“How would you like it if you were married to a fat old pig who farts and belches?”
I closed my eyes but managed not to make a grossed out face.
“He doesn’t care if I’m happy or not.
He just wants to rip my pussy to shreds twice a month with his giant freak dick that moves all by itself.
And then to tear my babies out of womb to scatter them God knows where.
He probably sells them, that fucking fat slob.
That’s all the good I am to him.”
She rapped her knuckles on Kang to demand more tissues.
He produced them out of a compartment I didn’t know existed.
I rubbed a hand over my face.
“Oh, dear God.”
She blew her nose.
“Honestly, though, you’re a very lucky girl.
I believed your letter was a lie.
I thought Elentinus was trying to get more famous by pretending to love his wife.”
I shook my head resolutely.
“No.
I really wrote it.
I meant every word.”
Her bottom lip started to quiver.
“I wish I could trade with you.”
I soothed her shoulder.
“We’re going to make things better.”
“I don’t want it better.”
She closed her eyes and lowered her head.
“I want it over.”
I saw Elentinus and Rolf-Tem walking over to us, but continued to rub her shoulder.
“Please don’t talk like that,” I said.
“You can survive this, Inga.”
She eyed me and also caught sight of the two approaching.
“I’m not talking about killing myself.”
Elentinus and Rolf-Tem stood before us.
“Would you like to join us for breakfast?” Elentinus said to Inga.
“No.”
She gripped my sleeve.
“I want to stay with her.”
He made the Dak-Hiliah nod, but Rolf-Tem drew breath to speak.
“Husband, Rolf-Tem shocks her way too much.
She’s terrified.
Make him promise not to shock her while she’s here.”
Rolf-Tem’s jaw dropped with a gasp of shock.
He pressed his splayed fingers over his chest.
“How untrue!
I shock her exactly as many times as necessary.”
He looked at Elentinus.
“My Lord, not all your kinsmen were as lucky with their brides as you were.
Inga is perpetually defiant.
Why—she would spit in my master’s face if I didn’t control her.”
Elentinus held his hand out.
“Give me your control unit.”
Rolf-Tem continued to look affronted.
He glanced around the room while scoffing as if he was going to find some reason to refuse Elentinus.
Finally he opened his satchel and dropped the control unit into Elentinus’ hand.
My wonderful husband crushed it.
Inga clasped her trembling hands together in the prayer position.
“Oh, God…”
She collapsed forward over her knees for a new volley of tears.
I patted her back.
“Thank you so much, husband.”
“Return to your master,” Elentinus told Rolf-Tem.
Rolf-Tem stuck his pointy nose in the air and obeyed.
“I need a word with you, Maritza.”
I stood.
Inga lifted her head with a look of panic.
“I’ll return her momentarily.”
Inga nodded and Elentinus led me a few steps away from her.
He huddled near to me.
“Things between them are worse than I thought,” Elentinus said.
“I know.”
I kept my voice at a low coconspirator whisper.
“I forgot that Nayjoor was raised by his Dak-Hiliah parents.
He’s been exposed to Shindray’s rules all his life, Maritza.
He treats Inga the way his father treated his mother.
And he’s old.
Too old to change, I think.”
“I can’t believe that.”
Elentinus frowned.
“I fear you may have to.
That’s why I wanted to talk to you.
You must not get too invested in this woman’s problems.
Give her a nice reprieve while she’s here, but don’t expect you have the power to change her home life.
It’s not your fault or your responsibility.”
I felt the tears welling up again.
“Husband…she’s suicidal.”
He tsked with genuine sympathy.
“It’s a pity.
Nayjoor has no trouble telling me what he’d like to see change, but he rails against all my suggestions to bring about that change.
Younger Dak-Hiliah—they may have the chance to adopt new thinking.
This stubborn old fool?
He’ll stomp away and claim the situation is impossible before making the slightest attempt.”
“Then let’s switch.
Let me go talk to him and you listen to her for a while.”
Elentinus made an exasperated smile.
“That would be so awkward for him I almost want to allow it.
But, Maritza, I couldn’t speak to Inga alone.
