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“He’s willing to negotiate a ransom. I just have to name an amount and location.”
“So do it, then.”
Draxen smiles his evil smile, baring his gold tooth. It’s a calculating, malicious grin matched with cold eyes. So different from the way Riden smiles when he thinks he has the upper hand on me. Riden’s is victorious, even cocky, sure, but harmless somehow. But Draxen—his is laced with poison.
“See now,” Draxen says, “I have this feeling I would show up and be surrounded by ten of your father’s ships. I think it would be far better to surprise him and negotiate when he is unprepared, don’t you?”
“My father’s promise of peace isn’t enough to sway you?”
“Riden’s informed me that you are special to your father. It seems to me that when it comes to you, we can’t count on promises. We need something more to work with. I told you what would happen if you continued to be uncooperative with Riden. I’ve grown impatient. I need your father’s location now.”
“I’m not giving it to you.”
Draxen clenches his teeth and jerks his head violently to the side. “I was going to let Ulgin have you if you weren’t cooperative, but I find I’ve got far too much of a desire to handle this interrogation myself.”
This is not going to be pleasant.
Draxen gets behind me and yanks my head backward by my hair. I grimace at the pain. He strikes the side of my face with a closed fist.
“Where is Kalligan’s keep, girl?”
I don’t answer. He hits me again.
“Draxen.” It’s Riden.
“What?”
“This doesn’t sit right with me.”
“Then leave. It needs to be done and you know it.” I receive another blow to the head. My nose starts to bleed.
You can’t fight back,I tell myself. You can kill Draxen yourself when this is all over, but right now you can’t fight back. It’s my father’s voice in my head.
“Draxen, please,” Riden tries again.
“I said ‘leave,’ Riden.” Draxen hits me with his other hand. This one bites more deeply. I think it’s his ring hand, where he bears the seal of the Allemos line. It cuts my cheek.
“Brother,” Riden tries again. This time more forcefully. It’s the most backbone I’ve seen from him.
Draxen’s eyes must be alight with blood lust. But he halts at that one word. He sighs as if to clear his head. “Fine, Riden. If you insist. Are you ready to talk yet, princess?”
I remain silent.
“What do you think, Riden?” Draxen asks, and I don’t like the new tone his voice takes. “The pirate king doesn’t need a daughter with hair, does he?”
I hear a knife slide out of a sheath.
Riden doesn’t protest at this. Why would he? It doesn’t hurt to have one’s hair cut, but he seems not to understand the value a woman’s hair has to her.
And I’ve no intention of losing mine. “Stop!” Drops of blood spray outward as I speak. The blood from my nose has run into my mouth.
Kearan tilts his head to the side and speaks for the first time. “That’s what it took? Her bloody hair?”
“To interrogate a woman, you have to think like a woman,” Draxen says.
“Which is strangely effortless for you,” I say.
Despite Riden’s earlier protests, Draxen hits me again. But I don’t care. That one was worth it. The other pirates in the room have the sense not to laugh.
