Marta’s body hurt in ways she never imagine. Her arm was throbbing and her body shaking as sobs escaped her lips. She kept begging for the man to stop, but he wouldn't listen. Marta was such a fool, why did she think she could do this? Now she was about to be killed which in turn would get Ezra killed, or he would be gone forever. Marta was the world's biggest fool. She watched as the man heated up the iron rod again, Marta tried to mentally prepare herself for the impending pain, but she didn't know how she was going to handle it. 

Once it was fire hot again, the man walked over and grabbed Marta's hair and forced her head back, exposing her neck. He held the rod up and Marta tried to fight, but it was hopeless. The hot metal came inches from her neck when suddenly the man was yanked away and thrown across the room. Marta looked up and it took a minute for her to process what was happening. When she saw Ezra she cried out his name, but he was being tossed around and punched. 

“Stop! Stop hurting him!” She screamed in vain. She began pulling against her ropes, the pain in one arm near impossible to handle. She felt herself becoming light headed but it didn't matter. She had to help Ezra in whatever way she could. She watched as Ezra finally took the upper hand and was strangling her torturer. Marta stopped struggling, watching in an odd sense of awe. She obviously didn't want Ezra to become a murderer for her, yet after what that man did to her, she felt no remorse. 

Suddenly Isiah came bursting through the door, pulling Ezra off the dead body. By this point, Marta's vision was going blurry but she kept her eyes focused on Ezra. She needed to get to him, to tell him it was ok. She didn't care that he killed a man, to thank him for saving her life. Looking up at Isiah as he came over, she felt the ropes around her loosen. Once free, she stood up, probably faster than she should have, causing her to stumble a bit. She ran right up to Ezra, throwing herself into his arms. 

“I'm so sorry Ezra, I'm sorry!” She cried between sobs. Her head buried in his neck and her good arm wrapped around him clinging to him. Her arm that she was sure was broken and also branded hung loosely by her side. She held onto Ezra as if he life depended on it, and in a weird way it did. Both stood there covered in blood, sweat dripping from their bodies. 

Isiah looking very nervous walked over to them “ We need to go now” he said urgently, trying to usher them out of the room. Marta start glued to Ezra's side, following him blindly. Isiah led them expertly through the halls of the fortress, taking so many turns, Marta lost track in an instant. They reached a door that led outside of the back of the building. Isiah told them to wait and he scouted ahead to make sure the coast was clear. 

Once he came back, he quickly urged them to move and soon they were inside a tiny cabin, apparently Ezra and Isiah room. He locked the door and closed the curtains. “We can't stay here long” he whispered, not daring to speak any louder for fear of being caught. “Marta let me look at your arm.”

Marta who hadn't let go of Ezra once, stayed where she was. It wasn't that she didn't trust Isiah, she just couldn't let go. Too many bad things happened when she wasn't in the arms of the man she loved.