The Nameless

Chapter Twenty

*** Anyanwu ...

"My bride...calm down, or the ropes will give you marks." His hand loosens. The air rushing back into my body, painfully.

"Amaechi." I bite out.

"Yes, it is your husband." I can't see him in the darkness, but he's on top of me, straddling me. I can feel his weight.

"I will not marry you."

"Oh but you will. Look at this." He snaps his fingers before my face, making me follow it to his chest. "This is proof of my ownership." The scar across his chest. "I love you, I courted you-my friends told me I was being stupid and I should just take you but I didn't, I courted you, wanted you to choose to be mine, yourself. I...loved you but if you are going to behave like this then..." His voice trails away into laughter as he leans in. His head over my neck, I hear him take a deep breath. "You smell so sweet." He mumbles. I glance at the hand he's raising.

"Amaechi, what are you doing?" Leaning away, he brings the knife over my chest, chuckling sadly.

"I can't let someone else have you." He sniffles, "So tell me, should I have you now or when we're married?"

"Don't do this-"

"Don't do what?!" He suddenly hisses, coming so close to my face, I flinch. "I already killed half the people challenging me for your hand!" He bursts into laughter, "Do you really think this is beneath me?" I swallow, is he really going to kill me? Straightening, he pushes the knife under my top rapa, blade upwards, then he begins to cut it, down the middle. He gasps as he pulls away, the cloth is hanging open. "Truly a sight to behold."

He drops the knife to hold onto my waist as he leans in, then I feel his cold tongue roll over my tummy and onto my chest, covering my nipple with his mouth. My heart races, my breath cut short at every take as he suckles on me. What is he doing? He covers the other with his hand squeezing. I struggle to free my hands only to feel the sharp end of a knife lightly sink into my side. He bites into my skin, dragging a gasp from me as he begins to raise his head. Then he lets go of it, laughing.

"Oh, you taste sweeter than I imagined." He murmures, licking me. His tongue is rough and cold. I would scream but the knife in my side prevents me. So I remain still while he plays with me. When he raises his head, his breathing is heavy and rushed. He reaches beneath his rapa and laughs. "I need to have you right now-"

"What do you think you're doing?" He halts, unable to raise his head.

"Ada, leave, this is none of your concern." He grounds out.

"Do not let me call for the guards." His gaze meets mine and he smiles.

"Till our wedding night then." With that, he gets up retying his rapa. Ada hisses something at him as he passes her, then she comes to me with his knife, cutting the ropes that bound my hands and feet. I get up, moving to the corner I keep my clothes to fetch another rapa.

"You can't scream for help?!" She hisses, grabbing at my arm, "do you have any idea what could've happened to you?!"

"This is not the first time someone has tried to kill me, I would've been fine." I shrug off her hand and tie on my top rapa, "But I am thankful to you." She scoffs, watching me.

"Do you want to spend the rest of the night with me?" How weak would that make me seem? I shake my head, swallowing.

"I'll be fine." She nods.