Lady Mutiny

Five

Lilia Cortova had known Hell, but none compared more so than the last six months of her life.

Since the unfortunate turn of events at the solstice bonfire the past summer, she had been bruised and battered, tortured and tormented.

But she did not break.

For Cassandra, she had stayed strong; for her sister, she held it together.

But as she sat there, staring at the contract laid out in front of her, Cass was going to be her undoing.

Chained at her wrists and ankles once the guards came to retrieve her from her cell that morning, Lilia assumed the lordling wanted another meeting to 'talk' and 'understand each other better,' when she knew it just another moment to gawk and sneer as her like all the others surrounding her since her arrival. He had been very forward within his meetings as of late, offering personal information and insights that Lilia had no place in knowing, and she made herself consider what would happen when he toed the line that had been so solidly drawn between them.

So to prepare for another sit-down with Lord Andro Millian, she steeled herself and whittled her wits to the point that seemed to amuse him the most during their time together, and held her head high as the guards pushed her through the door to his study.

But it was not Lord Millian waiting for her behind the desk when she entered.

"You're looking well, Lil," Baz sneered from his chair, his feet propped upon the ornate wooden desk, barely glancing at her as she stopped where she stood. The door behind her slammed shut, and she knew the guards remained beyond it - as with her meetings with Andro, they wouldn't enter again until someone from within opened it. They never entered the Lord's personal chambers and rooms until they were told to do so.

If the irons weren't around her ankles, she would have lunged for him- if the shackles weren't on her wrists she would have strangled him. But she could do neither of these things, and so she held her ground.

And stared.

She stared at the man who had taken everything from her through betrayal and treachery and dared to show his face without a flinch of remorse.

Realizing she wasn't going to deign to respond, Baz finally glanced up to look at her, his blue eyes showing nothing more than pure sadistic amusement.

"You're not even going to say hello?" he purred with a sly grin.

"What do you want?" was all she could muster, despite the list of curses and threats she wanted to throw at his sneering face.

Shrugging slightly, he motioned to the chair before him. "Ever so ready to return to your cell, then? Lord Millian must treat you better than I expected."

"Why are you here?" she asked, remaining at her spot by the door. "Does Andro even know you're sitting at his desk?"

The look he gave her insinuated Lord Andro did, in fact, not know Baz was there, but something told her he would soon enough. Baz, on the other hand, seemed unfazed by any urgency to proceed with the true purpose of their conversation. Instead, he cast his attention to the nails of his right hand, picking at them with the other. "It would seem Lord Millian and I have some unfinished business to attend, as he's housing my Second who has deserted her command."

"How dare you?" she accused, taking a quick step forward, but she almost tripped as she forgot about the chains around her ankles.

Baz merely smirked in delight as he watched her suffer.

And so Lilia had to sit there, her throat parched, worrying at her thumbnail on her right hand to keep from shaking, as she stared at the contract that was to be her undoing.