“Laugh now, but you won’t be laughing in a few seconds,” Gus spat back at me, his face scrunching up into an even more unpleasant expression. Although far from handsome before, now he appeared downright ugly.
“Try me,” I managed, my jaw growing tighter.
“Where to start …” Gus said, glancing up at the ceiling as if he were trying to recall a long list.
“Try the beginning.”
Bringing his eyes to mine, his were ice cold, soulless even, and the exact clones of Luce’s. It suddenly dawned on me that were I to look any of my fellow tribe members in the eyes, I’m sure they would all have revealed that same hollow emptiness. Why? Because they were all automatons, obeying the orders of Luce and the Daywalker leader, Nairn. There was not an original thought to be found among the lot of them. I was suddenly glad, no, thrilled, that I no longer was considered one of them. For the first time ever, I could say that I was my own person. For the first time, I understood what true independence felt like. And I relished it.
“You have been fully stripped of your former title as Trainer to the Soldier Recruits,” Gus started, a smile sounding in his words.
“Boo-hoo!” I faux cried with an angry laugh but then the laugh died on my lips just as quickly as it surfaced. “If Luce expects me to give a shit about my title as trainer, I don’t. And you can tell him that yourself.”
“Done,” Gus said, but the smile on his face promised more bad news.
“What’s next?” I demanded with a yawn, just for the hell of it.
“Not only have you been stripped of your title as head trainer, you are also no longer to be considered a soldier. You have been expunged from the warrior class,” he continued in a hurried tone, like he couldn’t wait to get to the ultimate reveal.
“I’m not in the warrior class anymore?” I repeated in surprise, not because I was disappointed, but more because I hadn’t considered that this might happen. But, the more I thought about it, the more my demotion started to make sense. “I can’t say it was unexpected,” I offered with no trace of regret. “Luce can’t trust me, so he doesn’t want me fighting on his side or with him anymore—that makes sense.”
“Yes, obviously,” Gus spat back at me. He appeared irritated, probably because I wasn’t. “Traitors don’t usually make loyal soldiers.”
“Ah, well stated, Gussy boy,” I said with a big, fake smirk. “Maybe you’ll even earn your own page in the annals of the tribe some day!”
He glared at me for a few seconds, but soon appeared to get a handle on his anger. The creases in his forehead settled somewhat. “You’ve been demoted from the warrior class,” he continued.
“Yes, I got that part,” I interrupted him, sounding exasperated. “So what class am I in now? The humans, or have I been demoted even lower? Maybe the class of the ground squirrels?”
Gus smiled a wide, hideously ugly smile that looked more threatening than it did happy. Clearly whatever point he’d come here to deliver was something he’d been looking forward to this entire time. In fact, he was so excited, he looked like he might pee his pants. “You’ve been assigned to the class of the breeders!” he finished, nearly tripping on his words in an attempt to get them out so quickly. His serpentine smile widened.
“What?” I demanded, half wondering if I’d heard him correctly because I couldn’t say I had a clue as to what he was going on about. “What are you talking about?”
“Since you’ve been gone,” he started before glancing down at his fingernails, and inspecting each one as he deliberately took his damn time to spit the rest out.
“Yes?” I prodded him, frowning all the while. “Since I’ve been gone, what?”
“There have been some changes,” he continued. Glancing over at me again, he exhaled and clasped his hands behind him in a strangely casual manner. It almost made him look like he should have been strolling down the boardwalk somewhere. “Luce and Nairn introduced a new class of citizens within our tribe.” He paused for two seconds. “The breeder class.”
“Yeah, we got that far,” I spat back at him. “What the hell is a breeder?” I repeated, shaking my head because I was still at a loss. “You mean pair bonds?”
Pair bonds were the closest things to relationships that existed in the tribe. They consisted of a man and a woman, either Elementals with Elementals, or Daywalkers with Daywalkers (both types of creatures were kept distinctly separate). Each pair bond was preselected by Luce. Their main responsibility in the tribe was to procreate, thereby providing the tribe with a continuous supply of future tribespeople.
