbed his hand and tore out of his hold, kicking out my leg as I did. When he reared back to hit me, I dug my teeth into his forearm.

“How dare you bite me, you filth!” He punched me, sending me crashing against the wall.

I smiled up at him as I wiped my bloody lip with the back of my hand. “Well, you called me a beast, did you not? I was only playing my part.”

Ezra belted out a laugh, though his eyes were murderous. Wild. “It seems I underestimated you. I won’t do so again.” He stepped on my hand, crushing my fingers beneath his boot, and squatted down to my eye level. “The stronger they are, the more fun they are to break. I wonder what your mate would say if he saw you right now.”

“He’d say to bite harder next time.”

Ezra slammed me against the wall before leaving the cell, locking the door behind him. Once he was out of sight, I held my injured hand and took a few deep breaths.

I wouldn’t be broken. No matter how much Ezra beat or starved me, I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of winning. If I died, I would do so with my dignity intact.

More beatings followed in the days after.

Ezra would wake me with freezing cold water, kick and punch me, and dig his nails into my skin. Sometimes he’d use magic and make me feel like my blood was boiling in my veins. My screams would bounce all throughout the room, so loud I was sure the men on deck could hear me. He would then leave for a while before returning to do it all again.

“All of this can end,” he said after kicking me so hard in the stomach I puked up the gruel I’d just eaten. “You only need to yield.”

“Never.” I spat at him.

He then punched me so hard I blacked out.

When I came to, I stared at the dark room, not knowing how much time had passed since his last visit. The ship had stopped moving.