Chapter 4
Elpis
I sat next to my new owner in complete shock. Was I leaving this place now? What about the other slaves? What about Zosime and Dagmaer? I couldn’t abandon them! Dagmaer’s life had just begun! Who knew when she’d see the Sun God again? I listened to the conversations around me, trying to find out when we’d be leaving, but I got no such clue. I guessed that we’d leave tomorrow because it sounded like everything they needed to talk about was resolved.
My worst fears had been confirmed about the knight; he wasn’t a good guy. He was content to just let slaves continue to be sold under the Sun God’s very nose. Did that mean Dagmaer would be sold? She was a pretty young girl, and I was terrified that the duke would get his grubby hands on her.
Oh gods, I could barely think straight! I was drawn to her hope. I couldn’t let Dagmaer get taken! Was there a way I could sneak down and free her tonight? I tried to will the tears away, but I was starting to panic. This was too much! Everything was happening too fast !
A glass of water came into my peripheral vision, and I started, flinching because I thought someone was going to pour it on me.
“Drink some water, Elpis,” the knight said in a firm voice. I didn’t look at his face, but I accepted the water and drank heavily, draining the cup in one go. I caught my breath and sighed in relief. My parched throat was no longer as raw, and I handed the cup back gratefully. Both times he’d been careful not to graze my fingers. He still wasn’t touching me, and I wouldn’t complain.
I couldn’t believe I was almost Duke Gero’s slave. A shudder wracked my body from head to toe. I hadn’t even known he’d put a bid on me, but then again, I hadn’t known that our lord was thinking about clearing us out either. At least on the floor I didn’t have to suffer the duke’s disgusting looks. I would have needed five baths tonight to get the stench of his gaze off me.
A giant coat draped over my shoulders, and I was no longer thinking about stenches. I was encapsulated by the knight’s scent and nearly melted in bliss. I looked up at his shoulders in question because we weren’t supposed to look our owners in the eyes. Why’d he give me this?
“You were shivering,” the knight explained with a shrug and turned to talk to another slave.
Oh, that shudder was emotional, but at least I got something pleasant out of it. I tucked my nose to the side and took a deep whiff of the coat. I sighed, and my belly squirmed in delight. It smelled like… something I still couldn’t place. I scented male sweat, but I couldn’t detect the other elements. I wrapped the coat around my knees and snuggled into it. Mmm, total bliss. All I needed now was some food, and I was set.
A slave handed me a bowl of fish, rice, and vegetables, and I stared at it in awe. Could my new owner read my mind? I peeked up at my owner, whose eyes flickered from me back to the lord. Fiddlesticks! Caught looking. I blushed and dug into my bowl of food, grateful to ease my aching, empty belly. Water, food, sitting, and warmth. I was already getting a good deal. Maybe if I could put on some weight, I wouldn’t be so cold all the time. Oh! Maybe I’d get real clothes!
I was drowsy by the time everyone got up from the dining table. I stood to follow the knight but was pulled aggressively into the hall by a violent hand. A sweaty palm cupped my mouth to muffle my cries, and Duke Gero whispered, “You will take the dagger I put in your pocket, and you will kill your owner in his sleep. If you don’t, I will bid on that pretty little hatchling and see how well she handles serving me in the privacy of my bedchamber!”
He immediately shoved me away from him, and I stumbled, falling to the floor with a thud. I winced, knowing that my tailbone was going to be very sore tomorrow. My owner rounded the corner in a fury but calmed when he saw me. He looked very confused to see me on the floor, so I jumped up, held back a cry of pain, and shuffled to follow him again.
He glared darkly into the hall, and his nostrils flared. When he snorted, a puff of smoke curled from his nostrils in anger. He must have known that the duke had harassed me. My new owner might not be a good person, but he wasn’t stupid. He hadn’t even wanted me until he knew the duke did. Was he protecting me?
The knight brought me back upstairs to his guest chamber and closed the door behind me. I stood at the door while he went to open his bag. I wanted to say something, but we weren’t to speak until addressed. I squirmed uncomfortably and fisted my hands at my sides until he froze and turned his head to look at me.
