Preface

He held the whip tightly, with guilt in his heart and pride dried on his lips. "I will ask you one more time, Lilura, where is the hidden child?"
Lilura can barely move, every muscle in her body has seized up. Her body is struggling to recover, to repair the damage, and more importantly, to stop the blood. Unable to move with any grace, her movements are jerky. Her throat ached, yearning for even the faintest of chilled air.
"I bare you no confession," she forced words out, her breath dry and deep. "You will not have my child."

He glared sharply, "You stubborn woman!" He gripped tighter, not noticing the trickle of blood from his own palm. "I'll beat it out of you. You will confess!
⇥PotEhjQm⇤