{Music Recommendation: Love me like you do ~ Ellie Goulding}
"Mm," Jenna moaned with her eyes closed, writhing on the bed. She turned to her side and to the other side.
"She's burning up," the physician, a middle-aged woman who was sent over to take a look at Jenna, reported. She leaned close, pressing her cold palm on Jenna's warm forehead.
"Bring cold water and a towel, we can reduce the fever," the physician instructed the young man who had his face covered with sweat and tears.
Percy grabbed his hair, his nose runny as he couldn't control his emotions. He almost lost consciousness when he heard that his mistress was unconscious.
After Rhane had left Jenna, Kali returned and found her on the ground still naked. She quickly dressed her up, laid Jenna on the bed, and called for a physician and also Jenna's servant.
"Did you hear me?" the physician asked after Percy stood frozen without moving.
Percy wiped his nose with the back of his hand, "My mistress... will she be fine?"
"I doubt," the physician replied, "if you stand there all day to ask me nonsense." She sneered, leaving the room to go get what she wanted herself.
Getting to the door, the physician met Kali who was also walking into the room.
"How's the lady?" Kali glanced at Jenna on the bed, then at the physician.
The woman pressed her lips and sighed, "No external injuries, but I think internally she is damaged. She won't wake up... as if she's afraid of something."
Kali knew exactly what Jenna was afraid of. It was Gerald. "And we can't do anything to wake her up?"
"I can try, but first we need to get the fever reduced. I'll go get water and a towel, then return." Before the physician left, she pointed at Percy. "And that young man needs to rest or leave the room," she suggested before leaving.
Kali walked further into the room without getting very close to Jenna, but she could hear the soft mumbling from her.
"Let... me... go, no... no!" Jenna cried, with her eyes tightly shut. Her hands clenched on the bedsheets until her knuckles turned white.
Percy shuddered when he heard his mistress, "We shouldn't have stayed here... we should have left. If only..." he began crying again.
Kali rolled her eyes, "Can't you at least shut up? Your tears are making everything worse."
"My poor mistress, she tried so hard to live freely and now..." Percy got down on his knees, his hand covering his face as he sobbed. "It's my fault for not... for not protecting her."
Kali moved her head back slightly, taking in the young man's structure. She could tell from his hands that the man had never fought his entire life. Then she glanced at Jenna and sighed.
"You should be strong enough to protect yourself first, before thinking of someone else."
Percy raised his face. For the first time, he looked at the young woman standing beside him. "Why do you look like a woman version of Rhane?"
Kali widened her eyes with surprise. Not everyone recognized at first that she was Rhane's sister because of the color of her skin. While Rhane was a bit more tanned because of the harsh surroundings he was exposed to, Kali looked pale, mostly because their mother always doused her in creams and makeup for the men she would serve.
"You're weak physically, but seem to be witty," Kali muttered. She got closer to Jenna's bed and touched her face. "She's burning up, must be having a nightmare."
Percy stood up and ran towards Kali, his hands pressed tightly together. "Will she wake up?"
"Mm," Kali hummed, "but I'm scared of what will happen if she doesn't."
Percy nodded, "I'll kill myself," he remarked, meaning every word.
"Well, she has quite a lot of men ready to die for her in different ways. She's a winner," Kali mused, covering Jenna's body properly. She took another step back, then crossed her arms on her chest.
"She has to be fine. The only way to fight our fears is to be awake to face them." A tinge of bitterness veiled Kali's tone, as well as her eyes.
Percy, who didn't understand, just nodded along, then snapped his fingers. "I need to bring warm water and a towel! I have to be strong so my mistress can stay strong," he turned and dashed out of the room.
"A witty idiot?" Kali muttered, staring at the door Percy left open. She gave one last look at Jenna before she left the room.
Meanwhile, Jenna remained on her bed, her hand fisted and her eyes tightened. She didn't like this part of her memory she hated it the most.
In her memory, Jenna was trapped in her matrimonial house. Jenna was laid naked on the bed with Gerald whipping her like a colt. Her body drenched in cold, shivering and scarred, but it didn't stop Gerald from screaming at her, each lash harder than the last.
