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Matteus was powering up the computer, his cheek close to hers, his breath sickly sweet against her face.
“You will watch this, over and over, until you finally get the message,” Matteus drawled. “If even a tiny glimmer of affection for that filthy orc remains, it may interfere with our own bonding. It must be cleansed from your brain.”
He hit a few keys on the keyboard, and suddenly footage of orcs appeared on the screen. Fighting orcs, howling orcs. Orcs drinking and swearing, hitting each other over the head with thick wooden cudgels. Orc women being pulled around by their hair.
A slow, modulated voice-over talked about the heathen ways of orcs, how humans needed to keep their daughters away from their kind.
Shona winced and closed her eyes.
“There’s no escaping this, my dear,” Matteus said as he tightened the ties binding her to the chair. He crouched next to her, then scooped a hand under her chin and forced her head forward. “Keep watching.”
“What even is this?”
“A documentary produced by the Counsel of Towns to make sure beautiful young humans like you kept their distance from dirty orcs. Just in case you had any ideas about shacking up with one of their kind or, gods forbid, breeding with them.” He shuddered. “I think this will more than adequately wipe that idea from your mind.” He snickered. “You have a whole afternoon of horror ahead of you.”
As he stood, he bent and laid a kiss on her neck, his tooth leaving a tiny scratch just below her ear.
“I will see you in three hours in the dining room. Enjoy the circus.”
Desperation rose up her throat. She had to speak to Zoe, somehow.
“Wait, Matteus, at least let me have some water. I’m parched. Could you please ask the young goblin girl to bring me a glass?”
He hesitated.
She cast pleading eyes at him. “You had me trussed up in a car boot for three hours. Some sustenance is the least you can do, especially if—if you want me to be at my best for you tonight.”
Matteus sighed dramatically. “Poor little dove. You are still human with human needs.” He frowned. “Very well, I will send you up some water.”
Shona slumped back in the chair. Already her wrists were sore, and she winced at the sight in front of her.
She was trapped in a nightmare.
Would her plan have the faintest chance of succeeding?
She had to hope and pray to the goddess that it would.
It seemed like forever before Zoe appeared. Shona had almost given up hope when the door opened and in walked the young goblin with a jug of water and a glass on a tray.
“I’m sorry, I would have brought you food, but Monsieur Matteus gave strict instructions to only bring water.”
“It’s okay, Zoe, I understand.” She had completely lost her appetite anyway, but she was thirsty.
The girl looked horrified as she stared at Shona’s hands tied to the back of the chair. “Ma’am, who tied you up?”
“Matteus.” Shona sighed.
“And what are you watching?” The girl peered closer and let out a squeak of horror at the sight of a huge orc pummeling another to the ground.
“Orcs behaving badly, it would seem. It’s just horrible false propaganda, made by humans.”
“It’s totally wrong.” Zoe frowned. “My closest friends back home are all orcs. They are not like this, they are good, kind folks. Why is Monsieur Matteus making you watch this?”
Shona took a deep breath. There was no time to waste, she had to trust Zoe would be on her side.
“Zoe, I’m in grave danger. Your boss, he’s bad, he’s evil. He—he is trying to brainwash me into… he wants to…” She looked up into the girl’s trouble face, and whispered, “He wants to turn me into an undead.”
Zoe’s mouth fell open.