“No, I don’t mean pair bonds,” Gus hissed, looking disgusted with me all the while. “Pair bonds have been done away with because they weren’t populating the tribe quickly enough, or plentifully enough. They’ve been replaced with the breeders.”
“Right,” I glared back at him. “And I’m hoping that at some point in time, you’re going to explain what that term means, because I’m not sure how many more times I can tell you that I have no clue what you’re talking about,” I finished, my voice hinting at the intense indignation beginning to brew inside me. Contrary to my statement, I actually had a pretty good idea of what a breeder was, but I just needed to hear it directly from the ass’s mouth.
“Breeders are women in our tribe who are capable of nothing more than bearing future tribespeople,” Gus started, and the smile on his mouth grew increasingly irritating. “These women don’t possess intelligence or physical acuity, which might have served them well in other positions of the tribe. But, as you well know, everyone within the tribe must carry his or her own weight,” he continued. My cheeks burned with heat as the indignation I’d started to feel at the onset of this conversation began to burst into a raging fire.
“They don’t possess intelligence or physical acuity?” I repeated, barely able to form the words because my jaw was clenched so tight.
“Yes,” Gus answered in a highfalutin manner that further enraged me. “Because these women aren’t considered capable of anything else, they are used strictly for procreation.”
“Breeders are only women?” I managed to ask, my tone of voice simmering.
“Yes.”
“And they don’t assign certain men to the women?”
“No,” Gus answered as he shook his head. “Not only did Luce and Nairn notice that the tribe wasn’t being populated quickly enough, or broadly enough, they also noticed that many of the male Elementals and Daywalkers were becoming increasingly … anxious.” He offered me a knowing smile like he was among this noble group. “Thus, the breeders solved both dilemmas.”
“So Luce has basically created a whorehouse within the tribe?” I asked, unable to retain my anger any longer.
But Gus didn’t seem to notice. Instead, he considered my question seriously and took a few moments to answer it. “Maybe somewhat similar, although no one benefits financially.”
“No one benefits, period,” I snapped as all of his information began to sink into my head. The more it sunk in, the more angry I became. Suddenly, I felt like I couldn’t get enough air into my lungs, like I was ready to pass out.
“As you can imagine, being relegated to the class of the breeder is the ultimate slap in the face,” Gus continued. “It means your only service to the tribe is based on your body’s natural ability to create offspring,” he finished, and then started to laugh as if all of it was hysterically funny. “And now you can pride yourself to be among that prestigious lot.”
“Over my dead body,” I spat back at him, shaking my head all the while. The mortification and dumbfounded anger I felt echoed in my voice. There was no way in hell that I would willingly allow myself to be used for some man’s … pleasure.
“Everything isn’t quite so funny now, is it?” Gus teased, glaring at me, all the while appearing pleased with himself.
“This can’t be happening,” I mumbled, shaking my head because it didn’t make any sense to me. I needed to hear it again if only to make
sure I heard Gus right the first time around. Because I wasn’t fully convinced that I hadn’t just made the last few minutes of my life completely up. Maybe I was just in the middle of a very vivid but terrible dream.
“Oh, it’s definitely happening,” Gus replied, that horrid smile of his in attendance.
“I’ve been assigned to the breeding class?” I asked again, shaking my head because I failed to understand how this could be. Yes, I’d screwed up in Luce’s eyes by protecting my sister, but that didn’t automatically obliterate my skills and gifts as a warrior. Luce was more than aware that I was among the best in my tribe. Certainly, I was the most capable woman. No one would doubt that …
“I’m not sure how else I can put it,” Gus persisted, adopting the same pedantic stance I’d assumed earlier. “You will be one of the bearers of our future tribespeople,” he continued. “It will be your responsibility to produce healthy offspring and contribute to the perpetuation of the tribe.”
