Free Awakening by Kitty Thomas Page A

couldn’t figure out why he was playing it this way. What was the benefit to him?
    “Why did you run from me?”
    I took another sip of the tea, trying to put off answering as long as possible. When the look on his face reached maximum impatience, I set the cup on the table beside the bed. “You killed a man, and you were still angry when you turned back to me. I was afraid.”
    “I was upset someone almost hurt you. It wasn’t directed at you.”
    “That wasn’t how it felt. Besides, it’s enough that you showed that kind of anger to anyone. It means you have it inside you. How can I ever feel safe knowing that’s coiled and waiting to strike?” Mermen weren’t like that. They weren’t angry or violent to anyone. We were a peaceful race. The scene in the kitchen and in the dungeon before only confirmed that I was now among barbarians and could never feel safe again.
    He nodded and watched me for another minute. The formality between us had been abandoned for the moment in light of the morning’s happenings.
    “I would never harm you, Nerina. You have to know that by now. What’s really going on?”
    I could have explained the nature of my people to him, but it would have fallen on deaf ears. Besides, he was right. It wasn’t really all about what happened in the kitchen. He’d killed a man, but he’d also removed a threat from me. I looked down at the floor, unable to meet his intense stare.
    “I saw what’s downstairs.”
    I expected anger, then pain, but it didn’t come. Instead, he merely said, “I see,” his voice mild and noncommittal. “And what did you think about what you saw in the dungeon?”
    Dungeon. I didn’t like the word, but it seemed to fit the dark, damp place. The contraptions, the cages, the strips of leather I somehow knew were meant to hurt people, and I couldn’t understand why. I’d thought perhaps they were for dangerous enemies until Aric had filled my mind with a far worse scenario.
    “Aric said you had dark desires and wondered if you took me down there a lot. Did you intend to take me down there?” I chanced a look up at his face, desperately hoping to find some kindness in his eyes.
    The kindness was there, but it didn’t go with his answer. “Yes. And I still do.”
    I shook my head furiously. “No! Please.”
    “Yes.” He moved closer to me and a panic filled my chest because I couldn’t get up and away from him quickly enough, and anyway I knew he was faster than me and stronger than me, even with my new legs. I couldn’t get away from whatever he intended to do, because I knew this time he wouldn’t be foolish enough to loosen his grip.
    I whimpered as his hand cupped my cheek. “Why didn’t you just let me die in the sea? Are you going to hurt me because of what Aric said about me? I’m not a witch. I don’t have any special powers.”
    “I know that. It’s not because of Aric.”
    “Then why?” I’d thought I’d managed to find some reference point to understand humans and their strange ways, but this was beyond what I was capable of processing. There had to be something very wrong with him. It made the prospect of never getting away more dangerous than I’d ever feared.
    “Nerina, there are many different types of pleasure. Some types look like pain to the untrained eye. I’ll show you.”
    I couldn’t accept what he was telling me, what he was implying that he intended to do with me. I thought perhaps it would just be a matter of discussion for now, that I’d still have time to talk him out of it since I’d just been dragged out of the sea unconscious. But he had other plans. Before I could react, he picked me up, still wrapped in the towel, and carried me down the main steps.
    “No, please, Master. You can’t. Please. I’ll be good. I won’t ever disobey you again.”
    “It’s not about obedience or disobedience. I’m not going to punish you for anything that happened today. You were the victim, and you were scared. I understand