something
with me. “Your lord husband will rush to your rescue. And we will
welcome him with open arms.” He made a strange gesture, stretching
one arm out in front with closed fist, holding the other hand,
fingers curled, beside his ear. “I fear your lord will not enjoy my
embrace, any more than I enjoyed his.”
CHAPTER 7
Alone with the children again, my fears were only
intensified by what had occurred. Tormenting us was a sure way for
Reynaldo to screw up the ransom negotiations. Dominic would not be
made more cooperative because of threats to his family’s safety.
Instead, as we had all seen, Dominic would respond with anger, with
his own murderous vengefulness. Yet Reynaldo had been pleased by
Dominic’s violent reaction, however uncomfortable the temporary
effects had been. Why? Why would Reynaldo deliberately infuriate
someone as dangerous as Dominic? What could Reynaldo hope to
gain?
Reynaldo was smart; I doubted he was unaware
of the repercussions of his actions. He must want Dominic to think
we were being badly treated, and rush wildly to our rescue. The
bandits had to be planning something far more complicated than a
simple kidnapping for ransom, something that depended on Dominic
attacking the bandits’ stronghold and its defenders. Was Reynaldo
so sure of this ruined castle’s defenses that he was willing to
provoke assault by the best soldier in the ‘Graven Realms?
Reynaldo must intend to kill Dominic, I
decided, my stomach lurching at the thought. Dominic and I had both
considered the possibility, but it seemed more real now after
Reynaldo’s strange behavior. Still, the whole thing made no sense.
Killing Dominic could start a war. The other ‘Graven lords, like
all Eclipsians, are notoriously reluctant to act as a group. If
Margrave Aranyi’s wife was stupid enough to get herself and her
children kidnapped, that was his problem. But the ‘Graven would
unite immediately to avenge the murder of their peer, not out of
love, but from sheer self-interest. A bandit would know that as
well as I did. It was why, over the years, there had been many
kidnappings, but few murders.
The arrival of supper interrupted my worried
musings. As at breakfast, Michaela stood guard while Jana ate. Val,
lethargic with the cumulative effects of confinement and his
monotonous diet of milk, refused to try the unfamiliar,
unappetizing food. I watched the meager rations disappear,
terrified by my intense hunger, so desperate for nourishment that
if Jana had not been my daughter I would have fought her for every
scrap.
Michaela, like her man, was openly confident
now, leaning relaxed against the open door, knowing there was
little danger of my disobedience. As my telepathic abilities faded
along with my energy, I would become the simple hostage the bandits
wanted, not a potential saboteur.
Jana finished her hasty meal, wiping her
mouth furtively with the back of her hand, but no longer
apologetic. Val suckled at will, the ragged dress I wore leaving me
perpetually accessible to his demands. I made no more attempts to
coax him to eat, nor to restrict his nursing. There was no point in
regulating Val’s life as if we were home, making our captivity
worse by provoking tantrums. We were all becoming hostages to
necessity.
I must make an effort to use my crypta , I told myself, while I had some strength left. I
must search Reynaldo’s mind, learn his plans. The intense reflex of
disgust I had just experienced at my forced intimacy with the
bandit, when Dominic “raped” Reynaldo and I had unwillingly
participated, made the task seem especially daunting. With my
increasing weakness, I wanted only to rest, safe and secure, in my
own consciousness.
Try , I ordered myself when Michaela
had locked us in for the night. Try to read Reynaldo’s
thoughts . How could I acquiesce in the destruction of my
family—from squeamishness? I mustn’t put it off much longer. Soon I
would be too feeble to communicate with Dominic,
with me. “Your lord husband will rush to your rescue. And we will
welcome him with open arms.” He made a strange gesture, stretching
one arm out in front with closed fist, holding the other hand,
fingers curled, beside his ear. “I fear your lord will not enjoy my
embrace, any more than I enjoyed his.”
CHAPTER 7
Alone with the children again, my fears were only
intensified by what had occurred. Tormenting us was a sure way for
Reynaldo to screw up the ransom negotiations. Dominic would not be
made more cooperative because of threats to his family’s safety.
Instead, as we had all seen, Dominic would respond with anger, with
his own murderous vengefulness. Yet Reynaldo had been pleased by
Dominic’s violent reaction, however uncomfortable the temporary
effects had been. Why? Why would Reynaldo deliberately infuriate
someone as dangerous as Dominic? What could Reynaldo hope to
gain?
Reynaldo was smart; I doubted he was unaware
of the repercussions of his actions. He must want Dominic to think
we were being badly treated, and rush wildly to our rescue. The
bandits had to be planning something far more complicated than a
simple kidnapping for ransom, something that depended on Dominic
attacking the bandits’ stronghold and its defenders. Was Reynaldo
so sure of this ruined castle’s defenses that he was willing to
provoke assault by the best soldier in the ‘Graven Realms?
Reynaldo must intend to kill Dominic, I
decided, my stomach lurching at the thought. Dominic and I had both
considered the possibility, but it seemed more real now after
Reynaldo’s strange behavior. Still, the whole thing made no sense.
Killing Dominic could start a war. The other ‘Graven lords, like
all Eclipsians, are notoriously reluctant to act as a group. If
Margrave Aranyi’s wife was stupid enough to get herself and her
children kidnapped, that was his problem. But the ‘Graven would
unite immediately to avenge the murder of their peer, not out of
love, but from sheer self-interest. A bandit would know that as
well as I did. It was why, over the years, there had been many
kidnappings, but few murders.
The arrival of supper interrupted my worried
musings. As at breakfast, Michaela stood guard while Jana ate. Val,
lethargic with the cumulative effects of confinement and his
monotonous diet of milk, refused to try the unfamiliar,
unappetizing food. I watched the meager rations disappear,
terrified by my intense hunger, so desperate for nourishment that
if Jana had not been my daughter I would have fought her for every
scrap.
Michaela, like her man, was openly confident
now, leaning relaxed against the open door, knowing there was
little danger of my disobedience. As my telepathic abilities faded
along with my energy, I would become the simple hostage the bandits
wanted, not a potential saboteur.
Jana finished her hasty meal, wiping her
mouth furtively with the back of her hand, but no longer
apologetic. Val suckled at will, the ragged dress I wore leaving me
perpetually accessible to his demands. I made no more attempts to
coax him to eat, nor to restrict his nursing. There was no point in
regulating Val’s life as if we were home, making our captivity
worse by provoking tantrums. We were all becoming hostages to
necessity.
I must make an effort to use my crypta , I told myself, while I had some strength left. I
must search Reynaldo’s mind, learn his plans. The intense reflex of
disgust I had just experienced at my forced intimacy with the
bandit, when Dominic “raped” Reynaldo and I had unwillingly
participated, made the task seem especially daunting. With my
increasing weakness, I wanted only to rest, safe and secure, in my
own consciousness.
Try , I ordered myself when Michaela
had locked us in for the night. Try to read Reynaldo’s
thoughts . How could I acquiesce in the destruction of my
family—from squeamishness? I mustn’t put it off much longer. Soon I
would be too feeble to communicate with Dominic,
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