“Are you ok?” he asked. I shook my head ‘no’ and waited for him to give me leave to talk. I curled my toes and shifted my weight from foot to foot. He still didn’t say anything, so I sighed and just showed him. I held my hand out so he wouldn’t consider me a threat and reached into his coat pocket. I pulled the dagger out, made sure he saw it clearly, and then I threw it at the wall to break it. It did not break. In fact, it just bounced off the wall and headed back toward my toes. I shrieked and jumped away, narrowly evading the rabid length of steel .
I was on my back by my master’s feet, panting and looking down to make sure I had all my toes. I collapsed in relief and placed my hands over my face, groaning at my stupidity. I just wanted to show him my loyalty! Besides, I had no plans on letting the duke get his hands on Dagmaer. That piss-poor excuse for a dragon no longer held power over me!
When my attention returned to my surroundings, I realized that the knight was laughing uncontrollably. He was sitting down and clutching at his scrunched red face, occasionally wiping a tear away with a knuckle. I looked up at him from my floor vantage, and a small, amazed giggle escaped my lips. His laugh was extremely contagious, and I got swept into it. I chuckled quietly, but eventually, every boom from his chest trickled down my abdomen to settle between my thighs.
Oh gods, what?
I felt a rush of heat and dampness from my core, so I stood and walked to sit on the other side of the room to hide my embarrassment. How was it that even his laugh aroused me? I tried to focus on something else. I eyed a pile of black ashes in confusion but ended up poking it to draw little shapes on the floor.
Didn’t there use to be a table here?
“Yeah, I cremated that table when they told me you were punished,” he said when his laughter abated. He sobered and cleared his throat. “I tried, Elpis. I really did. She wouldn’t listen. I’m sorry.” He looked apologetic, and I lowered my gaze. Owners didn’t apologize. This was weird.
“I hope it wasn’t… too bad,” he added, pulling out several items from his bag. I didn’t reply. I didn’t regret not forcing myself on him—not that I could have. I couldn’t force soup on a dying man; this body was so weak.
I noticed the dagger was still on this side of the room, so I grabbed it by the blade and handed it to him. He took the handle and carefully removed it from my grip. “So, is this a show of your loyalty as a slave or your decency as a human being?” he asked curiously and raised a brow at me. I supposed it was both, but I didn’t know how to answer. He was making communication difficult, not using yes-or-no questions. He didn’t talk like an owner. It was almost as if he knew nothing about owning slaves, which was impossible because he was friends with the lord.
Was this a test? No. No, it couldn’t be. He’d been nice to me the other night. Maybe he was just a nice owner? Maybe if I spoke freely, I wouldn’t be punished. He didn’t seem to like the fact I was punished. He even tried to help me break the rules. Ah… my mind was tired. Too much. This was all too much.
“Okaaay,” the knight said with a deep intake of breath. “Let’s try this one. Did Duke Gero give you this weapon?” he asked, crossing his arms and shifting his weight. He wiggled the blade from one of his tucked hands.
I breathed a sigh of relief and nodded a ‘yes.’ Finally!
“Elpis, I need you to speak freely with me. I don’t understand these conversation games. I’ll be straight with you, but I need you to do the same in return, especially if I’m to protect you,” he asserted sternly.
Ok, good. He made the rules clear. “Yes, mast—” I started saying, but he interrupted as fast as lightning.
“If you call me anything but Sir Keyon, I’m going to be very cross with you. Or Keyon. Whatever. I don’t care. Just do not call me your master!” he snapped. He tossed a set of pajamas onto my lap and turned around to face the wall. “Get changed. Those will be big, but they’ll be much more comfortable than that costume they put you in. You’ll get better clothes later.”
I marveled at the soft cotton under my fingers and couldn’t hold back a squeal of delight. I jumped up, took the costume off, and put on the fine clothing. I had to tie the strings on the bottoms extra tight, but I got them to stay. I giggled as I walked in a circle with an extra foot of pajama trailing behind me.
