novelraw Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-One
Late that night, after Arriana had managed to pull Gregor from the brink of death and put him into a healing sleep, Nadia stood on the muddy banks of the Gria River which flowed to the south of Volos. Her guild members carried the last heavy crates from the decks of a barge they’d found waiting for Roland and loaded them onto three large carts they’d brought with them. She glanced up at the night sky, its darkness moving from inky black to blue black, heralding the coming dawn. Impatient to return to Gregor’s side, she motioned for the other two carts to leave.
Pell crossed over to her. “What about them?”
The barge dipped under her weight as she stepped onto the flat deck. The crew was tied together in the center of the deck, dark scowls on their faces.
She tossed a full coin pouch into the captain’s lap. “No hard feelings, I hope, Captain. Give Roland our regards when you see him, won’t you?”
The captain eyed the coin pouch in astonishment, then looked back up at Nadia’s masked face. “Manhandlin’ my men and myself warn’t necessary, ma’am. I’d have sold it to you right enough.”
Nadia shrugged. “Then you might not have taken my warning seriously. We aim to take over this territory.”
The captain scowled. “Got a livin’ to make. You lot keep your ill will for Roland.”
Nadia tossed another heavy pouch into his lap. “Maybe avoid Volos ports for the next fortnight? Your men’s lives might depend on it.”
The grizzled old man gaped at the heavy coin filling his lap and nodded grimly. “A fortnight then, but not a day longer.”
Nadia strolled forward and cut through the ropes holding them. “It’s good doing business with you, Captain.”
“I won’t hold my breath. Roland’s mean as a snake and twice as slippery. Either way, I’ll expect payment.”
“You’ll want to leave before Roland and his people get here. They aren’t likely to be happy.”
Nadia turned and swung up onto the bed of the last wagon. The driver snapped the reins and the wagon lurched forward. The cart picked up speed as it hurdled away from the river.
She scowled at Pell. “Tell him to slow down. He’ll overturn the cart around the first turn at this pace.”
Pell stood to yell at the young driver and the cart hit what felt like a crater. He braced himself on the cart’s rail. Heavy barrels shifted and, like weights on a scale, caused the wagon to lift on one side. A stack of heavy crates tilted toward her. She jumped to the side as they crashed down. The horses panicked and bolted. The wagon tipped up onto two wheels. Pell dove over the cart’s side, his foot clipping a crate, sending it toppling toward Nadia. Pain shot up her arm as she deflected it. Before she could jump over the side, a heavy barrel landed on her head. Her last thought was of Gregor as darkness took her.
****
Awareness seeped in first with the smell of damp dirt, followed by stinging pain in her wrists. She pulled on her raised arms to ease the burning pain in her shoulders and her body swung. Her toes barely brushed the ground. A chill moved down her back as she remembered the overturned wagon. Bumps rose on the exposed skin of her stomach. Why was she naked? Her eyes popped open. She hung from her tightly tied wrists in the middle of some type of cellar.
Roland stood leaning against the door, a lecherous smile on his face. “Well, hello, Princess. Nice of you to join us at last.”
“I see your accommodations exceed expectation,” she said in her haughtiest voice.
Roland pushed off the wall and leaned in until his rancid breath nearly suffocated her. “It’s perfect for what I have in mind.” He reached a hand out and raked one long, dirty fingernail between her naked breasts, leaving a burning, red scratch. “You owe me for that little stunt you and the Shark’s people pulled. It’ll cost me a pretty penny when my taverns run out of drink and my patrons go elsewhere.”
Nadia clenched her jaw. “Wasn’t the Shark’s people. Those were all mine.”
Roland’s eyes widened. “You’ve decided to go it on your own?” He moved his hand up to squeeze one breast until she cried out. “I’m going to enjoy taking my lost income out of your pretty little body.”
She spit in his face. “I’ll kill you first.”
He wiped his face off on his sleeve, then reached out and yanked her head back by her braid and pressed her naked body against his. Pulling the dagger from his waist, he slid its sharp point along the scar on her cheek. Hot blood dripped down her face.
“You’re mine now, Princess. No one knows where you are. Your precious Shark will beg me to get rid of you when he discovers what you’ve done. When I’m done with you, you’ll beg me to stick my cock in your sweet little cunt.”
“Never,” she swore.
He brought the dagger to his mouth and licked her blood from its blade, then sliced a crude R into her right breast with its point. Nadia cried out, her breast throbbing in pain. Roland smiled. “I own you and there is nothing”—he licked the blood dripping down her breast—“you can do about it.”
Nadia jerked her body away from his slimy tongue. He laughed and let her go with a stinging slap to her buttocks.
He picked up the lantern sitting in the corner and stopped at the door. “I’m going to have so much fun training you, princess.”
He left her hanging in the dark, fear a rock sitting heavy in her stomach. She remembered Pell jumping over the wagon’s side. Had he gotten away? Was he hurt? Surely, if Roland had captured him, too, he’d have crowed about it. She closed her eyes and tilted her head back. Though she feared what Roland had planned for her, she couldn’t help feeling more sorry that Gregor would wake up without her there. Would he even care that she’d been taken?