Page 60

The Blame

S omething lands on my back and I spin, throwing it off.

The creature crouches in front of me, hissing before jumping at me again.

I slide behind it and grab its hair, pulling it back and using my sword, I hack through its neck.

Blood splatters on me as I turn, only to be knocked to the ground.

My sword drops out of my hand to the ground near me.

The creature starts biting, trying to get to my unprotected throat.

Gritting my teeth, I lock my arm in front of me and almost scream when it bites through my flesh.

Scrambling through the dirt with my other hand looking for my sword, I start to panic when blood runs down my arm and drips on my face.

The creature’s eyes go wide before blood and brains rain down on me, its corpse slumping on my chest. Groaning, I push it off and roll, so I am crouching next to it, my arm still locked in its mouth in a death grip.

Using my free hand, I open its mouth and rip my other arm out, wincing as agony tears through me.

With no time to waste, I jump up and turn to see Jax with my sword outstretched to me. I nod quickly and grab it, putting my back to his as we fight through the chaos.

By the time I realise there are no more cannibals to fight, I’m panting and leaning on my sword, which I had stabbed into the Earth. Bodies litter the ground, including some of our own.

“What was that?! Why didn’t you warn us?

! This is your fault!” Derrick screams as he comes towards me.

Flinging insult after insult at me until he is right in my face.

Done with his shit, I grab my knife and hold it to his balls.

Unlike Dray, his eyes go wide as his mouth flaps open helplessly until a little panicked squeak comes out.

“I tried to warn you. You wouldn’t listen, these lives are on your hands.

You ever, and I mean ever, come at me like that again and I will rip your little cock off and shove it so far up your arse you won’t be able to get it out.

” I twist my blade against his tiny cock.

“Understand?” I demand as he arches on his tiptoes trying to relieve the pressure.

“Yes!” he cries out.

I let go and he stumbles back, looking at me with wide fear filled eyes.

“I am not who you should fear out here.” I turn my back on him and face the others.

“From now on, you listen to me. You follow my orders to the fucking letter or I will kill you myself. If you want to live long enough to make it back home, I suggest you start learning how to defend yourself!” I shout.

Shocked faces watch me, some injured, some covered in blood but all the exact same.

They have seen the horrors this world had to offer, realised the nightmares exist, and now they are looking at me to save them from this darkness. They just don’t know I exist in it too.

“My Queen!” Vasilisy calls before falling to the ground in front of me, his sword in the dirt before him and his head touching the steel.

It’s my turn to freeze in shock. What he is doing is the highest of honours and trust, reserved for the leader of the Berserkers.

A true warrior. He is offering me his life––his sword.

“Get up. I am not him. I will fight by your side, but you will never live on your knees with me,” I plead, looking for a way out.

He raises his head. “I know. That is why I follow you, little queen.”

“Well, well, well. I thought we would let the eaters finish most of you off before we came to collect what’s ours,” comes a yell from next to us, echoing through the darkness.

Spinning, I groan at the three Berserkers grinning at the edge of our camp.

Really, can’t we catch a break? The bigger guy at the front, with the longer braids and bright red hair, watches me hungrily.

It’s obvious he knows who I am and if the evil glint in his eye is anything to go by, this is not going to go well.

“How about a game?” he sneers at me, the words echoing in my head as he rushes toward me. I try to fight the pull, but the memory is too strong, the last thing I see is the wicked smile of the Berserker bearing down on me.

“How about a little game, pet?”

My breathing picks up as Ivar’s voice brings me back around. My head hurts from the punch, which knocked me out, but I manage to crack open my eyes –– only to wish I never had.

Five girls of all ages, not including me, are tied to the ceiling in a line.

My hands are bolted to the chair, and Ivar stands in the middle of us grinning.

Looking along the line, I spot at least two new slaves, one is a child, younger than me.

She must be no older than twelve, and an older lady, at least fifty years old, Petal, and Tenessa who is a middle aged woman.

She has been with Ivar for a week now, and last but not least. Criena –– the bitch herself.

