Chapter 9
Elpis
I woke to find our hands still entangled. Keyon’s fingers had slid between mine and dug into my palm like it was the last handhold on a cliff. It didn’t hurt. If anything, it was comforting and made my belly flutter with tiny dragons again. My eyes slid up the steep slopes of his arms that looked as hard as my old iron collar and stared at the defined, corded muscles of his broad shoulders. I couldn’t see much else because of the wing he’d rested over himself. He couldn’t have been cold if he’d slept shirtless. A mischievous part of me was tempted to crawl under that wing and share my body heat regardless.
Sexy little tent. The words came to my mind out of nowhere, and I nearly snorted out a laugh. I tried to angle to see his face, but it was mostly tucked away under his other hand and his messy chestnut hair. It was even more of a mess than usual from drying overnight. I sighed and squeezed my legs together. I needed to relieve my bladder, but I held it, wanting the moment to last just a little longer. I wasn’t ready to let go of his hand .
I liked touching him, but I was starting to prefer him touching me, like he’d done last night. I’d especially liked it after he’d fought off my fears of being old and undesirable. I knew he was just escorting me, but I was starting to wonder if there was more. Something was changing, but it was happening very slowly. I wondered if he’d ever explain the reason for me needing to be patient. I think the patience was paying off, though. He seemed more attentive and engaging by the day, even if his actions were still a mystery to me.
I slowly tried to pull my hand away, but his grip tightened, and he mumbled into his other hand. “Zno trainin’ today.”
I sandwiched my lips between my teeth, my belly convulsing with suppressed laughter as I struggled to escape his grasp. I twisted and writhed, but it was like being shackled.
“Keyon,” I said in a low voice, tugging again. “Wake up!”
He responded by mumbling and pulling on me this time. His yank forced me to scramble toward him, narrowly avoiding stepping on one of his wings.
“Keyon!” I said a little louder with a laugh. “I need to pee! Let go!”
His eyes snapped open to find me awkwardly balancing over him. He released me immediately, and I sighed in relief, shaking my freed hand. Both his palms raised a little, as if I were holding him at sword’s point, and he stared intently at my face, his jaw rigid.
“I-I’m sorry,” he said brusquely. “Did I trap your hand?”
“Which was fine, but I really, really need to pee!” I said in a rush and ran off into the woods to relieve myself.
When I returned, we ate a quick breakfast and began following the river. After about three hours, we reached a wide stone bridge that led to a town. It was the first town I’d ever remembered seeing, and I froze halfway across the bridge, unable to tell if I was excited or frightened. I tried to swallow, but my mouth ran dry. On a wide cobbled street, sandwiched between shops, were dozens of tents and hundreds of people.
Assaulted with unfamiliar noises, sights, and smells, I took an uncertain step backwards. My skin crawled unexpectedly, and I wrapped my arms around myself. The last time I’d been around a crowd was at the mansion. Adelmar would host large parties that the pleasure and sex slaves had to work. Those were long, excruciating evenings where the guests pawed and groped until they dragged you to a dark corner or hallway to service them. Bowls were placed in discreet locations where we could throw up our stomach contents in case the constant swallowing became too much to handle.
Servicing one guest a night was something I could endure and detach myself from, but servicing multiple was pure misery, and I always had a line. Being Adelmar’s favorite, he’d send me back down earlier than the others and reminded me that it was a compliment to be so coveted. He wanted me to be proud of myself, like he was of me.
Dagrun and I would talk quietly the rest of the night across our cages. We’d talk about anything to distract ourselves, even make up little stories about bugs that happened to skitter across the cold floor. If we slept, we’d have nightmares. If we stayed awake and stewed in our thoughts, we’d cry all night. Sometimes Zosime would hold me if I crumbled, and I did the same for her.
When Keyon realized I wasn’t following, he halted and turned with a concerned look on his face. The male backtracked and hesitantly placed a hand on my arm. “Are you ok, Elpis?”
I couldn’t reply for a moment; my mouth was so dry, and my chest had turned into stone. I slid a hand up to a belly that was aching with anxiety. I didn’t know why, but the stress was making me feel like I was aging faster.
“That’s a lot of people, Keyon,” I whispered hoarsely. My face iced over, and I struggled to keep my breathing slow.
He looked back over his shoulder, licked his lips, and said, “Yeah, it’s a farmer’s market. Businesses set up tents to sell directly to the townsfolk. There’s also entertainment, but that’s mostly for the hatchlings. ”
“Keyon? Do… free males and men touch females?” I asked, bringing my fingers to my mouth. “They’re not supposed to, right?”
He scowled, looked back again, and a small growl rumbled from his chest. “Without her permission? It happens more than it should, but it’s illegal. No one will drag you away from me, Elpis. If anyone tries to touch you, I’ll rip their hand off.”
