[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
room!"
She let go of the door, turning to flee even as it swung
shut on him. Behind her, she heard the reverberating crash
as he kicked it open and bellowed after her, "You do what
you're told when I goddamn well tell you to!"
Lessers parted out of her way as she ran. She even heard
some snickering as she passed them. Her face burned, and
she ran faster.
By the time she reached his room, her hands were shaking
and her heart hammered at her chest as though it would
break straight through her ribcage. She was so rattled, she
forget even to turn on the closet light. Her room was as dark
as a tomb when she slammed the door behind her.
A dry sob choked from her throat as she crawled onto her
bed. Grabbing her pillow, she hugged it to her chest and
that's where she stayed, curled against the wall in the pitch
blackness until she heard an outside door open and shut, and
the unmistakable sound of Shipe crossed the floor.
The closet door swung open. She tensed, clutching the
pillow so tightly that her knuckles whitened. Even her toes
71
Judgment II: Mercy
by Denise Hall
curled. But he didn't yell at her again. After a moment, the
light flicked on and he leaned in the doorway to look at her.
Mercy cringed, waiting, but he still didn't yell. Instead,
coldly, calmly, he said, "Get out here."
Mercy couldn't remember a time when she had ever feared
the wrath of a man more. Not her father when she'd been
young. Not Richard in his foulest mood. Not even Boyden
when, in her second week at Judgment, for the sin of talking
back, he'd taken her to the Demerit Hall and given her two
vicious swipes of the heaviest cane he could find.
Struggling for obedience, she uncurled herself from around
the pillow. Her legs refused to support her weight. They felt
like rubber under her as she crept out of the closet to stand
quaking before him.
"I may not have two legs," he told her. "But I am not a
cripple, and you'll not treat me that way again."
Anger still trembled in his voice, but at least he wasn't
yelling at her. Mercy jerked her head into a shaky nod. She
bit her bottom lip, but it was too late. She could no more hide
its betraying wobble than she could hide the tears that stung
her eyes.
"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I didn't mean to offend you—"
"You offend a friend," Shipe snapped. "I'm not that to you.
Get on your knees."
It hurt her shins, she hit the floor so hard and so fast. The
tears poured down her cheeks as she clasped her hands
behind her back and bent to press her forehead to the cool
stone beside his boot.
72
Judgment II: Mercy
by Denise Hall
"Less than a day out of Boyden's care, and you already
need to be reminded of your proper place."
She clasped and unclasped her fingers, sniffling loudly and
choking back her tears. But it wasn't the inevitable
punishment she feared, that ominous black threat which she
could feel growing and swelling all around her. Instead, she
wept out, "Please don't send me away. I'll do better, I will! I
promise!"
Shipe swung away from her and crossed the room, as
though heading for the door.Certain that she was about to be
cast out, Mercy covered her head with her arms and began to
cry.
"Take off your clothes," Shipe ordered.
She wouldn't even be allowed to keep her tunic.
Mercy was so ashamed, she didn't bother to get up off the
floor. She striped the ugly fabric from her body, lifting her
forehead off the floor only far enough to slip the uniform over
her head. Leaving it in a crumpled heap, knowing she didn't
deserve even to touch it, much less to wear it, she took her
hands away.
He passed her again and she heard him lay something
heavy on the table. "You think me so incompetent that I can't
train you?"
Mercy covered her face, crying harder as she shook her
head.
"You answer when I talk to you!"
"No, master!" she cried out.
73
Judgment II: Mercy
by Denise Hall
"That's what you said!" he barked. "I am so incompetent
as a master that I must send you away because I can't train
you. I am ineffective! I am weak, in your opinion!"
She shook her head no.
"Now I'm a liar?!"
She shook her head even harder. "No, master, I'm sorry!
I'm sorry!"
"Get up."
She scrambled to her feet and stood shaking before him,
her face flushed and wet with tears, her nose red and
running.
"Hands behind your head."
She placed them there immediately and her chest heaved
as she gasped to control her sobs.
Shipe stood at the table, a suitcase-sized box before him.
He watched her with his angry eyes, considering her a
moment before opening it. Quietly, he lay the lid upon the
table. Inside was an assortment of paddles and straps. "Come
here."
She bowed her head, her knees all but knocking together
as she crept to his side.
He selected a small hand paddle. Only ten inches in length,
it had a wide, round head that was large enough to cover half
her bottom with a single smack. A light oak color in shade
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]