Thorne

9.Past

They had returned to the cell. Lilian felt sweaty and sticky, sweat dribbled down her back in an uncomfortable stream.

She had never wished for anything like she wished for a bath right now.

Thorne didn't even look out of breath, "How often are we allowed out?"
The question came out more shakily than she had intended, her breathing still trying to catch up with its self.

"Every other day," Thorne sat down on the bed, "you can use the sink to clean yourself as best as you can,"

She nodded. Walking over to the small metal basin, she turned on the one tap, positioned in the center. Cold water shot out in infrequent bursts. She cupped her hands under the flow and splashed the water on her face.

Rubbing her hands across her face and neck, she tried to remove the grime and grit. She hadn't washed since the guard had unceremoniously scrubbed her down.

She wanted to take off her stinking clothing but with Thorne seated right beside her, it was out of the question.

Lilian could feel his searing stare on her back. She could imagine his eyes liquid ore, swirling in darkness.

Heat flooded through her as an image of him entered her mind, his hands on her, lips on her lips. His face above her as he-

She shuddered at the wetness at her core and tried to shake the image form he head. Where the hell had it come from?

Lilian herd a soft growl from behind her. Thorne stood up and made his way over to her, slowly making her stumble backwards.

Why was she backing down, Lilian snapped at herself, she was feared throughout her lands. But something about him, the way he held himself, made her... She wasn't sure, not fear, but something more, awe maybe.

His nose twiched, as he breathed in the air. Lilian felt a stiring deep within her. He took another step forward, closing the space between them. His hand either side if her face.

"I can smell you." He wispered, so quietly she might not have caught it if her utmost atention wasn't on him.

His breath danced across her mouth, and a need for him to kiss her hit her so hard, so suddenly, it knocked the breath from her lungs.

"You really like testing my control, you wicked beauty" His voice was like honey.

She stayed quiet, worried if she opened her mouth no words would come out, only a breathy moan. He pulled away and was back, across to the other side of the room before she could blink.

"Where do you come from Lilian, tell me about yourself."

The question was not what she expected, trying to gather her thoughts she calmed her chaotic mind.

"I come form a small town, Glagharrow. It isn't a nice place, but it's my home. I was born on the winter solstice, bad luck aparently. My mother was not married so I was a bastard."

Thorne's eyes narrowed at the insult, but she continued.

"My mother used to do all she could for me, but the town thought she bought shame apon them." Lilian glowered, "she couldn't find respectable work, the only place offering was the local pleasure house"

Lilian paused, sadness filling her at the memory. Thorne put a large hand on her shoulder, as he could sence her pain.

"I was ten winters old when she became ill. A man from her work had used her, and we couldn't afford any more contraceptive tonics, the herbs were to hard for me to fine by my self. She wasn't allowed to refuse him, and when she found out she was with child... She wasn't deseased, it was her mind that broke. She hated the child that was growing inside her, just as much as the man who put it there."

She hadn't really ment to go into such detail about her past, but the story was spilling from her lips.

"Sometimes she would wake during the night, screaming for me to rid her of it. I was scared to leave her alone, for fear of what she would do to kill it. But I had to go out, to find food, maybe get work for myself. But I was young, a girl, and a bastard, all things that made me unemployable. So I begged for anything, money, food. It was a miracle we weren't thrown out of our home."

"Once I was out walking, and I came across a man. He seemed normal but when he turned to face me I saw he was holding knives, drenched in blood." Lillian shivered. "And behind him was a dead body, carved up on the floor. I was so terrified, but I didn't run. He had seen me and I knew that he wouldn't let me go alive."

"But instead of slitting my throat like I had thought he bundled me up and brought me to a house. I was there for a week, there were two other children there who were my age, and the man, Fabian, taught us, trained us, to kill, to fight, to survive. And I forgot, about her, my mother."

Lillian broke down, tears rolled down her face. Thorne gently wiped them away with his finger. "It's not you fault," He assured her.

She let out another mighty sob, "but it was, if I had stayed... At the end of the first week Fabian let me return, I was so excited to tell my mother all that I had learnt, though it wasn't much, Fabian had shown us that if we were good at our jobs, we could make a lot of money. We got to the house the four of us, Fabian, Gretta, and orphan girl who had been taken in by Fabian; and Wenh a boy who had also been training with us."

"They waited outside so I could tell my mother alone. I went in and knew something was wrong, the smell, like rot and death. I went to her room calling for her all the way, but nothing came in reply. I ran to her room and burst in. And she was on the bed, sleeping."

"I went over and shook her, telling her to wake up, but she didn't and I rolled her over and, and..." She trailed off.

"You don't have to continue," Thorne looked at her, his eyes filled with pain for her. But she wanted to finish, so that he knew, so he knew how broken she was inside.

"I rolled her over and, her stomach, it was covered in blood, she had tried to cut herself open. Tried to get the baby out. It was horrid, blood covered the sheets, her hands, one still held the knife she had used. I don't know if she relised that she was killing herself, her mind was so far gone to the madness."

"Then I started screaming, screaming, I didn't stop. Not when Fabian came rushing up, not when he grabed me and dragged me from the house. Not even when he and Gretta shoved me in a bath because I was covered in my mother's blood."

Lilian's legs gave out from under her, but Thorne caught her, his strong arms cradling her. Gently he placed her on the bed and climbed in after her, wrapping her in his warmth.

On arm went around her front, his fingers splayed across the stomach. The other went around her ribs, stroking softly, lulling her to sleep.

His legs tangled with hers and she allowed her self to relax into the saftey of his firm chest.

Sleep came but even with his presence near her the nightmares came back.

Broken. Broken. Broken.