Chapter 49
[Content Warning: Violence, Mentioned/Implied History of Rape]
Silas stepped forward, and I moved back, only realizing my mistake when my foot bumped the wall behind me. He’d cornered me, rather literally, around the turn of the hall. I pivoted to slip back toward the safety of Camilla’s new room, only for a hand to fly past my face and smack the wall to my left. My feet skidded to a stop, leaving my nose mere inches from the boy’s arm. Too late, I realize the basket had slipped from my grasp and now rolled across the floor. At least it was empty.
Looking over at his face, the boy gave me a smile. “Fancy meeting you again.” Despite his forcefulness, his tone was flirty. Though it held a subtle edge to it that left a bad feeling in my belly.
Slowly, I turned to meet his gaze, eyeing the coy smile splayed across his face.
My throat cleared. “Umm, yeah. Nice to see you.” Hopefully my obvious lack of enthusiasm would make it clear that I didn’t mean it. I stepped back, and the jerk took it as an invitation to move closer, pinning me further toward the corner. His lower arm leaned casually against the wall, from elbow to wrist, continuing to block the way back to Camilla. “Unfortunately, I’m very busy right now,” I quickly mumbled out as my eyes flittered for an escape.
With a hop to my right, I brushed past him and made haste to the basket several feet away. My hand caught the edge as I sped forward, pulling it back into my grasp. Realizing that I should have probably left it behind and just ran, I scrambled to increase my pace. Just as I was about to run, an arm slid within my own, halting me.
“Now, now,” he chastised, spinning me around as though we were dancing, until I once more faced him.
I threw the offending limb off of me, glaring at the obnoxious boy. “I’m busy.”
He gave me another smile, seemingly pleased. “I’m sure you can spare just a moment, hmm?”
“I’m not sure that—”
Silas leaned forward, barely inches from my face, and I backed away, finding myself against yet another wall. He grabbed onto my basket, pulling it from my grip and wrapping an arm around it as though he intended to carry it for me.
“I insist.”
His head tilted to the side, and he raised a brow. Then a hand met the bottom of my chin. I cringed back from the uncomfortably close jerk and turned away, disgust coating my face. I was not, in any possible world, going to give him anything even resembling an opportunity to kiss me. Blegh.
He continued, as though oblivious. “After running into you yesterday, I just haven’t been able to get you off my mind, and I’d love an opportunity to get to know you better.” His voice trailed off as he gave me an expectant look.
“I’m not sure that’s a good idea.” My mind scrambled for something to say that wouldn’t risk offending him as I tried and failed to edge away. Annoyingly, as I shifted to the right, he followed in step. “It—it wouldn’t be proper. You’re getting married, and—” And you’re a dead rotting rodent of a man. Though I knew voicing that would be a terrible idea.
“You let me worry about that.” I nearly snorted in amusement, barely managing to hold it in. If only he would concern himself over just how horrible he was. “I can assure you that my fiancé won’t mind. I’m the man in the relationship, after all. It’s not something for her to concern herself with.” I had to fight the overwhelming urge to give him the biggest sneering glare to ever cross my face, unable to stop myself from at least glowering. My fingers balled into fists as my insides boiled.
One of his hands met my side. His grubby fingers slid down along the curve toward my hips.
My mind descended into a full panic-suffused rage. A hand flew to his face. The palm met his cheek and a loud SMACK sounded throughout the quiet hall. The boy stumbled from the blow, and I shoved my way out from his grasp. His arms swirled around in the air before his ass hit the floor.
I took a shuddering breath. As my head began to clear, I blinked in surprise, catching up to what I’d just done. My gaze lowered to the hand below, a red hot sting finally reaching my palm, and I gave it several shakes. Then I glanced at the boy on the ground rubbing his face. That… was probably a mistake. Silas shifted his legs and pressed a hand to the floor as he began to get back to his feet.
I bolted.
Running down the halls, I immediately heard the telling sound of boots smacking the floor just behind me. I was an idiot; why did I just stand around staring at my hand like I couldn’t believe I’d actually hit him?
Worse, I had no idea where to go. Camilla and Lena were in the opposite direction. I wasn’t sure the maid quarters up ahead had doors that could lock. My and Camilla’s previous room still had a broken door. Just as I’d resigned myself to running out of the house and into the streets, something gripped the back of my dress and I tumbled. My hands braced in front of me and smacked onto the floor. I sucked in a breath and grimaced as the pain shot up into my arms. But I didn’t have time to dawdle. I shuffled back to my feet, only to have the jerk behind me grip the back of my dress and pull me back down to the floor. A surprised squeak of protest escaped my throat as I flipped over to face him.
He sneered and leaned down. “I was just going to toy with you for a bit. But after pulling a stunt like that, I think I’m owed a bit more, yeah?”
I grimaced and shook my head before shuffling backward until I met a wall. Silas slowly followed. “I don’t owe you anything,” I growled as I tried to leverage myself back to my feet.
Instead of stopping, he stepped around me, each of his feet moving to my sides. With one last stomp, his boot pressed into my shoulder and shoved me back down onto my back. I glared and pushed against his leg with my free arm.
“I think you do,” he growled back, leaning down. “Right, Felix?”
My eyes widened as I froze. He… he knew? How? When?
