Page 55 of Once Upon a Fable

For a second, she stood in shock even as blood trickled through a slice in her legging where a chunk of plastic had ricocheted and cut her, then she dropped beside the wreckage, scrambling to pick up the fragments and shove them back into whatever they once had been.

“Howcouldyou?” she hissed under her breath. “God, I’m an idiot! I should never have—”

“Trespassed? Yes, my thoughts exactly.”

“Go to hell.”

“Already been.” I raked a hand through my long hair and looked around the cell for any other weapons or inconveniences. It was time she knew her place.

I’ve been too gentle on her.

Spying another device by the scratchy blanket she’d made into a nest, I stormed forward and stole yet another piece of her life.

“No!” She shot upright and once again tried to attack me. “Give that back!Please. It’s the only thing I have left!”

“You shouldn’t have brought it into my valley then, should you?” Holding it out of her reach, I permitted her to scratch at my naked chest, to kick at my knees, to believe she could overthrow me. Each strike and injury threatened to shove me deep, deep into my memories. Each punch against my scars, each scream into my ears covered me in the darkness that I’d done my best to crawl out of.

Don’t push me, girl.

You won’t like what’ll happen if you do.

Locking down the blackness threatening to burst through my heart, I stayed immobile and unmoved. I didn’t flinch when she struck. I didn’t retaliate when she hurt.

I let her use up valuable energy. To drain her so there was nothing left but obedience.

Only once her fury switched to raging tears and her hits lost their ferocity did I let go of my tightly reined self-control.

If I killed her, I would do it on my terms. Not because she’d driven me to it.

“Are you done?” I grabbed her by the throat and marched her into the wall. “My turn.”

Her spine hit with a thud. Her skull followed with a clunk. Her hands wrapped around my wrist while her face shone with despair. She acknowledged I was stronger, bigger, badder. Whatever violence she’d thrown my way, I could return tenfold. Whatever curses or threats shethought she could deliver, I would grant far worse consequences.

She didn’t speak as I held her captive.

Her pulse hammered against my fingers, out of control with grief and loathing.

Silence once again throbbed between us as I shoved her harder against the wall. With our eyes locked and that unbearable tension coiling from my chest to hers, I raised my fist and threw the device she’d fought so hard to protect on the floor.

It didn’t shatter like the last one.

The glass smashed and it went scattering into a puddle, but it might still be useable. Might still have some way of summoning people to find her. Those people would take away what was mine. They’d come for her and for me.

That can never happen.

My fingers twitched around her neck, squeezing the very same column of muscle that I’d bruised when we first met.

She winced. Endless hatred flashed in her stare. Her lips parted for breath, but she didn’t beg or plead. She just dug her nails into my forearm and waited. Waited for me to kill her. To command her. To prove that I was as dead inside as I appeared.

Or waited to prove that I wouldn’t do it.

That my threat over her life wasn’t worth fearing.

I’ll show you fear, girl.

“If no one has come for you by now, then no one will. This valley has been kept secret for generations.” Running my nose along her tear-wet cheekbone, I murmured, “Know what I think? I think you’re alone and always were. I think you were stupid enough to venture into my territory without telling anyone. I think you’re dead to everyone but me.”

“No, I—” She struggled all while I squeezed a little harder. Her stubborn strength flickered. “Wait,stop.”