My eyes widened. “Is it legal to rip hands off?” I gasped.
He flattened his lips and growled again. “Not really…”
I would have laughed if I didn’t feel so sick to my stomach. My forehead broke into a sweat, an uncomfortably cold one, and I swept the moisture away with my fingers. Keyon slid his hand down my arm to grab mine. “I won’t let anything happen to you, moonflower. Stay close, but know most of these people wouldn’t wish you harm. They’re just families living their lives.”
I nodded, swallowed heavily, and followed him the rest of the way across the bridge. I grimaced as we entered the marketplace and could almost feel hands on my arms, thighs, and waist. Keyon guided me through the thinnest sections and directly into a shop. There weren’t as many people in here, and they were all women. Keyon’s own hand became sweaty, which made me look up at him. He didn’t look so good himself.
We approached a pretty young lady behind a counter, and Keyon said, “This lady”—he squeezed my hand—“requires several complete sets of clothing and a heavy cloak. Can you help her with that?”
The young lady eyed him up and down and grinned playfully. “I can help with anything.”
“Excellent,” he replied graciously, then turned to me and said, “I’ll be just outside. I need some… air.” He nearly jogged out of the shop, and I let out a small, helpless whimper.
I turned back to the shopkeeper, who smiled and said, “Let’s find you some clothes, then, shall we?” Suddenly, I didn’t want her helping me, but I followed her to a changing room where she took my measurements.
“That male doesn’t happen to have a mate, does he?” she asked when she peeked at my neck. She curiously regarded the symbols on my neck, then continued writing on her notepad. I shook my head despite desperately wanting to lie and say he was mine. She grinned and continued working, looking pleased with herself. Jealousy hung hot and heavy in my belly, and I fought off a deep frown. She was being nice to me and didn’t deserve my ire.
“Yes, these clothes you have on do not do you justice,” she said with a laugh. “Let’s get you looking gorgeous. What’s your favorite color?”
My favorite color? I had never thought about that before in my life. I twisted my lips in thought, but the first thing that came to mind was Keyon’s copper eyes. That was something I liked looking at. Maybe that was my favorite color? “Copper?” I said shyly.
She nodded and looked me up and down, though not quite like how she’d done with Keyon. “I can see you in our rose gold. That’s close. I think we’ll do lavender and raspberry too.”
She bustled off and returned with a basket of items. Three dresses, several cloaks, bras, panties, nightgowns, something she called stockings, and socks. The dresses felt significantly more comfortable, and she cooed over the fit. When I looked in the mirror, I was absolutely stunned to see myself in something so pleasant and normal. One of the dresses would be nice and warm for cold weather, while the other two were a bit more on the flirtatious side. I felt a little bit more like a free female wearing something feminine instead of obscene.
“I’ve never worn anything that fit before,” I murmured, tearing up at how unreal it seemed.
The lady looked down at my dirty, bare feet and asked, “Reborn?” I nodded, flushing slightly. She frowned, shook a finger, and said, “You have nothing to be ashamed of. You are bloody gorgeous and an inspiration to women everywhere. Now you’re going to wear our dresses and hold your head up nice and proud! ”
I laughed through a sob and nodded again, feeling too choked up to say anything. The shopkeeper led me back to the counter, and I caught Keyon’s eye, letting him know we were done. He stepped warily into the shop, and the young lady told us the amount. He dug some coins out of a purse without batting an eye and gave them to me.
“Is that a lot?” I asked Keyon, concerned. “I’ll pay you back.” He shook his head, then gestured to the shopkeeper. I handed the coins over, and she passed some smaller coins back in exchange. While she wrapped my items, Keyon explained what had just happened and how much each coin was worth. I furrowed my brows, focusing intently on what he was saying so I wouldn’t forget.
He handed me a pretty little embroidered purse and said, “That’s to keep your coins in. Go ahead and put what you just received in there.”
“But these are yours,” I protested, confused, with the small coins still piled on my palm.
“Use them to buy your shoes. Let’s test what you just learned,” he said with a smile. I dropped the coins in the pouch, deeply touched by his generosity and willingness to teach. I hoped I didn’t seem too stupid.
The shopkeeper said, “Here you go!” and handed me a bundle tied with twine. I gave her a thankful, genuine smile, even if she did plan to steal my… court Keyon. I suppressed another surge of ugly jealousy and turned to leave. However, before I stepped outside, she grabbed my arm, surprising me. The female cupped my ear and whispered, “I snuck some extra things in there, free of charge. Go get him!” She giggled and pushed me back toward the exit. My mouth hung open, and I stumbled but finally caught up to Keyon. What was that? Had I read everything completely wrong? I was so confused.
