She struggled against the body that pinned her against the cave’s wall, sharp and jagged rocks penetrating her back. Agonized screams echoed throughout the tavern. Nevyn. Nevyn was one of the few females, not counting herself, to join the gang of drows that called themselves gypsies. Over a period of time, many of the women had disappeared. The men would only say that they decided to go, but now, Felicia knew that it was all a lie. But Nevyn had become a very close friend to Felicia, something she never had. They traveled together for weeks with the band of drows, putting in their share of work and entertaining them males at night. Nevyn taught her how to dance, a smooth, seductive dance that would lure any man to do your bidding. The sound of cloth tearing cut through her thoughts.

“You know you enjoy the screams, Felicia,” a voice whispered huskily next to her ear. She drew in a sharp breath as a hand cupped the conjunction between her thighs, another cruelly kneading and twisting her breast through the thin, white linen blouse. Felicia gritted her teeth, knowing exactly what he wanted. The dark hand between her thighs released her only to grab her chin, making her watch the scene before her. The voice whispered again, “Does it excite you?” He chuckled as he began working at the lacing of her pants. She didn’t notice, eyes locked on her friend. A drow was settled between her legs, pushing himself deep and brutally into her sheath, his hand wrapping around her throat. She could no longer scream. Two more half-naked drows moved closer to watch, their yellow orbs glittering with lust, not only for sex, but also for blood. The drow pushing into Nevyn began to strain, his sweaty dirt caked face tightening. He released her throat with one hand and reached for a dagger at his side.

That was all Felicia saw before the one holding her reverted her attention back to him, blocking her view of what the drow was doing to Nevyn.

“Dance for me, Felicia,” he ran a sharp fingernail down her dark cheek, red blood sliding down her flesh like tears. A look of pure delight came to the drows face as he moved his face closer. She could feel his warm, putrid breath. His tongue darted out and licked the blood, his tongue sliding up her cheek. “Mmm. Come now, Felicia,” he coaxed.

Felicia’s cold, hard eyes stared at him for an instant before she spat in his face, “Amin feuya ten’ lle!” she growled.

He drew back and backhanded her hard across the face. “You bitch!”

Felicia’s head snapped to the side, the rock gashing open her forehead as she staggered to the ground, the blow leaving her dazed.

One of the drows huddled by Nevyn’s bloody corpse grinned, blood dripping from his chin, “I want to tassste her when you are finished, Ssseryl.”

Seryl paid the drow no mind as he laid a top Felicia, his mine on one thing, or perhaps two. She began to struggle again, reaching out to claw at his face but Seryl grabbed her wrists, pinning her hands above her head. Leaning down, he grinned smugly, “Scream for me.”

“I will not! Let go of me, damn you!” she hissed, trying to buck him off, but her struggles were incompetent.

“You will, Felicia. You will.” Seryl promised.

And she did.

*****

Felicia laid there, curled up in a fetal position. She was sore. Dirt and dried blood stuck to her wet, tear streaked face. She stared at the lifeless body of Nevyn lying in a puddle of her own blood. Felicia’s entire body racked with sobs before she cried out, a hand moving between her legs feeling a sharp jab. Never had she been taken like this. Scratches from nails and cuts from daggers covered her naked flesh. She cursed herself a fool over and over again. Why did she think leaving Carcassonne would be any different? Why did she join the gypsies hoping to be accepted for what she is?

For what she was.

Felicia scowled darkly. She was a monster like all the rest. Her and the blood, which flowed through her veins. She had never shown weakness until this night. The pain she had endured from the drows repeated abuse was unbearable.

She flicked her dim, glowing, yellow eyes to the clothes scattered about the ground. Slowly, she got to her hands and knees, wincing at the pain between her legs, sticky from the blood. Felicia snatched up the white, blood stained linen shirt and tried to cover up as much of her nakedness as she could.

She sat there and sobbed.