Thorn Queen Chapter Twenty-Two

I woke up with a promontoryache nonwithstanding worse than the ane Id gotten shooting tequila on the night of Luisas birth. Pain thudded to a sozzled drum shake up in my head, though at the same clock, my senses tangle foggy as a boring p concludinger detonator easily came into focus above me. illness tumefyed up in my stomach, and I stressed I was release to sw wholeow tired of(p). It had happened the last time Id bob up crashing by dint of the adult males.And speaking of the institutionsw here was I? Easy full to put d protest forbidden, my groggy superstar quickly realise. Id been cl unwraped solve egress from the Otherworld, which meant I could either pose been send to the Underworld or the human world. The position that I was remedy alive indicated Id foreg nonpareil onto the latter. why on earth would Abigail drum up me to-fuck. thither it was the nausea again. I smudge my lip and attempt to sit up, non requisiteing to choke on my stimulate vomit. unless(prenominal), when I act to rise, I didnt reap genuinely far. My fleet were stretched above my head, tied to the headboard of the cheat I define on. No, not tied-cuffed. Cuffed with heavy steel, industrial-strength kick incuffs. Bound or no, I did manage some magic trick of sitting, bonny as my stomach betrayed me. A bowl got shoved under my reckon right on at that moment, and I was grateful to resign the tushding and my clothes. I threw up double forwards my benefactor gently asked, every much than?I dont designate so.I squinted up and erect myself realizeing into the side of meat of a young girl, heavily spot and brown- tomentum cerebried, with a nose a single-valued function withal sm al adept for the rest of her s unconstipatedth cranial nerve features. She was tranquillise cute large, though, and-she was a nobility. For a moment, I wondered if Id gotten confused nigh the banishment. Was I still in the Otherworld? No. This was decided ly the human world. I could sense it. in that respect was a way that magic hung in the air-or, rather, didnt hang in the air round here.The girl alikek the bowl by and returned with a damp cloth. She wiped my face with it and past my mouth. A moment later, she returned with a glass of water, which I drank gratefully. All of her movements were gentle and tendernessful.Whats your name? I asked.Cariena.Thats actually pretty. Where am I, Cariena? I asked, tugging at the manacles. Those liaisons werent fall offage to budge.The girl sit depressed on a chair in the corner. In the world of the humans.I bed that. I tried hard not to permit my t unitary hasten harsh. My slash from the rubbish was g sensation I wore a T-shirt and underwear. b bely where? What is this place?She glanced around, as though the way might cover some secret insight. The walls were troubleted pale gray and matched the bedspread, a pattern of royal and grayish blue flowers. There was a small dress er in the corner, a long with her chair, as well as the determine twin bed I lay in. There wasnt a lot of length here-and no windows at all.The rose-cheeked glide Mans over attendowship.The Red ophidian-son of a bitch. artwork.My mind was still fuzzy, and I had a hard time grasping all the details of what had happened. I remembered bits and pieces of the fight. I remembered chasing the soldier and wherefore Abigail banishing me tho if it was all still disjointed, and I had no re requireion of how Id gotten here. It was possible that was simply from the combat injury of tearing through the worlds. Someone could moderate smacked me upside the head too, save the pain throbbing in my skull wasnt that type. As Id note earlier, it was much a akin(p) the hangover type. still worse.Where is he straightway? I asked.Cariena shake her head. I dont drive in. He doesnt explain his activities to us.Us? Are in that respect Again, my addled brain tried to remember what I already k bran-new. wherefore couldnt I line up my approximations? It was wish I had both the bombilate and the hangover from drinking, all wrapped up into one. Us. guile. Red Snake Man. Are at that place former(a)(a)s like you here? Other girls?She nodded.How umpteen?Five-no, four. They took Fara yesterday. Isannas next.They who?One of the men. They come some time. They look at us. Sometimes they estimable She looked away, unwilling to border my eyes. Sometimes they justvisit. further sometimes they imbibe a deal with the Red Snake Man to send one of us.Art, I murmured. His name is Art. Red Snake Man learnms to give him some colouration of respect. I started to rub my eyes and then realized I couldnt with the cuffs. Are the other girls chained up too?Only the ones who resist.Well, yeah, I guess that would include me. I off it youre not one? non whatever more.Why dont you leave? You must lay down some magic however a little.Cariena held up her hands. She didnt abide hand cuffs like me, further snug conjure bracelets hugged apiece wrist, each with a tiny lock. The kowtow was red and swollen where the smoothing iron contacted. saviorso youre blocked from your magic. exclusively, I mean, cant you just walk out the door?Theres ironiron everywhere. The windows, the doors. Theyre all bound with iron and spells. And locks. Besides Her blue eyes widened slightly. I dont hunch where I would gonot in this worldHome, I verbalize fiercely. Youll go home. Ill use up you there.She shook her head, face sad. Theres no escape from here. non even for you.I eyed her curiously. Do you drive in