Chapter 14 - The Game of Silence

"In a den of Lions, the Snake’s venom was still sharpest."

-Nest Of Serpests

by E.S.Mare

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A deep-seated smell lingered in the air — the rich aroma of unfamiliar spices, coming from a small fire crackling nearby.

It might have been the most beautiful scent I’d ever encountered. The spices were unfamiliar—foreign, indecipherable—but each breath I drew laced my lungs with that delicious aroma and made my stomach twist in longing.

“If you’re awake, sit up and eat something!”

Even before I opened my eyes, I heard the crackle of firewood. Its warmth pulled me under like a lullaby. I could have died there. Bathed in heat, surrounded by the divine smell of food…

No, I couldn’t die.

My eyes flew open and locked with the cold, scornful gaze of that repulsive Tiger—Raiden. He looked at me just as my sister Teressa once had… as if I were nothing more than an insect beneath his heel.

A rough cloth was tied tightly around my back, though the tunic torn by the Lion still clung stubbornly to my skin. Beneath the loose fabric, my torn undergarments chafed harshly against me. At least the rest of my clothes remained undisturbed—a small mercy in a merciless place.

Suddenly, a plate was set before me. Across from me sat a lioness named Adara, who nudged the dish closer with a quiet determination.

“Do you want help sitting up?”

I didn’t know where I was lying, or in what condition, but the pain in my back had dulled. I wasn’t shaking anymore. As I slowly sat up, I realized the tunic hadn’t fallen open—it had been knotted shut behind me.

I lay motionless beside the fireplace before my eyes flew open. They’d thrown down a cloth over the stone floor, and—strangely—they’d even placed a pillow beneath my head. One wrist was chained. Just one. How thoughtful.

I could still kill at least one of them with one hand.

Maybe the Lioness, sitting far too comfortably in front of me...

“Stop treating her like that,” Raiden snapped. “We ought to be crushing this filthy Snake’s skull, and instead we’re feeding her.”

...Though the Tiger behind me would likely tear out my throat the moment I did.

Adara gave him a sharp glance. “Kindness won’t cost you anything, Raiden. She’s a Snake, yes. But she’s also a woman.”

“A woman?” Raiden let out a dry, humorless laugh. “You really do say the strangest things, Adara. Occasionally amusing… rarely wise.”

The girl turned back to me with a grunt. “Sometimes I want to kill him. Actually—most of the time.”

Their pathetic bickering irritated me more than my own circumstances.

“My friend,” I said, breathing in the mouth-watering scent of the food. “Where is he? Is he safe? What have you done to him?”

It wasn’t the girl or Raiden who answered me.

“Eat first. Then ask questions,” said a voice from the far corner of the room, Lian.

He rose from the floor—or rather, from beneath it. He was coming from below. From the place where they had kept me before… like some caged animal in a barn. That’s where Vilas was now.

I yanked hard on the chain. Adara leapt back, drawing her knife. I didn’t care. Nothing they did could frighten me anymore—not after everything.

“What have you done to him?!”

As Lian walked toward me, calm and measured, the girl stood and backed away. Raiden was breathing heavily through his nose but—miraculously—kept his mouth shut. Lian stopped just a step from me. I had to lift my chin to meet his gaze.

“Eat,” he said, “and don’t cause trouble. Answer our questions, and maybe we’ll bother answering yours.”

Stolen novel; please report.

I knocked the plate over with a curse. I knew I’d regret it—especially when Lian said,

“There won’t be another plate.”

Still chained to the wall, I braced one hand on the floor and took a slow breath. Adara picked up the plate and walked away without so much as a glance in my direction. Raiden smiled faintly at my state. I suppressed the urge to strike him. Not that I could have—not like this. I was weak. Spent. Even if I’d had the strength, the chain around my wrist was tight enough to halt my blood.

I had to stay calm. If I kept my head, if I spoke sensibly, maybe they’d release us. Maybe...

“Ask what you want,” I said quietly, staring at the ground.

Lian sat where he’d been standing, one leg stretched out, the other drawn up to his chest. His foot nearly brushed my hand—he was doing it on purpose, knowing I couldn’t retaliate. Or perhaps he was baiting me, searching for a reason to finish what he hadn’t. But if that were his goal, he would’ve let me die long ago. No, he’d gone so far as to heal the wounds on my back. All for answers.

“How did you get those wounds?” he asked.

Raiden laughed. “Probably whored herself to the wrong man. Or maybe that filthy mutt downstairs did it.”

Lian inhaled slowly but didn’t look at him. Didn’t answer. He was waiting—for me.

I drew back until my spine hit the wall, wincing. The heat of the fire struck my face. I turned my eyes from Lian to Raiden.

