Regular text - Story

Italicized text - thoughts

There will be two flashback chapters. One is the day before Al's 'death', and one is after. Flashback one covers one day, and flashback two takes place eight days later.

Flashback 1

Flashback Pt.1 4 Years Ago

It must have been around my seventeenth birthday, though the days almost ran together by that point, so it was hard to know for sure.

Marcus had had guards pull me from my cell at about 2 am. A different girl, Augusta, had already been taken after dinner, so this interruption in our routine was very unwelcome and unexpected. The guards were visibly irritated over the time of night, grumbling and yanking me around harshly, not caring when my feet slipped out from under me in their rush, my bare toes scraping on the rough stones. Augusta's bed was right next to mine, and as I was manhandled across the castle, I couldn't help but think about the strange expression that had settled across Augusta's face as he had been led away. She'd looked confident and sure of something. She'd smiled broadly at me, and a small giggle had even slipped out of her. I remember how unsettling it was and how she hugged me tight and promised to see me soon. What the fuck was that all about? Why would she need to say that?

As Marcus's chamber door loomed before us, I yanked myself out of my thoughts. The double doors were made of solid, dark-stained oak and heavily embellished with thick golden swirls and giant iron wolf silhouettes at the center of each door. Marcus had brought them over from his home island. He'd once taken a great deal of time explaining that they had once adorned the bed chamber of his parent's room when he'd been a child. The edges near the hinges were horribly pitted, giving the impression that they had been ripped from a wall.

I had always been grateful that he'd chosen a much grander room than the more traditional royal chamber that my parents had used. I was thankful that the memories I had in there, bedtime stories and snuggle piles with the whole family after a nightmare or an especially loud thunderstorm, of listening to my mother sing a lullaby, hadn't been tainted by his wickedness.

The door opened silently, a blast of hot air bringing me out of my memories, and the guards all but threw me inside, slamming the door shut behind me and scurrying off without even bowing to their King. Fuck, he must be in a mood. I kept my feet under me but stumbled into a low table at the foot of the bed. The edges were sharp and sliced through my shin, causing blood to trickle down to my toes. It'd heal in moments. As soon as Marcus removed my earring, that was. I ignored the pain and raised my gaze to where Marcus stood. He was shirtless, pants unlaced and slung low, and he was pacing in front of his massive bed. His hair had been rumpled, and his lip had a fresh split. Good. I trail my gaze up and down his body, noting numerous other bruises and scrapes. I hope she made him hurt.

I glanced around the room. I was worried I'd find Augusta's body tossed thoughtlessly aside. We had grown close in the three months she'd been imprisoned. Augusta had a fiery personality that went well with her golden orange hair. She was funny and empathetic and vivacious and had been trying with everything in her not to let this trauma change her, to take from her. Being around her made our dark reality a little brighter, and I often found myself huddled up with the older girl on her bed as she told stories of happier times.

She had often spoken of her home island, of her dream of one day returning to the Autumn island and once again seeing the leaves in their perma-reds, oranges, and yellows. She'd painted such a vivid picture of Harvesta. I was deeply saddened that my new friend would probably never experience another festival or drink another spiced cider around a bonfire on a crisp evening. I was selfishly saddened for myself as well that my window to the outside world may have been cut off.

I felt deep shame as I thought that, my eyes watering and my face burning with it as I continued to search for Augusta in the room. He must have felt my attention shift because he quickly was right before me, taking up my entire field of vision. "What are you looking for?" His breath was coming fast, eyes wide so that I could see the white all around his iris. He didn't touch me, but his hands fluttered anxiously at his side. I dropped my eyes and tried to adopt an air of submissiveness that wasn't yet comfortable for me. "Sorry, sir, it's just I knew you had Augusta, so I'm not really sure why I'm here." The sir burnt like acid at the back of my throat, but I tried to make my voice as pleasant as possible.

He laughed hard in my face. His breath was hot and thick with the smell of the heavy brandy he preferred. "Red's had a bit of an, I guess you could say, accident." he fingered his lip as he said that, mischief and malice swirling in his eyes, "She always seems to have those when we are together, doesn't she? Can't seem to learn her place that one." He chuckled darkly to himself.