“Ah, she’s finally awake so we can play!” he cries, rubbing his hands together.

I see the other girls’ eyes bulge in panic as they fight the restrains, the chains clinking and slithering along the floor like a snake.

Ivar steps into my field of vision, his crazed smile parting his square face.

He was handsome once, that is clear to see, but along the way, he got hurt.

A fire ravaged the left side of his face and broke something inside of him - twisting his soul until nothing but the monster before me was left.

You can still see his handsome features, his corn blue eyes and long lashes, high arched cheekbones, and plump lips.

His brown hair is tinted with age and reaches his lower back in honour braids, the longest of the Berserkers, and on top sits a metal crown, spiked and grey medieval like the man himself.

He wears no shirt, his wide powerful chest on display with his Berserker brand right in the middle. His leather pants creak as he moves, mixing with the sound of his many weapons hitting together.

“I have a new game, aren’t you curious?”

I don’t bother answering him, instead, I look straight ahead and try to calm the panic shaking through my skinny body.

He carries on like it doesn’t matter than I am not participating, and to him it doesn’t.

He will see the fear in my body, and in my eyes where I can’t hide it and he will feed off of it. Even now I see his eyes fill with glee.

“It’s a simple game, pet. I will ask if you would rather me do something to you or them.” He kneels in front of me, his hand landing on my bruised knee and twisting, making me bite my tongue to hold in my cry.

“Would you like an example?” he whispers, twisting my knee more. When he abruptly let’s go and stands, I sag in the chair I am sitting in, the pain already wracking my body. This is the third day in a row I have been left to his tender care, I don’t know how much more I can take.

“So, I would say… Pet, do I cut your clothes off… or one of these slaves?” I watch the young girl start to sob as the new older lady cries out.

I swallow hard and watch him. He shakes and slaps his head before muttering to himself.

Eventually, he turns to face me again. “That was an example of course –– now let’s play for real!

” His voice booms around the room, only overshadowed by the young girls crying.

I know it will get her hurt, so I try to catch her eye to no avail.

I watch, almost in slow motion, as he turns to her with a frown .

“Yes!” I shout. He turns and blinks at me. “Let’s play,” I say, my voice shaking.

He booms out a laugh and wags his finger. “So eager, my little pet. Okay. Should I stab you through the thigh orrr…” He turns and runs his eyes over his slaves. “Or her.” He points at the little girl like I knew he would. I close my eyes in resignation.

“Me,” I say softly.

“What was that? I didn’t hear you!” he shouts making me jump.

“Me! I said me!” I scream, a tear trailing down my cheek as he laughs and turns to a table I didn’t notice.

Grabbing a knife he walks towards me, licking his lips the whole time. He stops in front of me, the sharp blade in my face.

“This is going to hurt pet,” he warns, before slamming the knife into my left thigh.

“Taz!” comes a panicked voice, I try to fight my way through the darkness latching on to it like a lifeline but it’s not enough. The darkness drags me back to its depths of horror and pain.

“Now, pet. Should I try my new toy on you or Petal?”

I can barely lift my head, focusing on the blood dripping from me to the floor. Agony is all I can feel and I wish I was numb –– maybe this time he will finally go too far.

I cry out when he yanks my hair and pulls my head up, grinning at me with my blood covering his face and mouth, even his teeth are stained with it.

He holds pliers in his hand and I can’t bring myself to care anymore.

I would take all the pain, how could I not?

I tried to tell him a couple of turns ago to use one of his toys on one of the slaves.

But I couldn’t do it, the words lodged in my throat.

If I cross that line, take that step, I am nothing more than the monster he wants me to become, born of blood and pain.

That’s what this is, after all, another tactic to break me, to tame me, and make me his.

“Me,” I croak.

I must pass out sometime between the second and third fingernail being pulled because I wake up with a gasp as cold water is thrown over me.

“I think we will mix it up a bit. Ce. Your turn. Shall I hold your head underwater for two minutes or my little pet here?”

I look through my drenched hair and meet her eyes as she smiles at me. “Her,” she decides. I see Petal fight and spit at her as Ivar laughs.