Page 149 of Lady of the Drowned Empire

Brockton’s hands were on my back again, the tunic completely undone, hanging loose before me. My back was vulnerable and exposed.

How many times would I be scarred by Ka Kormac?

I twisted in the ropes, knowing it was pointless but unable to remain still. Unable to stop fighting even if it was useless.

“I’ll scream,” I said. “And then they’ll know I’m here. They’ll know you are, too! They’ll know you’re here without leave.”

“Please do. I want to hear you. For the longest time, I’ve wanted to hear you make the same sounds you made before,” he snarled. “The sounds you made when the whip cut through your skin, forced your back to bow, your mouth to open. Make sure you scream as loud as you can. It won’t make a difference. The walls in Vrukshire are thick. Especially in my bedroom. Wolves are light sleepers.” His hand ran down my back, and I nearly gagged. “And in the meantime,” he said, “maybe your vorakh lover will show. I hope he does.”

“And what will Lord Viktor say,” I asked, my panic rising, “when he finds out you hurt his future bride?”

The wolves laughed again.

Brockton walked over to the chest and removed a whip.

I couldn’t breathe. I was powerless. Helpless.

“He won’t mind. If he were here, he’d be doing this himself.” He stroked the leather of the whip, which buzzed with the faintest hint of magic—magic designed to cause pain and injury. Made to cause wounds that did not easily heal on magic bodies. “Ready to feel this on your back again?”

“Please,” I cried. “Please don’t.”

“I wouldn’t,” he said, his voice teasing, “if you’d told the truth.”

“What truth? I told you the truth.”

“But I want to hear it from your mouth. I want to hear you say that you’re also forsworn—that you broke your oath, and I could have you stripped and exiled for that alone. Or how about the truth that your forsworn bastard isn’t just fucking you—but that he’s a vorakh, too. Why else were there nahashim trailing you? Why else were you left alone? And why else did you come here? We’ll find out. He’ll come for you sooner or later. And when he does, I’ll be handing him over.”

Brockton moved behind me. I was having flashbacks to that night. The torches, the cruel laughter. The blinding pain, and feel of blood rushing down my back as I was torn apart. He cracked the whip against the floor, the sound making my knees buckle, my head fall forward.

“Brock, come on,” said Brett suddenly. “Don’t do that to her back. It’s been through enough.” He winked at me.

Geoffrey grinned. “Do her tits.”

I balked. “No!”

Brockton laughed cruelly, coming to stand in front of me. His hand slid down my leg before I could react. I kicked, but he caught my ankle in his hand and tugged until neither foot was on the ground and the rope was so tight around my wrists, I thought it would snap off my hands.

Then he stood before me, one hand gripping my ankle, the other slicing what remained of my tunic down the front as I writhed and twisted away from him. He cut me, sloppy with the blade. Then I was only covered by the shift over my breasts, my riding pants, and boots. My entire body was shaking, as I tried to twist away from him, and my skin burned as blood dripped down my stomach. My body was still suspended in the air.

“And get that necklace off her. It’s in my fucking way,” said Brett.

Brockton released my foot, and I awkwardly fell back, my knees wanting to bend to brace my fall. My arms nearly snapped before I found my footing. The wolves howled, and then I felt the cold air on my collarbone as Asherah’s armor hit the floor.

“NO!” I yelled.

My shift was all that covered me, all that concealed my breasts. My dignity.

“Brockton,” I cried. “Please. Please. Don’t do this. Don’t.”

“Sorry, Asherah.” He slid his blade down my chest, and the thin material shredded in half.

I squeezed my eyes shut, feeling the moment I was exposed, feeling the disgust of their eyes on me.

“Godsdamn, Batavia,” said Trey. “You’ve been holding out on us.”

“What the fuck,” Brockton said, his voice deadly serious.

For a second, I wondered if my Valalumir was acting up. Could they see the gold star between my breasts? Did they know I was in contract with the Afeya?