Chapter 36 #4
The lord’s eyes flashed with disgust and hatred, the way he looked at me reminding me of all the worst Fae who had ever owned me.
Something in me hardened as I looked right back at him, letting him see that he didn’t scare me even though I knew it only made him hate me more.
But I was sick of being made to feel lesser, being used without thought or consideration to who I was.
Master had taken an interest in the truth of me and that had breathed life into a rebellious kind of defiance which I had forgotten I even possessed.
I liked the taste of it and I planned on taking more.
Master squeezed tightly once again and Kalaviv gasped, giving in to what he knew he had to do and speaking to me through gritted teeth as he spluttered out an apology.
“I meant no offence,” he ground out, though the fire in his eyes told me that his words were naught but lies. “I’m sorry if you thought I did.”
“Hard not to be offended by the thought of spending a night in your bed,” I said, the words spilling from me before I had so much as a chance to stop them.
Master barked a laugh, releasing Kalaviv suddenly, giving him a little shove so that he almost fell on his arse before managing to right himself while grasping at his cock with a curse.
“You’re little more than savages,” Kalaviv spat as he backed away, his eyes darting fearfully between the three of us as he attempted to retreat towards his own entourage once more.
“Savages?” Master scoffed. “Oh no. We’re far worse than that.”
“I have half a mind to inform the royal family,” Kalaviv growled.
“Go ahead,” Master replied. “I’ll be sure to tell them the full truth of it.
In the meantime, like I said, I’m headed to the bathhouse.
I’d say I look forward to seeing you later, but I suppose that would be a lie.
” Master smiled tauntingly, a flash of teeth that was all warning and hunger for blood before he turned away dismissively and strode off without another word.
My heart thrashed wildly as I watched him leave, my emotions all stirred up and confused as I tried to make sense of what he’d just done. For me. He’d done that for me.
He only wishes to gain your full loyalty.
I had the sense to hold my tongue as I looked up at Kalaviv while he scowled at me, still cupping his groin protectively.
I took a step back, sensing the threat coming from him as he glared at me like that had been my fault, wondering if this truly would be the end of the matter or not.
“Your master will need fresh clothes prepared, Kyra,” Cassius said, placing himself between me and the lord, his eyes encouraging me to escape while I had the opportunity. “You should hurry to catch him.”
“Okay,” I agreed eagerly, not wanting to linger in the current company and gladly taking the offer of escape.
I turned away from the angry noble, glancing once more towards the princess whose eyes briefly met mine from the stage, making something sharp twist in my chest as she did so.
I dropped my gaze then, not sure what I was seeing in her face as she turned her attention my way and breaking into a run as I hurried up the lawn, chasing after my master.
He glanced down at me as I fell into step beside him, his gaze softening just a little in recognition. “Sorry about that,” he muttered, his jaw hard as he still seemed to be fighting against his own temper.
“About what, Master?” I asked. “Shouldn’t I be the one who’s sorry for being a bad maid?”
He blew out a harsh breath, swiping a hand down his face and shaking his head.
“No. That arsehole should be sorry for thinking he’s better than you just because he holds more money and power.
My entire life I’ve been subject to the elitist bullshit of the upper Fae who like to think of themselves as so much more than the rest of us – but now look, I stand among them in some fancy clothes, calling myself a count instead of a thief and they’re suddenly ready to call me one of their own. ”
“In all fairness you’re shirtless, and I’m fairly certain your lack of clothing has caused something of a scandal,” I pointed out and he cracked a smile at my words, flashing a single dimple at me as I tilted my head to look up at him while we continued to walk along the lawn towards the decorative gardens.
“No doubt Cassius has an entire speech planned out to chastise me with later,” he said with a groan, though he didn’t seem in the least bit apologetic for his actions.
“I imagine he will have prepared notes,” I agreed.
“Just so long as he doesn’t attempt to reprimand me for defending you to that entitled piece of shit,” he muttered, his easy smile falling at the memory of what the lord had suggested about me.
“You don’t strike me as the type to dislike whores,” I pointed out and he shook his head dismissively.
