Free Crimson's Captivation by LLC Melange Books

him
breathless.
    Caspian had his feet again, dragging him
toward the tree line. Then a rumble, then a thunder of claps, and
Viktor heard them, two horses approaching. He fought to remain on
the path and started screaming. Caspian dropped his feet, jumped on
his back and had his spindly fingers around Viktor’s throat,
squeezing to the point where Viktor’s screams were muted.
    From the direction of the two horses came a
whizzing sound. The pike shot through the air and speared Caspian’s
left hip. Caspian howled. Then another whisk and an airborne spike
whizzed by Caspian’s head. Caspian snarled at the two guards,
leaped up, and disappeared into the woods. The guards rushed to
Viktor’s side. Deep from the woods they heard the horror, “Death
knows where to find you, Viktor. And I will be right beside
him.”
    The guards lifted Viktor. Viktor bent over at
the waist, resting his hands on his knees, trying to catch his
breath. The battle only lasted a few seconds and Caspian had nearly
killed him, and would have, if he weren’t toying with him. The trip
to Johan in Nyberg as suggested by Sophia was now completely
understood. He was completely unprepared for what lied ahead.
     

Chapter VIII
    ~ Appraisal ~

    The night trip on the Dnieper left the
captives mentally and physically exhausted. Cold air slipped
through the gaps along the boats wooden walled shelter, causing
them to huddle against each other for warmth. Naturally, the topic
of conversation was escape. Sena picked apart all of their plans.
“You’re in a foreign land. The only value you have is the flesh
that is property of Tor. No one will assist you. They’d turn you in
for the bounty. Not to mention the moment you’re reported as
escaped, the auction house will get involved. And once returned the
punishment would be far harsher than anything you can imagine.”
    Sena also pointed out that winter was on its
way, and that winters in Poland were especially harsh.
    “I can handle the winter. What would they do
if I tried to escape? What could they do besides kill us?” Crimson
asked.
    Sena leaned toward the middle of the boat.
“You’d wish for death but it would be withheld. Because we’ve been
bitten, we die twice. First, the death of our living flesh and then
the death of our blood.”
    “But you’ve escaped. I heard you and Kieran
near the fireplace.”
    “I escaped from Crimea. The sultan has so
many concubines that he probably hasn’t even noticed my
disappearance. I wasn’t a favorite anyways, not exotic in my own
homeland and you must know—we are marked. Escape will only get you
back to Tor and under worse circumstances.”
    Crimson sighed, “I can’t bear the thought of
his egotistical hands touching me, of him between my legs or at my
breast. What if he tries to kiss me? I’m disgusted at the
thought.”
    Sena leaned back against the walls of the
boat and snickered, “You think of kissing as more intimate than
sex?”
    Crimson answered without hesitation, “Yes,
kissing is the sharing of similar body parts. My lips, my tongue.
His lips and tongue. It’s mutual. No one could force me to kiss
him. I’d simply turn away.” A distant memory seeped in and for a
moment, she remembered the tenderness of Viktor.
    “I suspect you’ll be forced to do both and
much more. Luckily, men like that don’t last long, he’ll satisfy
himself and if we are lucky he’ll eventually lose interest.” Sena
nodded toward Sergen. “I suspect Sergen will be the most used. He
will be the most enjoyed of all of us.”
    No one said anything more of escape. They
silently sat and listened to the wild rushes of the river. It was
all so cumbersome, the darkness of the cabin, the choker, the rope,
the cold, and this boat—the unknown. Their thoughts this evening
were daunting, bleak, and too frail to answer any of their internal
questions.
    After several hours, they could hear distant
voices of people guiding the Trekschuit onto land. The door opened,
and