Lib Novel Page 18
Asa leaned down, putting his face too close to mine. “What I am saying is that if you prove unhelpful, I will kill you before my brother returns.” He looked toward the ceiling “And I will end your friend upstairs, too.”
I seethed, “I hate people like you. I’ve known men like you my whole life.”
“Like what?”
“Men who are too weak to do something themselves, so they manipulate and threaten someone stronger to do it for them.”
He smiled. “Then I’ll make you a promise. And mind you, I always keep my promises… At some point, I will show you who is the stronger of us.”
“Want to make a bargain?” I challenged.
“What sort of bargain?”
“For every answer I get out of my clone, you answer a question for me.”
His eyes narrowed. “You have my word.”
I wasn’t sure his word was any good, but I would soon find out, one way or another. I had to play this game well, or the penalty of failure was death. I didn’t plan to lose.
A shiver scuttled up my spine as he slowly stood and ambled from the room, accented by a loud bang from the cellar.
Chapter Five
Eve
As I walked toward the back of the house, I came upon a door that led to the kitchen, which was located outside within a smaller building that was detached from the main home. I entered the kitchen to see a fire crackling merrily in the hearth inside the tidy, white room. The strong scent of onions burned my eyes. Why are they cooking onions at night?
“Miss?” a woman said, startling me. I turned to find her carrying a straw basket full of onions.
“I’m looking for a way into the cellar,” I inquired lamely.
The woman’s brow furrowed. “I just saw you in there. How are you already out here?” she asked.
“Where is the cellar door?” My patience was unraveling the longer I stood there enveloped by the pungent smell of onions.
The woman hefted the basket of onions onto one hip and pointed toward a hinged wooden door, which I now noticed led into the earth beside the main house’s staircase. “Thanks.”
“Wait!” she hollered. She sat her basket down and ran into the kitchen, coming out with a lit lantern in hand. “You’ll need light to see by.”
Taking the lantern, I thanked her and headed to the cellar, wrenching open the door. A few steps led down into a long room with stone walls and a ceiling of thick, wooden beams. Anything that held a house up had to be built sturdily, so I assumed I was safe enough.
In the back corner was my clone, seated in a chair, her legs bound to its legs and her arms tied behind her back. A handkerchief was stuffed into her mouth. She let loose a muffled, shrill sound and began bouncing around in the chair. The warm light of the lantern illuminated Asa’s handiwork.
He was good with knots. I wasn’t sure I could even wriggle my way out of these ropes.
“You fall over just right, and you’ll break your arm or hand,” I chastised. “If I were you, I’d stop acting like a moron.”
She fumed, but calmed down. I approached and took the gag out of her mouth. When the piece of tied fabric was loose, she spat a matching ball onto the floor. “Untie me,” she ordered.
“Not until you answer a few questions.”
“Un. Tie. Me,” she demanded slowly.
“I’m not stupid, and I’m not untying you yet. You’re a 1776 model?”
“Duh,” she answered, rolling her eyes.
Jesus, did I act like this? “How in the world did you get Asa, of all people, to propose?” There was another cobweb-coated chair nearby. I dusted it off, dragged it over, and positioned it backward in front of her before straddling it and propping my forearms on the back slats.