The Priestess and the Thief Kindred Tales 30 - Evangeline Anderson Page 0,87
before she could get away. “Only think how much more you’ll enjoy being plowed by a royal cock, my dear,” he purred, shoving his face into hers.
His breath smelled like rotten eggs, making Elli want to gag—but she could barely breathe with his fingers wrapped around her throat.
“Help!” she gasped, trying to push back from him. “Someone help me!”
But her voice came out weak and soft and anyway, as she looked around, Elli realized that all the grooms and stable hands who had been around just a little while ago were now gone.
“I sent the servants away, my dear,” the Crown Prince murmured, giving her an ugly smile. “I prefer to take my pleasure in private sometimes—does that surprise you?”
“Leave…me…alone!” Elli gasped. Things might look hopeless, but she hadn’t been raised with four older brothers for nothing—ever protective, they had taught her how to defend herself.
Putting her hands to her throat where the Tenebrian monarch was holding her, she managed to grab one of his fingers and bend it sharply backwards.
“Ouch!” the Crown Prince yelped and jerked his hand away. “How dare you lay a finger on my royal person?” he demanded, shaking his wounded hand.
“Well, you were laying more than a finger on me!” Elli pointed out, backing away towards Demon’s stall. She hoped the Crown Prince wouldn’t follow her further into the abandoned stables, but His Majesty was clearly used to getting what he wanted and unfortunately what he wanted right now was her. He followed, glaring at Elli.
“Listen, you little whore,” he snarled. “You’re going to give me what I want or you’ll never get a piece of the Healing Lattice! This is your one and only chance to earn it so you’d best behave!”
Elli felt sick.
“You’re disgusting!” she said, her voice shaking. “And ungrateful! You never could have gotten near Demon—let alone ridden him—if I hadn’t helped you!”
“Ah, Demon—you really care for the big brute, don’t you?” The Crown Prince sneered at her.
“Of course I do!” Elli exclaimed. “He’s got a lot more honor than you,” she spat, glaring at the man advancing on her. She was still backing away, though there was really nowhere she could run. The back doors of the stables were locked and only the head groom had the key.
“Well if you really give a damn what happens to him, you’ll give me what I want,” the Crown Prince snapped. “Otherwise I’ll have him shot right in front of you. How do you like that?”
“You wouldn’t!” Elli was filled with horror. How could she have so misjudged the Tenebrian monarch? She’d thought him a fop—a foolish man who cared more for his vanity more than anything else, but harmless nonetheless. Now she saw he was a monster—but the realization had come too late. He had her cornered and there was no way out.
I’ll fight him! she thought fiercely. I’ll never let him do what he wants!
But even if she fought the Crown Prince off, then what? He was holding the life of the old Priestess Superior and Demon’s life over her head like a threat. Both of them would die if Elli didn’t give him what he wanted. But she couldn’t just let him rape her, could she?
“You know I would,” he said now, advancing on her again. “I’ll kill the big brute and you’ll never get a piece of the Healing Lattice unless you raise your skirt and spread your legs like a good girl to earn it!”
He lunged for her again and Elli gasped and tripped backwards, knocking into Demon’s stall door. The loose latch rattled at the impact and Demon snorted from inside.
Before she could right herself, the Crown Prince used Elli’s moment of weakness to his advantage. Gripping her by the shoulders, he smashed her to the ground, right outside the huge zorel’s stall, and climbed on top of her.
“No! No, stop!” Elli shouted at the top of her lungs. Now that it came to it, she found that she simply couldn’t let herself be raped. She kicked and fought, screaming for help as loud as she could—help that she knew would never come because Roke was back in the palace and everyone else was too afraid to stop the Crown Prince from taking whatever he wanted…
Suddenly Demon’s stall door rattled alarmingly and then banged open with a hollow boom as it hit the door beside it. One good kick had broken the loose latch and given him his freedom.