Chapter 13 Settling in
Ira’s POV
Cortis walks ahead of me, her steps quiet. I follow her down a long corridor, giving me deja vu from earlier in the day when she'd walked me out to the field.
When I'd witnessed how brutal the commander's punch could be.
This hall, unlike the prison corridors feels too wide, too cold, too full of strangers’ voices echoing through every wall.
My legs drag behind me as I struggle to keep moving.
When she stops before a wide doorway, Cortis spares me a glance.
“Here’s where other servants sleep,” she says, pushing the door open. “From now on, you'll sleep in room B.”
The room is huge, more like a small hall. The dirty wall is lined with low flat beds arranged on the floor. There's thin blankets… better than the ones we had in Felisha's house.
I swallow, trying to think of anything but Anna and Oren's loud wails... Their pleas.
Neat stacks of folded clothing sit on the edge of each mattress. To be honest, with the amount of women in here, the space I'm getting is barely different from the cell I slept in… but somehow still a hundred times better than the shelter.
At least there are large windows here. At least the air doesn’t smell like sewage and despair.
Cortis coughs and everyone instantly stops what they’re doing. Their eyes lifting with their heads. And soon enough, the whole room is watching me as if I am a strange animal dragged in from the woods.
Cortis' height becomes even more intimidating when she steps inside without hesitation.
“Sia, Chloe,” she calls. “Help her settle in.” she orders before walking off.
I remain frozen on the spot. I can't remember when last I showed my face to a crowd. The urge to drop my head slams into me so hard that I have to blink multiple times to get a grip of myself.
Showing weakness is the last thing I should think of in a place like this.
The two ladies get up immediately. One who I remember and the other I've never seen before.
The petite lady who'd taken care of my wounds stands beside who I now know to be Chloe. She’s taller than Sia, with big curls tied into a soft afro and eyes that look watchful... Doubtful.
Both of them come to me and sit me down on one of the empty flat beds.
Sia smiles first. “Hi, I’m Sia,” she says again, like we never met. Like she's not sure I'll remember her.
Chloe sits on my other side. “I’m Chloe. If you need anything, you can ask me. I’m usually calm, unless someone is being stupid.” She shrugs. “So… don’t be stupid, I guess, and we won't have a problem.”
I glare at her... Who the hell does she think she is? What makes you think I care about you remaining calm?
Sia leans closer, lowering her voice. “Stick close to us. Not everyone here likes you right now.”
I open my mouth to answer, to tell her I don’t give a shit who likes me or not, but then I catch a movement in the corner.
A woman at the opposite side of the hall glares openly at me.
No, glaring is way too soft a word to use.
Her stare carries so much hate that I'm nearly forced to ask how she breathes, harbouring so much hate for someone she doesn't know.
My mouth closes without a sound.
Sia leans back with a bright, almost too-bright smile. “Welcome to your new home.” Her words fill me with instant disgust.
I snap before I can stop myself.
“Home? How can you call this a home? I was kidnapped. Forced to stay in this base. Forced to serve the same monsters who tore Anna and Oren away from me.”
The glaring girl shoots to her feet.
She scoffs loudly, stepping forward with her chin raised. “You are in no place to complain. The commander is your sole duty. If you’re smart, you’d be using this to your advantage and ours instead of acting all snobbish.”
“What?” I shout, jumping up. “Why not take my place then? Huh?!”
The whole room quietens.
She giggles but it's a dark, devilish sound.
“Are you willing to take my place then?”
There’s something broken in her voice. Something I don’t understand until she spits out the next words like poison.
“Raped for four years by the Alpha King. And when he got tired, he sent me here. Called it mercy.” Her voice cracks into a scream. “Beaten, starved, abused… and you want to say you’re having it hard?!” Her voice echoes in the silent room. "You barely have a scratch on you!"
Chloe steps sharply between us, lifting both hands. “Mae. Ira,” she says firmly. “This is not allowed.”
Mae’s breath is shaky. My own chest heaves, full of heat and confusion and something close to guilt. I don’t know where to place my anger anymore.
Chloe continues with a steady tone. “We’re all traumatized. All of us. And there’s a rule here– no trauma dumping, and certainly no lies.”
She turns to Mae first, her eyes hard. “You never said any of this to the King’s face when we begged you to, during the council meeting. Instead, you let the commander fight for you for nothing.”
Mae’s eyes drop.
“And you,” Chloe says, turning to me.
“...are not the only one who has been wronged before coming here. If you want to be alone, be alone. If you think you don’t need strength from any of us, fine. But you will speak with respect. We already get shouted at every day. We don’t need to tear each other apart too.”
I stand there with my chest rising too fast, my mind loud with things I want to say but can’t force out.
Sia stands back quietly, her arms crossed gently as she watches me with a worried frown. She doesn’t interrupt, doesn’t add to Chloe’s speech either. She just observes with
soft eyes.
Mae looks away and I drop back into the bed, my knees tired.
With a glare I watch as Sia crouches beside me. “It’ll get better.” She whispers.
I look up at her. “How can you say that? You don’t know anything about me.”
Her eyes flick between my eyes. “I don’t need to know everything. But hope is always better to give than silence.”
I look away, not wanting her pity.
Across the room, Mae is back to glaring at me. What's her problem?
“EVERYONE OUT!!” A command explodes through the hall. A guard suddenly storms the entrance with a death glare.
“NOW!” He barks and the entire room bursts into motion instantly.
Everyone scrambles to their feet, running out blindly, fear taking over every expression.
I blink as soft fingers wrap tightly around my palm, and with a strong pull, Sia drags me to my feet, forcing me to run with her.