My stomach sank as I thought of Augusta's vibrancy being snuffed out by this bastard. I knew there was a good chance she was still alive; at least, Marcus enjoyed using beatings as examples to the others, but I worried about the state I would find her in. The heartbreak must have shown on my face because he roughly grabbed me by the face, his thick fingers squeezing my cheeks tight, his crazed eyes searching. I don't think he liked what he found as his face screwed into a snarl, and he began to yank me toward the bed. He controlled his expression almost as quickly as it had changed, and his voice was faux soothing as he said, "Don't worry, love. You'll make more friends. In fact, I wanted to run a few things past you that might help with that."

I did not like how he said that, and intense unease slithered up my spine. I tried to struggle, but he was so much stronger than me, his grip on my bicep bruising. He lifted me like I weighed nothing, which at this point I pretty much did, and threw me onto the down mattress. He was on me in a flash, his lips stealing my no before they could even be given air.

The next few hours were a blur of pain. The sun had long since risen, and I was beyond exhausted but proud because I hadn't shed a tear. Marcus had yet to remove the sea prism stone from my body, so every ache and bruise settled in, turning my body into a kaleidoscope of dark blues, blacks, and purples. The whole time, he'd seemed unaffected by the strenuous activities we had forced upon me. His voice was a constant buzz in my ear as he went on and on about how the mayor of Canna, a southside town on the island. He was pissed that they weren't properly paying tribute to him for the selfless protection he offered. What a fucking joke. Selfless protection was just another name for him not letting his guard burn the place to the ground after they raided it. The towns must pay 675,000 berries twice a month to get this protection. Most couldn't afford it, so the island was usually in shambles.

Marcus pulled away from me; the sudden lack of his body heat caused the sweat on my body to begin to cool rapidly, and a shiver began to wrack my body. He walked over to the side table and poured himself a tall glass of water. Of course, he wouldn't think to offer me any. He made an exaggerated sound of pleasure as he drank, really trying to drive home that I was to go without. Once the glass was drained, he turned back to where I had pulled myself up to cling to a bedpost. He looked pleased with my condition and primly sat on the mattress so his face was level with mine.

"So, Lavender, about what I wanted to discuss with you. The man has two daughters, fifteen and eighteen. He seems to think that because he is on the opposite side of the island, he's safe from my collecting the debts owed. I want to disabuse him of this opinion."

My heart about stopped when he brought up the children. I wasn't surprised; Marcus often used threats of taking children to get people to do what he wanted; it was just that I knew those girls, Camellia and Freesia. We had played together as young children when their father brought them to the capital's annual leadership summit. They had both been kind and proper in front of the court but also brave and willing to play with Wendi and me when we would sneak off to the woods to build forts and have mud fights against Al and his buddies.

Though very close in age to me, it felt as though they were ages younger, and I wanted nothing more than to preserve their innocence. The thought of any more of my friends being put through this hell shredded me inside. I held my breath as he continued, "With that all being said, I think I'd like your help picking which one we pick up, or would taking both send a stronger message." He smiled his shark smile at me and waited for my response, delighting in giving me an unthinkable task. Mind racing a mile a second, I tried to think of a way to save them. I stared at him, and an idea fluttered across my mind, making me feel ill.

Forcing my body to straighten from my slump. I crawled unsteadily toward him, throwing a bit of sway into my hips that I hoped was enticing—the whole time, feeling sick and fighting to keep it off my face. My arms shook, and I could barely hold myself up. Marcus watched me crawl to him with a shit-eating grin stretching across his face. When I finally reached him, I lifted my hands up and gently touched his arms, resting my weight against him. I watched his eyes widen slightly as this was the first time I'd ever touched him on my own. I shakily raised up on my knees and kissed him on the cheek. He gently placed his hands on my hips, not letting me back away.

"Marcus," deep breath in, "my love. As insidious and ingenious as that plan is, if you bring two more women into your home, our home, it will cut into the amount of time we get to spend together. We hardly see each other as it is." I barely even recognized my own voice with this petulant, pouty tone. My skin was trying to crawl its way off my bones as he held me close, his thumb rubbing small circles on my hip, and he stared into my eyes hard.

