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“No.”
He shifts his stance, sucking in a breath. “We are prepared to offer you leathers, furs, food, medicine, and whatever else you need to get through the cold season in exchange for the time of three of your women.”
“My women are not for sale.” I scowl, offended.
“I did not mean to imply it in that way.”
“We’ve gotten by well enough and do not need this trade.”
“Do you not wish to repay our generosity?” Ramsey snarls.
“Not particularly, and it was never a condition of your help.”
Looking around, I can see that my people are anxious. Even Meg is casting me a vexed look. Only Nori seems confident in my interactions with the men, and that’s because she probably has my intentions figured out.
If Grixis’s men need help, and they’ve actually come to ask for it, it means they're desperate.
Which I fully intend to exploit to my advantage.
“Is there something you need? Any way we could help? Any comfort you seek?”
“No, and this conversation is over.”
I pivot and begin walking away to the sounds of gasps from our people.
Unfortunately, despite having the support of most of my women, there is still one I’ve yet to impress.
And just before I get out of earshot, Amber’s smug voice rises from the crowd.
“What sort of comforts does it buy us if Elena is pregnant?”
Oh, no…
I want to run, but my limbs grow numb. It’s a miracle I can still stand.
“Amber, you little piece of shit—” Meg starts, but Grixis cuts her off.
“Is it true?”
“We don’t know,” Nori says.
If I break down right now, the men Grixis brought with him will see, and they’ll deem me unworthy. My child will be deemed unworthy.
That cannot happen.
“Fiona, Araelya—bring Amber to my chamber,” I snap without so much as a glance at Grixis or his men, then I storm off towards the cave.
The betrayal I’ve suffered burns deep. I shouldn’t be surprised that Amber would do such a thing, but there’s a part of me that had thought the wrinkles between us were smoothing. That we could salvage some type of relationship between us that wasn’t completely toxic.
Clearly, I was wrong.
I walk through the cavern to the nook I’ve claimed as Amber is dragged behind me, kicking up a fuss the entire way.
My chamber has various weapons lining the walls, which now feels like a mistake with how erratic Amber is acting. I’ll just have to remain alert and not let my guard down.
I turn to face the three women. “Release her.”
Fiona and Araelya obey.
