Don’t be a fool, Haven.My conscience rears up.Look at you. Tied up like some kind of animal. Of course he knows. He may even take you next if you let him close again.
Anger replaces the nerves. I need to stop looking for comfort when it isn’t there. Every person in this place cannot be trusted. Thinking of the wrong person as an ally will get me killed.
“I knew you wouldn’t believe me,” Emma says, studying my face. “Mr. Brenin showed a great deal of concern for you.”
She’s right there. I don’t believe her.
“He did.” Another blush raises on Emma’s cheeks. “He asked me to see how you were doing. If you were well.”
“Do I look well?” I snap, my annoyance over the conversation growing. I tug at the restraints on my arms. “Is this normal in any way?”
Surprised by my outburst, Emma sits back on her heels, appearing a bit frightened.
Instantly regretting my temper, I sigh. Exhaustion washes over me, as does sorrow. “Forgive me. It’s not youI’m furious with. It’s myself. Andthem.We live among demons, Emma. We’re in Hell. And the only way to save our souls is to find a way out ourselves.”
More fear fills Emma’s eyes.
I ramble on, my determination growing with every word. “I don’t know how much longer Henri will keep delaying defiling me, or how long he’ll keep me alive. If I’m dead, I’m sure he will kill my father too, just for the sport of it. Staying here seals my fate.”
“What do you mean, miss? You want to run away? Again?”
I nod. “But this time, I’ll make a plan. I’ll gather what I need, steal a horse, maybe, and flee the country. I’ll make sure I don’t come back.”
“If you are caught…”
“Then I’m dead anyway. I know the risks. But I can’t just wait here and wait for death, allowing him to torture me every night until he finally loses control. I can’t bear it.”
Glancing over her shoulder at the door, Emma’s voice drops to a hurried whisper. “But miss, you don’t know what they are capable of. Their strength. Their speed. Their ability to outrun death.”
I’d seen the way Henri’s skin had zipped back together after I’d struck him with the letter opener. It was unnatural.
That’s why escaping is my only opinion. I most certainly couldn’t overpower him or kill him.
“What other choice do I have?”
Emma doesn’t reply.
“Emma, I know I haven’t known you for long, but youhave been so kind to me,” I begin gently. “I would feel just terrible if I left you here alone. I want you to come with me.”
She jumps to her feet. “I-I can’t!”
“Emma, please.”
“We could be killed.”
“Or we could be free.”
Dropping the towel back into the bowl onto the bed, she pressed her hands against her face. “I have nowhere to go…” she mumbles into her palms. “Nowhere.”
“Where are your parents?” I ask.
“My mother works as a governess in Tours.”
Tours, France?What brought this young girl to England, so far away from her mother? Now may not be the best time to ask. Instead, to reassure her, I reply, “You will be with me. We would have each other.”
When she pulls her hands away, I can see tears glistening in her eyes. “I can’t, miss… I just can’t…”
I understand her fears. She’s young, alone, and scared of the consequences. As much as I’d hate to leave her in this Hell, I’m not going to force her to leave, either.