“Don’t trip now,” the knight, Sir Keyon, said with an amused chuckle. I grinned back up at him, but then averted my eyes out of habit. Gods! What was the rule for that now ?
I looked around for a spot to settle and curled up at the foot of the bed. I nuzzled into my warm, pajama-clad arms and scented his delicious smell all over them. I smiled and curled tighter. I felt so spoiled.
“Elpis, get on the bed,” Sir Keyon ordered. My eyes shot open, and I glanced warily up at him. He wasn’t going to use my belt key to get to me, was he? He saw the look on my face and snorted. “I’m not going to touch you. I’m just letting you have the bed. I’ll take the floor. That’s an order. Go on, get on up there, moonflower.”
I balked at the strange endearment, but I scrambled onto the mattress and groaned into the pillow. This was a complete turnaround from last night’s sleeping arrangement. Everything about this was amazing! I snuggled under the covers, kicked my feet, and squealed again. I could hear him laughing, but I didn’t care if I looked stupid. This was the best moment of my entire life!
“I need to head out for a little bit, Elpis. Stay here. Do not go anywhere, and don’t let anyone else in. Make sure you lock the door. I’ll be back soon,” Sir Keyon’s voice said, and I popped my head out of the blankets to see him swing the door shut.
I waited until I couldn’t hear his footsteps any longer before crawling out of bed. Now was the perfect time to try to free Dagmaer!
Sir Keyon
I left my guest chamber without a solid plan in place, but I knew I had to find a way to get to the roof or a higher balcony to send the signal. I’d heard enough, and I’d honestly seen more than I wanted to see. I couldn’t get the sight of how Duke Gero looked at Elpis out of my thoughts. It was embedded in my memory, and I wanted nothing more than to wipe it from my mind. I didn’t care if I had to smuggle her out in a blanket. He’d never put his filthy eyes on her again. If he so much as reached for her, he’d be removed from his hands.
I spied Lord Adelmar strolling down the hall and walked to catch up to him. He heard my footsteps and turned with a wry smile. “That was fast,” he teased, and I snorted.
“No offense,” I said, falling into stride with him, “but I’d rather taste a fine wine out of crystal than a cup. I’ll deflower her when we get home.”
“That’s fair.” The lord nodded with a chuckle. “I almost wish you’d write after. I admit I’ve always been curious about how she’d taste.”
Gross. Toast shuddered.
“It’s remarkable you’ve been able to keep your hands off her for so long,” I replied dryly. It was getting far too easy to speak like a slave owner, and I felt like I needed to wash my mouth out with soap. “That aside, any diseases I need to worry about?”
“They lose their value when they’re broken in, and she would have been worth a fortune. And as for your question, no. She clears them from her system fairly quickly. Surprisingly fast for a shiftless,” the lord answered. “It’s one of the reasons why she’s our most popular. The guests covet her.”
“Shiftless?” I asked, genuinely curious now. “She’s not a human?” I really had not been certain.
A short, sharp laugh burst from him. “Does she look human?” He shrugged. “It’s unclear what she is. She came to us as a child but never showed signs of a first shift. Her faster healing also makes it clear she’s probably not human. As long as she did what we asked and did it well, it didn’t matter what she was.”
These creatures are disgusting, Toast growled.
I hope you and I can agree that it’s appropriate to feel bad for the female, whether or not she frightens you. Yes? I pressed. Maybe I was pushing Toast too much concerning Elpis, but if she happened to be my—our—fated mate, he needed to understand my need to protect her.
Either way, Toast did not answer me. I sighed .
“Well, if I discover what she is, I’ll be sure to let you know,” I said in a bored tone.
“I doubt the duke would have been so curious.”
“Now where did you dredge that muck from anyway?” I asked, perhaps a bit too rudely. I couldn’t keep my hatred for the dragon beneath my scales.
