Page 12 of Brighter Than Gold

“Lazio, don’t. I—”

Chapter3

Reyah

But he never finished his pleading; Callan dropped like a boulder when a man struck the back of his head with the pummel of his sword. I plunged down to the floor with him, shaking him and willing him to wake up.

“Ugh, thank you!” Lazio said rolling his eyes. Then he turned his attention back to Briar.

The handmaid cried and wailed and begged anyone to help her.

Every sense of self-preservation left my body and I shot up from the floor and charged at the vile man. Within seconds my head snapped back as one of his men snatched me by the hair and pulled me back.

“Don’t get yourself into trouble now,” he grunted into my ear. “Your darling husband can’t help you from down there.” He backhanded me and I crashed to the ground, falling atop Callan as I gripped my searing cheek.

I stayed down on the floor with the general. I cried into his chest as I heard my friend beg the man to stop, I simply couldn’t watch this happen to the sweet girl. I heard her sharp shriek, and heard the table rocking violently as cups and bowls clattered to the floor. The sounds carried on for far too long, Briar’s cries growing weaker as she gave into her assaulter. Finally the man groaned, and I heard what could only be Briar, slump to the floor.

I heard Lazio’s heavy breathing. I allowed myself to look up in time to see him wipe the sweat from his brow before he tucked himself back into his trousers.

“Don’t worry sweet child,” he said to Aurelia. “I’ll be so much softer with you.” He pulled the crying girl up the stairs and into a room, slamming the door so hard that the echo sounded throughout the inn.

I sat frozen with shock and fear until the other men began to occupy themselves with dinner and wine, and I left Callan’s side and flew down to Briar. The handmaid lay where she’d fallen, hiding her face beneath her hands and sobbing. Nyx and Silva were right next to her, comforting her.

“Who are these men?” I whispered to Nyx, as fear and rage coursed through me.

“They are a monstrous fucking street gang, the Cormie Rats,” he told me quietly.

“Anyone who stands up to them gets either killed or tortured,” Silva continued. “They take out anyone they think may be a threat first, no doubt why our guards were ambushed.”

“Why didn’t they just attack them first?” I asked desperately.

“If you’re passive and give them what they want, you may live. But if you engage Lazio, his tortures are unspeakable.” Silva said. She trembled, perhaps recalling stories she’d heard. “Callan was trying to avoid bloodshed by submitting to them.”

Briar slowly pushed herself up from the floor. When her hair parted, I could see one of her eyes was quickly swelling shut, and below that was a long cut on her chin. Silva tried to help her upright but she winced, shaking her head as she whimpered tiny gasps.

“Sit on your side love, not your bottom,” I knowingly instructed. Briar adjusted her legs beneath her.

“Let me see if I can get you some water,” Nyx offered.

She shook her messy hair. “Wine,” she croaked.

I turned and looked back at the girl, trembling and distant, like she no longer inhabited her own body. “I’ll get it,” I said. “Stay there.”

I eyed the room and noticed two half empty bottles on a table nearby. I took slow careful steps, as if any fast movements would catch the Rat’s attention. I handed Briar a bottle, and she gulped and sobbed miserably.

“Let’s get you into a bed,” Nyx said. Briar looked at him with empty eyes before nodding. He carefully helped her up and brought her into the room behind us, Silva following with the other half-bottle of wine.

I slunk back over to Callan, not wanting to leave him abandoned.

There was a sudden shout, and I whipped around to see Aurelia’s father. In a fit of rage, the man threw himself at one of Lazio’s men wielding a small knife in his hand. The tiny blade sunk deep into the tall man’s shoulder and affected him little more than a splinter. The old man stepped back, knowing he’d made a grave mistake. The enforcer took several long strides over to him and snatched him by the throat, lifting him up before slamming him down onto a table. The table gave out and the man clattered to the floor.

I watched in horror as Aurelia’s father crumpled in pain. Lazio’s man pulled the knife from his own shoulder and kicked the man onto his back. In an instant he brought the knife down the length of the man’s stomach.

Several women in the room screamed as the inside of the man’s stomach burst forth.

I put a hand over my mouth, willing myself not to vomit at the gruesome sight.

“What the fuck is all this racket?” Lazio said opening his door. He looked down at the disembowelled man on the floor and gave a laughing snort. “Well now it’s a fucking party.” He turned back into the room, just as Callan’s eyes began to flutter open.

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