Under the Willow Root

Chapter 27

When I wake, I'm confused by how completely alert I am. My nerves are buzzing with it. I hear a sound in the corridor and realize that it's footsteps. That must be what woke me up. I grab Sadra's nearest body part--I think it's her elbow--and shake her awake frantically.

"Someone's coming," I hiss. "Hide!"

"Where?" she asks, already easing herself silently to the floor.

"Under the bed," I whisper. "There isn't anything else."

Sadra slithers under the bed, twitching the end of her shawl out of sight just in time. I hear the door open and shut. I can't see anything--the hall lights have been extinguished. If I had any doubts before, they're gone now. This visit clearly isn't for an innocent chat.

Light blossoms suddenly, blinding me. I blink furiously and rub tears from my eyes. I squint and see Cimari standing next to my bed, staring at me steadily. I let my gaze slide out of focus before she can catch my eye. I know why she's here and I'm not going to give myself away.

"Speak," she says, moving closer. "I won't hurt you. I know you're special. Just let me know that I'm right and I can take you away from here. I can help you."

Bullshit, says my gut, though my brain wants so badly to believe her. I don't react. I thank every lucky star in the sky that it's Cimari and not Ismeni. If it were my mistress, I might be tempted. But Cimari is such a snake I probably wouldn't believe her even if she were telling the truth.

"I'm afraid I need to know," Cimari says. "If you won't speak, I will make you speak...or scream."

As threats go, it doesn't strike me as impressive in itself. Cimari is smaller even than I am, and there isn't anything in the room that she can use to cause any serious damage. But then, she doesn't have to cause any serious damage, necessarily. She just has to get me to make a noise. Any noise, and she'll be able to turn me over to the hooded men.

Because of her boast, I'm prepared for the backhanded blow that snaps my head to the side. I let it stay like that until she takes my chin and forces me to face her. I keep my eyes on her nose. She slaps me again. And again. And again, until she realizes that it's not going to work, despite the blood trickling from my nose and the corner of my mouth. She punches me in the gut, hesitantly at first, then harder and with more enthusiasm.

She's enjoying it, I realize. I catch a glimpse of her face and it's flushed with excitement. The creep, she's getting off on it. Cimari slams her double-fisted hands on my back as I double over from a shot to the diaphragm. I fall to the ground and she kicks me viciously in the stomach without missing a beat. It seems she's a natural at this. She kicks me again, this time in the ribs. She likes that. She kicks me over and over until I've lost count of how many times her foot has slammed into my torso.

I pant lightly, grimacing against the sharp pain in my side that flares unbearably with every breath. Caught between the need to get my breath back and the pain in my ribs, I couldn't make a sound even if I wanted to. I turn my head and see Sadra staring, wide-eyed, with her hands clamped over her mouth. Our eyes lock for a brief moment, then I look away, afraid that Cimari will notice and wonder what I'm looking at.

Cimari is panting, too, apparently spent. She looks like Ismeni after a hot date with her prince. I close my eyes to hide my disgust. When I open them, Cimari is sitting on the bed, rubbing her foot and glaring at me like it's my fault. I close them again. If I set eyes on her again, I know I'm going to do something stupid.

"I know what you are," Cimari snarls, jerking my head back by the hair. "Abomination. I'll be back...as many times as it takes."

Cimari slams my head onto the ground, making me see stars, and stalks away. The door bangs closed behind her. I guess she isn't concerned about secrecy after all. As soon as she's gone, Sadra wriggles out of her hiding place and kneels beside me. Her hands flutter from my arm to my head to my hip and back again, and suddenly I'm at the base of the stairs in my old house, staring up at my own horrified face.