Corrupt Secrets

Chapter 5 - Whispers of Nightmares

The flickering candlelight casts dancing shadows across the small room, illuminating the tension that hangs thick between Elara and me. Her arms are crossed tightly, eyes narrowed with a mix of anger and worry as I recount the details of the encounter with the man. I can feel the heat radiating from her, a palpable force that almost pushes me back.

"What were you thinking?" Elara demands, her voice low but sharp, like the edge of a blade. "Do you have any idea what could happen now? That man could tell everyone in this town about what you did. Do you think they'll come back here after hearing a rumor that someone had their—" She pauses, her frustration boiling over, "—their bits sliced off?"

I swallow hard, the memory of his rage still fresh in my mind. "He was going to rape me, Elara! I wasn't going to let that happen."

I've worked here for years, selling myself piece by piece, but this is the first time I've felt powerless. I've always held the upper hand, their darkest secrets clutched in my fist, ready to bring them to their knees. But now, for the first time, I don't have control. No leverage, no whispered confessions to wield like a blade. This is the first time I'm truly defenseless, exposed.

The safety I used to feel, the power of knowing I could destroy them if I wanted, is gone. All that's left is the cold realization that I'm at someone else's mercy, and I don't know how to fight this kind of battle.

Her expression softens for a moment, the concern in her eyes battling with her anger. "I know that. But you've put us all at risk! We can't afford to lose customers because of this. The last thing we need is for men to start fearing what could happen to them in our establishment."

"I'm not sorry for what I did," I say defiantly, my voice steady despite the trembling in my hands. "He deserved it for what he tried to do."

Elara huffs, running a hand through her fiery hair in exasperation. "I get that. But now we need to think of a way to fix this. We can't just sit here and hope he stays quiet."

I nod slowly, the weight of the situation pressing down on me. "What can I do? I can't just apologize to him and hope he forgives me."

Her eyes narrow as a sly smile creeps across her face. "Well, there is one thing we can do."

"What?" I ask cautiously, already suspecting where this is heading.

"We could finally make our way to the castle," she says, her tone shifting to something more serious. "We talked about it we could tell the king about the guards' plans. It might earn us some favor—and coins—from him. We could trade the information for gold, maybe even a better life."

"The castle?" I repeat, my heart sinking at the thought. "Are you insane? What if we get caught? What if the guards find out? We'll be dead before we even get a chance to speak to the king."

Elara shrugs, her confidence unyielding. "Or we could walk out of there with more coins than we've ever seen. This is our chance, Odessa. Don't you want to fix what happened? To make sure you don't lose everything because of some brutish man?"

I shake my head, the weight of her words tugging at my conscience. "It's dangerous, Elara. You know that."

"And so is staying here and waiting for the fallout," she snaps back. "You're not getting out of this. You need to step up and take responsibility for your actions. If you want to change your fate, this is your chance. We can make something of this mess."

"Besides..." she shrugs, her eyes flicking to the side. "I need a reason not to turn you over to the guards outside."

My eyes widen in shock. "You wouldn't." But there's no doubt lingering in her mind. No hidden thoughts to contradict her words. She means it.