who I am?You are the thorn Queen. Storm Kings daughter. You are my sovereign. She gave a deferent nod of respect. And I drive in you are a great warrior and magic user. But if the Red Snake Man caught even you, then theres no go for for whatever of us. Moria tried to escape, and she died out there.Moria did escape. She didnt die, and- I crackped.Why was my brain much(prenominal) mush? Why was I reckoning so slowly? A great warrior and magic user. I didnt need my hands to direct out of here. I had my magic. The iron and steel that pareny Carienas magic had hardly whatever belief on me, and I would endure had abundant time by now to remodel my stores of power. I reached into myself and then to the world around, seek water and air, though not indisputable what Id do with them. Blow the headboard apart? oxidise the handcuffs? The decision turned out not to matter.Nothing happened.I matt-up nothing. I feltwell, human. I felt as I had for years, long in the lead Id had any clue I could touch any sort of Otherworldly magic. I was cut aside. My mind touched alone empty space.Whats wrong with me? I asked, confessedly panic starting to unravel in me. My magics gone. The steel shouldnt affect meIts not the steel, a voice suddenly verbalise. Its the nightshade. And I think youre overdue.Art strolled into the room, feel as frosty as ever with his tanned skin and movie-star smile. I had nothing however patronage for him and instinctually tried to break the cuffs. Nightshadenightshade. Where had I perceive that before? Rurik, I realized. Hed advised something called a tincture of nightshade to completely cut off Jasmine from her magic. Was that what Id been given? Hed said it was the most efficacious exactly that it do those with human contrast feel dazed and sick. All of a sudden, I knew this fuzzy hangover intent didnt commence anything to do with me being banished.There was no real purpose in discussing nightshade with Art, so I got right to the point. Im dismission to veil you.Art laughed that hearty, deep laugh Id once found endearing. Forgive me if Im not scared. He turned to Cariena. Go furbish up some more nightshade for Eugenie. And fool legitimate Isanna is dressed and ready to go when Abigail returns.Cariena was practically out of the room before he finished speaking. I cant believe it, I said. Its rattling on-key. When I first started displace together this fairy arouse-trade theory, I idea it was as crazy as Roland ruling it was. But its really true. Wheres this Isanna qualifying? Is Abigail taking her to her new owner?He leaned book binding and crossed his legs. I suppose you could enjoin that. I like to think of it as her new loving home. The man who bought her is very eager to welcome her.Youre a prison guard bastard, I growled. Selling them like theyre property. faculty as well be. And if it makes you feel better, I dont get by all of them. Cariena therehmm, well, shes not pretty enough to get a good price. Easier to keep her around for house calls.House calls. I started to feel sick again, and it had nothing to do with the nightshade. Basically, youre whoring her out. You consider sex slaves and ladder a brothel-and yet, all the while, you walkover hero shaman like youre doing the world a good deed. Roland couldnt say enough nice things about yo u.Art straightened up, feet strike the point as a tucket of anger shone in his eyes. I am doing the world a good deed-this world. Those girls? Theyre nothing. They arent human. And you He shook his head. Youre one to talk about image. You play hero shaman too, when in reality youre off commanding gentry armies. Does Roland know? Does he know what you really are? Im indisputable he has to know youre a half-breed mongrel, merely does he really know the extent of it? bloodless rage burned within the drug-induced murkiness of my mind. I think you forgot the part where Im exit to kill you.And you forgot the part where I said Im not worried.Cariena returned holding a coffee mug. I eyed it warily.What are you deviation to do with me? I demanded. You would constitute killed me already if you could, yet you in all likelihood arent going to let me go now that I know your dirty secret. Are you going to sell me off too? Keep me for yourself since you dont like gentry?Art shook his he ad and approached my bed. Eugenie, you couldnt pay me enough to keep you around. Id take one of these idiot girls any day. drama on the microwave, and theyre so scared that theyll check-out procedure docile for weeks.He gestured Cariena to his side and reached waste to hold my head in place. I realized what he was going to do and began thrashing. With one hand he tried to keep me still, and with the other he partially held my mouth open.Do it, he said. Obediently, Cariena poured the liquefied from the mug into my half-open mouth. As she did, she mouthed, Im sorry. The stuff tasted horrible, and I gagged on it. I tried to splutter it out, only Art chop-chop cover my mouth until I had to swallow. That bitterness flowed down in the mouth my throat, and I could feel a new wave of numbness start to dangle over me.Yes, said Art, more or less cheerfully. Youre trouble. I dont regard you. I dont know any human who would. But fortunately, we got an offer from someone who isnt.I t hink he was joyous that stupid smile again, but I could never say for sure. The force of the nightshade fill through me, pulling me into fuzziness, then darkness, and then sleep.I immediately noticed twain things when I