I was suddenly overcome with humiliation, indignity and anger. My cheeks grew hot with rage as my hands fisted at my sides and my breathing escalated. This was the biggest blow Luce could have struck. Going from a revered warrior to a whore was … a heinous offense to say the least. “Is this some kind of joke?” I demanded, eyeing Gus pointedly.
“No, it’s not a joke,” he answered, taking a few steps toward me. I immediately backed up, pushing my chair behind me so hard that it fell over. But I wasn’t concerned. Instead, I assumed my fighting stance, placing both of my feet shoulder-width apart as I stared Gus down and tried to anticipate his actions.
“Why are you the one telling me this?” I demanded angrily.
Gus smiled again. “Luce informed me of your plight and then he said I was to be your first visitor.” He smiled widely, revealing all of his crooked teeth. I suddenly felt sick to my stomach. “It is my responsibility to be the first male to impregnate you.”
Imagining my first sexual experience could be with Gus immersed me with a fury the likes of which I’d never before felt. I immediately shook my head.
There is no way in hell I will ever allow Gus to know me intimately, I promised myself. I would sooner die.
“If you think I’ll let you touch me,” I started, my chest rising as anger boiled over inside of me.
“I am going to touch you,” he interrupted with another ugly grin. “Because I’ve been ordered to.” Then he looked me up and down, his gaze landing on my bust. “But I bet I’ll enjoy every second of it.” He took another few steps toward me, still wearing that obscene smile. “And I’ll let you know now that a long line of men are vying to be with you,” he continued as my stomach dropped to my feet. “As soon as Luce announced you were the newest breeding recruit, you’ve been at the center of every man’s thoughts,” he persisted as his eyes traveled the length of me again. “Luckily for me, I get to break you in.”
“I’m going to warn you once,” I seethed, refusing to even consider the idea of Gus having sex with me. I would fight to the death. “Don’t come near me.”
He chuckled while shaking his head, like I just didn’t get it. But he didn’t say anything. Of course, he didn’t really need to. His body language was warning enough. It was now very obvious that Gus didn’t intend to give up. That meant I was about to have a fight on my hands even though I’d hoped otherwise. Gus wouldn’t be easily defeated—he was much larger than I was, and he was an extremely capable Elemental.
Of course, my other choice was simply giving in and letting him have his way with me … And there was no way that was going to happen. No, I’d already promised myself that I wouldn’t go down without a fight. No pun intended.
I raised my hands up and angled my body away from him, my feet still shoulder-width apart. I bent my knees slightly to ensure better balance. The last thing I wanted was to get knocked down. If Gus was able to get me on my back, it would be that much more difficult to fight him off. I held my hands up in front of my face to protect it, just like any good boxer would do.
“You’re going to fight me?” Gus asked with a laugh. He shook his head to let me know I was wasting my time.
“That’s a stupid question,” I replied before shutting my mouth tightly. A well-placed jab to an open mouth could easily break my jaw.
He continued to shake his head. “What a shame, Bryn,” he started. “I thought we could take things slow. I was going to be gentle with you.” Then his eyebrows reached for the ceiling. “That is, of course, if you’re still a virgin?” Narrowing his eyes as he studied me, his face contorted into an angry, hostile expression as humiliation burned inside of me that he was even discussing my sexual status. “But I’m betting you’re not. I’m betting you’ve had all sorts of filth inside you.”
I chose to ignore him and, instead, paid attention to his body language. Without budging from my fighting stance, I held my ground. I planned to wait for Gus to either strike me, or otherwise touch me. Then it would be on. In the meantime, I had to wait it out. I knew Gus was right-handed, which meant he would probably attempt to strike me in the head with his right hand. Ninety-five percent of the time, people aimed directly for the face.
But Gus didn’t go for my face. Instead, he came at me like a football player, ready to knock me over. As soon as I realized what he was doing, I simply sidestepped, and jumped over the already overturned chair in the process. Then, before he could figure out what to do next, I turned on him and took advantage of his momentary surprise.