When Keyon held out his hand, I took it, following along in a daze. He continued to walk me through the market, placing himself between me and everyone else as much as possible. It wasn’ t that hard because his unyielding warrior’s body parted the crowd like a king. Looking about, I noticed a lot of women staring at him and grew increasingly more agitated over it. Most might have been innocent gawkers, but one female tried to catch his eye while licking her lips suggestively. When he didn’t acknowledge her, she turned and sneered at me. The female mouthed something, but I couldn’t read her lips. The hostile interaction had my arms shaking, and an intense urge to headbutt her stupid face or kick her in the shins possessed me.
Keyon must have noticed my distress because he pulled me against his side and wrapped his arm around my shoulder. My behavior was embarrassing, and I didn’t know why I was feeling so aggressively territorial. We weren’t a couple. I didn’t even know if he had someone at home.
We entered another shop that had a mix of male and female customers in it. Leather products filled shelves from top to bottom. Bags, belts, and shoes of many styles and colors lined the room and hung from hooks. Once again, Keyon took me to the counter where an older male was cutting leather.
“Good afternoon. We’re looking for a pair of boots and slippers for this lady,” Keyon said as he glanced around the shop. “We don’t know her size, though. Is that something you could help us with?”
The male grunted and jumped off his stool. “Come, come,” he beckoned and waddled over to a stool. His gruff demeanor softened when he saw my dirty, scratched feet. “Let’s take care of you, sweet one,” he grunted with a wet sniffle and pulled out some string to take measurements like the other lady had done. Once he finished, he gestured to follow him to the back porch, which made Keyon stick to my side like a guard dog.
“Wash yer feet here, then come back inside,” he grumbled, placing a bucket and some soap by me. I sat down and scrubbed at my feet the best I could, grimacing at the little cuts I exposed once the caked dirt had been rinsed off properly.
Keyon frowned at the scrapes, grabbed the bundle from the clothing store, and said, “Let’s get some socks on to protect your feet.” He shuffled through the items delicately until he saw something that turned his face red.
“What’s wrong?” I asked curiously. Did he not like the dresses?
“Nothing,” he stated rather quickly and continued rifling through items until he pulled out a pair of soft cotton socks. He handed them to me and rewrapped the bundle. I shoved the socks on and moaned in pleasure. I’ve never felt such softness under my feet! Keyon chuckled, then held out a hand to help me stand. I tiptoed in long strides back into the shop, trying to keep the socks as clean as possible.
The older man held out a pair of soft boots and flat embroidered slippers. “Try the deerskin boots. They’re the softest I have and good for walking distances,” he said while coughing. “Excuse me.”
I pulled on the boots and suppressed a pleased groan. Oh my goddess! I couldn’t stop touching them. “They’re amazing!” I breathed and jumped up to walk around when he prompted. “They’re exquisite,” I gushed and turned to the man. “You’re incredible!”
“I think that means we’ll take them,” Keyon said with a grin. His eyes glimmered with amusement when I tested a hop, but I stopped jumping when I noticed several people staring, and I rushed to sit back down on the bench. I had the same reaction with the slippers. They were so light but so protective. It was almost like being barefoot!
The shopkeeper let me keep the slippers on while I bought them so I didn’t have to go barefoot again. When I tried to pay for the shoes, I accidentally gave him enough to buy twenty pairs instead of two. “Try again,” Keyon said, nudging me with an elbow. I frowned and moved the coins around, trying to remember what he’d taught me. I handed the shopkeeper my second attempt, and he let out a wheezy guffaw.
“Perfect,” he said, trying to keep a straight face, and handed me a bundle. I grinned haughtily at Keyon over my success while he purchased a rucksack. The older man offered me a hug, wished me luck, then returned to cutting leather. I was stunned by the gruff sweetness and the lack of sexual intent in the embrace. I didn’t recall the last time I’d gotten a genuine hug where the giver expected nothing in return. It was like getting a hug from a female, and I wondered if that was what being hugged by a grandfather would feel like. It was nice… I liked it!
“He gave you those slippers for free,” Keyon said when we were clear of the shop.
I gasped in dismay. “Nay! I didn’t give him enough? Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Did you see the look on his face? You made the old male’s day! He wanted to help you out, plus business is booming because of the market. He’s not hurting for money,” Keyon said with another joyful grin.
“Ahh,” I uttered with a shake of my head. “Such a sweet person. I feel bad, but I’ll accept it! Wish I could give him something in return.”
“Like I said, Elpis,” he reminded me, gesturing to the crowd, “most of these people are just kind souls living their lives. Many find their own joy in giving to others. It’s just a small piece of society.” I nodded but still feared straying from his side. I felt a lot more vulnerable here in the open market than I did in the shops.