“He’s not useful on his own… he just has good connections. Believe me, I’d like to be rid of him as well. The dragon is a stain at my table. Alas, he has too many friends in unsavory places. I wouldn’t dare.” The lord scowled, scuffing his boot particularly hard on his next step as though he was scraping Duke Gero off it. “No doubt there will be repercussions for giving you Elpis, but he would have ruined her in days. Body and soul.”
I’ve seen her eyes, my dear lord. You’ve already killed her soul.
“Don’t tell me you gave her to me to save her.” I scoffed in disbelief. The lord’s eyes flickered in the dark hallway, and he scowled.
“Yes, I took her, I enslaved her, I raised her, and I used her, but there is only so much monster in me, Sir Keyon,” he said in a hard voice.
Whatever helps him sleep at night, Toast muttered.
Even demons crave comfort.
“Enough of this for now, then. Elpis will be cared for,” I dismissed. “Now the evening is still early, and I’m looking for a spot to stretch my wings and loosen these thoughts from my mind. You’ve stretched my comfort zone today, Lord Adelmar. Any suggestions?” I asked, adding a dose of reality to make him nervous and therefore more pliant. He knew I was still much more powerful than him, in title and body. I could snap him like a twig.
“No doubt you could. You’ve been most generous in coming to hear me out. You’ll have to send my regards to the prince for organizing this. I wasn’t supposed to mention him, but since it went so well, I can’t really see what the issue is…”
What? Toast interjected. No, that’s impossible.
We’ve been set up, Toast. This was a trap.
I had to verify. “I’ll give your best wishes to the crown prince, then.”
The lord stopped and gave me a sharp look. “I think you mean our good Prince Cyneric…”
We stood and stared at the other, two enemies simultaneously exposed. We almost didn’t react to the large explosion that came from downstairs. Lord Adelmar laughed darkly and shook his head, looking out the nearest hall balcony like an emperor watching his domain fall to ruin.
“Seems like you and I have a common foe, Sir Keyon, and he’s the third most powerful male in the kingdom.” He backed toward the open doors, stripping himself of his clothes. He stood on the edge and said, “Do be a male of your word and care for Elpis, hmm?” With those last words ringing in the air, the lord jumped and shifted into a mottled pewter dragon. I stared at his escape, barely able to process what was happening.
One word stabbed through my fog. Elpis!
I had to get to Elpis!
I raced back down the hall toward my guest chamber and flung open the door. She wasn’t there! I breathed the air in, but her scent was old. She’d disappeared shortly after I’d left. Was she taken? Was it the duke?
“Fuck!” I swore and flew down the stairs in a fury, looking for the source of the explosion. I jumped down several flights to take a shortcut to the ground level and tuned my ears. The commotion was coming from the main hall. Smoke crawled through the rooms while servants, slaves, and guests were screaming, scattering like bugs from a disturbed garden rock.
We hadn’t given the signal yet! Toast roared in rage. Why are they burning the place down? They can’t have found the slaves already. There’s still people in here!
I allowed Toast to spread his wings and felt them rip through my shirt. If I didn’t allow him to vent, we’d go into a full shift, and there was no room to navigate in here with Toast. He was a biggun .
I forced my way past screaming people, trying not to touch any women. Toast didn’t need any more aggravation. I spied some of the soldiers that Prince Cyneric had loaned me, but I couldn’t see any of mine. My knights, my Inferno, were they ok?
I grabbed one of Cyneric’s men and jerked him to a stop. “Why did you not wait for my signal?” I hissed. “Where are the others? Answer me!”
“Where are the slaves?” the soldier asked, blatantly ignoring my interrogation.
“Why. Did. You. Not. Wait. For. My. Signal?” I repeated through gritted teeth, grabbing handfuls of his coat and lifting him off his feet to face me.
“We were exposed, and your men were attacked. We’re here to get the slaves and go!” the soldier growled through his discomfort. I noticed the changes in his breathing, muscles, and heart rate the second he lied. I’d get nothing from him. I threw him off me and strode toward where I suspected the slaves were being held.
