She grinned. “That’s clearly not true since the magistrate is expediting my case.”
She should’ve known better than to egg him on. He closed the space between them and grabbed her by the hair, twisting it around his fist as he pulled her head back. With his other hand, he removed the scarf covering her face. She tried to shy away from him, turn her head, but he only tightened his grip.
“Look at you,” he said in a low voice that was almost a growl. “You’re the ugliest thing I’ve ever seen. Do you think Matteo would look at you now?”
“Matteo is dead,” she said through gritted teeth. “And it’s your fault.”
“No, it’s not. I didn’t kill him.”
“You ran, and that killed him. You’re a coward.”
He made a humming sound in his throat, as if he were considering her words.
“Is that what you’re going to tell the magistrate? That I ran when we were ambushed, and that’s why the master weaver is dead?”
“It’s the truth. You should’ve stayed, fought–”
“And died?”
“Yes. It was your job.”
He released her harshly and pushed her against the back wall. She slipped on the wet straw and fell sideways, unable to regain her balance. She let out a yelp when her shoulder collided with the edge of the cot.
“What are you doing to her?” Rune banged with his fists against the connecting wall. “Leave her alone!”
Hartmann kicked Seraphina in the thigh. She whimpered in pain, trying to pull herself to a standing position. He kicked her again, in the hip, then placed his boot on her shin and pressed.
Hearing her cry out, Rune lunged at his cell door, now locked. The bars rattled and the walls shook.
“Don’t touch her,” he yelled. “Don’t you dare. I’ll kill you with my own hands.”
“Stand back, creature.” Fischer banged the club against the bars.
Rune wasn’t impressed. Seraphina could hear him rattling the cell door so hard that she was certain he might actually pull it from its hinges.
“Stop it.” Fischer sounded agitated. “Don’t make me teach you a lesson.”
Hartmann leaned in, and Seraphina scratched his face, aiming for his eyes. He caught her wrists and squeezed them painfully.
“You’ll tell none of that to the magistrate,” he said.
“It’s the truth.”
“The truth is you’re going to die in here.”
“Return her to me,” Rune yelled again, and his deep voice sounded like thunder. “If you hurt her, I will–”
“You will what?” Hartmann pushed her away, straightened up and banged his fist on the wall. “You’ve had her for five days, creature. I expected more from you.”
“She’s mine,” Rune said, lowering his voice to a snarl. He was still pushing and pulling at his cell door. “You gave her to me, so she’s mine.”
“I gave her to you, so you’d fulfill your filthy, bloody fantasies with her and do me a favor. But here she is, in one piece, and it looks like I have to take care of everything myself.”
Rune let out a raw, animalistic grunt. Seraphina heard a creak, like metal groaning under pressure.
“Stand back from the door,” Fischer said as he hit it again with the club.
Koch had found a club himself and joined Fischer. Prisoners screamed and wailed, cursed and banged around in their own cells.
