The Whore of Babylon

Chapter 16

Days and nights blended into one, and Eliana lost track of the time.

Ashan helped her all he could, bringing little comforts when she asked for them, and even procuring a herb she desperately wanted; she stashed it under the bedding and mixed a little with her water every day. The taste was vile, but she would do anything to prevent Samsu's seed taking root inside her. She swore to herself that she would never bear his child, and gave thanks to the mother goddess every time her monthly bleed came.

She had bled twice since the chain was first put on – it was her only measure of how long she had been here. As the weeks drew on, she gave up asking Ashan when he thought she might be released, watching his face was all the answer she needed.

Samsu began to use her more frequently, sometimes twice a day – when he rose, and before he went to bed. He did not always even bother to take her off the chain, just turning her over and taking her there on the cushions.

The insult never grew less, nor did the revulsion. Eliana began to live on edge, permanently unable to relax, forever expecting the next assault. Her one comfort was her weekly trip to the bathhouse, where she could forget for just a little while as the water soothed her.

She told herself that it was just her body he violated, that nothing he could do would get inside her mind, but soon the night terrors returned.

It was a cool, crisp night when, as she slept, she pierced the air with a scream like a tortured soul of the underworld.

Ashan was on her immediately, clamping his hand over her mouth and nose. She woke thrashing and shrieking in a panic as she realised that she couldn't breathe.

'Hush!' he hissed urgently. 'What's wrong? Are you hurt?'

'Quiet!' Samsu's voice cracked through the darkness like a whip. There was a rustle as he pushed his sheets aside and his bare feet slapped against the tiles as he came nearer. He sent Ashan flying with a strong shove and grabbed Eliana's upper arm, hauling her from her warm nest still sleepy and confused – she hadn't even realised that she'd screamed, her first awareness had been when she couldn't breathe under Ashan's hand.

He slapped her across the face and shook her hard, 'how dare you make that revolting sound in my presence? To wake me in the middle of the night?'

'Wh-what sound?' she stammered.

'Insolent whore!' he slapped her again and threw her back onto the cushions. 'You disturb me and then have the audacity to talk back! I'll teach you a lesson you won't soon forget.' He flipped her onto her hands and knees and pulled her legs apart before forcing his way in.

Eliana buried her face in the pillow to muffle the cry of pain.

As soon as Samsu was finished, he pushed her aside. 'Ashan – see that her food is withheld for three days.'

'That's not fair!' she cried without thinking, earning another slap for her trouble.

'Five days.'

She clenched her fists and bit down hard on her tongue to stop herself from cursing him as he went back to his bed. Tears of helpless rage ran down her cheeks.

As soon as Samsu's breathing became long and deep and steady and his snores began to ring out, Ashan moved silently back to Eliana. Sitting on her cushions, he drew her head onto his lap and began to stroke her hair.

The motion soothed her, his gentle hand a welcome balm running the length of hair, from the top of her head down to her waist. After a time, some of the tension began to seep from her muscles – she was almost able to imagine that it was Kisha's fingers running through her curls. She missed her sister terribly, wondering what she'd been told, and whether she was worried; she made a mental note to ask Ashan.