6 Chapter 6

“Come down, little honeybee,” he overheard one of the bandits taunted her.

“Go away, Cal,” Em yelled.

“Give us the child, and we’ll let you live.”

“I already told you. The child didn’t live. I drowned it in the river so it wouldn’t know the pain of servitude.”

“Stupid whore!” another bandit shouted, throwing a rock that hit her square in the shoulder.

Em cursed in pain, but stood firm.

“If you don’t come down, we’ll drag Paulina here and slit her throat.”

Tuxtax flinched at the expletive that Em spat in reply.

“We’ll do it,” the bandit taunted, “We’ll butcher her right here, in front of you, like we did that stupid centaur bitch. We’ll make you put her in the stew, like you did with the horsemeat.”

“You won’t! You won’t because you can’t. She’s dead. They’re all dead. Didn’t you hear the screams? I poisoned the stew. Everyone who ate that poor centaur woman is dead, or wishing they were dead right now,” Em replied.