I hovered my hand over the knife beneath my dress.

I flinched as he slid his hands around my waist and placed a kiss on my neck.

It was all I could do to stop myself from spitting in his face as he drew away, but I had to be careful.

For now, if I was to have any chance of taking my revenge on this monster, I had to play a longer game.

“Yes,” I said, focusing on keeping my voice steady.

His eyes roamed my body.

He turned on Bella.

“How many meals per day has she been eating?” “Three,” she lied.

“Increase it to four, and feed her more fats.” He turned back to me.

“You’re privileged, girl.

Not everyone who stays here receives the treatment you’re getting.” I forced a smile.

“I appreciate it,” I said, fixing my eyes on his.

“But I was hoping that I might persuade you that I’m better off alive than a meal on your plate.” He cocked his head to one side.

I cast a glance at Bella and nodded toward the door.

“Leave,” I ordered her.

She looked at me as though I’d gone mad.

She remained standing, waiting for Anselm’s reaction.

When he nodded toward the door, she exited.

Curiosity sparked in the man’s eyes.

I stood up on the bed and, reaching for his hands, replaced them on my waist.

“You said I’m a princess, did you not?” A smile curved the corners of his lips, though it looked more like a sneer than a smile.

“Indeed you are.” “And you are a prince.” He nodded.

“Then”—I leaned closer to his ear, dropping my voice to a whisper—“wouldn’t it make sense if we remained together?” Smirking, he pushed me back on the bed.

“I’m not sure you could earn your keep.

Whatever it was you offered me would have to be very, very good to forgo the taste of your tender flesh.” I shivered as he leaned over me, his eyes locked on mine.

He lowered his head and pressed his face against the crook of my neck, taking a deep breath as he breathed in my scent.

His body was almost flat against mine now.

As discreetly as I could, I raised a knee so that he wouldn’t flatten me completely and I moved one hand down toward my right thigh.

With the other hand, I gripped his collar and pulled him closer.

“Perhaps you underestimate me,” I said softly.

“I rarely underestimate people.” Parting my dress, I slipped the knife from its sheath and brought it slamming upward.

He choked, his eyes growing wide as he stared at me, dumbstruck.

“Is that so?” I look advantage of his momentary shock to grab the keys from his belt, roll him off me and leap out of the bed.

I lurched toward the door.

Throwing a glance over my shoulder, I swore beneath my breath.

I had thought I’d rammed it right into his stomach, but due to his proximity, I’d missed my mark.

Instead he had a stab wound near his hip.

Clearly not fatal, as he staggered toward me, fury filling his eyes.

Now that he was alert to me, I dared not go near him again in case he wrestled the weapon out of my hand.

He let out a hoarse laugh as I fumbled with the keys, opened the door and began racing along the corridor.

“So you like things rough, Princess?” he called after me, his voice rasping as his footsteps sped up.

“I can accommodate rough.” My blood was pounding in my ears as I reached the end of the corridor and skidded round the corner.

I ripped out the second knife from beneath my thigh, holding both handles upside down, the blades flat against my wrists, as I caught sight of two ogres at the other end of the corridor.

Anselm was almost twice my height and his legs were frighteningly powerful even after the injury he’d just sustained.

I dared not look back, but it sounded like he was no more than a few feet away from me.

On seeing Anselm and me, the two ogres stopped dead in their tracks and blocked the corridor entirely with their huge frames.

I supposed they thought that I would slow down.

I didn’t.

I sped up.

Slipping out the two knives at the last minute, I dug them into both of their guts before they could even register what had happened.

Blood spilled down the blades, soaking my hands and arms.

I pulled the blades out again as they keeled over, allowing me passage just as Anselm grabbed the strap of my dress.

I swiped out with the knife, narrowly missing his wrist as he withdrew his hand.

I didn’t know how long it would be before I came across more ogres in the passageway.

Eventually, they’d catch me.

I couldn’t keep running forever.

And these knives would be no good against Anselm now that he knew my trick.

He was too strong.

He’d overpower me if I let him catch up with me, even if I was holding two knives.

I’d thought I’d be able to make the chase last a bit longer, but as I turned the next corner, I walked right into a dead end.

I whirled around, trying to make it out before Anselm closed in, but I wasn’t fast enough.

Placing both hands against the walls, he breathed deeply as he staggered toward me, dark blood dripping from his wound and leaving a trail on the floor.

I tried the doors closest to me, but they were locked.

I backed up against the window at the end of the hallway, swallowing hard as I brandished the two knives.

I steeled myself as he approached within three feet of me.