The Whore of Babylon

Chapter 5 | part 1

With a self-satisfied smirk on his lips, the Brute pulled down his tunic and left the apartment.

As soon as his back was turned, Kisha and Mari ran to the bedroom.

Eliana lay on the bed. Her gown was torn, and there was a new bruise on her cheekbone and fingerprint bruises on her exposed breast. Her eyes were blank and staring – if it hadn’t been for her ragged breathing, they would have feared the worst.

‘Are you ok?’ asked Kisha, uselessly.

She shook her head. ‘Bowl... please,’ she whispered.

Mari was back in an instant with a porcelain bowl, vibrantly painted with fruits and vines.

Eliana did not notice the bowl’s beauty, but turned her back on the others, pushed two fingers down her throat and vomited neatly into it. Mari vanished again, this time reappearing with a drinking bowl brimming with cool water. She offered it in silence.

Accepting it, Eliana drained the bowl in one go.

‘Mari... will you take me down to the bathhouse?’

‘Um, but... it’s almost full dark.’

‘It’s ok, Mari.’ Kisha nodded.

‘As you say, my lady.’ She said, before asking Eliana, ‘can you walk?’

She nodded. Kisha slipped a loose wool gown over her sister’s shoulders to cover her modesty.

She walked unassisted to the bathhouse – Mari holding a torch before her to light their way. When they arrived, it was blissfully deserted. Not even the slave girls were in attendance at this hour.

Mari slipped the torch into a bracket and helped Eliana to ease out of her gown.

The injured girl climbed stiffly into the water and picked up a piece of pumice. ‘Help me wash? Please.’

Taking it, Mari began to rub the stone gently over her back.

‘Harder!’

She increased the pressure slightly.

‘Harder!’ Eliana insisted.

Hesitantly, Mari said ‘but, if I rub any harder I’ll take your skin off.’

‘Good!’ spat Eliana. ‘Scrub off any part of me that he touched.’

Mari laid the pumice aside and began to rub the tension from Eliana’s shoulders with her hands instead. ‘You’re very brave, you know.’

‘I’m not. If I was brave, I wouldn’t let it happen.’

‘We both know there’s no choice in this. Neither of us would be here if there were. But I think you’re right – Samsu won’t break you.’

Eliana turned to look at her, ‘do you think?’

She nodded firmly. ‘It will take more than violation of your body to break you – your strength and courage is all in your mind. If I could have just a fraction of what you’ve got, I’d be a better person.’

‘You are a good person,’ said Eliana, surprised. ‘Kisha couldn’t have done without you.’

‘I know, and despite that, I’d still flee if I thought I wouldn’t get caught.’ Mari said, miserably. ‘What kind of person does that make me?’

‘It makes you human.’ It was Eliana’s turn to comfort Mari. ‘It’s only natural to want to save yourself. I would rather they hurt me than Kisha, but she’s always been the best thing in my life. I’d do anything to protect her.’

‘Now I feel even worse. I wish I could be as loyal as you.’

‘I’m sure you would, if it was your family. You didn’t ask for any of this.’ She shrugged Mari’s hands off and dipped her head under the water, coming up with her curls flattened and plastered to her skin. Taking up the soap, she washed her hair and body quickly while Mari went off to look for towels.

By the time she was clean and dry, Eliana felt more like herself – just exhausted.

Her sister was already in bed when they returned. She crawled in behind, draping an arm over Kisha’s firm, rounded belly, hand resting lightly on the bump.

She gave a deep sigh.

‘Alright?’ Kisha asked, sleepily.

‘I suppose.’ Eliana stared into the darkness. ‘Do you think this will happen every day?’

There was a long pause before Kisha answered. ‘You’ll learn to bear it.’

‘What if I don’t?’

Kisha covered her sister’s hand with her own, pressing it against her belly. ‘You will – I know you. Besides, this little prince needs his loving aunt by his side in this big, bad world.’

As if in response, a little foot struck out at Eliana’s hand. She shrieked and sat up. ‘He kicked me!’

In the dark, Kisha grinned. ‘See, he knows you already. If that’s not something to fight for, I don’t know what is.’