Page 117 of A Weave of Lies
Her lips trembled. “… Of what you’ll do with me. To me.”
His silence deafened her. Semras could count each beating of her heart pulsing at her ears.
And then, she couldn’t anymore.
They had faded into a sea of inconsequence. Light vanished from her eyes—not in death, but in life. The witch would have mourned herself had she been able to feel anything.
It didn’t matter. Nothing would ever matter anymore. He had broken her.
The monster stared at the living corpse in front of him. “So you admit it at last?”
“… Does it please you?”
“No,” he breathed. “No, it does not.”
“Then, free me … I beg of you … free me …” Numb, shackled wrists rose to put trembling hands on his chest. A shadow of herself moulded her body to his. “… You want me, don’t you? I’ll be yours. I’ll be yours to do with as you please. Just … just free me …” Encased in cold iron, her fingers tugged uselessly at the hem of his collar.
If she could make him love her, he wouldn’t hurt her, surely? If he wanted her, she could make him love her, and then—
Her captor seized her wrists and lowered them slowly. Her words had cut him deeply. She could see it in his eyes, in the way his face fell, in the rigidity of his body as she leaned against him. She had wounded him.
“I …” he whispered, voice raw and pained. “… I cannot do this anymore.”
He ripped himself out of her embrace, then walked to the door and opened it. For a brief second, Semras felt something again. A tentative hope swelled her heart. Fresh air filled her lungs.
“Maraz’Miri, escort her back to her room,” he commanded outside.
The witch withered.
Hope was a wretched thing that lived only to die, and it didn’t matter how many times it could resurrect. It would die again.
And again.
And again.
And—
Chapter 26
Maraz’Mirigentlytuggedherout of the parlour. Staring lifelessly at the monster’s back, Semras gave her no resistance.
Her tormentor faced the window with a stilted rigidity, his arms crossed over his chest. He never looked back, but she still kept her eyes on him until she could no longer. She wasn’t sure what she was hoping for. She felt too numb to think, or feel, or reason.
Her heavy feet brought her up the staircase. Nothing went through her mind. It remained empty. Her heart beat; it pumped blood through her veins. She wished it didn’t.
Once at the top of the stairs, Semras stopped, too dazed to remember the way to her cage. Maraz’Miri pranced up the last step and sidestepped her to take the lead, as silent as a cat. No bell jingled at her movements.
A horrible doubt stirred Semras from her numbness. “Your bells …?”
Maraz’Miri shrugged at her and sauntered on. Her feet hit the wooden floor soundlessly.
“… How long have they been missing?” Semras asked. When she received no answer, she hurriedly caught up to her. “Maraz’Miri, how long have you been spying on me?”
The agent turned on her heel and kept walking backward. “Was it spying?Ensi-il-ensisaid, ‘Maz, you watch and you do not interfere, no matter what the witch is up to. You watch, and you tell me what she does and who she speaks to,’” she singsonged. “That’s not spying. That’swatching over. I’ve spied before. You wouldn’t have known it if I did.”
The witch paled. “… He had you follow me? All this time?” Her thoughts turned to Callum and their conversation.
“I didn’t get in your waythatmuch …” Maz sounded like a scolded child. “Kept my distance. I think that new guy … um, Themas, I think? The one you took a stroll with earlier today? He felt my presence while you were inEnsi-il-ensi’soffice a few nights ago, but I still let you two kiss! Don’t worry, I didn’t tattle toEnsi-il-ensi. I don’t think he’d have liked to know that.”
