AllFreeNovel
Share Us
"What is she saying?" Brogan wanted to know.
"Wonderful. Maybe now we will get some information," Uthar added. "Put her in the dungeon, and she will tell us what we need to know."
"You will not torture her," I cried, outraged.
"Easy," Brogan interrupted our sparing, putting an arm around me and pulling me to his side. "Let's just see what information she is willing to divulge first. We have days, probably weeks, before Khazar Gryck's arrival."
"You don't understand what she did to my people," Uthar fumed.
"She?" Brogan pointed out.
"Her and her people," Uthar specified.
"Where did you come from?" I asked the woman, ignoring Brogan and Uthar's bickering for the time being.
"We came to save you," she retorted, crossing her arms over her chest and staring me down.
"Me?"
"You and all the other humans stranded here. Forced to live among these barbarians, being used as slaves and…" Her eyes traveled up and down my body, raising the urge in me to cross my arms over my chest. Was she insinuating that I was some kind of slave or sex object to Brogan?
"He is my husband," I declared in righteous indignation.
"Husband," she harrumphed as if the word was something dirty.
"Husband, by my own free will," I said, wondering why I felt defensive and also wondering how the notion of me having been Brogan's tribute at first would go over with her.
"What is she saying?" Brogan asked again, but I waved him off.
"Who are you, and why did you come here?" Uthar demanded.
"Tell thathusbandof yours that if he and the other warlords are not going to release all human slaves immediately, the Terran Confederation will come after him and destroy him and his lands, just like we did with these other barbarians."
"What?" I stared at her in disbelief.
"What?" Brogan asked.
"I think they came from Earth, on a mission tofreeus humans from you," I explained, giving the woman a sideward glance.
"You are free," Brogan said shaking his head.
"Maybe this is just one giant misunderstanding," I offered, but a little voice inside me insisted that there was more to this. The lump that had formed earlier in my stomach when I first saw Brogan with the Vandalls had disappeared when I embraced him in the courtyard, but now it was forming again, heavier than before.
"I think she and I will need some alone time, Brogan," I said, placing my hand on his arm.
"That will not happen, czira," Brogan told me and by the stern set of his jaw, it was clear that he wouldn't be swayed on this.
"Then at least let her out of the cage."
Brogan turned to Uthar, who shook his head.
"She thinks you are a bunch of barbarians. Keeping her in the cage won't help change her mind," I declared, remembering how my granny always told me that you caught more flies with honey than vinegar, even though I wanted nothing more than to shake some sense into these two stubborn men.
"I don't care what she thinks," Uthar persisted.
Again I turned away from the pig-headed men and to the woman. "Are you hungry? Thirsty?"
Her expression said that her pride wanted to refuse, but thankfully her practical side won out and she nodded. "Yes, to both."