Willingly sitting in his embrace was making me jittery and nauseous. He was looking at me with surprise and joy. What a dumb fuck. He can not be this easily manipulated and delusional. He pulled me into a swift and brutal kiss, biting at my lips till they bled. He left me breathless when he released me, and I could see from his blissful expression that he thought it was from pleasure. "My precious Lavender, I never realized how much I was neglecting you. Well, fear not, I'll find another way to punish Canna's mayor and increase our weekly visits."

The idea of having to bear his attention and touch more than I already was made me internally weep. But it meant that no new girls, at least for now, would be subjected to the same, and the girls already here would get a mild reprieve. Worth it to protect those who can't protect themselves.

He tucked me close to him, rubbing my back in a way that would be soothing if he wasn't purposefully dragging his too-dry hand too hard across my skin. We didn't speak again, and I thought he'd let me heal and then call the guards any moment to return me to my cell. Then, a near-silent creak echoed across the room. I turned so I could peek through Marcus's arm, and my whole body began to shake as I saw Henric and Fredric leaning against the closed door.

They smiled viciously at me and began to walk toward us slowly. I pulled away from Marcus. He must have been expecting it as he didn't fight me other than to drag his hands down my arms till they were out of reach. Like lovers parting. He was as pathetic as he was cruel, and I'd have rolled my eyes if I wasn't so afraid. Tears gathered in my eyes for the first time since the night had started. I knew I'd regret it as soon I spoke, but I couldn't stop asking, "Did I do something wrong?" Marcus moved toward me, and I couldn't stop the flinch that rocked my body, but he didn't strike me. Just lightly pushed my hair behind my ears.

He made what was supposed to be a soothing, shushing sound, "Lovely Lavender. You've done nothing wrong. You have surpassed all my expectations this evening. But, your friend, Augusta, I believe you called her. Now, she has been a naughty girl. And unfortunately, she needs to be taught a lesson." He pulled away from me and walked over to his large wardrobe at the end of the room. I'd noticed it throughout the morning. It was odd to have a stand-alone closet when every bedroom had its own walk-in version just off the ensuite. It was also shabby, with whole chunks missing from the front panels, one door even hanging slightly ajar on its hinges. He whipped the doors open with a flourish and turned to reveal the horror inside.

Augusta lay on her side, beaten and bloody. Her face had two clean tracks from where tears had wiped it clean; the only things I could even distinguish about her were her bright hair and harem clothes that she had left in that evening. A sob choked me as our eyes met, and hers looked beyond miserable. "Did you know Lavender that Augusta here had a lover? One of my own personal guards at that." Her name came out of her like a slur, and the use of that instead of the name he had given her made several alarm bells go off in my head. My gaze snapped to her when what Marcus had said registered. A lover? When? Who? How? I tried to get anything from her face. A clue or hint: we'd been able to communicate without speaking numerous times since we met, but this time, she steadily avoided my gaze.

"Ah, I can tell by your expression you didn't. That's good. It means I don't have to punish you as well." Clearly, the abuse I had already suffered and would apparently continue to suffer wouldn't be considered punishment. "Yes, it appears this slut had decided to seduce one of my guards. She was even plotting to escape with him and you, if you can believe it. She didn't realize that you would never leave me, and a guard's loyalty is only as good as the next person with something better to offer him. Turned her in after being offered a measly 10,000 berries and a trip off the island for him and his family."

Augusta let out a sob at that. Pity enveloped me. What it must feel like to be so close to freedom only to lose everything so quickly. How horrible it must be to have the one you love betray you so completely. Marcus walked back over to me and placed his hand gently on my shoulder; he leaned in and whispered in my ear, "And if the ship sinks as they sail over the reef due to faulty shipbuilding, well, who would ever know."

I didn't give him any response, barely listening as he tutted and stood up straight. My focus was still on Augusta, trying to get her to meet my eyes. Marcus moved past me and clapped Henric on the shoulder; they shared a loaded look I couldn't decipher. "Well, ladies. I think it's time to get this show on the road, don't you?" I didn't understand what he'd said. Before I could form any thoughts on the matter, Fredric had reached for me, pulling me tight against his body so I could feel how excited he was by having me there. The brothers scared me more than most, so once I was in his grasp, I couldn't help but begin to thrash and try to pull away.

