Someone was banging on the door. Drakar ignored the sound and tried to kiss her.
“Help me!” she screamed.
“Drakar, open the bloody door or I’ll have your kidneys for supper!” The voice on the other side of the door was deep and loud, and menacing enough for Drakar to let her go.
Furious at being interrupted, he stormed to the door, unlatched the bolt and flung it open so hard it near tore from its hinges.
“Leave us alone, Seth,” Drakar growled at the man facing him now.
“Buyers don’t want pregnant slaves, Drakar. Now get out of my way before I move you myself.”
Drakar stepped aside and the intruder entered the room. He glanced at Willow’s torn gown and bruised cheeks, then turned to glare at Drakar. “If you insist on doing this, I’ll bring Galin here to you. He’s waiting for you right now, isn’t he?” The man was clearly angry, but his voice was calm. It made Willow think of Caleb. She let out a low whimper.
Drakar stood at least two inches taller than Seth but the smaller man stared into his eyes with a silent challenge that echoed in the room. “Move aside, Drakar. I’ll take her from here.” Seth smiled venomously when Drakar opened his mouth to protest. “You had better start moving, or you’ll be cleaning feces from the holding rooms from now on.” He didn’t blink when Drakar snickered.
The sound of Seth’s blade being dragged from the scabbard at his side wiped the smirk off Drakar’s face.
Willow doubted he would last longer than five minutes against Drakar, although Seth looked intimidating enough, standing there holding a four-foot-long, curved sword. Clad in a bloused tunic and leather vest, his long, dark hair tied into a neat queue at the nape of his neck, he looked more like a sly thief than a man of war.
“Or would you prefer to stay here and fight me for her?” It had to be the perfect confidence in Seth’s voice that set Drakar to moving. Willow was alone with Seth in the next instant. They left the room and hurried down the hall.
He turned to her as soon as they went. “Are you alright?”
“I’m just wonderful,” Willow said hatefully.
His smile dazzled his green eyes like stars against the velvet sky. “My name is Seth,” he told her, slowing down.
“Good for you,” she spat as he led her out of the room.
He walked at her side down another long corridor, then up endless stone steps to the next landing. “I saw you when they brought you in last night,” he told her. “I was quite surprised to see you sleeping. No one ever came asleep before. Kicking, yelling, screaming, but never asleep.”
“I had been knocked unconscious.”
“Oh. What’s your name?” he tried again.
“Slave,” Willow answered curtly.
Seth stopped and snatched her wrist to halt her steps. “You’re cute,” he said, turning her to face him. “But Galin won’t appreciate your humor, so unless you want to go back to Drakar, try being a little more pleasant.”
“Pleasant?” Willow glared at him. “I’m going to be sold into slavery in a few days and you want me to be pleasant?”
He ginned, untouched by her anger. “Yes, I do.” He turned away and continued walking. “You’re not stupid. I can tell. You can stay with me or go back to him. It’s your choice.”
“And what is so much better about staying with you?” Willow sneered, catching up to him.
“Well, for starters, I won’t strike you, and I won’t rape you.” His eyes positively seared into hers like emeralds cutting glass. “And I’ll do my best to keep you in Predaria.”
Willow narrowed her eyes on him. It would certainly be better not to be hit or raped while she was here, but this man’s eyes frightened her, and she wondered if one choice was really better than the other. “Why?” she asked him. “Why are you willing to help me?”
“Help you?” he asked, and if Willow didn’t know any better, she would have sworn the sweet smile hovering over his lips was meant to charm her. “I want to keep you.”
His words fell like an anvil on Willow’s heart and she stopped and began to cry. For a moment she had thought he was going to help her get away from this place. She had hoped there was someone good and kind among these men. But there wasn’t. There was only one noble man in the world, and he lived in Shondravar.