"Tracy Falbe - The Rys Chronicles 1 - Union of Renegades" - читать интересную книгу автора (Falbe Tracy)

her hateful thoughts had summoned him, Barlow stood silhouetted in the
lamplight of the doorway. The tavern sounds leaked out into the night,
and Miranda remembered who was really the slave.
тАЬMiranda!тАЭ It was BarlowтАЩs drunken drawl. тАЬCome here.тАЭ
Briefly she touched the heads of her children to remind herself that they
depended on her utterly. Then she rose to face her master.
тАЬThere you are. Wonderful.тАЭ He skidded down the steps in a flurry of
clumsiness. The luck of the drunken kept him from falling.
тАЬLeave me alone, Barlow,тАЭ she snarled.
He grabbed her wrist. тАЬNow, now, my dear. Come along with me.тАЭ
тАЬI said leave me alone,тАЭ she persisted and struggled to be free of him.
Laughing at her defiance, which he had proved futile many times,
Barlow pulled her into the tavern.
тАЬIтАЩll have none of your attitude tonight,тАЭ he warned.
Immediately inside the back door was a stairway and Barlow dragged
her up a few steps before she managed to stop him.
тАЬNo,тАЭ she hissed, while clawing at his hand on her wrist.
He turned and leaned into her face. Miranda could smell the wine on
his breath and see the cold look in his eyes.
Barlow growled, тАЬNow my little girlie, youтАЩre gonna go up into that first
room or IтАЩll beat you to DEATH.тАЭ
He had prostituted her before, but Miranda always made it difficult. By
making him struggle she gained some satisfaction from the fact that he
had to work for the money a little bit.
Barlow clamped a hand around her throat and dragged her roughly up
the stairs. On the dark back stair no one noticed his rough treatment of
her. No one ever cared how he treated her anyway.
Reaching the top, Barlow pinned her to a wall and whispered, тАЬI mean
it, Miranda. YouтАЩre gonna do this because itтАЩs what youтАЩre for. Give me
trouble one more time, and IтАЩll sell Elendra.тАЭ
Miranda winced. This was the threat that controlled her the most.
Barlow pushed her down the hall. The pain in her throat warned her not to
lash out at him. Her children needed her healthy and strong, and if she did
not obey, Barlow could cripple her. Intoxication always sent his temper
into uglier places.
тАЬGet in there,тАЭ he barked, drawing back a menacing hand.
Primarily just to get away from him, Miranda darted into the room and
slammed the door behind her. The solid wood felt good against her back
because it held Barlow out. A candle burned on the windowsill, and she
saw a man sitting on the bed. Sometimes the men were rough and nasty,
like Barlow, and even when she could control the situation, she was always
afraid.
Cautiously the figure on the bed rose and walked up to her. He was a
soldier. Miranda recognized the brown uniform of Lord DoamirтАЩs militia.
His short sword was still buckled around his waist. The soldier was young,
not even MirandaтАЩs age.
Hesitantly he reached out and touched her face with a shy gentleness.
тАЬYou are very pretty,тАЭ he whispered, leaning closer.
Miranda realized she was trembling and tried to steady herself. She had
learned it was best not to show fear.