A Cruel World

"Ahh!"

Leonariz's cry echoed in the small, windowless room—just her and the iron door they'd thrown her through. She struggled to sit up, the shackles digging into her wrists and ankles. Her body ached from the fall onto the hard cement floor.

The leader of the men sauntered in, taking a drag from his expensive pipe. He looked down at her, all smug. "You'll be staying here until we're ready to use you," he said, a sneer playing on his lips.

"The deal… you said you wouldn't hurt my people—" Leonariz whispered, but his harsh laugh cut her off.

He stepped closer, towering over her, and grabbed her already bruised face.

"You think I'm not a man of my word?!" he snarled, his breath hot on her face. A glob of spittle landed on her cheek.

"No," Leonariz whispered, her voice barely audible.

She had to be careful. One wrong move, and her whole tribe would pay. No matter what he did to her, she wouldn't give him a reason to hurt them.

He leaned in, studying her face, his gaze lingering on her bruises. Then, with a disgusted click of his tongue, he let go, sending her sprawling to the floor again.

She didn't bother getting up; exhaustion had her pinned. But her eyes stayed locked on him. He shook his head, then grabbed her hair, yanking her up.

She winced, but her gaze didn't waver.

"Such a pretty face… too bad it's going to waste," he said, blowing smoke in her face. "They'll buy you, alright. They'll… you know… do things with you. What do they call it these days?" He pretended to think.

"Aha!" He tightened his grip on her hair, their faces practically touching. "Sex slave. They're gonna make you their personal sex slave." He grinned, pressing the burning ember of his pipe to her leg.

"Ouch! That burns!" Leonariz yelped, trying to pull away.

He just laughed, pressing harder. The searing pain was agony; walking would be impossible. But she fought back the tears, biting down hard on her lip. She had to keep him calm; her tribe depended on it.

He laughed, a cruel, demonic sound, pressing the burning ember to different parts of her body. Each time, she winced, her lip bleeding from the force of her bite. She couldn't risk making him angry.

He was about to burn her other leg when a hard boot slammed into his jaw, sending him sprawling against the wall.

Leonariz's eyes widened in shock at the sight of the bleeding man.

"What the hell do you think you're doing, Estes?"

A chill ran down her spine at the deep, gravelly voice. She looked up at the man who'd just attacked Estes. He stood over her, hands in his pockets, his gaze cold and assessing.

His blue eyes were empty, his face expressionless. She'd never seen anyone like him before. He was Russian, just like the man who'd taught them about the outside world.

"Sorry, Demian. But this little… thing… was getting on my nerves," Estes groaned, clutching his jaw.

"Bastard, that's not what he told us to do. You want another beating?"

Estes nodded frantically, scrambling to his feet and bolting from the room.

Leonariz and Demian were alone. Their eyes met.

He clicked his tongue. "So, I hear you understand a bit of our language?"

Leonariz swallowed, giving a slow nod. A new kind of fear washed over her. What if they found out she knew more? That man had taught her several languages, including this one.

"Clever girl, for someone from a… primitive tribe," he said, a hint of something like amusement in his voice.

"You… you won't hurt my people, right?" Leonariz asked, her voice barely a whisper.

His eyes widened slightly, a ghost of a smile touching his lips. "Damn, you're a negotiator, huh? Tell me… how'd you learn?" Demian asked, a strange, almost predatory smile spreading across his face.

Leonariz felt the danger radiating from him, but she held his gaze.

"I… don't know," she said.

"Too bad," Demian said, his face falling. "Guess you won't be cooperating then." He turned to leave, then paused at the door.

"Behave yourself. You've got a long wait before the auction. Hope you're still alive by then."

The door slammed shut with a deafening clang, plunging the room into near darkness. Only a sliver of light pierced through a crack in the door. Leonariz's heart hammered in her chest, not for herself, but for her tribe. Auction… so that's what they planned to do with her.