Read Online Taken by the Enemy by Jennifer Bene - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Jennifer Bene
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“Mathias! Mathias, I have someone you really want to meet!”
“Lucie,” a man’s low laughter came from the interior, “what is it girl?” The door was tugged open and a large man appeared. Long, dark hair hung over his shoulders, and his dark eyes narrowed as they landed on Emmie. His face was weathered and tan, older, but it was clear there was still strength in his limbs. “I know all about this one, Lucie. Why is she at my door?”
“She can read !” Lucie cheered, squeezing Emmie’s hand in her excitement. “And write!”
Mathias’ expression didn’t change much. “Really? And how exactly did she learn that?”
“She used to take down letters for people in the city!”
“A handy skill for sure, and a rare one.” The older man looked skeptical, but then he stepped back and tilted his head toward the interior. “Well, come in and prove it, girl.”
“I —” Emmie sputtered, but Lucie suddenly wrapped her in a warm hug.
“I knew we’d find a place for you!”
“Thank you for bringing her, Lucie, you can return to your work.” A warm smile appeared for a moment as he looked at the other woman, and then she waved and turned away.
Mathias walked inside, his gruff voice making Emmie nervous as she took a few tentative steps into the dim space. “Come in and sit down.” He pointed to a chair near a large table and Emmie sank down onto it.
The wood looked to be smoothed by years of use, and various papers were scattered across it, held in place by rocks. Mathias used a long stick to flip open the skylight and then groaned as he dropped into a chair on the opposite side. Warm sunlight poured onto the table, and a breeze followed it, ruffling the edges of the papers but failing to unseat any of them.
“All right, girl, read this.” Mathias tugged a page from under a rock and held it out to her.
Emmie took it and scanned the narrow script, tilting it towards the light. “M- my brothers, there is less movement on the Eastern walls as of late. I have seen them empty for many hours in the twilight time—”
Mathias ripped the page from her hands. “That’s enough.”
“What—”
“No. You do not get to ask questions about anything here.” He sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. “So, you can read. Prove to me that you can write.”
“How—”
“What did I say about asking questions?” Mathias interrupted her again and fury boiled up inside her, making her clench her fists under the edge of the table. He wasn’t fazed, pulling a box from somewhere before laying it on the table. From it, he pulled a fresh sheet of paper, only slightly marred with smudges, a stoppered ink well, and an old dip pen with a bone handle. “Go on then,” he said as he pushed them towards her.
Once the materials were situated, Emmie raised her eyes to him. “Well?”
“Write.”
Rolling her eyes, Emmie gestured at the blank paper. “And are you going to tell me what to write, or am I just supposed to start with my letters like a child?”
“Watch your tongue or you’ll earn a punishment. I don’t give a shit what orders Lucian left behind, they don’t apply to me, little bird .” His threat hung in the air, and Emmie gritted her teeth as she faced off with the older man. Finally, he cleared his throat in a grinding cough and spoke. “Start the letter like this… It has been weeks since your last message was received, old friend. We are preparing as you have suggested, but there is more we must ask of you if it will not put you and yours in harm’s way. There are —” He suddenly froze, and his dark eyes were on her as she caught up and then lifted the pen. “That’s enough, hand it to me.”
Emmie blew across the ink to dry it, frustrated by the old nib on the pen that had made her writing messier than usual as she had adjusted to the correct pressure needed to form the letters neatly. “You could say please,” she mumbled and he huffed as he tugged the paper from her
“Lucie,” a man’s low laughter came from the interior, “what is it girl?” The door was tugged open and a large man appeared. Long, dark hair hung over his shoulders, and his dark eyes narrowed as they landed on Emmie. His face was weathered and tan, older, but it was clear there was still strength in his limbs. “I know all about this one, Lucie. Why is she at my door?”
“She can read !” Lucie cheered, squeezing Emmie’s hand in her excitement. “And write!”
Mathias’ expression didn’t change much. “Really? And how exactly did she learn that?”
“She used to take down letters for people in the city!”
“A handy skill for sure, and a rare one.” The older man looked skeptical, but then he stepped back and tilted his head toward the interior. “Well, come in and prove it, girl.”
“I —” Emmie sputtered, but Lucie suddenly wrapped her in a warm hug.
“I knew we’d find a place for you!”
“Thank you for bringing her, Lucie, you can return to your work.” A warm smile appeared for a moment as he looked at the other woman, and then she waved and turned away.
Mathias walked inside, his gruff voice making Emmie nervous as she took a few tentative steps into the dim space. “Come in and sit down.” He pointed to a chair near a large table and Emmie sank down onto it.
The wood looked to be smoothed by years of use, and various papers were scattered across it, held in place by rocks. Mathias used a long stick to flip open the skylight and then groaned as he dropped into a chair on the opposite side. Warm sunlight poured onto the table, and a breeze followed it, ruffling the edges of the papers but failing to unseat any of them.
“All right, girl, read this.” Mathias tugged a page from under a rock and held it out to her.
Emmie took it and scanned the narrow script, tilting it towards the light. “M- my brothers, there is less movement on the Eastern walls as of late. I have seen them empty for many hours in the twilight time—”
Mathias ripped the page from her hands. “That’s enough.”
“What—”
“No. You do not get to ask questions about anything here.” He sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. “So, you can read. Prove to me that you can write.”
“How—”
“What did I say about asking questions?” Mathias interrupted her again and fury boiled up inside her, making her clench her fists under the edge of the table. He wasn’t fazed, pulling a box from somewhere before laying it on the table. From it, he pulled a fresh sheet of paper, only slightly marred with smudges, a stoppered ink well, and an old dip pen with a bone handle. “Go on then,” he said as he pushed them towards her.
Once the materials were situated, Emmie raised her eyes to him. “Well?”
“Write.”
Rolling her eyes, Emmie gestured at the blank paper. “And are you going to tell me what to write, or am I just supposed to start with my letters like a child?”
“Watch your tongue or you’ll earn a punishment. I don’t give a shit what orders Lucian left behind, they don’t apply to me, little bird .” His threat hung in the air, and Emmie gritted her teeth as she faced off with the older man. Finally, he cleared his throat in a grinding cough and spoke. “Start the letter like this… It has been weeks since your last message was received, old friend. We are preparing as you have suggested, but there is more we must ask of you if it will not put you and yours in harm’s way. There are —” He suddenly froze, and his dark eyes were on her as she caught up and then lifted the pen. “That’s enough, hand it to me.”
Emmie blew across the ink to dry it, frustrated by the old nib on the pen that had made her writing messier than usual as she had adjusted to the correct pressure needed to form the letters neatly. “You could say please,” she mumbled and he huffed as he tugged the paper from her
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