“I—I’m not—”
Another sneer spread across his lips. “I didn’t believe it at first. Thought it must have been a bad joke.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I muttered.
He ignored me. “I mean, sure, you look a bit like him. Like maybe a sister or cousin. But it had to be a coincidence. You even sound different.”
“No, really. Who are you’re talking about?” The protest wavered in my throat, weakening. He wasn’t convinced, I knew.
“And then I got to thinking about that sorceress and wondering what kind of wild magic she might have. I bet something like this is as easy as strolling down the street for her.” He stared, studying my face. “Did she make you beg for it? Force you to work for her in exchange, maybe?” Silas sneered, and I scowled back up at him. I knew he wasn’t looking for an answer. The jerk just loved the sound of his own voice. What I wouldn’t give to shut him up for once.
I jabbed against his leg and tried to slide out from beneath him, with no success. Staring him in the eyes and hoping to be as convincing as possible, I said, “Really, I have no idea what you’re going on about. Now get off—” I gasped out as his balance shifted forward and the boot crushed into my shoulder.
I winced and shakily begged out, “s-stop,” as my free hand pushed against him, with little success.
I squirmed, jabbed, and beat on his boot and trousers, until I finally caved. Sucking in a breath, I cried out, “Okay, okay, I’m Felix. I admit it. Please, just—”
I cut off as he let up, moving off of me. The throbbing pain in my shoulder spiked the rage inside me. With all my anger fueling it, I stabbed my elbow into his leg, hard enough to make the jerk wince and give a satisfying grunt. He glared and reached down to grab onto me. In response, I fought him off, hoping to find some kind of leverage to turn the tables. As I smacked one of his hands away, his other gripped the front of my dress and dragged me back up to my back to my feet as I pounded and punched at him.
“Fuck off!” I shouted and shouldered him, huffing out several breaths of air as I staggered back, getting a few feet between us. It was tempting to run, but I didn’t believe I’d be able to get far. Instead, I prepared to fight.
The ass had the nerve to grin. “There it is. The feisty little boy that I remember from when we were younger, following me along like a sad puppy until you got kicked. Not that you could ever win in a fight with me.”
“I—I’m not a—“ My words halted. I wasn’t what? A boy? Was I really going to try to claim that?
“That is the question here, isn’t it? What are you really?” He took a step forward, eyeing me up and down. It was a weird question to ask, but I knew what he meant. The answer was obvious, though, wasn’t it? I was a man, no matter how I might look. My lips stayed sealed, refusing to encourage him.
“So, which is it? Are you the fiery maid, the one that slapped me?” He rubbed his cheek, shooting me another grin. A part of me couldn’t help but wish I’d had the mind to punch him instead. Perhaps I still could. “Or just little Felix dressing up and pretending?”
A memory flickered. One of a much younger Silas standing over me, laughing and mocking me.
I scowled. “What’s it matter? You’ve had your fun. Just leave me be, Silas.”
“It matters,” he insisted, and took another step. Why did he care so much? “So why don’t we find out what the truth is?” His expression shifted to one I couldn’t parse as he continued to eye me, and my frayed nerves finally reached their limits.
Both of my hands balled into fists. I wasn’t sure where he was going with this, but I was prepared to go down fighting. Even if I knew I couldn’t win.
He caught on to my shift in posture and smirked. “Yeah, we could fight. But I’m not really sure that will give me an answer. We both know you fight like a girl. So I’ve got another idea.” His eyes roamed along my body once more, lingering around my chest and hips. A nauseous shiver flooded through me, carrying my disgust. My fists tightened to the point of becoming painful.
Silas went on, “I’ve been to a lot of different towns traveling with my father, and I’ve made out with plenty of different girls on our trips. Enough to say that I’ve got quite a bit of experience at it. No girl can turn down a kiss from me, except maybe a noble.” My eyes narrowed, and I nearly missed the brief flash in his own before he continued, “Commoner girls will pretend they don’t want it, tell me that they’re busy or that their parents will be mad, sometimes even outright say no. But deep down, they’re begging for it, begging for a boy like me to tear aside their excuses and just have my way with them. In the end, with a bit of pressure, they always give in.”
“You’re truly disgusting.” I nearly spat.
His smile was self assured, completely ignoring the rolling disgust from my words. “It’s what they really want. What all girls want beyond the facades and excuses. So how about you pucker up those lips of yours, Pearl, and we’ll find just how much of a girl you are.”
I shuddered out another breath, not of fear, but of pure rage. Silas took another step toward me, and I copied him. It didn’t matter if this meant he’d see me as a boy, or if I came out of this unable to walk tomorrow, I was going to make him regret what he’d done, and planned to do, to me and all those other girls. And Lena as well. He moved, erasing the distance between us with that knowing smirk still lingering. The muscles in my right arm tightened as he reached out for me.
“Just what do you think you’re doing to my daughter?”
Silas froze as my arm prepared to swing. Then my brain caught up to what was said, and I looked off to the side. My father strode down the hall in our direction, the normal tranquil aura around him replaced by a much rarer intensity. His hard gaze flickered over to me, eyes momentarily softening, before falling back on Silas. He stopped a few feet short of us and stared the boy down.
“Well?”