He tightened his grip to bruising. "Now you be good and knock off that wriggling." He paused and hummed slightly, "Or don't. Honestly, I might like it better if you didn't." He pressed harder against me and let out a grotesque groan. Fredric didn't talk much, but when he did, his voice was always scratchy and caught on the ear like dry skin on microfiber. From behind us, Augusta let out a muffled shriek. Fredric's hand slid down my side to my hip, making me remember I hadn't had a stitch of clothing on for several hours.

I burned with shame at having Augusta see me like this. Bruises were pressed on, and sharp stings of pain followed behind Fredric's touch as it moved across my body. Augusta finally met my gaze. Her eyes burned with rage. The dark green color practically glowed with its intensity. She squirmed in her bindings, the thick rope keeping her arms trapped constantly creaking as she pulled and pushed against their tightness. I could hear her shouting, the words muffled by the gag in her mouth, but the meaning was loud and clear. She wanted Marcus dead and was no longer afraid of letting him know.

Marcus slowly approached Augusta, his face blank, but his fists were balled tightly, his steps were hard, and his strides were clipped. He reached her, grabbed her by her hair, and dragged her from the bottom of the closet. She dangled like a fish from a hook, writhing angrily and throwing muffled curses his way. He gave a gleeful titter and dropped her hard onto her knees. He watched her as she struggled to right herself. When she was finally on her knees, panting hard from the exertion, he laid a faux gentle hand on her head, giving it an affectionate pat, like one might a dog that had done an entertaining trick. His other hand went to his hip, and from his waistband, he produced a wickedly curved dagger and swiftly plunged it toward Augusta's body.

An agonized scream exploded out of me, sure I was about to watch her die. To my great shame, I closed my eyes and turned away, unable to offer her any comfort in what I was sure were her last moments, only thinking of saving myself a future nightmare. There was a rough tearing sound and a hiss of pain. I heard Augusta fall forward again, but instead of the thud of a body on the ground, it was the slap of palms on hardwood. My eyes flew back open, and I turned to see her on all fours, gasping hard and bleeding from a fresh cut that went all the way down her bicep.

My body jerked toward her, but Fredric pulled me tight in his vice grip, squeezing a gasped breath from me. "Tsk, tsk, tsk. Now you stay right here and watch." Augusta whipped her head to me, confusion and fear swirling in her eyes. She must have been in shock as she didn't even reach up to staunch the blood flowing from her arm.

In unison, our eyes flicked to Marcus. My tongue was tied, but Augusta had never had that problem.

"You bastard. What the fuck are you playing at?" Her voice was rough. My eye finally snagged on the bruises around her throat. She'd been strangled, one of Marcus's favorite abuses.

He didn't answer at first, just squatted in front of her till they were eye to eye, his hand clasped innocently in front of him. His face was also doing its best to give off a harmless Who me? vibe.

This fucker has never been harmless a day in his life.

He looked over at me briefly, then flicked his eyes over my shoulder to Fredric, giving him a slight nod. It was a sign that Fredric must have been looking for because he immediately let me go, though his hands seemed to linger briefly before falling away. He still stood close, the threat if I moved an inch clear in the hand he'd placed on the hilt of his sword. The loss of his body against mine made me so very aware of my nakedness.

Marcus returned his gaze to Augusta, running a hand down her hip till it rested on the bottom swell of her butt, squeezing the flesh there tightly. Augusta waited to react, giving him zero reaction. She needed to know what was going on, and if she lost her head, Marcus would likely change his mind on whatever punishment we were about to experience, and we might never know.

"Well, Red, you wanted a way out, right? Even went so far as to use those luscious curves of yours to tempt a good man to break his vows to his king," Augusta cringed at the reference to her lost love. Marcus saw and smiled wider, "I thought, what fun it would be to give you what you wanted. A chance at freedom as it were."

She eyed him suspiciously, and I worried my bottom lip, both of us knowing this was a trap, just not the specifics of how. Marcus removed his hands from her body and stood to his full height, offering her a hand to help her stand. She looked at his hand like it was dog shit on her shoe, and though her legs shook, she stood to her own volition. Pride swelled in my chest as I watched her stand before him. His façade cracked slightly when she didn't take her hand, but he quickly hid it behind an oh-so-reasonable expression.

