The Underground Witch (Incenaga Trilogy) (20 page)

Emmeline s
wallowed. She had no choice but to call the dark room her own until she figured out a way out of her mess. She didn’t care how long it took her to find a way, she would do it. Nothing could convince her otherwise. With her jaw set, her shoulders squared, and her fists clenched, she was ready. She paced the room, thinking and plotting, trying to find a solution. Any solution. She refused to let her life end in Griet.

Tiergan had no room for patience. He always got what he wanted precisely when he wanted it. So when Emmeline did not fall at his feet and beg to serve him, she became a thorn in his side. A thorn he wished he could rip from his flesh and burn in a pit of tar. But he couldn’t. He needed her too much.

The Dolmerti
an never explained how to get an Incenaga to shine her eyes. He only claimed to have done it. And Demyan didn’t offer much of an opinion, which seemed odd. Demyan had interjected his thoughts from the beginning of the plan all the way through the execution of every detail. His advice had been helpful through the years, invaluable even. But as soon as they had returned to Griet, Demyan retreated into his den and hadn’t bothered to show his face once.

So
, Tiergan tried softening the Incenaga with luxuries, supposing her girlish youth would leave her impressionable to his wealth. But her headstrong, stubborn nature proved too difficult to manipulate. She had yet to shine her eyes for him. She was an insolent, irritating girl. Time and time again she spat words into his face and time and time again he held his temper, thinking she needed delicate handling. But it had been long enough. Kindness never worked for him. Fear was his tool of his choice and his strongest weapon.

Armed wi
th a fierce determination to break her, Tiergan sought out the Incenaga. He had already squandered weeks with foolishness and refused to waste another second. He would force her to serve him and she would thank him for it. A few bumps and bruises shouldn’t weaken her power, but they would weaken the girl. She wouldn’t be able to withstand the pain he would inflict on her.

Tiergan found her
idling away on the ledge of the courtyard fountain, her finger swirling in the water. Her servant noticed him first and jumped to her feet, her eyes downcast and her lips trembling. Just as a servant should respond, he thought with a smirk. The Incenaga, however, glanced up at the sound of his heavy boots, raised an eyebrow, and then turned her attention back to the water. Her blatant lack of respect infuriated him. Acting by instinct alone, he wrapped his thick fingers around her neck and yanked her to her feet.

“Un
hand me, you brute!” the Incenaga cried. Her hands shot to his wrist, trying to pull his hand free from her neck.

Tiergan seethed. Was there no limit to her insulting behavior?
He pulled her toward the castle and her servant followed, an action he terminated with the back of his hand.

“How dare you!”
the Incenaga shouted as she struggled against his grip. “How dare you strike a woman?”

Tiergan didn’t care
what the Incenaga said. Her self-righteous behavior annoyed him. She kicked him, pounded her fist into his back, and even dug her nails into arm, but he held fast to her neck and pulled her along.

They entered
one of his favorite rooms, where the walls were paneled in dark wood and the heads of animals hung over every square inch. Roaring lions, fierce jaguars, and feral panthers stared at them with beady eyes and gaping jaws. Bears, buffalo and even a rhinoceros joined his display of power and dominion. He hoped the sight would terrify her. Tossing her to the corner, he closed the dark curtains one by one until the room turned to shadow.

“Do you know why I brought you here?” he said
as he stalked toward her.

“No.”
She gathered herself to her feet and brushed off her skirt as if she didn’t care that he’d just thrown her to the ground.

“It is a room of death.
Wouldn’t you agree?”

Her eyes darted to the walls and back
. “Yes.”

“I’m sure you’ve noticed there are no human heads adorning these walls.”

The Incenaga said nothing.

“I’m considering adding yours to the wall.
What do you think?”

“I’m not afraid of you.”

Without blinking, Tiergan swiped a hand across her face. Her head whipped to the side and then twisted back to face him. “I can hurt you,” he said.

“I know.”

He hit her again. “I can send you to your death.”

She ran the back of her hand across her nose and sniffed. “I know,
” she repeated, her head held high.

He hit
her harder. “Shall I continue or will you light this room with your eyes?”

She glanced around the room and smirked.
“I’ll do no such thing.”

T
iergan pushed her into the wall and her head hit the panel with a deep thump. She reached up to touch the back of her head but he shoved her to the ground before she had the chance. He kicked her side and she bit her lip as she sucked in a deep breath.

“Shine your eyes for me,
Incenaga!” He shouted.

The Incenaga
’s jaw set and her eyes hardened. Pushing to her feet, she glared at him, her piercing gaze unnerving him. 

“
Do you think this is the first time I have endured this?” she asked. “You’ll never break me.”

Tiergan’s eyes narrow
ed. “We shall see.”

He brought his hand up and used the stiff side
to strike her neck. Not realizing how much force he’d used until it was too late, she crumbled to the ground.

Frustrated, Tiergan stepped over her and summoned someone to remove her.
He would try again if she awakened.

Emmeline awoke to Marja fussing over her. She rested on her gaudy bed in her equally gaudy chambers and a wave of homesickness threatened to pull her back under. She bit her lip and lifted her head to take in her injuries. Her dress had been changed and her wounds covered, but her body still burned as if on fire. She looked up at Marja and gasped. Marja’s lip had swelled to twice the normal size, her cheeks black and blue.

Emmeline swallowed.
“What happened?”

“
It is of no consequence, Incenaga.” Marja said.

