I just?" Gabby retorted, and opened her mouth to scream.
In that instant he was upon her, swooping down like a bird of prey, one hand clamping hard over her mouth, his arm encircling her waist, all before she could get out so much as a squeak. Fighting with all her might, Gabby was still easily bested. In a matter of seconds she found herself hoisted clear off the floor in an awkward her-back-to-his-front hold that imprisoned her arms even while he continued to press his hand over her mouth.
"That's the ticket, Cap'n." Barnet hovered close, nodding approval, as Gabby fought for what might well be her life. "Now we'll see 'ow much screamin' she'll do."
"Let me go," Gabby cried, but nothing emerged but an unintelligible croak. The imposter's palm completely covered her mouth. His long fingers dug painfully into the soft flesh of her cheeks. She could not scream; she could scarcely breathe. She could, however, kick, and this she proceeded to do with abandon despite the pain it caused her, smashing her heels— it was a pity she wore only soft slippers, she reflected furiously— into his shins with a viciousness she had not realized she was capable of. Squirming madly, she bit at his hand. Her teeth sank deep into the fleshy part of his palm. As the salty taste of his skin filled her mouth she felt a fierce spurt of satisfaction.
"Damn it to bloody hell," he yelped, jerking his hand away. Mouth free, Gabby sucked down a great gulp of air and screamed for all she was worth. Just as quick as that, he shoved a wad of what felt like balled-up leather deep into her open mouth, stifling the cry almost at birth.
Caught by surprise, she gagged and choked as she tried to spit the oily-tasting thing out again. It was suffocating her….
"Serves you right, my girl," he said grimly, his eyes staring inimically into hers as he shifted his grip to lift her high against his chest. Struggling with all her might, gasping for breath as she tried to expel the gag with her tongue, sweating with anger and fear, she writhed frantically in his arms as he held her clamped against the hard wall of his chest. But her struggles weakened as her need for air increased. Her heels, flailing futilely against empty space, gradually stilled; her squirming lessened and then ceased altogether. His arms were unbreakable bands imprisoning both her arms and her legs; it was, she realized with growing despair, impossible to win free.
For the time being it was all she could do just to breathe.
"Take him away and keep watch on him until I tell you otherwise," he said to Barnet, indicating Jem, who still lay unconscious on the floor, with a jerk of his head. "At the moment, I feel a pressing need for some private… conversation… with my dear little sister."
6
Disdaining to let her head touch his shoulder, Gabby kept her neck stiffly erect and held her head high as she was borne along the cavelike hallway with as much ease as though she weighed no more than a feather— which in fact, she reflected grimly, she scarcely did. He was so much larger and stronger than she as to render any kind of physical contest between them laughable. Whatever he chose to do to her, there was little she could do to stop him. The very helplessness of her position infuriated her, for which she was thankful. It was better, far better, to be angry than afraid. Fear rendered one weak….
Although it was too dark to read his expression clearly, she could see his eyes, and she glared into them, hoping to silently convey all the unflattering sentiments the foul-tasting gag prevented her from giving voice to.
Whatever he planned, she warned herself, her only chance of avoiding it lay in keeping a cool head.
"I collect you launched your little ambush from the library." A thin thread of light showing beneath the closed library door obviously prompted his comment.
He did not even sound out of breath, she reflected furiously, while thanks to his gag she fought for every lungful of
In that instant he was upon her, swooping down like a bird of prey, one hand clamping hard over her mouth, his arm encircling her waist, all before she could get out so much as a squeak. Fighting with all her might, Gabby was still easily bested. In a matter of seconds she found herself hoisted clear off the floor in an awkward her-back-to-his-front hold that imprisoned her arms even while he continued to press his hand over her mouth.
"That's the ticket, Cap'n." Barnet hovered close, nodding approval, as Gabby fought for what might well be her life. "Now we'll see 'ow much screamin' she'll do."
"Let me go," Gabby cried, but nothing emerged but an unintelligible croak. The imposter's palm completely covered her mouth. His long fingers dug painfully into the soft flesh of her cheeks. She could not scream; she could scarcely breathe. She could, however, kick, and this she proceeded to do with abandon despite the pain it caused her, smashing her heels— it was a pity she wore only soft slippers, she reflected furiously— into his shins with a viciousness she had not realized she was capable of. Squirming madly, she bit at his hand. Her teeth sank deep into the fleshy part of his palm. As the salty taste of his skin filled her mouth she felt a fierce spurt of satisfaction.
"Damn it to bloody hell," he yelped, jerking his hand away. Mouth free, Gabby sucked down a great gulp of air and screamed for all she was worth. Just as quick as that, he shoved a wad of what felt like balled-up leather deep into her open mouth, stifling the cry almost at birth.
Caught by surprise, she gagged and choked as she tried to spit the oily-tasting thing out again. It was suffocating her….
"Serves you right, my girl," he said grimly, his eyes staring inimically into hers as he shifted his grip to lift her high against his chest. Struggling with all her might, gasping for breath as she tried to expel the gag with her tongue, sweating with anger and fear, she writhed frantically in his arms as he held her clamped against the hard wall of his chest. But her struggles weakened as her need for air increased. Her heels, flailing futilely against empty space, gradually stilled; her squirming lessened and then ceased altogether. His arms were unbreakable bands imprisoning both her arms and her legs; it was, she realized with growing despair, impossible to win free.
For the time being it was all she could do just to breathe.
"Take him away and keep watch on him until I tell you otherwise," he said to Barnet, indicating Jem, who still lay unconscious on the floor, with a jerk of his head. "At the moment, I feel a pressing need for some private… conversation… with my dear little sister."
6
Disdaining to let her head touch his shoulder, Gabby kept her neck stiffly erect and held her head high as she was borne along the cavelike hallway with as much ease as though she weighed no more than a feather— which in fact, she reflected grimly, she scarcely did. He was so much larger and stronger than she as to render any kind of physical contest between them laughable. Whatever he chose to do to her, there was little she could do to stop him. The very helplessness of her position infuriated her, for which she was thankful. It was better, far better, to be angry than afraid. Fear rendered one weak….
Although it was too dark to read his expression clearly, she could see his eyes, and she glared into them, hoping to silently convey all the unflattering sentiments the foul-tasting gag prevented her from giving voice to.
Whatever he planned, she warned herself, her only chance of avoiding it lay in keeping a cool head.
"I collect you launched your little ambush from the library." A thin thread of light showing beneath the closed library door obviously prompted his comment.
He did not even sound out of breath, she reflected furiously, while thanks to his gag she fought for every lungful of
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