Total pages in book: 114
Estimated words: 104340 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 522(@200wpm)___ 417(@250wpm)___ 348(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 104340 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 522(@200wpm)___ 417(@250wpm)___ 348(@300wpm)
She stumbled though remained on her feet and hurried to the archway leading to the kitchen. She almost reached it when Colum stopped her yelling out her name. She turned fearful she would not escape further wrath.
“You’ll take candles with you tonight,” he ordered. “The devil’s son will enjoy the flames.” Laughter erupted in the hall though stopped abruptly when Colum raised his hand. “And least you think to lie to me then think again, for it’s the smell of rutting I will be looking for on you tomorrow.”
Laughter burst loud again and followed her out of the hall and down the narrow passageway. She stopped a moment to lean against the stone wall and take a breath. How she wished she could scream and cry, but with no voice that wasn’t possible and silent tears would not help her. She had a choice to make. It really was no choice. Either way she would lay with a devil, it only mattered which devil she could tolerate. And she already knew the answer to that.
Tonight she would give herself to the devil’s son and she prayed that God would help see her through it.
~~~
Flanna hadn’t been in the kitchen when Dawn had entered and so she got busy preparing a good stew for Cree’s supper. No one stopped her or offered help, especially when they caught sight of her bruised cheek. It was swollen and growing ever darker and when she chewed it hurt. But there was no time to tend to it now or to her leg that continued to sting. She had to get the stew cooking and make fresh bread and then she would clean herself up and tend to her wounds.
She had just gotten the stew cooking when Flanna entered the kitchen. As soon as she caught sight of Dawn, she issued orders for her staff to finish what Dawn had started and then she ushered Dawn outside.
“Did Cree do this to you?” Flanna demanded once away from the eyes and ears in the kitchen and pointed to her cheek.
Dawn sighed, though it was soundless, as if it was forever stuck inside her and she could never release it and that was how she felt stuck, captured like her sigh. Dawn shook her head.
“Colum did it.”
Dawn nodded.
“Why?”
It took some doing but Dawn was finally able to explain in gestures what had happened.
Tears sprang to Flanna’s tired eyes. “You lied to protect me.”
How did she explain to Flanna that she had lied to protect herself and in so doing had placed Flanna in danger which in turn had her lying again? In the end her lies were meant to protect and so she simply nodded.
“You know you have no choice,” Flanna said sadly. “You must couple with the monster.”
Dawn was pleased that at least Flanna had been kind enough not to tell her that she had to rut with Cree. It sounded more like what animals do rather than humans. She was certain that Lila and Paul didn’t rut and while they coupled, it was more like they made love. Dawn never expected to find a man she would make love with, perhaps couple but she doubted that she would ever find love. No one would ever want to make love with her let alone want her.
Dawn nodded reluctantly.
Flanna leaned in close to whisper, “Lie there and let him have his way and be done with it. It will hurt less and he will want you less if you don’t respond. Play dead beneath him and he will leave you be and you will have the scent of sex upon you to satisfy Colum.
The scent of sex was unknown to her and she wondered if she had ever smelled it on others and had not known what it was. Tonight she would find out, she had to or she would suffer for it.
Flanna placed her hand on Dawn’s arm and her face winced. Flanna was quick to push up Dawn’s sleeve to reveal a dark purple bruise going around her arm just above her elbow.
“Where else do you hurt?” Flanna asked with concern.
Dawn raised her skirt and they both winced though only Flanna’s was heard. Her left leg was scraped from knee to ankle with a purple bruise just below her knee.
“Go to your cottage and clean up and then rest,” Flanna ordered like a concerned mother. “I will let you know when the food is ready.” She almost turned to leave but stopped and looked to Dawn. “I have heard tell that once a woman tastes the devil’s son there’s no satisfying her. She returns to him again and again. Do not taste of the devil. Do not touch him. Do not become a slave to his evil passion.”
Dawn made her way to her cottage, her thoughts in turmoil. She had spent little time with Cree, though more than anyone else here. She certainly couldn’t say that she didn’t fear him. He was a man to be feared by the sheer size of him alone, not to mention his strength, which was something she sensed whenever she entered the small shack where he was imprisoned. She wondered how the weak structure could hold him.