“Did Tiergan do this?” Emmeline asked, but when Marja did not respond, Emmeline could feel her nostrils flaring. “Why does he do this? He is such beast. Someone should hang
his
head on the wall.”

“
Our King provides a roof over our heads and bread to eat. He has brought our country much wealth and prosperity. Where would we be without him?”

“You would be living your own lives, free from oppression.”

“No,” Marja said. “We would have nothing. King Tiergan has given us everything. He has a right to expel his anger and frustration however he pleases.”

“You believe he has a right to your face should he need something to hit?”

“Give it time, Incenaga.” Marja said. “You will see he knows what is best and is smarter than us all.”

“What about your soldier
?” Emmeline asked. “What did he think when he saw your swollen lip?”

Marja
shifted. Her eyes darted across the room to the closed door. “You know about us? You know about Rahn?”

“I’ve seen the w
ay you two look at one another. I know enough to see that you are in love.”

Marja
colored and looked at the door again. “It can never be. When King Tiergan has no need of me any longer, I will be given to one of his chief priests. It will be an honor. And Rahn is a soldier, so he can never marry. He too is honored to serve in any capacity King Tiergan sees fit.”

Emmeline
couldn’t believe what she heard. She spent the remainder of the day trying to convince Marja of Tiergan’s evil influence over the people of Griet, but Marja refused to listen. The fear of Tiergan’s wrath was like a disease infecting her better sense, crippling her.

Tiergan
returned the next morning and dragged her to the death room. Once again, she found the strength to refuse him. Every morning he beat her and returned her to Marja to clean up. It became a vicious routine they followed to the letter, one so close to Mahlon’s treatment that she knew she could withstand it. If she survived Mahlon’s treatment, she could survive anything.

Emmeline never mentioned Tiergan’s blaring mistake, however.
Little did he realize that she couldn’t shine her eyes for him, even if she wanted to. Not only did he neglect to offer her a flame, but her wrists remained unbound. Clearly Mahlon had not explained the finer details of claiming an Incenaga.

The days turned into weeks and Emmeline wondered how much more her body could
take. While nursing her wounds, she came up with ideas on how to escape, dismissing them almost at once. How could she take a chance with Erick’s life? She wished she could take Marja with her back to Dolmerti. And Rahn and O’fin too. Her list of people she wanted to help grew with each day, complicating her ability to escape. Not to mention her inability to move around very well anymore. With bruises covering every part of her body, it took almost everything she had just to get out of bed in the morning.

O
n a quiet evening, after Marja applied another layer of thick cream to Emmeline’s wounds, a heavy set of boots thumped down the hall outside her door. Emmeline lifted her head from off her pillow and watched the handle to her door, waiting for it to turn. She was no fool. She knew the thumping boots were coming for her and she knew who they belonged to. It was evening, a break from their routine, but she had come to learn the rhythm of Tiergan’s steps.

But t
he handle never turned. After a loud crash, the door burst open and slammed into the opposite wall, the wood splintering in every direction. Tiergan stood under the door frame, his dark silhouette pulsing with anger.

Marja
’s blood drained from her face and Emmeline knew her face had probably turned just as white.

“What do you want?”
Emmeline said. “Aren’t you a bit early?”

She couldn’t help herself.
She couldn’t keep the snide remarks from escaping her lips. It infuriated him and she didn’t care. She would pay for it later, but she couldn’t stop herself. “Did you feel the need reaffirm your masculinity by picking on an easy prey?”

Tiergan
flew into a rage. He grabbed her upper arm and yanked her off the bed. “You useless vermin! Perhaps a visit to Cantil’s Pit will break your spirit.”

He twisted her arm as he pulled
her out the door. Tearing down the hall, he dragged her behind him without any regard as to how well she could keep up. She tripped over her feet and fell to her knees, but his momentum propelled her forward and somehow she managed to pick herself back up. Slaves pressed against the wall, their heads bowed, but those who didn’t move fast enough were pushed with Tiergan’s fist.

“Demyan!” Tiergan yelled
as they rounded a corner.

They
entered a large room with roaring fires gracing each of the four walls. With no windows to release the warmth, the air rolled with heat. A woman stood in the corner, a woman who could have been Emmeline’s sister for how closely they resembled each other. They had the same face, hair, and eyes. The woman straightened, scowled, and then vanished.

Emmeline
’s eyes widened and her gaze flickered between Demyan and Tiergan. Had they seen her? Demyan lounged on a dark couch with one leg over the armrest. He didn’t seem disturbed by Tiergan’s rage, but his eyes darted from the corner of the room to Emmeline. Tiergan, on the other hand, seemed oblivious to the vanishing woman.

Tiergan shook his fist.
“Demyan, take her to Cantil’s Pit this instant. She will remain there two weeks for every one week I have let her live in luxury.”

Demyan
grimaced before he wiped his face clean of expression. “Cantil’s Pit? She may not survive.”

“She is
an Incenaga! Of course she’ll survive. I am tired of waiting around. She must be forced to obey!”

Demyan
glanced at Emmeline out of the corner of his eye and then stood. “We could starve her,” he said.

Emmeline snatched
her arm out of Tiergan’s grip. “This is absurd. A pit? What will a pit do that your death room hasn’t?”

Tiergan’s fist
flew toward her cheek. With no time to react, her head whipped to the side and her torso twisted, pitching her to the ground. Tiergan stood over her, his face the darkest shade of red she’d seen yet.

“You will
obey me!” he shouted.

Emmeline
turned her chin and spat out the blood that had pooled in her mouth.