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He startles, his lip quivering before he answers. “Yes, your Eminency.”
“Odd… Because we don’t like survivors these days, do we?” the Eminent asks no one in particular. “They scared some of you, didn’t they?” He looks at the line of people to his left and right who freeze in place, terrified to be noticed. “You all voted to keep this creature and her friends outside. They’ll take our food. Our women.”
“I’m not going to take your women,” I announce. Everyone shoots their heads toward me with shocked faces. I’ve spoken out of turn and his Eminency won’t like that.
But the Eminent grins and makes a hand gesture toward his side. The speaker rushes out, and a door slams behind him.
“No, I suppose only I’m guilty of that.” He laughs at his own joke and the group follows suit, but their laughter is empty and forced.
Sweat trickles down my back, and I want to ask about my family, beg him to keep them safe, but I resist. Thoughts of the note almost rise to the surface, threatening to leave my lips, but it’s not time. He’s asked nothing of me yet, and he likes the game we’re playing.
He likes me.
He’s entertained.
Alexander steps into the room, followed by the speaker, and I avoid looking at him, keeping my focus on the Eminent. He said he would be here, but his entry shifts the room in a way I can’t place. Everyone sits up straighter, more aware this show will be different than the others.
“Yes, my Eminency,” Alexander says. He’s the only one behind the glass that doesn’t cower in fear, and I like that about him. Maybe he doesn’t know better, but at least we’ll both die with dignity.
“You arrested our little rodent here,” the Eminent says. Alexander flinches at the sight of me and nods. “You processed her, and I’d gather made her more… agreeable to me. Tell me. Do you enjoy her company?”
“I do not find her a threat to the Assembly’s great order,” Alexander answers.
“That’s not what I asked, Alexander,” the Eminent’s voice booms. Everyone jolts in their seats, and the Eminent laughs at the sight. He makes another motion with his hands, and the glass slides open from the middle. A slight gust of wind blows from the movement, sending goosebumps across my skin.
He rises from his lofty chair and steps down, crossing the barrier between us, and I can’t help but feel my pulse quicken from my racing heart. I’m not sure if I’m supposed to rise or curtsy, and it’s obvious this fresh AOE brand doesn’t make me one of his followers. He chuckles, his eyes never leaving me, and claps his hands twice.
Alexander comes to his side, chest out and hands behind his back.
“Alexander, do you like her?” the Eminent asks. His eyes on me make me squeamish, but I keep still, refusing to look away.
“I do. I’d like her to return to her family,” he says.
The Eminent tsks at this. “Always so selfless, that Alexander,” he says to me. “That’s why I keep him around.”
Stepping forward, the Eminent tips my chin up with his finger, and then takes my face in his hands. His long nails press into my cheeks, and I place my palms flat on my lap, letting him move my head from side to side.
The Eminent is enjoying this game, and perhaps today won’t be my last. He’s amused by my presence, and men in power love to show it off before the last strike. He hasn’t proved his strength yet, and instead, he’s complimenting mine. Maybe this is a show and not a sentencing.
“So pretty. When you tumbled down the steps here with Alexander and Theodore, I didn’t see a need to keep you, but now that I look at you…”
Alexander stiffens, knowing he’s caught. This is an ambush, bringing us here to sentence us both at once. I never found an exit, and I’m outnumbered ten to one, so I sit and wait for the worst that could happen. The wordsDean Riggssit at the tip of my tongue, but I don’t say them.
The Eminent releases my face, sliding his palm down to my neck, and pushes me back into the chair with a firm hand against my throat. Alexander’s shoulder twitches, but he doesn’t move to stop him. The Eminent’s closeness sends spikes into my gut, his eyes lighting up when mine widen. He casually wraps his fingers around my throat, squeezing gently for a moment before he loosens his grip.
His hand doesn’t leave my skin, and while he stares at my body, he moves a finger over my collarbones. It dips in between my breasts and trails down my stomach until he reaches my lap, where he places his large palm on top of both my hands.
With a few taps of one long finger, he stands and straightens his robes. The erection protruding in my direction doesn’t go unnoticed, and he smiles at that. My stomach turns at the sight, knowing this man could fuck anything in this place, including me. Does he like rats that much or is he turned on by something else?
Something to come.
“Rats live in a nest with five to ten family members, not the hundreds people think,” the Eminent says over his shoulder. “How many members are in her nest, Alexander?”
Alexander takes a small step forward, moving his hands to his front. “Nine,” he answers.
The Eminent lets his head fall back with a laugh, and again, the room mimics the sound. Everyone but Alexander and me. “What a perfect little rodent,” he chuckles. “Don’t you think?”
Alexander nods but doesn’t smile. His shoulders flex while he worries his hands.
