Nightmarish Things

“It’d taken me decades of ending the fight. Of pretending I’d given up.”

“Resisting him?” Disseus cut in. His voice harsh.

She swallowed hard and he noticed that her body began to tremble in his grip. “Yes. For months I pretended I had not the merest hint of fight any longer. I let him take the husk he held captive and no longer clawed or bit or attacked him.”

“You pretended to submit to his violation?” Disseus’ throat tightened and he was sickened. Imagining her, fierce creature that she was, playing dead for so long to meet the needs of some long game plan.

It must’ve killed her.

And though he’d already harbored deep hatred for the Demon King, now it rose to new heights.

But am I really any better? That made Disseus mouth dry and his strong heart thrum fiercely. She’s doing the same for me now.

And he wondered what he was doing to her mind. She has to be nearly broken from what she’d endured.

Though he’d seen no sign of that yet.

***

“It was for a purpose.” She dismissed. Unwilling