“I take no issue with whores. They work hard for their coin and are among some of the best people I know. I take issue with men like him assuming Fae with less than them are either unfit for his company or for sale at his whim.”
“I imagine he won’t forget that message easily,” I teased, twisting a finger through a dark curl of my hair, still getting used to the colour of it and finding I really liked the rediscovery of myself.
I’d sat and stared into the mirror for over an hour last night, becoming reacquainted with the Fae I once was.
It hadn’t done anything to help stir any memories for me, but it had helped me to feel more like…
myself? Or like I was real? I wasn’t entirely sure which, but I was fairly confident it was a good thing either way.
“In all honesty, I feel like I didn’t make it clearly enough,” he muttered irritably. “Where I come from, I would have drawn blood for an insult like that.”
“Do you often speak up in defence of those around you?” I questioned and he frowned at me, shaking his head.
“No. Of course I don’t. That wasn’t what I…
” he trailed off, looking out into the gardens before shrugging and turning his attention to me again.
“I am not a man to waste time fighting battles on behalf of anyone else. But… I would still feel inclined to kick his arse for insulting you. So make of that what you will. I have already given him a good kicking though, so I suppose I don’t need to repeat the process. ”
I grinned at him. “You did,” I said, taking pleasure in the memory of watching him beat Kalaviv in front of everyone, the feral hunger in his eyes and the way the lord had been forced beneath him.
I wasn’t sure I’d even remembered to breathe throughout the entire fight, my palms growing clammy and my mouth drying up as I’d watched it all play out through unblinking eyes, loving every single moment of it. “I thought he might cry at the end.”
“That would have made my day.” Master chuckled and I blinked at him in surprise, fighting the urge to flinch away as he leaned in closer to me, dropping his voice in a secretive way which made a flutter of excitement stir within me as I held myself there to listen.
“Would you like a gift?” he asked with a mischievous smile.
“A gift?” I asked in surprise.
He held out his hand and offered me a signet gold ring which I’d seen on Kalaviv’s hand earlier.
There was a ruby at the centre of it and I carefully plucked it from his palm, taking care not to touch him before I held it up to the light to look at the red colour better, my lips parting in surprise as I studied the offering.
“Thank you,” I breathed. I’d never had a gift before, at least not in any memories I owned and certainly not from any master who had claimed me.
The small token made a rush of emotions pour through me as I stared at it, my pulse hammering in my throat and clogging it up so that words stalled there, leaving me speechless as I just stared.
This meant something powerful, the rush of it making me flustered as tears pricked the backs of my eyes and I blinked several times to try and hold them in.
He stole it, so it’s not all that thoughtful.
“It’s still the best gift I’ve ever had,” I replied, pushing the ring onto my finger.
It was far too big, but I didn’t mind. People gave gifts to those they cared about.
To those they saw . For him to have given this to me mattered because it meant I was more to him than just a means to an end.
I was someone to him. Real. And maybe not quite so alone anymore.
My fingers shook at the thought of that reality, one where I wasn’t just used but wanted. Where my company could be something desirable even when I wasn’t fulfilling commands or making dreams come true.
It’s too big because it’s not meant for you. I’m not going to let you get all swoony over some stolen trinket.
I fought against the thoughts of the fractured part of me because she was just hurting really, afraid of this being true and caught in the trap of having been alone for altogether too long. But what if that was changing now? What if-
“Don’t get too excited, Kyra,” Master muttered, seeming surprised by how much I clearly appreciated the gesture, his hand pushing into his midnight hair as he brushed it out of his equally dark eyes. “And it might be a good idea not to wear that where anyone will see it.”
“Why?” I breathed.
Because Lord Kalaviv will be looking for it and if he catches you with it, he’ll have the guards cut off your head.
I wasn’t sure if I wanted to have my head cut off, but I did like my gift all the same.
“Because it’s a little bit stolen,” Master admitted with a roguish grin and I didn’t get the impression that he thought that made it worth any less at all.
Thieving was how he had always survived, how he had always gotten what he wanted and when he’d stolen this ring, he’d done so for me.
So surely that made it a gift just valuable as one he had bought?
Your standards have slipped a lot in the last thousand years.