Chapter 12

Naomi did as she was told and stretched out on her back. Tavik stood at the foot of the bed and took her ankles in his hands. He coiled the torn strips around her ankles and lashed them to the bed post.

Naomi knew she should fight, but she was done. No more fight left in her. She'd been marooned, captured, branded, and married, all in the space of a day. Why not get tied to a bed against her will? It was the perfect honeymoon to go with her wedding. She shook her head to herself and closed her eyes as her 'husband' trussed her up.

She raised her arms over her head without instruction. He took her hands and lashed them to the bedpost. He did not tie her cuttingly tight. She could twist some but not enough to free herself.

When she was completely tied, he once again doused all the light in the room. Naomi waited tensely for him to come back to the bed. Instead of feeling his weight disrupt the other side, she heard him sit in the chair that she had been sleeping in earlier. Her eyebrows rose at that, but she didn’t comment. She was tied to a bed. The situation was still seriously screwed up. Just because he wasn't going to force himself on her or anything didn't mean she should be grateful to him.

She wondered if her situation could get anymore tense and surreal. As she drifted off to sleep, she heard a soft snore come from the other side of the room. A small smirk crept onto her face. Of course, he would snore.

“Naomi, wake up. Naomi.”

Naomi groaned and tried to turn away, but her hands were above her head, and she couldn’t seem to move them. She had a similar dilemma with her feet. Naomi cracked open one eye to discover what her predicament was and found a demon staring down at her.

“Oh shit!” she gasped and tried to jerk away, but with her limbs still tied to the bed, she couldn’t go anywhere.

“Wake up,” the demon ordered again. Naomi blinked and realized that it was Tavik. She scowled at the masked man and jerked her arms and legs in annoyance.

“I'm awake. Untie me.”

Tavik straightened and crossed his arms.

“What?” she demanded.

"Do you work for Agatha?"

"No, I don't! Please untie me."

"Are you in collusion with anyone else against me?"

"Who? I just got here! Please. Untie. Me."

"And you are not Lady Alyssa?"

"How come you don't know what this lady looks like? I mean if she was potentially going to be your wife, wouldn't you check her out beforehand? While you answer, you can untie me."

Tavik made no move to her bonds. "It wasn't necessary to see her beforehand. If when I saw her and I found her unsuitable, I could just dispose of her." Well, that was a cheerful thought to start the day. If he hadn't thought she was cute enough or whatever, he wouldn't have let her choose whether to marry him. He simply would have gutted her.

Her voice cracked when she made her request again. "Please, untie me."

For a second, she thought Tavik would still refuse, but he finally reached and undid the knots at her wrists. Naomi lowered her arms and rubbed her wrists. Her hands were slightly numb from poor circulation. Tavik moved down to her ankles and undid those knots as well, but he held her ankles lightly after untying them.

"I promised I would not harm you."

"Why not? I'm not Lady Alyssa. What does my welfare matter?"

"Because I keep my promises."

That statement had more resonance for Tavik than she could understand, but she nodded her head to show she accepted his statement. He removed his hands from her feet. Naomi swung her legs over the side to the bed and sat up. She watched Tavik warily. She had no idea what was expected of her now. Tavik, on the other hand, seemed intent on ignoring her now. He turned away and stretched. He had on a loose shirt and a pair of baggy pants. When he was finished with his stretch, he flopped his arms down and scratched his butt. Naomi could not help snorting. So much for decorum, she thought dryly.

There was a tap at the door. Tavik opened it to let in Yula with a tray of food. Yula shot Naomi a worried look. She smiled to reassure her. Yula set the tray on the small table and set one plate and utensils. Naomi got up but hung back at the side of the bed. Was the plate for her or him? Tavik placed two chairs at the table and sat down in the chair without a plate. Naomi came over and sat across from him.

She ate a small spoonful of what tasted like oatmeal. Tavik lounged across from her. Eating breakfast with a devil masked man was certainly strange. Doing anything with a devil masked man was strange.

“Yula, please keep Naomi company today while we ride.”

“Yes, sir,” Yula said.

“Where are we going?” Naomi asked.

“East.”

Naomi’s eyes flashed annoyance at the vague answer.

Tavik rose. “Make sure you are ready when the caravan is ready.”

Yula nodded. Naomi held her tongue. Once Tavik was out of the room, Naomi turned to Yula. She needed information. Any information.

“Humor me?” she asked.

Yula tilted her head in confusion.

“I’m going to ask you questions and just answer them, please. Don’t try to tell me I know the answers because I’m Lady Alyssa, okay?”

Yula nodded her head.

“Where are we going?”

“Lord Tavik told you.”

“Lord Tavik was being difficult. You know where we’re going don’t you? Please tell me.”

“We’re returning to the heart of Lord Tavik’s domain.”

“Why aren’t we staying here?”

Yula shrugged. “He never spends time in his conquered lands. He sets up a man to oversee the area and collect his taxes and leaves.”

“So this is all about money? That’s why he raids the areas?”

Yula didn’t immediately respond. She looked down at her hands. “Lord Tavik’s reasons are his own. Money is one reason, but there are others.”

“What are they?”

Yula’s hands fluttered in her lap like wounded birds. “That is our lord’s business not ours. All I know is that there were villages that would have sworn allegiance to him without bloodshed, yet he still sent his men in with swords drawn.”

“That’s awful. He kills people who don’t stand against him?”

Yula shrugged. “I think it is more accurate to say he wants people to stand against him. He enjoys the bloodshed.”

Naomi absorbed this. Who the hell was she married to?

Continue to Chapter 13.