"Ladies, this is a one-time offer only. I will give you an hour's head start to escape the castle. You are free to go if you can get out past the perimeter wall in that time. If you can get out before we find you, that is."

Augusta's eyes brightened. She loved a challenge, and Marcus had just laid the ultimate challenge at her feet.

I could see her mind working overtime, no doubt trying to put together the best path for escape, but my mind was turned more inward.

Before my brain could catch up, I asked, "What happens if you find us?"

He moved quickly. I didn't even see his hand before it connected with my cheek. "I let the first one go out of courtesy, Lav, but question me again, and there will be consequences." His voice was lethal, and all I could do was nod gently as I held back tears.

"And to answer your question, if we catch you, you die."

My eyes flew wide and locked with his. They were death, shark eyes. He seriously meant that he would kill me, and I was very confused by this. In all my time here, I'd been afraid for years. I was afraid of the nights Marcus took me, fearful of what would happen to my friends and sister. But I had never been scared that Marcus would actually kill me. He preferred me. I knew that. So why would he put me in a scenario where he would have to kill me? All I could think was it was a show for Augusta, talk a big game to up the stakes for her. But why?

My mind was still working overtime when a thin terrycloth robe was thrown over me. I returned to the present to find Augusta in a similar robe standing before me. Before I could think of how stupid it was to do this with an audience, I threw my arms around her and hugged her close. She squeezed me back.

"Come, Duck. We have to go." The nickname caused a small smile to reach my lips. You quack in your sleep one time. I shifted my gaze around the room and found the men had vanished. I much preferred when I could see them, keep track of their violence, and avoid as much pain as possible.

Augusta began tugging me toward the door. I dragged my feet. Years of conditioning told me that leaving this room alone would cause more harm than good.

She paused and gently held my cheeks. "Duck, we have to go. Before they come back."

I shook my head, causing the tears that had been threatening at the edges of my lashes to drop. "No. This is a trap, Auggie. If we go out there, the trap snaps, and we're doomed."

She let out a frustrated growl, tugging me even as my feet dragged on the rugs. "No, I know the way out. Rylan and I had it all worked out. I know the quickest path with the least amount of guards." She pulled me close again. "Trust me."

I wanted to. So badly I wanted to, so I did. I took a settling breath and stopped fighting her pull. We left the bed chamber, the door as silent on the way out as it was on the way in this morning, and Augusta immediately pulled me to the left once we left its threshold. She slid her hand against the ripped silk wallpaper until she reached an almost insignificant bump in the wall beneath. With a gentle push, a hidden servant's door popped open. It led to a pitch-black staircase that went down and down until it terminated in a long, damp, windowless corridor.

"This corridor was abandoned back in King Elias's time. He didn't care if the servants used main corridors, so most hidden paths were boarded up and fell to disrepair." My heart constricted as she mentioned my father's name, the first time I'd heard it in years, spoken casually instead of as a curse spit between Marcus's clenched teeth. I knew my face would have given away something, but luckily, the dark hid my expression. If she noticed me stumble slightly, she gracefully ignored it and continued forward, "This runs under the cellar in the kitchen. There's a hidden hatch that leads to the pantry. Once we get there, it's a short walk to the bay where the castle gets deliveries, with a door leading right into the forest outside the wall."

I nodded along. My mind wasn't really here. In the twenty minutes we had been walking, my mind had gone over all the ways I knew this was a bad idea—finally, snagging on the biggest reason I couldn't do this. Celia. As I thought her name, we had just rounded a bend, and I slowly came to a stop. It took Augusta a minute to notice I wasn't following her. She ran over to me and began pulling on my hands, urging me to come with her, but how could I? How could I leave without my little sister? God knew what would happen to her if I left, the rage Marcus might visit upon her.

"I. I can't do this." My voice trembled.

A baffled look crossed her face, and she dropped my hands. "What? But hon, this is our chance. I know the unknown is scary, but we are so close. I risked everything for this, for you. Please don't throw that away. We have to go now." She continued to try and tug me down the hall.

Tears fell again. "I know. I know, but I can't leave. There's someone here that I can't leave without."

"Who! Who could be so important that you would stay here? Risk your life, risk my life?"

Her anger blasted me like a heat wave. I hated that she was angry with me, but she needed to leave me.

