Her words were met with silence. They were positioned behind her; she could not ascertain whether they were communicating silently or not, but her heart raced and felt as though it might burst from her chest. Would they eliminate her upon recognising her total ineffectiveness to them? Molly attempted to enumerate all individuals who might be affected by her demise… Kylie was the sole individual that occurred to me. Would Prince Jayce grant her freedom despite her failure to return? Molly moistened her parched lips and savoured her own briny tears.
Alex ultimately positioned himself alongside her. He placed his boot against the side of her chair, causing it to topple and her to fall forcefully to the ground. “We are aware of your deception. We did not wish to resort to this, but you have left us no alternative.”
“Indeed, it is improbable that we emerged from that confrontation without any gain. We shall extract something from you, by any means necessary.”
Molly trembled at the implications of that possibility. What lengths would they traverse to obtain something from her? Until she approached the brink of death? She envisioned herself already battered and injured, far worse than she had been when Prince Rowan attempted to coerce her into attributing the poisoning to Prince Jayce. It should have been evident at that time who was genuinely responsible for the poisoning. Had she recognised the situation earlier, she might not be facing death now.
Micah grasped a pair of clippers. “Should we remove her fingers sequentially?”
“No, let us postpone that. The night is still young; we may procure something without entirely compromising her beauty,” Alex remarked with a smirk. “I find her visage appealing; it possesses an air of innocence.” He leaned down to stroke her cheek. Molly averted her face from his hand.
He struck her for that, more forcefully than previously. “Refrain from such behaviour towards us, Molly. We assure you that we will release you if you provide information of value.”
She recognised it as a falsehood. She would never again witness the dawn, regardless of her assertions to them. She could divulge every secret she ever learnt, yet they would still deny her freedom. Even if they had, there was no destination for her within miles. She would succumb to hypothermia before locating a secure refuge.
“I possess no information to convey. You are squandering your time with me,” Molly stated feebly.
Micah paced the room contemplatively before delivering a forceful kick to her abdomen. Alex repositioned her upright and leaned his mouth towards her ear. “I will elicit your screams, darling.”
He licked her face before biting her neck with maximum force. Molly screamed in agony as she felt his sharp teeth pierce her skin, prompting her to attempt to tip her chair once more to dislodge his mouth from her.
He ultimately withdrew and smiled at her. His mouth was tainted with her blood.
“Displeased with that? We are merely commencing.”
“I assure you, I possess no knowledge whatsoever-“
Alex directed his knife towards her. “Refrain from speaking. If you have no pertinent information to share, remain silent to avoid further consequences.”
Molly sealed her lips and surveyed the two men. “How many strikes do you anticipate before she begins to speak?” Micah enquired.
“I would estimate six; however, let us opt for ten.”
Alex reversed his knife and struck her directly on the nose with the hilt. It forcefully jolted her head backward, producing a cracking sound. Molly asserted that she briefly perceived stars, as blood trickled down her chin from a single blow.
“Is the palace orchestrating an assault on the rogues? Is the prince present to survey our territories?” Micah enquired, leaning forward with his hands on his knees to observe her. She desired to spit on both of them, yet she feared their potential retaliation. They appeared sufficiently deranged to murder her at that moment, and she would harbour no remorse if they did.
Molly maintained her silence, prompting Alex to strike her once more. “He posed a question to you! Are you unable to hear?”
“I possess no knowledge regarding the functions of the palace!” Molly coughed after inhaling some of her own blood. How many times would she endure beatings before her body ultimately succumbed? She lamented the day she consented to serve as Vera’s lady’s maid. Had she not, she could be in the library with a book and hot chocolate at this moment. Absent… experiencing defeat for the third time since her employment transition.
Alex extended his hand. “Please provide the clippers.”
Micah appeared wild with exhilaration as he grasped the clippers in his hand. He lingered behind his shoulder to observe what was forthcoming. A portion of her desired that they would simply insert them into her heart and conclude everything.