Turning my body to the side, I lashed out with my foot, kicking him right in the side of his left femur. He immediately shrieked since my kick was well placed. But rather than tending to his aching leg, he knew better and, instead, speared me with an angry expression.
“You’re going to,” he started, but I didn’t give him a chance to finish his threat. Instead, I was preparing blow number two, which I planned to direct at his face. In general, one had to be careful when hitting someone in the face. There was always a chance I could easily break the small bones in my hands or wrist, or even collapse my knuckles. So, I aimed for his nose and lips to minimize any risk to my hand. Planting my fist in his nose, I felt the bones and cartilage instantly breaking beneath my knuckles. Seconds later, my hand was covered with hot, viscous blood.
A perfectly delivered punch! I congratulated myself.
“You bitch!” Gus screamed as he wailed helplessly and brought his hands to his face, cupping his nose. “You broke my fucking nose!”
“I warned you!” I yelled at him with no amount of apology. I braced myself in case he decided to come at me again, because this time, his attack would surely be fueled by anger and humiliation which meant it would be that much stronger.
But he didn’t come at me. Instead, he stood up straight while still cupping his nose, which continued to leak blood like a sieve. He started for the door and unlocked it with his free hand. Then he turned to face me, his nose and eyes already looking like they were swelling. I started to smile. I just couldn’t help it.
“You’re going to regret that,” he said.
“Hmm, somehow I doubt that very much,” I responded and watched him disappear through the door as he slammed it shut behind him.
When he was gone, I exhaled and shook my hand out, feeling the pain in my knuckles. I inspected them, but didn’t see any permanent damage. They were just sore from the power I’d packed behind my punch.
I stretched my neck to the left and then to the right and thought about everything that had just happened. Although I was obviously victorious in this fight, I didn’t feel especially triumphant. Nope. That was because there was an assuredness within me that it was simply a matter of time before Luce would get his way, and my public humiliation would be complete.
SIX
My temporary reprieve from Gus didn’t last very long. He returned the next evening (sporting two black eyes and a bandaged nose) with another seasoned Elemental soldier, Will Hunter. While I hadn’t had much interaction with Gus in my
past, Will and I had been sparring partners on more than one occasion. At one point, I’d even considered him a friend …
How wrong I’d been.
Although I put up a good fight, in the end, I just couldn’t protect myself from both of them. It came down to the simple fact that I was physically unable to take on two men who were much larger and stronger than I was. And it wasn’t as though I could have relied on my magical abilities (which were far greater than Gus’s or Will’s combined) either. By installing a series of magical wards throughout my prison, Luce had done a damn good job of ensuring that my magic was totally impotent.
So without my magical powers, and being physically unable to match Gus’s and Will’s brawn, I couldn’t fight the inevitable. Even though it was an outcome I’d mentally prepared myself for, I couldn’t say that fact made it any easier to endure.
But though they forced themselves on me, I refused to allow them to think they’d won. I didn’t scream, or cry, or let them know they were hurting me. Instead, I walled off my emotions. I pulled a poker face and pretended like my pride and inner strength weren’t suffering with every crude remark or painful thrust. I didn’t know how it was possible, but after a while, I managed to disassociate myself from everything that was happening. I traveled to a place in my head that I hadn’t known existed, but it provided a safe haven all the same.
I wasn’t sure how long the deed lasted. It could have been mere minutes, or an hour. After they finished, I was vaguely aware of them dressing before lauding one another on a “job well done.” Had I been in the right frame of mind, I might have found it interesting, or offensive, or even a relief that neither one of them would look at me. Maybe it was just as well because I couldn’t look at them.
After being abandoned to my solitude, I retreated from the bedroom and pulled the door closed behind me as hard as I could. I felt the doorknob vibrate in my palm as the door met the jamb.