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The woman struggles against my grasp as I drag her away from the door. I keep my grip on her as we round the corner. It's not until we're several hallways away from the Grey Prince and his victim that I loosen my grip. She immediately spills from my hands before turning on me. Her eyes flash as she sucks in a deep breath.
"What are you doing?" she hisses. "You drag me away while allowing your prince to torture that woman?"
She waits for my answer, but I give her none. Even if I were willing to offer her words, I'm not sure there are any. She would not believe that I'm just as disgusted as she is by what the prince is doing to that woman. That I shuddered when he ordered me to stand watch. Or how I was unable to stand still while the woman cried out in pain. How I had to move away from the door to keep myself from doing something stupid.
"You are just as disgusting as he is," the woman before me spits.
Her words hit their market. I feel my body stiffen at her accusation. Her eyes are wild as she stares at me, her body tense. As though preparing for my response. With a breath, I force myself to relax. Her brows furrow for a moment as she watches me. I wait for her to calm herself, to spit the rest of her venom before I return her to the other humans that are being held not far from here.
Anger fills her eyes as she stares at me, waiting for my excuses. They never come. It's been too long since I last bothered muttering words to anyone. Only Heath and occasionally Pierce manage to pull words from me. This human isn't going to cause me to break that. She wouldn't understand anyway. She's just been dragged into this mess. I wouldn't even know how to explain everything to her.
"You're a vile creature. Like the rest of them," she says. "I'm starting to think the rumors are more fact than fiction."
The way she mutters the last part piques my interest. I wasn't aware that there were rumors, but I'm curious what tales the humans have spun about us. She stares up at me, waiting for some reaction from me. When I give her none, her anger morphs into confusion. I'm sure she expects a fight or some punishment. Had any other guard caught her, that's exactly what she'd be facing.
I wait, letting her anger fade before I reach for her. She flinches as my hand wraps around her bicep. The reaction is exactly what I would expect. Yet, I don't like the way her eyes flash with something that isn't anger. Something that almost looks like fear. It's a strange thing to see on her face. She's brave. I remember seeing her running through the trees when she slipped away from the cart. Fear has no place on her face.
With my grip, firm but gentle, on her arm, I led her away. She doesn't fight me, but I sense her reluctance as we near the hallway that houses the other women.
"Do you know what would have happened should you have been caught?" I ask.
My question surprises me just as much as it does her. Her eyes immediately bear into me, and I wish I had bitten my tongue.
"It doesn't matter," she replies. "I would've helped that woman, and that would have been enough. I would have easily taken any punishment for saving her."
A surprised grunt escapes me at her words. How easy it is for her to say then when she doesn't know what she would have had to endure. She doesn't understand the pain the Grey Prince would have forced upon her for interrupting.
"Someone should help her," the woman says, her words quiet and full of remorse. "She shouldn't have to suffer because of him."
She surprises me. For too long, I've been all too aware of the cruelty that fills this world. I've seen horrors unimaginable come to life. Suffering unlike anything else. Perhaps I've forgotten that not everyone is out to make others miserable.
The guards outside the door frown when they see me, their eyes going round when they spot the woman at my side. Ignoring their sputtering excuses, I unlock the doors and deposit her inside. She stares at me for one long moment before turning her back and moving to join the other women. I close the door before locking it again and handing the key to the useless guards.
Returning to my post outside the room where Prince Grey is, I find myself lost in thought. Something about the woman was different. Not just her kindness or her willingness to put herself in danger for the sake of another. She wasn't as soft as the other women. There was a spark to her that drew me in. I find myself unable to push her out of my mind.
Her disgust toward me was clear. I can't fault her for it. Most days, I feel the same. Yet, for some reason. I'd had the strangest urge to explain everything to her. It didn't matter for a moment that I have a role to play. I wanted to tell her the real reason that I'm here. As though her knowing the truth would make a difference. As though it would make her look at me with something other than disgust.
13
Rose
"You're lucky he didn't eat you," Sophia tells me.
I glance at her, doing my best to not roll my eyes. Since being returned to the hall, the others have been unable to give me any room. They fling their questions at me, asking about the guard and what it was like being dragged along by him. The way their eyes shine when they ask me these questions, I almost think they've made it out to be more exciting than it was. Or perhaps that's on me for not telling them the truth about what I saw.
Lyra stays by my side, her large eyes watching me as I avoid explaining how exactly it was that I got out of the hall. As the afternoon slips away, I find myself waiting to be pulled aside by Ms. Thompson. But she never comes.
"What was he like?" Lyra asks as I climb into bed.
"The guard?"
She nods, "I know you've said he was quiet. But I can tell you aren't telling the truth. You hesitate before answering."
I'm surprised that she so easily picked this up. Unlike the others, who easily lapped up what I told them without questioning anything else. I'm torn between telling her the truth. The guard had been quiet and gentle. Even though he'd caught me spying on his prince, he hadn't slapped me or let his fingers dig into my arms. Though he'd only said a few words, I'd felt his eyes bearing into me as I'd snapped at him.
"He was quiet," I tell Lyra. "Barely said a word to me. But he was gentle. I'm not sure if it was an act to get me to trust him or what. But that doesn't change that the wolves are cruel creatures. Especially the prince."
"One of us will be chosen by the prince."