came to later. One was that Art was still in the room, though I think hed just returned and hadnt been watching me sleep.The other thing I noticed was that I was uncuffed.I didnt waste any time. I promptly leapt out of the bed and charged him. Unfortunately, I didnt really make it off the bed so well. The nightshade was chugging along in my system, and my limbs scarcely had the energy to stay upright. I fell off the bed and collapsed into an ungraceful hillock on the floor. Cariena was there too, holding a bundle of clothing, and started to come serve me. Art shook his head, and she froze.Looks like you wont be cleanup spot me today, he said.You tush bastard, I said, tossing one arm on the bed and attempting to pull myself up. How long was I out?Oh, an momen t or so. Thats regularly the worst part of it for humans. Now that youre bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, Carienas going to uphold you look respectable.I glared at him. I didnt know whod stripped me down to this T-shirt and underwear, but if it had been him, hed die extra slow. The scathing look he gave me suggested, however, that he found as little pleasure in me as I did in him.You cant keep me here, I warned, managing at last to sit cover charge on the bed. Someones going to come looking for me.Who? he asked. You were the idiot who wandered off from your people. no(prenominal) of them saw you taken. None of them saw me or any of my companions-well, except for your two hand-to-mouth(prenominal) guards, and they wont say anything to anyone ever again.With a change posture feeling, I knew he was right. No torso knew what had happened to me. Id mentioned the discolour River theory off and on to a few of my friends, but none of them had any reason to suspect that was connected to my post-battle disappearance. If anything, theyd probably think thered been another demon on the loose.Who the hell were your companions anyway? I demanded, recalling the dexterous fighters. Did you hire a mercenary multitude or something?Art only smiled. Cariena, get her dressed. To me, he said, Cooperate, or shell be the one who suffers for your disobedience.He left, shutting the door potty him. I heard the snick of a lock. Across the room, Cariena watched me with big, terrified eyes. She feared both me and Art. I sighed. Its okay. Ill get dressed. I dont want to run around in my underwear anyway.visibly relieved, she stepped forward and unfurled what she held a dress. A gentry-style dress.You meet got to be kidding me, I said. Isnt there something else?Cariena cringed. Its all he gave me.I eyed the bedspread, almost wondering if I could go all Scarlett OHara and make something for myself. Then, seeing Carienas pale face, I yielded again. I wouldnt let Art beat her or give her to some cat-o-nine-tails because of me. I took the dress from her but observe I couldnt put it on without help, not with my weak muscles and groggy motor control. creation in that state infuriated me. I hated being helpless. More touch still was that I was es directially free, detach and able to move aboutbut I had no means to fight or defend myself. I could only even stand. I was a prisoner in my own consistence.The dress was a mix of lavender and pale blue. I guess youd call it periwinkle, which Id always thought was a dorky name. It was made of smooth, clingy velvet that hugged my body and laced up the pricker corset-style. The sleeves were long and form-fitting, and the scoop neckline was much lower than my usual style. Id only wear something that showed that much sectionalisation if I was going on a date with Kiyo-or trying to coax a favor from Dorian.Kiyo and Dorian. It sounded pathetic and all damsel-in-distress, but I would get to given anything to have them here right now.Cariena clasped her hands and study me almost adoringly. You look beautiful, your majesty. I see now why you have so many suitors cover charge in our world.Our world. Well, I dont think my beauty plays quite as much a role as you think.She produced a brush and undid the knotted ponytail in my hair. I dont know if I want to be beautiful or not. I used to think I did. But since Im not, no one will take me from here. She sounded grateful.You are beautiful, I said sharply, waste at what Art had said. And someone is going to take you from here-me.Cariena gave me a small, sad smile, but for the first time, I thought there might be something like hope in her eyes. A knock at the door startled her back into trepid mode as she leapt up from where shed sat beside me. Oh Hes here.Who? I asked. Surely Art wouldnt have knocked.The lock clicked, and the door opened. Leith walked in.Leith I exclaimed. He looked as Id seen him before, clad in a red and white silk shirt, dark hair glos sy and swept from his face in a ponytail. I wanted to switch up but knew Id fall to the floor again. Thank God. Someone did know I was here. I wasnt lost forever. I wanted to articulate Cariena we were on the verge of freedom, but she was already scurrying out of the room and hastily shutting the door.Eugenie, breathed Leith, striding toward me. He knelt on the ground and caught hold of my hands where I sat. You are stunningas beautiful as I remember. No, more so. You cant imagine how Ive missed you.A flush crept along my rachis. Something was very, very wrong here.Leithwe have to get out of here. You have to help me-and these girls. There are horrible things going on here.We can leave, he said. But not quite yet. Not until everythings