Sanity

16. Punishment

She felt numb as the guards forcefully dragged her through the palace. People looked, they whispered, but Jaelyn didn't give a second glance. Her anger had dissipated quickly, and she felt nothing.

When the guards had brought her out of the palace doors, they aggressively shoved her to the ground, not sparing another word to her as the doors were slammed in her face. She wanted to cry, but nothing came out. Her face was numb, as was her heart.

It didn't take long for Tank's men to find her. Word had apparently travelled fast; Jaelyn knew that there were other rats working for him in the palace, not just Maeve. There was no way it could have been her; William's men had arrested her, and she was sure he wasn't going to let her go like he did Jaelyn.

"Follow me," the man sent by Tank murmured, his voice quiet from where Jaelyn sat down a quiet alley with a rag covering her bloody nose. "Any sudden moves and I have orders to subdue you."

"Yeah, yeah," Jaelyn muttered back, disregarding the rag before she used the wall to help herself up. "I know the way."

She felt stupid, walking around the dark and dingy streets of Rokq still wearing her princess dress. She felt like a child playing dress-ups. She could feel the judgement and hatred from everyone they passed, but she kept her head forward and her chin up. They didn't know she was walking towards her death, but she did.

They reached the old noodle shop quickly. Jaelyn walked in, not acknowledging the shop owner as she walked through the room and into the back, heading for the basement. As she lowered herself down the ladder, the smell slowly drifted to her nose. She had once grown accustomed to it, but now, it only made her feel sick.

"You failed me, Jaelyn," Tank's voice sounded from the depths of the room when she dropped down from the ladder. Despite the fury and coldness in his voice, Jaelyn didn't flinch or show fear. She couldn't let him know he had won.

"You lied to me," she replied calmly, turning to face him. He was back to his usual raggedy self, his black clothes half torn and his skin covered in dirt.

"I would say you are the only liar in this room," he snarled back, his hand gripping the dagger at his waist tightly. "You were never going to do it. I should have killed you long ago."

"So do it," Jaelyn snapped. "I don't care. Put me out of my misery, please."

Tank paused, studying her features. She tried not to give anything away, but his harsh gaze was making her crumble.

"I don't think so," he decided to say finally, and Jaelyn hesitated.

"Tank, what are you-"

"Grab her and hold her down," he interrupted, and before she could protest, her arms were being grabbed and she was forced to the ground. Flashbacks of what happened in the palace not too long ago coursed through her mind, and she tried blocking them out.

"What are you doing?" Jaelyn demanded, her head snapping around quickly as the panic seeped in. Her knees scraped against the rough concrete beneath her as the men behind her pushed her into the ground.

"Get the whip."

Her eyes widened in fear, and she tried to shrink as far away from him as she could.

"No, please," she begged. "You don't have to do this. Why won't you just kill me? That's what you want, right?"

"I think this will hurt you more," Tank admitted, as he took the whip that was handed to him by another girl. He cracked it twice, a sickening grin spreading across his lips at the sound. Jaelyn flinched against each. "And that's all we want. To hurt you."