I would only give her false hope.”
Now the tears flowed out.
“I’m still going to try.
We at least have to get that Rolf-Tem under control.”
I sniffled.
“And maybe make sure Lord Nayjoor gives her that drug when they sleep together.
She says he hurts her every time.”
Elentinus soothed my hair and embraced me.
I clutched him.
“Oh, my sweet Maritza.
Your compassion will be the end of you.”
He leaned back and looked at me.
“If all we can give her is a short reprieve you must accept that.”
“I still have to—“
“Shh.”
He touched my lips.
“I seldom make demands of you.
Isn’t that true?”
I nodded, but only slightly so his finger could stay on my mouth.
“This is one demand you must obey.
Don’t let this girl shift her suffering onto your shoulders.
She has no control over his situation—and neither do you.”
The way his words stung my insides…it made my cheeks hot and my legs weak.
I wished I could pull out the arrow my husband had just shot into me.
I’d turned away from him without thinking about it.
Elentinus put his hand on my chin and made me look at him.
“You’ll obey me—won’t you, Maritza?”
“Yes, husband,” I said, without thought or hesitation.
Elentinus closed his eyes and let out a shuddering sigh.
“I love you so dearly, Maritza.
You prove yourself an irreplaceable treasure again and again.”
I swallowed.
“I love you, too.
I’m grateful I got a wonderful husband like you instead of someone like Lord Nayjoor.”
He laughed and hugged me again.
“We’re a perfect match.”
I headed back to Inga and Elentinus made a fast stride back toward the far end of the lobby.
I’m a very obedient wife.
No doubt about that.
Elentinus was worthy of my obedience.
Being obedient was part of the deal here, even though my husband was usually too nice to assert his authority.
But…
I said, ‘Yes, husband,’ out of instinct, not because I was actually going to give up on this poor suffering girl.
Father knows best
when it comes to Dak-Hiliah stuff.
Dealing with human girls fell squarely into my territory.
She wasn’t leaving here with her life as broken as I found it.
I may not fix everything, but by God, nothing would stop me from trying.
I went back to the couch and sat beside her.
Inga took my hand.
“What did he say?
Let me guess—he didn’t like you disabling my shock collar.”
I felt stricken.
“No.
He’s not like that.”
I took a deep breath.
“He said he was trying to convince Nayjoor not to be such a jerk to you and he wasn’t listening.”
Inga scoffed.
“Of course not.
So what?”
“So I’m planning on talking to Nayjoor the first chance I get.”
“What do you think that’s going to do?
I don’t mean to be insulting, but are you fucking stupid?
He’s not going to change.
Even if he says he’ll change it will all be bullshit when we get home.
Especially with that asshole Rolf-Tem.
The first thing he’s going to do is get a new control unit.
He’s going to hold the fucking shock button down until his thumb falls off.
That’s what I have to look forward to.”
She shook her head and her lips started quivering again.
“God!
It makes me want to die.”
My shoulders ached.
I was starting to feel too dejected to be comforting.
“I have an asshole servant here, too.
That Hor-Denay.
Now that I’ve heard about your guy I’m grateful for him.
He doesn’t shock me.
He’s threatened a few times, but never actually done it.
He slapped me once, though.”
She rolled her eyes.
“Pah!
I would celebrate a slap.”
Now we were officially out of things to say.
I looked at Kang.
“Can you bring us two of those peanut butter milk drinks?
I forgot what you called them.”
“Of course, mistress.
I know what you’re referring to.”
“I don’t want anything to drink,” Inga said.
“Just fuck off.”
She gestured for him to go away.
I petted Kang.
“Aw, be nice to him.
This is my personal Domestic, Kang.”
“Yeah, they’re great, for some things.
They don’t protect you, though.
Anyway, make it fuck off.
I only want you around me right now.”
I tipped my chin at Kang.
He rolled away.
Inga sat up stiffly as she watched it go.
She grabbed my sleeve with a white knuckle fist and pulled me close to her.
She whispered loudly into my ear.
“Maritza, I know they talked to you.
They said you can help me escape.”