We stopped next at what looked like a blacksmith’s shop. I grimaced when I saw a large, sweaty male working on a sword that was so hot it was glowing. That looked dangerous! A younger, brawny male who looked like he may have been the other male’s son walked out to greet us, wiping his hands with a stained rag. He smiled at Keyon but grinned when he spotted me. I slunk closer to Keyon, not liking that I couldn’t read this other male’s enthusiasm. Was it sexual? I was starting to doubt my observational skills since the dress shop.
“Hello! Welcome, welcome. Lovely day for a market, wouldn’t you say? What can we help you with?” he said to us both.
Keyon fished the gold nugget from his bag and handed it over to the male. “We’re looking to sell this gold nugget. Get some things at the market and start a savings for this lady. Is this smithy in need of any gold? ”
“Oh yes, we could always use gold. Jewelry does very well at the farmer’s markets,” the smith said and gave me an odd, appraising look before he fetched a scale. He placed the gold nugget on the pan and wrote something down in a fat ledger. He hesitated, looked up at Keyon, and then walked over to interrupt the older smith in the back, who’d just placed the red-hot sword in water. Hissing steam drowned out their conversation, and I inched even closer to Keyon, pressing against his side.
He looked down with a concerned frown and asked, “Are you ok, Elpis?”
I shook my head and whispered, “Was he eyeing me? I can’t tell anymore.”
Keyon glanced at where the smiths were talking and murmured, “Didn’t seem like it to me. Keep an open mind and keep observing, but always listen to your gut. I’m here, though. You’re safe.” He wrapped an arm around me and squeezed my shoulder. I relaxed a little bit but couldn’t keep the worry off my face.
Both smiths came back this time, and the older male pulled out a safe. He counted out a number of coins that were the highest value Keyon had shown me and passed them to me. I fumbled for the lovely purse Keyon had bought and stored the coins.
“You’ve got the coin for the weight, plus a donation for the Reborn,” the older smith said as he locked the safe and stored it. “Always glad to see the knight general’s hard work paying off for them poor souls.” He held out a hand for Keyon to shake that was so thickly calloused it looked like he was wearing leather gloves.
Keyon seemed pleasantly surprised and accepted the male’s hand. “Surprised you recognized me, sir…?”
“Sigeberht,” he answered, then stroked his short, neatly trimmed blond beard. “I visit my twin at the castle. He works at the smithy there.”
“Sigivald?” Keyon exclaimed, then started laughing. “I should have known. You’re not identical, but you’re very similar. He does exceptional work.”
“I help out too when I’m there.” He grinned slyly, and his pewter eyes gleamed. “We do love to gossip over the forge. Glad to see you’re actually spending time with a lady.”
Keyon snorted. “I’m just escorting her. Don’t read too much into it, Sigeberht.”
My heart sank into my stomach at those words. An urge to leave and find a place to be alone hit me fiercely, but I couldn’t do that. On top of it all, I was embarrassed by the dismissal, and my face ignited.
Stop it, cheeks! I moaned miserably in my head.
“Well then, maybe Sigeweard here could take her to dinner tonight?” Sigeberht suggested with a grin.
Sigeweard raised both his palms and turned to dramatically depart. “Leave me out of your games, Father. I’m out!”
I didn’t know what upset me more, them talking about me like I wasn’t there or the two rejections I’d just experienced. My cheeks blazed now, and I pressed my lips together while scrunching my nose in an attempt to restrain tears. When had I become so bad at hiding my feelings? I’d never struggled this much before my rescue. Had I worn my slave status as a mask? Maybe once that was pulled away, I was more raw and naked than I realized.
Thankfully, no one seemed to notice the change in my demeanor. Keyon lowered his voice and shifted the subject. “Since Sigivald is a very vocal supporter of the king… you may want to tell him to be… careful about what he says and does.”
Sigeberht’s face fell and grew serious. “Is he in danger?”
Keyon inhaled deeply, glanced around, and said under his breath, “I don’t know what’s going on, but you see Elpis right here? She’s the only one I was able to free from the last raid because someone from the castle interfered and tried to have me killed. I don’t even know if my Inferno’s still alive. I’m not going to give you any details to protect you and your brother, but… if you see him face-to-face again, just… tell him to watch what he says. I have a feeling that loyalties will be tested very soon, and I’m scared for my people.”
The older smith scratched his right arm and nodded with a set jaw. “I’ll be sure to visit him soon, Sir Keyon. Check on my nieces too.” He held his hand out again to Keyon and said in a gruff voice, “You have a friend and ally at this smithy. Sunlight preserve you.”
“Sunlight preserve you,” Keyon returned, shook his hand, and guided me away from the smithy.