“Yes,” I said. “I whored myself to the wrong man. Judging by your precise guess, you must know what that’s like. Tell me, is prostitution difficult? You must’ve suffered greatly. I feel for you. Deeply.”

Raiden tightened his jaw and took a step toward me. Lian lifted his hand to stop him.

“I suggest you watch your tongue,” he warned me. “If you want to see your friend again. In one piece.”

I bit my lip. If I pressed just a little harder, my sharp teeth would pierce it with ease. I tilted my head toward Lian.

“You know what? Kill us both. Chop off our heads and shove them up your noble ass.”

Lian’s brows lifted—mild surprise—then he turned and gave Raiden a look. Raiden grinned and headed for the wooden hatch leading to the storage below. To where Vilas was kept.

I bit harder, and this time I tasted blood.

Still, I said nothing.

I held Lian’s gaze. And even as muffled moans rose from below, he kept watching me. I didn’t look away. It hurt—but I didn’t look away.

“Your turn,” I said to him. “Are you going to stare at me, or start throwing punches?”

He drew his knife again—not to strike, but to spin it slowly in his fingers.

“You once said you didn’t want to die. What’s changed since then?”

“I thought I was speaking to someone noble,” I answered, voice calm. “The only thing that wounds me is knowing I was right.”

“You mean wrong,” he said, correcting me coolly. He was angry—I knew it—but he hid it well.

“No. I knew you weren’t noble. I simply hoped… for a moment… that you might be. But who among us hasn’t hoped for the wrong things?”

“You sound more upset by my reaction than by my words.”

He was right. That’s what stung. It wasn’t his insult that angered me—my pride wasn’t so easily broken. It was the fact that he let that dog Raiden get his fun. I’d wanted—just once—for him to be a man of honor. Not a Lion.

That’s why I was truly angry.

At myself.

I despise them all.

“So?” I said. “Are you going to kill me, or keep talking?”

He moved suddenly, pressing the blade against my throat. My back crushed against the stone behind me, sending a fresh wave of pain up my spine. My vision blurred—but not from fear. Hunger, maybe. Or exhaustion. Black spots flickered in my sight as I stared at him.

“I warned you,” he said. “Don’t toy with me, Snake. A Lion doesn’t play with prey. Now answer me! Are you going to talk—or should I kill you?”

His yellow eyes looked like they’d been smeared with ash. My eyes closed, then opened again.

“Aren’t you going to kill me anyway?”

“It's up to you,” he said, though it was a lie. The choice was entirely his.

He would most likely kill me—but I knew that if I could get even a glimpse into his mind, he wouldn’t do it before scraping the truth from me.

Curiosity glinted in his eyes, especially after he saw the whip marks on my back.

Now, he doubted every word I’d told him. That was the path I needed to walk.

“You’re not the only one who can see through lies," I said. “One path or another, you’ll kill us. Then do it. Now.” I shut my eyes tight, then blinked away the haze. “All I ever wanted was to breathe free… but it seems even the air tastes of chains—whether in a Snake’s dungeon or a Lion’s lair...” Curse black spots... I closed my eyes again for a heartbeat, then opened them. “It makes no difference. All paths bleed into one—death. But at least I walked mine with open eyes.”

“The Snake’s dungeon?” he asked, narrowing his eyes.

Exactly. Yes, focus there. Whip. Dungeon. Freedom. Let the words slither together and bite you where it hurts, you purring beast.

“Kill me!” I said instead of answering. “Don’t worry. Killing a Snake whore won’t so much as graze a Snake’s conscience.”

He gritted his teeth and pressed the blade a little deeper. My skin broke—just enough to make the message clear. But he didn't go further.

I had expected this. Still, I wasn’t entirely certain...

I wouldn't gamble with my life again.

Maybe with Vilas’s.

When he finally withdrew the blade, the black smoke within me thickened. My head dropped forward. My forehead came to rest against his shoulder. I hadn’t meant to do that—but he was the one who dragged me here. He should’ve known better than to come so close while spitting disgust.

He swore and shouted, “Ada!”

I heard the girl’s quick footsteps. Lian pulled my head back, but didn’t look at me. His eyes were on her.

When he said, “Call Raiden back,” I let out a long breath. His golden eyes turned to me. He clenched his teeth again and ripped a piece from the cloth beneath me, pressing it firmly to my neck.

I smiled with half-lidded eyes, knowing full well it would only fuel his fury. “And a plate of food for the whore,” I said, savoring the moment.

His breath hissed out, sharp and furious.

“And—” he said, jaw tightening. He shut his eyes briefly, then opened them.

“Bring another plate. For the Rattle’s Song.”