And just when Gerald was about to pounce on her forcefully, Jenna shrieked and jerked up, screaming.
"No!! Let me go! No no!" Her eyes searched frantically. Everything at the moment seemed to her like a shadow of Gerald, and he was going to touch her soon.
"Hold her still," the physician ordered some of her assistants. They did try to hold Jenna, but she kept screaming, trying to free her body.
"Let me go! No!" Jenna struggled for her freedom. She hated it, to be trapped again. She had shattered those shackles before, and now she was pinned like it was her fate.
"Let her go," Rhane ordered, holding the door open.
The physician raised a vial she was holding, "She's losing her mind. I need to make her sleep a little, so—"
"I said, let her go."
Worried more about the narrowed dark gaze on her, the physician gestured for her assistants to let Jenna go.
Jenna used her hand to cover her body. She kept mumbling to be let go even after she was free.
"And get out, everyone." Rhane ordered coldly. He made sure to lock the door. He slowly made his way towards Jenna.
Jenna hugged her body tightly, "Let me go..." she rocked herself on the bed with her eyes closed.
"You're free, Master," Rhane remarked, his soft voice a contrast to what it had been earlier. Even his gaze had softened. "Look around you... you're free."
Jenna slowly opened her eyes. She scanned the room. She wasn't naked. Gerald wasn't close to her. Indeed, she was free. "He's back."
"I won't let him near you, I swear it." Rhane meant every bit of his word. He'd be dead first before Gerald nears Jenna. And even then, he'd make sure to take Gerald to hell with him.
Pulling a chair out, Rhane sat beside Jenna's bed. "He's not coming... he won't near you. I promise."
"You're lying," Jenna muttered. "You're his brother! You both set me up... you—" she tried to move away from Rhane, but he grabbed her wrist.
"Please don't lock me here... please don't hit me—"
Rhane could no longer control his anger, "Jenna, I'd never hit you! Dammit!" He cursed under his breath, gripping her hand tightly.
Jenna flinched. This wasn't Gerald... Rhane was even stronger than Gerald. She couldn't move from the spot he pinned her on.
"If... then. Will you let me go? If you won't hurt me... then please, let me go."
Rhane looked down. He really wanted to. If it were in the past, he would have done it, knowing Jenna was beginning to love him. She said so herself. But now everything got ruined. If he does, she would disappear and never let him near her.
"I can't, Jenna... not again. I'm sorry."
Jenna sucked in her breath, "I knew you were lying... you're just like him. You're like him! You're going to hit me... oh God! Why did I think you would be different..." she sobbed.
"Look at me, Jenna," Rhane ordered. When Jenna didn't, he sucked his teeth. "Jenna, don't make me force you, for hell's sake! Fucking look at me!"
Jenna's breath hitched. She did look up. Her eyes were filled with fear.
"I won't hit you... this is the face of the man who will love you until his last breath," Rhane said. "Do you see? My eyes won't lie. I'd rather cut my own hands than use them to hurt you."
Jenna would never believe him. All men did was lie. And she knew better. She knew better than to believe someone who had been lying from the first time they met.
"You won't hurt me. You'll kill me," Jenna whispered. "Rhane... please let me go!" She tried to push Rhane away.
"You'll kill me!"
Rhane's face hardened, "Shut up, Jenna! Shut up!" He brought his face closer to her, his warm breath falling on her face. This caused Jenna's breath to hitch, and she froze, afraid that he would hit her for disobedience.
"Part your lips."
Jenna wanted to scream at him, but when she opened her mouth, Rhane snaked his own tongue into her mouth, swallowing the words from Jenna's throat. He licked her lower lip, then pulled back.
"I'll come back and check on you," Rhane let go of her hand. "But you're not leaving this place."
"You evil man! No!! You're like your brother." Jenna's lips trembled, her hate for Rhane in her eyes.
Rhane ignored her tantrums, "You loved me before. You can love me again. I'll prove it to you. I will." He ignored Jenna's curse, exiting the room quietly. Though is heart arched badly, he was confused and scared at same time.