Quietly, I whispered, "My sister is here."

She stopped yelling, eyes wide in the dim light that filtered down around us from a drainage hole above us. "Sister? You have a sister trapped here, too? Why didn't you ever tell me?"

"I couldn't. Marcus forbade me to see or speak of her, and if I did, his punishments were..." I can't put it into words; I just let a shiver wrack my body.

She ran her hands up and down my arms, leaving a little warmth in their wake. She opened her mouth, but whatever she was about to say froze as we both heard a whistled tune echoing in the corridor behind us. Our eyes locked, and as one, we both bolted down the corridor toward the stairs that led up. We could see it, the bottom steps illuminated by a torch.

A lit torch.

I yanked her to a stop, her feet skidding on the stone.

"What!?" She whisper-yelled. "Not again, Duck. We have to run now." She tried to take off again, but I yanked her toward a narrow alcove in the wall and pushed her to the back until we were hidden from the light.

"We can't go that way. If this is an abandoned corridor, who lit that torch?" She looked uncertain for the first time since we had left Marcus's room. I could almost see her wracking her mind, and then a horrible conclusion came upon her.

"Rylan. Rylan must have told them the plan. I never thought he would have told them the whole plan. I thought he'd loved me enough to keep this from those bastards, at least. How could I have been so stupid!" Heartbreak poured over her face, and I watched a sob try and work its way up her throat. I pulled her close. "It's not stupid to believe the one you love. The betrayal is on them, not you." Her heart was racing, pounding hard against my chest, an echo that matched mine. The whistling was getting closer. I could feel adrenalin pulsing through me and suddenly felt much braver than I had been a moment before.

"Auggie. Auggie, look at me."

Her weepy eyes turned to me.

"I want you to hide in here, duck behind those crates, and when it's quiet when that torch burns out, take the stairs and get out of here."

"What? Without you? Absolutely not!"

Her devotion touched me, but now was not the time.

"Yes! Listen, I know what he said, but I don't think he will actually kill me."

"Why? Because he likes you so much. Look, hon, you are fabulous, but sex slaves are a dime a dozen to this guy. Please don't throw your life away for me."

"I'm not. Look," I pull her close, "he won't kill me. Sure, he could snatch another girl, but they won't be...," deep breath, "they won't be Princess Wellesley of Fallnia."

She stared in shock, "You're one of the lost princesses. No, I can't leave you here. You've been through so much, I..."

"Stop. There is no time." The whistle was right on them. "Stay here. Go when it's quiet and dark." I pull her close and hug her tight. "I love you."

She squeezed me back and returned the sentiment. I tucked her into the darkest corner, took several quick, rapid breaths to simulate panic, and then fled from the alcove in the opposite direction of the stairs.

I made it barely fifteen feet before I was all but flung off my feet. Thick arms banded around me and squeezed the air from me. Fake panic turned real as I was flipped around and met with Henric's twisted face.

"Hello, baby. I knew we'd catch you first." His oily voice caused me to tremble. He sneered at me with his rotten teeth and pulled me further down the hallway away from the alcove. Marcus and Fredric were standing at a fork in the hall.

"Awe, man, brother, I wanted to catch her."

"No worries, my friend. Red is still on the loose. The hunt is still on." Marcus patted him gently on the shoulder as he moved to where Henric held me.

"She's not here. She put me in this corridor and then took off down the hall from your room. She said something about the stables, I think." I hoped I was convincing enough, but living had never been something I was particularly good at. My only hope was that my panicky state would hide my more obvious tells.

Marcus watched me closely, eyes sharp with rage. He held out his arms, and Henric threw me into them.

A whimper left me as he pulled me close, pressing tightly on my collection of bruises. His hot breath on my ear. "You're lucky we got you back so quickly, Lav. If I had had to hunt you down, we'd finally get to see if your nifty devil-fruit power can regenerate limbs."

He threatened it before, but this felt different, more real, closer to a reality. A sharp pain ripped through my ear. He'd bitten it and torn the earring out with his teeth. The initial sharp pain gave way quickly to a rush of euphoria washing over me, the bliss making me unsteady on my feet. I hadn't realized that I was resting against him so hard until he let go, and I dropped to the ground.

