Just One?
The long cold fingers that trailed Reyna’s chin made her feel absolutely sick. That overpowering cologne emanating from him wasn’t helping either and she did everything she could to not inhale his scent when he was close. “Look at you, trying to be the hero. The famous Valkyrie, bound and chained and bloodied by the likes of me. Tell me, did you think it was ever going to come to this?” Vespillo gave the collar around her neck a rough tug, driving the sharp edges deeper against her skin to brighten the dulling bruises. What he’d had to sacrifice just to get her in his grasp. It was a personal triumph that he was going to relish for the rest of his long years. Reyna smirked and spat. The wad of saliva fell short and splatted against his collar. “Of course, I shouldn’t have expected manners from a trash rat like you. Living in garbage, it’s all you know.” He tilted his head in fake sympathy as he wiped the glob away with his handkerchief and tossed it over his shoulder. “But if you give me the chance, I can make you so much more than that. Think of what you can have at your fingertips if you just stop being so confrontational.” “You mean roll over and take it.” “That is one way of putting it, though not in the crude fashion you likely mean.” He wrinkled his long nose at her as he continued his circling, like a half-dead vulture waiting for his target to die so that he could finally get a bite to eat. “Accept defeat and no more of your people will have to die. It’s as simple as that.” Simple, yes, but she had her pride to think about. Not to mention all the people she’d save so far. For her to give in to the Jennerit’s demands and let him have everything, they would all be in danger and she would go down in the history books - if anyone was still alive then - as one of the worst Rogue leaders. There was also the fact that the Jennerit before her was just a little shit who knew nothing about power except what he’d read; his hands were smooth and baby-soft, having never lifted a finger in his life, and it was likely the hardest decision he’d ever had to make was what kind of wine to drink with dinner. “I’m supposed to believe that bullshit? Like I don’t know you’re going to kill everyone on the Ring when I hand it over to you? I’m not stupid, you little shit.” There was the smallest shift to his friendly composure, when she was sure it would all crumble away into the annoying snarl she was used to seeing. But he managed to keep the facade together. In different circumstances, she would have been impressed. “And if I gave you my word? If I swore I wouldn’t harm your little friends?” That kind of deal was too good to be true without something else in exchange. “... what do you want, Jennerit?” A faint look of mock surprise washed over his features as he produced a knife from the leather sheath on his hip. He patted the flat of it against her cheek, watching as the reflected light danced off the edges of her swollen eye. “I can’t believe you’re offering. All it will take is just one.” “... one?” “One of your fingers, of course. I’ll even let you choose.” One finger was fine, right? One finger would assure the safety of her people... or it was all a lie and he wanted her to make a fool of herself, humble herself before him with bloodshed and screams. If so, she was sure to pay him back a thousandfold... if she ever managed to get out of here. “Undo the cuffs.” “Sorry?” “I said undo the cuffs! Then get out of here before I slit your throat.” “Oh, by all means.” Vespillo nodded towards the door, where two large Thrall entered to undo her bindings. The long chains snaked towards the ground in a long cacophony of rattles, clumping together in large serpentine piles. “As for the throat-slitting, I might have to give you a raincheck. Now please, ruin yourself for me and I’ll watch from here in adoration.” He produced the knife from behind the muscular Thrall standing just in front of him; it was going to take more than this toothpick to take even one of them down. Reyna plucked the knife from his hands, turned it over and gazed at her own reflection in the polished metal. Not too shabby of a black eye from a little shit-stain. She’d honestly had worse, though. One last look at the pale Jennerit before she dropped to her knees and braced her hand against the smooth, black marble. A pinkie would do... or maybe a ring finger? She would definitely keep her middle for how useful it was... She settled on the fourth after a few more seconds of deliberation just so she wouldn’t have to dwell on it any longer. “It will make such a nice pendant, don’t you think?” He clapped his hands together as he watched her raise the knife. For the first time since they’d crossed paths, she was kowtowing to his demands, and that flooded him with such an adrenaline rush, he could barely contain himself. “Sure... if I don’t cram it down your throat first...”
