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It was nearly a growl, that voice, and she tried to imagine what sort of man would accompany such a voice, and failed.
“Who are you?”
“An interesting question. And not one that I am obligated to answer. You are the intruder in my house. Keep talking.”
She had nothing to say except...except...
“Will you protect me? If my father’s men come for me, will you protect me?”
“That all depends, wee Athena. In what manner will they be armed?”
“They have guns.”
“Guns. Barbaric, don’t you think? There were days when men engaged in hand-to-hand combat. Broad swords. And they were called barbarians. At least then you could look your foe in the eye. At least then, you had to be aware of what it was you were doing when you struck him down.”
“Philosophy on the ways in which people wage war does not help me.”
“Does it not?”
“Goddess of war I may be, but no one has bothered to fight one on my behalf.”
“I think that perhaps Athena fights for her own self.”
“This is me fighting. I need someone to fight with me.”
“A sad thing for you that I do not work for free.”
“What is it that you want?”
Fear streaked through her. But for all that she could not see the man who spoke, for all that she knew nothing about him, she did not hear the cruelty in his voice that she heard in Mattias’s. Perhaps that was crazy, but she trusted her instincts. Her father did business with a variety of people. Many of them were dangerous. Many of them were very bad men. She could sense that. It was a matter of survival.
“It is no matter to you what I want. You are now my part of my collection.”
Collection?
She stood, panic rioting through her. “No! I’m not... I need your help. I need my freedom.”
“Lass,” he said, his voice becoming hard. “No one lives free.”
She turned and she ran. She flung herself against the door and it didn’t give.
“It won’t open,” the voice said.
“But...”
“You are mine now.”
“Let me go. You don’t have to do anything for me.”
“I already have. My fire. My food. You have stolen from me. And I need be repaid.”
And then suddenly, there was a figure who swept into the room. Concealed by a cloak, his body huge and hulking.
He moved to her, and he swept her up into his arms. It was too dark for her to see his face.
Terror rolled through her as she found herself being carried away further and further from the door.
She struggled, but he was too strong.