The bruises heal slowly, a lot of damage to heal all at once, but the pain ebbing away was almost enough to cause a moan of joy to leak from my lips.

The constant pain from the last few hours had just faded to a dull throb when a closed fist hit my temple. I collapsed with a hoarse scream on the damp stones. Before I could even start to recover, a foot hit my stomach, another my kidney, and yet another on the back of my head. They were relentless and brutal. My agonized screams bounced around us in an echoing loop punctuated by their grunt and laughs.

"Stop!"

The beating stopped immediately. No, please, no.

I managed to tilt my head sideways and saw the worst thing imaginable. Augusta had left her hiding place, a wooden plank held out in front of her threateningly, even as she trembled with fear and anger.

A please huff left one of the men. I couldn't tell who was in my state, but it caused a new bolt of fear to race down my spine.

"Ah, look, Lav, Little Red has returned for you." From his tone, I could tell he'd never truly believed she had left me.

"Get away from her, you pieces of shit." Augusta took a menacing step forward. Her bathrobe and beaten appearance diminished it, but her eyes were determined.

Footsteps retreated from me. I managed to turn and saw Henric and Fredric vanish around a corner and Marcus lean up against a rusty bit of grating in the wall. Why would they listen to her?

It didn't make any sense, though, with my current head trauma, nothing really was. Rapid steps of bare feet on stone ran to me. I shrank away as she put a gentle hand on my shoulder. "Oh, Duck, what have they done? Come on, get up. We have to go." She tried to pull me up, but my body was dead, healing a cell at a time at a snail's pace. I wouldn't be able to move for at least an hour. I couldn't speak, could barely breathe, a kick having caused severe damage to my trachea.

She continued to pull on me anyway. Tears fell from her eyes as she came to the same realization that I had. We weren't going anywhere. Slow steps started back up, moving closer to us. She became frantic, yanking so hard she dislocated my shoulder. The crack caused her to vomit, just missing my head. The step stopped just behind her. It was silent for a moment. Augusta and I shared a heavy look. Hers full of apology, mine full of love. She kissed my knuckles and, with her plank in, had turned toward Marcus.

He was less than two feet away. I tried to call out, to beg her to stop, but it was barely a gasp. Augusta gripped the plank so tight blood seeped from her hands. She let off a war cry and, with one step, swung the makeshift bat at Marcus's head.

I let myself imagine she got him. That he took a good solid smack to the head and dropped like a sack of rocks on the ground. That I was somehow able to stand and that Augusta and I were able to stand and make for the stairs to freedom. But that was a fallacy. In reality, the wood hit Marcus's head and shattered into splinters, not leaving a scratch behind. What the fuck?! Since when can he do that?

Augusta let out another cry, this one crazed, and smacked him again with what was left of the plank. Again and again till it was just splinters in her hands. Horrid wails left her. They tore at me, and I could do nothing as Marcus grabbed me by the neck and pulled me close. He whispered something to her I didn't catch, then turned her so she faced me.

"M-mar-cus. Pl-plea-se do-o-n't." The voice was wet as I fought past the blood in my lungs to speak.

Marcus just shushed me and gripped Augusta tighter. "Quiet Lavender. You'll need your strength for later. Now, I think it's time to end this game. Red, I wish I could say it's been a pleasure having you with us, but I think you're just too much of a bad influence on my girl. I can't have you putting any more silly ideas in her head or traipsing off with my guards. No, I think it's best if we end this. A clean cut, if you will."

He laughed as he pulled his dagger and put it on her neck. He always thought he was so clever. I tried so hard to move, to do or say anything, but my vision was fading, and my body had gone numb. I watched through blurry eyes as she reached for me. She said she loved me one last time, though it felt like I was hearing through water. I couldn't even say it back as the world had begun to fade away.

I didn't see the cut or hear the gush of her blood. My body failed me at that moment. I floated in this black void, and all sensations ripped away. Despair swamped me, and for the first time in months, I felt truly alone.

I didn't feel Marcus move me. I didn't feel him strap me into the Rack or pull my limbs to their limits. I let myself sink into the black void of pain and misery and blocked out everything else around me. Augusta was dead. Her dreams of returning home were dead. And with her, a small piece of me died as well.

End Flashback Pt1