Аманда Хокинг - Torn

Matt didn’t look convinced, but I don’t think anything could’ve convinced him. This whole thing had turned into a giant horrible mess, all because I hadn’t wanted to stay in Förening and be a stupid Princess.

If I had, none of this would’ve happened. Matt and Rhys would be at their respective homes, safe and sound, and Finn would be… Well, I didn’t know where he’d be, but it had to be better than whatever really did happen to him.

With that thought burning in my mind, I pounded on the door, knocking as loudly as I could. My fist hurt from how hard I hit, but I didn’t care.

“What?” A deep, craggy voice asked, and a slot slid open in the middle of the door.

I bent over to peer through, and I saw the hobgoblin that had come in with Loki.

His eyes were buried under bushy eyebrows, and I wasn’t sure if I had a good enough view to persuade him. Or even if it worked on actual trolls. They appeared to be an entirely different species from me.

“Ludlow, is it?” I asked, remembering the name Loki had shouted when sending for help.

“Don’t try to sweet talk me, Princess.” The hobgoblin coughed, retching up phlegm and spitting it on the ground. He wiped his face on the back of his sleeve before turning to me. “I’ve turned down far prettier girls than you before.”

“I need to go to the bathroom.” I dropped any pretense of being friendly. I had a feeling that honesty and cynicism would go farther with him.

“So go. You don’t have to ask me for permission,” Ludlow laughed, but it wasn’t a pleasant sound.

“There’s no bathroom in here. I’m not gonna squat on the ground,” I said, genuinely disgusted by the idea.

“Then hold it.” Ludlow started to shut the slot, but I put my hand out. He pushed hard, but I stopped it easily. If it came down to it, I could totally overpower the hobgoblin.

“Can’t you get a guard or something to take me the bathroom?” I asked.

“I am the guard,” Ludlow snapped, sounding huffy.

“Oh really?” I smirked at him, realizing this might be far easier than I thought.

“Don’t underestimate me, Princess,” Ludlow growled. “I eat girls like you for breakfast.”

“So you’re a cannibal?” I wrinkled my nose.

“Ludlow, are you harassing the poor girl?” A voice came from out of sight of the slot. Ludlow moved to the side, and I saw Loki swaggering towards us.

“She’s harassing me,” Ludlow complained.

“Yes, talking to a beautiful Princess - what a rough lot you have in life,” Loki said dryly, and Matt snorted behind me.

Ludlow muttered something, but Loki held up his hand, silencing him. He was too close to the door for me to see his face. The slot was at Ludlow’s eye level, which was about at Loki’s waist.

“What seems to be the problem?” Loki asked.

“I need to go to the bathroom.” I leaned in closer to the slot, peering up at him. I wanted to catch his eye, but they stayed out of my vision.

“And I told her to go inside the cell,” Ludlow said with pride in his voice.

“Oh come now. She’s not a common mänks. We can’t leave her in squalor!” Loki chastised the troll, sounding genuinely displeased. “Open the door. Let her out.”

“But, sir, I’m not to let her out until the King calls for her.” Ludlow looked up at him nervously.

“You think the King would want her treated this way?” Loki asked, and the hobgoblin wrung his hands. “You can explain to the Majesty that this is all my fault, if it comes to it.”

Ludlow nodded his reluctant compliance. He slid the slot shut, and I let him this time. I stood up and listened to the sounds of the bolts and locks clicking and turning.

“I don’t like this,” Matt said, throwing his disapproval into the ring.

“We don’t have much of a choice,” I whispered. “I got us into this, and I’ll get us out.”

The door opened a bit, and I stood back, expecting it to open farther. I thought Loki would step in, I would use persuasion, and we would be off. But he and Ludlow remained hidden outside.

“Well?” Ludlow asked. “I’m not holding this door open all day.”

Ludlow had left the door open a few inches, barely enough room for me to slide my body through. I squeezed my way out, and as soon as I had, Ludlow slammed the door shut. I stared down at him, already busying himself with locking it up.

“The bathroom is this way,” Loki said.

He gestured down the hall. It had the same dank bricks as the cell I’d been in.

The floors were dirt, and torches on the wall lit the way.

“Thanks.” I smiled at Loki and caught his eyes easily. They were really quite beautiful, a dark golden color, but I pushed that thought from my mind.

Concentrating as hard as I could, I started chanting, Let them go. Let us go.

Open the cell and let us go. It took a few seconds before I saw any response, but the one I got wasn’t at all what I was expecting.

A bemused smile crossed his lips, and his eyes sparkled with wicked pleasure.

“I bet you don’t even have to go to the bathroom, do you?” Loki smirked at me.

“I - what?” I fumbled, startled that nothing happened.

“I told you we shouldn’t let her out!” Ludlow shouted, defending his position.

“Relax, Ludlow,” Loki said but kept his eyes on me. “She’s fine. Harmless.”

I redoubled my efforts, thinking I hadn’t tried hard enough. Maybe I’d weakened myself by using persuasion on Rhys so recently. Healers were tired and aged after they used their abilities. I was probably the same way, even though I didn’t feel tired.

I had started repeating it in my mind again when Loki waved his hand, stopping me.

“Easy, Princess, you’re going to hurt yourself,” he laughed. “You’re persistent, though. I’ll give you that.”

“So what? You’re immune or something?” I asked.

No point in pretending I hadn’t been trying to use persuasion on him. He obviously knew what I was doing.

“Not exactly. You’re far too unfocused.” He crossed his arms over his chest, watching me with that same curious expression he always seemed to have. “You’re quite powerful, though.”

“I thought you said she was harmless,” Ludlow interjected.

“She is. Without training, she’s almost useless,” Loki clarified. “Someday, she’ll be a great asset. Right now, she’s little more than a parlor trick.”

“Thanks,” I muttered.

I hurried to rethink the plan. I could definitely take down Ludlow, but I didn’t understand how all the locks worked. Even if I got him out of the way, I wasn’t sure that I could open the door.

Loki stood right in front of me, and I already knew how well I’d fare against him.

Besides being taller and stronger than me, he had the ability to knock me out just by looking at me. I had no plan.

“I can see your mind spinning,” Loki said, almost in awe. I tensed up, afraid he might be able to read my mind, and I tried to think of nothing. “I can’t see what’s on your mind. If I had, I wouldn’t have let you out. But now that you are, we might as well make the best of it.”

“What do you mean?” I asked warily, moving away from him.

“You overestimate my interest in you.” Loki grinned broadly. “I prefer my Princesses in unsoiled pajamas.”

My clothes would’ve been relatively clean, if it weren’t for the blood on my sweater and some dirt on my knees. I’m sure I was a mess, but it wasn’t my fault.

“I’m sorry. I usually look much nicer after I take a beating,” I said, and his smile faltered.

“Yes, well, I don’t think you’ll have to worry about that now.” Loki recovered quickly, his cocky edge returning. “I think it’s time you went and saw Sara.”