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We go into the house, where guards stand at every door.
“This is where you’ll spend most of your time,” Eli says as the doors close behind us. “Behind these doors is where the magic happens. I call it the House of Sin. Do you know why?” he asks.
“Because you punish sinners,” I reply.
I don’t need to know how he finds them or if they deserve what he has in mind.
My job is only to dish out the pain, not to judge whether it’s right.
“We,” he adds, pushing a finger into my chest. “You belong here now. With us.”
I like that. I like how it sounds. We.
Maybe I will be of use here.
“And your job will be to punish those who are already lost beyond relief,” he says, cocking his head at an opening behind the main stairs, where some sort of cellar appears. “The dungeon is where we keep those who’ve sinned too badly. Those who I personally cannot help.”
I raise a brow. “Can I help?”
“Of course,” he replies, patting my back a few times. “You’re perfect for the job. You’ll feel right at home.”
“Home?” I mutter.
I hadn’t thought of that.
This place will be my home for the foreseeable future.
“Yeah, of course.” He smiles. “Make yourself at home. Pick one of the free rooms up there.” He points at one of the corridors upstairs. “You’re free to choose. Oh, and the kitchen is there, bathroom over there, and my study is over there.” He points at everything like he wants me to feel comfortable. As if he actually wants to make it easier on me.
As though he thinks of me as an equal.
And that has never happened before.
“So, are you ready?” He rubs his hands together. “I can’t wait to start this collaboration with you.”
I nod and take in a deep breath. I don’t know how long this job will last, but I know that when it is over and my owner dismisses me with honor, I will make my people proud.
And with an owner as nice as him, this is going to be easy.
“When do I start?”
A vicious smirk spreads on his lips. “Today.”
April
Present
I knew it.
Deep down, I always knew Soren wouldn’t take me back to civilization. That I wouldn’t be freed. But to hear it coming from his mouth so obviously is still a blow to my ability to reason my way out of this.
I’d made this image in my head that if I would come along and play a nice girl, all would be well, and maybe he’d be kind enough or take pity on me and set me free.
But the look in his eyes says enough.
He’s in this to complete this mission, one way or the other.
And if we don’t make it … we die together.
I swallow hard, knowing I could’ve fought him off and run along with the other girls.
Maybe I wouldn’t have been where I am right now, stuck in the middle of some unknown forest on a journey to God knows where with a man who doesn’t care about himself or me.
Who would give their life for a place like this?
How badly has he been brainwashed to believe that house is worth his damn life?
Damn him.
If I wasn’t tied up, I wouldn’t have spent another minute with him and ran as fast as I could. Not that he wouldn’t catch me in no time, but at least I could’ve tried.
With this rope tied between us, I have no choice but to continue and obey his every order. But I’m not giving up hope.
There has to be something I can do to better my chances of making it back home … alive.
I only have one weapon at my disposal.
My voice.
“If we aren’t going to a city, where are we going? Another prison for captives? Am I going to be sold or something?” I ask, shoving more of those mushrooms into my mouth.
But the longer I wait, the more pissed off I get.
He only answers my questions when it suits him, so it makes me feel like I’m talking to the trees.
“Fine, then don’t tell me,” I add, rolling my eyes. “You know what? I think it’s safe to say I would’ve been better off staying at the House.”
He glances at me over his shoulder. “Why?”
Oh, so now I have his attention?
I raise a single brow and stuff some of the herbs into my mouth. “At least I had a cozy bed and a warm meal while also being ignored.”
He throws me the same look back. “You weren’t.”
I pause for a moment, as everything in my body begins to tingle while his gaze is solely on me. As though he knows exactly what he means and isn’t afraid to say it out loud.
Because he’s right.
Someone was watching me … giving me every ounce of his attention.