I grabbed the handle to the closet, and Elpis’s scent was much stronger here! I yanked the door off its hinges and threw it away, hoping darkly that it’d hit one of Cyneric’s men. I folded my wings, tore another door down, and jogged down the stone stairs that went underground. Puffs of smoke were curling from my nose in agitation. Her scent was getting closer.
The stairway opened to a room that split into two paths. Two guards immediately stood up to engage me, but I broke their necks. I didn’t waste time with slaver guards. They never knew enough to be useful, and I’d long since stopped bringing them back alive.
I looked down one flight of stairs that led to a packed cell, and I sent Cyneric’s men that way to work on liberating that crowd. Elpis’s scent was in the other direction. I opened a cell door to find a quiet room with smaller cages. Each one held one to three slaves that were in slightly better condition than the ones that were downstairs. These were probably the ‘upstairs’ slaves—servants and pleasure slaves that needed to look presentable. These were given more care. It didn’t seem like much more, though.
My head snapped to the right when I heard sobbing, and a small voice called my name. Stuffed into the tiniest cage was Elpis. Even curled up in a ball, she barely fit in it.
“I don’t know who you are, but please let her out! She’s not violent! She’s being punished for coming back down here after being sold. She tried to lift the keys off a guard, but a pickpocket she is not,” a female’s voice begged quietly from the cage closest to Elpis’s torture cage. “What’s going on out there? We’ve been hearing screams.”
“You’re all being freed,” I said and backtracked to try to find keys on one of the dead guards. I could melt all the locks, but that would take longer, and I was shaking with outrage at seeing Elpis being tortured. I had tunnel vision for freeing her, and my hands trembled violently as I searched the guard’s pockets for keys. Aha! I snatched the iron liberators and ran back to unlock Elpis’s cage. She was starting to panic, kicking her legs and hyperventilating.
“Shh, Elpis, I’m here. I’m freeing you. I’ve got you,” I said, making an effort to soothe her, and carefully swung open the top. Ah shit, her joints were probably all locked up; how was she going to get out of there?
“What are you waiting for? Pull her out!” the female snapped, and a little hatchling’s voice piped in angrily. I could feel Toast’s anxiety spike at the thought of touching a female.
I can’t! Fuck!
I gripped the corner of the cage and tilted it up, hoping she could maybe roll herself out of it. She whimpered and eventually fell out, hitting the ground with a pained cry. It broke my fucking heart that I couldn’t lift her out myself. I clenched my teeth and gripped my chest. Fuck, it actually hurt!
I squatted by Elpis and murmured, “I’m going to get you out of here, but let me just free your friends first, ok?” She didn’t say anything, just whimpered as she tried to uncurl her trembling arms and legs. I rushed from cage to cage, unlocking doors as fast as possible. I had no idea how much was on fire upstairs, and the sooner we were out of here, the better .
Once everyone in the room was freed and fleeing, I turned to see the female and hatchling crouching over Elpis’s tortured form. They were massaging her arms and legs, trying to get her muscles moving and her blood flowing again.
“They did this to her the other night too. It’s too much on her body, not to mention she’s claustrophobic,” the female snarled angrily, sensing I was behind them. So this was her punishment for doing nothing?
What do they do to these people when they actually do something wrong? Toast asked scathingly.
I didn’t have a chance to say anything before Cyneric’s men rushed in to forcefully drag away the female and hatchling. “Hey!” I snapped. “Careful with them!” When one of them moved to pick up Elpis, I blew out a thin jet of fire to stop him.
“The king sent me to escort this one,” I asserted, taking a step toward the soldier, daring him to challenge my authority. These soldiers were pushing their luck with me. They were getting away with far too much. My knights would never act so disrespectfully.
The soldier stopped in his tracks, but he didn’t retreat. He looked calculatingly at me, and I did not like it. Another soldier came in to assess the situation.
It’s happening, Toast warned.
I do think you’re right. It’s too tight in here for a full shift, so I need you to keep it together, Toast. We got this, big guy. Just keep lending me your fire.
You got it.