Page 50 of Claimed By Prince Daddy

I sniffled. “You…you won’t?”

She lifted a pinky finger. “Pinky promise.”

I gave a slow smile. My mom and I had always pinky-promised to make something really true. The lady was nice. She was okay.

“Could you lower the wall, sweetie?”

I blinked, looking at the wall that was in front of the man. “I-I don’t know how to.”

“It responds to fear, sweetheart. Just listen to my voice. Think happy thoughts. Perhaps think of that unicorn outside. Wouldn’t it be fun to ride him?”

I closed my eyes and thought of unicorns and rainbows, of Mama’s big hugs and kisses on my forehead when she tucked me in at night. I opened my eyes. And the wall was gone.

The lady smiled again. “Good job.”

I smiled back at her. Then she stood and snapped her fingers.

Two big men came in wearing armor. They walked to me and grabbed each of my arms. They yanked me away from the wall.

“Ow! You’re hurting me!”

“Shut up, you little brat!” The lady growled.

My mouth fell open, and I looked at her, shocked and hurt. She…she was being really mean now. But why?

She frowned at me and then looked at the white-haired man. “I told you, endearing the brat to you works. She’s as stupid as her mother.” She folded her arms. “You’re welcome.”

The man frowned at the woman. “Know your place, Rosalana,” he hissed. Rubbing a hand to his head, he told the big men, “Take her to the leech bay.”

The men began to drag me. I tried to dig my feet into the floor, but it didn’t work. Their fingers bruised, and it hurt a lot. “No! No! Let me go. Mama! Mama!”

But my mama didn’t come. She was gone. And I was alone.

I cried then, big, fat, wet tears.

Then men took me up some stairs and stopped at a big door.

The woman and the man walked behind me.

“Ugh,” the woman yelled. “Can’t you shut her up?”

One of the big scary men pulled on my arm, and a sharp pain hit me. I cried harder.

The woman growled. “I’ll do it.” She walked to me and raised her arm. Pain hit my cheek. She had slapped me. Hard. My cheek stung, and I felt warm sticky liquid run down my face. I looked down at the floor where the sticky droplets fell.

Blood…

Whimpering, I looked up at the woman again. She had long black claws coming out of her fingers.

“Cry one more stars damn time, and next time I’ll cut your tongue out,” she growled.

I bit my cheek hard to stop crying.

“We don’t want to damage the weapon,” the man said.

Is he talking about me?

“Having no tongue won’t stop you from siphoning her powers.” She huffed.

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