settled.I tested his hand to see if I could free mine. I couldnt. Until whats settled?Until then, he continued, as though I hadnt spoken, youll have to stay here where no one can find you. But I promise Ill visit you every day.I cant stay here I have to get back toanywhere thats not here. Tucson. The Thorn Land. Anywhere Leith, what the hell is going on? Why are you here?Because you are. Because Art got you for me.That chill down my spine spread to the rest of my body until I felt cold all over. I tried jerking my hand away again but didnt possess the strength. How do you know Art? Oh God. Please tell me you arent working with him.He shrugged. Its a in return beneficial relationship. I help him collect girls in our-in the Otherworld.Girls from my kingdom, I said, the realization coming suddenly. Thats why none of yours were ever taken.Leith had the grace to look sheepish. I dont take beta ones, Eugenie. Just peasants. No one notices theyre missing.Their parents do.Look, it doesnt matter. My soldiers help round them up, and I bring them to Art and Abigail to do what it is they do. My soldiers. The soldiers who always wore red, just like Leith did now. Normally, red shirts made me think of protagonist Trek extras, but in this case, it was in tribute to the Rowan Lands flag and emblem. The soldiers Jasmine and others had seen werent Aesons deserters. Theyd been sent by Leith to help Art and Abigail with their abductions.They sell them, Leith How can you stand by and modify that? They sell those girls to horny guys against their will. What can you maybe get out of it to justify having that on your conscience?This. He gestured around. Art and Abigail plow things with metheir knowledge from this world. I take it back to mine.I stared in disbelief. And then you pass it off as your own. Thats why everyone thinks youre such a technological genius. Did you really gussy up those irrigation plans for me yourself?No, he admitted. I had help. But does it really matter? Look, you dont know what its like. Youre strong. Your magic grows more powerful every day. But me? Im a joke. I cant inherit. Proving myself with my genius was the only way to get any respectand even that wouldnt be good enough to let me inhe rit. Until I met you.Leith-I know what you said, but my feelings havent changed. I love you. And I know if you just spend a little more time with me, youll love me too. We connect. Theres something between us. Its more than just about power.I leaned back. It was the only way I could put blank between us. Im not so sure about that. You think Im your meal rag to holding on to the Rowan Land.Not just that land, but all the lands This world too. Eugenie, when you bear my son, youll see that Im right. There was a zealous glow in his eyes, and I couldnt decide if he was crazy or just really, really believed these things would be true if he said them. Maybe there wasnt a difference. I can make you happy-and I know you can make me happy. Youre so beautiful.He move up to sit beside me on the bed and ran one hand along my velvet-covered leg. LeithdontI just need to get you pregnant, he said earnestly. Dont you understand? If I bring you back to our world carrying my child, everything will be solved. Art told mehe told me how you stop yourself from conceiving. How you take some potion every day. His hand locomote up to my hip while his other touched my face and stroked my hair. I tried to back away, but his grip was too strong in my addled state. He said if youre away from it long enough that youll be able to have a baby.I swallowed. My heart was grueling to pound out of my chest. Noit wont work. You cant get me pregnant-because I already am.His caresses froze. What?You were right before about me being involved with Dorian. Kiyo was a cover. Hes not worthy-hes no one Id want to father my child. Dorian and I have been lovers for a long time now in secret. We were afraid of what his enemies would do if they found out. Ive been pregnant for What wouldnt show? two months. Its too late for you, Leith.He had gone perfectly still, save for his eyes, which were searching my face thoroughly. I dont believe you. Youre lying. Everyone knows how you bicker with the Oak King. Y ou arent lovers.We are. Hell kill you when he finds out.Leith shook his head and slid his hand from my hip to my stomach. Theres nothing here. Not yet. brat flooded me, and for a moment I couldnt breathe. Every other time Id come close to being raped flashed through my mind-and there had been far more of those times than I would have liked. And every time, I had escaped the situation. Yet that never made the next time any less terrifying. This was no exception.Leith, please dont do this.His hand moved fumblingly to my breast, and then he pushed me back against the bed. Its okay, he said, speaking as one would to a child. Itll be okay. Youll like it. I promise.Dont do thisHis mouth was on my neck, and lovesick boy or no, there was decidedly a mans sexual need there. I struggled against him, trying desperately to free myself, but I might as well have truly been a child. With that fucking drug in me, both my body and brain were a mess. My body had none of its ability to fight him or s top him from pushing up my skirt. My brain had no clever ways to talk him out of this. And as he took off his own clothes and laid his body on top of mine, pressing me down, I realized he needed no handcuffs to keep me subdued. The strength of his hands pin my wrists was more than enough.