Across the Midnight Sea

Chapter 16: The First Night

Tonight she would sleep.

-

The Shaynari were housed in the hull of the boat along with the rest of the cargo. Long iron barred cells lined either side of a broad walk way allowing plenty of room between. Each cell house three or four men, except for Imre's cell.

Imre was housed alone.

That, was Verek's doing.

Heftar, however had been sure to slip into the cell next to him along with two others whom Imre had noticed Heftar often sat with.

"I see you have your own accommodations," said Heftar.

Imre snorted in response.

Now that he was once again under the watchful eye of Verek and his men he could not afford to slip up. It was better for Heftar to hate him than care for him.

"Does one of them know?" Heftar said quietly.

Imre shot a glare at him and Heftar nodded.

"That is what I thought," Heftar leaned back against the bars. "Well at least you have space to stretch out."

"Unfair if you ask me," said one of the newer Shaynari who had not been around long enough to see that the separate cell was as much a curse as a blessing.

"No one did," said Heftar.

The other Shaynari turned away with a disgruntled murmur just as a light began to descend down the stairs.

Imre recognized the footfalls.

It's strange how you become used to listening for certain sounds and how danger sounds different to those people who have learned to listen for it.

Verek stumbled down the stairs.

"The little Tamerian girl likes you," Verek slurred coming over to the bars of Imre's cage.

Imre said nothing.

"Come here," Verek ordered gesturing with one hand.

Imre turned away.

"You could make it so much easier on yourself," said Verek, "Sometimes I think you must enjoy your punishments."

Imre's back stiffened.

"There it is," said Verek. "Not indifferent," he chuckled softly. "That would be boring."

Imre caught Heftar looking back and forth between the two of them and his back stiffened further.

"Yes," Verek said and Imre knew from the tone that Verek had noticed Heftar watching them. "I had heard you made a friend."

Imre turned back to Verek and glared at him.

"You have been misinformed," he said lowly.

"Have I?" Verek raised a brow and then frowned, distracted. "I don't remember the last time I saw you with a shirt. Who gave you that?"

"Some new recruit," said Imre.

One who didn't know your standing order, thought Imre grinding his teeth together.

"Give it to me."

"No," the word left Imre's mouth before he could think better of showing he cared. It had been so long since Imre had enjoyed the luxury of a shirt, the idea of it being taken away from him now felt unbearable.

Verek came close to the bars.

He had hit a nerve and he knew it, even drunk and wobbling he knew.

"If you give me what I want willingly you can keep it," said Verek quietly.

Disgust rolled over Imre and he reached back over his head and pulled the shirt off.

Verek's eyes wandered over Imre's exposed chest and Imre's skin crawled from the attention.

"One day you'll come to me willingly Imericus," said Verek quietly enough that no one else could hear him.

Imre tossed the shirt at him.

"I'll die first," said Imre and he meant it with every fiber of his being. He would rather loose his life to the great Canal. Fall under the hot sun, never to stand again, than to give Verek what he wanted willingly.

Verek laughed and tossed the shirt to a Shaynari in a cell across the way, who took it and gave Imre an apologetic shrug before tugging it on quickly.

Then Verek turned back to Imre and smiled, ferally.

"You might."

-

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