“What did you just say?” The ice in her voice told him he was better off remaining quiet. “Canis went to get you?”
“You can’t blame him. He was worried about you.”
Luka turned to look at the dog, who whimpered. “Traitor. You’re supposed to keep him out of my bed, not call him into it.”
Canis put his tail between his legs and ran from the room, straight through the wall. Kwin watched him go, wishing he could go with him.
“We were both just concerned,” Kwin said, though he knew he was wasting his breath. The mood Luka seemed to be in, she wouldn’t listen to anything he had to say.
“I thought I told you to go.”
Kwin could feel anger building inside him, and a little bit of fear along with it. There was something seriously wrong with Luka and she needed to talk to someone about it. The way she was reacting, it wasn’t going to be him. “Damn it Luka. Why are you acting like this?”
“Because I don’t believe in having sex, I believe in making love and that can only happen when two people are in love. What we did last night doesn’t fall into that category, therefore it was nothing more than a mistress using her slave for her own pleasure.”
“Grow up Luka,” Kwin shouted. “That’s not what happened and you know it.”
“Slaves have no right to talk to their owners like that. Now go before I make you.”
Kwin had never wanted to hit a woman so much in his life, but it was something he would never do, unless the woman was a soldier and he was sparring with her or facing her in combat. Under those circumstances, he wouldn’t take gender into account; he couldn’t afford to. He wanted to grab hold of Luka and shake some sense into her, but he would hate himself if he hurt her in any way.
Instead he turned around and strode out of the room, slamming the door behind him.
He went straight to the kitchen, where he found Koal hand feeding Canis.
“What’s going on?” Koal asked as Kwin walked into the room. “Canis ran in here and hid under the table. I have only just managed to coax him out.”
“Something has upset Luka, a lot, but I can’t get her to talk to me.” He didn’t mention the reason why; that was nobody’s business except his and Luka’s.
“Help yourself to some porridge,” Koal said, pointing with a spoon to a pot on the stove. “I’ll find Drake. Hopefully she will talk to us.”
“Thank you,” Kwin said, though whether he was referring to the food or the help with Luka he didn’t make clear.
————————————-∞————————————-
Luka jumped when Kwin slammed the door. She hated treating him so badly, but she didn’t know what else to do. He had been there for her when she needed him. And that was part of the problem. She was strongly attracted to him, but hadn’t realised how deep her feelings were until the previous night.
She hadn’t lied to him, but hadn’t told him the complete truth either. She had been serious when she said that she believed in making love not having sex and for her, that was what happened. For him, it had been different.
She had to hide her feelings from him. The only reason he was even in Wayvern was to rescue the woman he was going to marry. They had no future together. They could never be more than what they were, good friends. At least they had been until she had driven him away.
She tried to put Kwin from her mind. There was a lot she needed to get done and he was just a distraction.
Luka was still staring at her uneaten breakfast when Koal and Drake entered the dining room. It had gone cold and was now a congealed mess. Without speaking, Koal moved her bowl away from her and took the seat next to her.
“What’s wrong?” Drake asked.
Luka considered not telling him, but could find no reason to not do so. “Last night my mother killed my sister.” Her voice sounded hollow even to her own ears.
“May Petra have mercy,” Drake said. It was a phrase that Kwin had used a number of times so Luka understood the meaning, but not all of the words. He quickly translated what Luka had said for Koal, who threw his arms around her and wrapped her in a bear hug.
Luka thought she had cried herself dry, but the moment Koal’s arms were around her, her tears started to flow once more. Her chef held her as she wept as though she was a relative not his ex-owner.
When she had stopped shaking, Drake took her hand. “How can we help?”
She pulled away from Koal and dried her eyes on her sleeve. “I need to collect Fain’s body.” Fain deserved a proper burial and she didn’t trust her mother to do it. “I will need both carriages.”
Drake didn’t ask why. “I’ll make sure they are prepared. I’ll tell Kwin to get ready to leave.”
“No,” she said sharply. “He won’t be coming with me.”
Drake said nothing, but Luka could see concern in his eyes before he looked away.
“As you wish,” he said then left the room.
Koal remained until Shelby arrived, though he said nothing. His presence, however, comforted Luka.
“Let’s get you upstairs and properly dressed,” Shelby said as though Luka was a child. Luka didn’t mind. Right then, being mothered by someone who cared was what she needed. It wasn’t as if her own mother would do it when she arrived at her estate.
While Shelby was helping her get dressed, Luka heard Kwin enter the suite. She had learned to recognise his footsteps. He didn’t knock on her door and she relaxed when she heard him enter his own room. She wasn’t ready to face him, not after what she had said to him. Pushing him away had been necessary, but it had still hurt.
By the time she was dressed, the carriages were ready to leave. Drake handed her a paper wrapped parcel.
“Sandwiches,” he said. “I know you didn’t eat any breakfast so you will be hungry on the journey.”
The thought of eating made Luka feel sick, but she thanked him anyway and accepted the food.
Drake opened the carriage door for her, but when she looked inside, she saw that it was already occupied.
“Before you say a word,” Kwin said, “I know you told Drake that you didn’t want me coming with you, but you are going to need me. If your mother causes you any problems, I will deal with her.”
“I can deal with my mother.”
“Maybe, but I can do it more effectively. Besides, either you let me come with you or I grab a horse from the stables and follow you. Your choice.”
Luka wanted to throw herself into his arms. Despite the way she had treated him, he was still trying to protect her. But she couldn’t. Nobody could know how she felt.
“Very well,” she said. “I will take the other carriage.”
“Luka,” Kwin called out to her, but she shut the door and moved over to the second carriage.
Drake looked at her questioningly, but didn’t ask what was going on.
“How many extra rooms do you want prepared?” he asked once she was settled in the second carriage.
If she had been able to, Luka would have smiled. Trust Drake to know why she needed both carriages.
“I don’t know yet. I will contact you before I leave Moda’s estate.”
“Very well,” he said. “And Luka.” He said it so sternly that Luka looked across at him. “I don’t know what is going on between you and Kwin, but I suggest you get it sorted. You’re going to need him.”
Before she had chance to respond, Drake closed the carriage door and instructed the driver to start the horses moving.
“I need him more than you know,” Luka whispered to herself.
Chapter 31
It was a long and lonely journey for Luka. She could almost feel Kwin’s presence in the following carriage, but didn’t get the driver to stop so he could join her.
Stewerd ran over as her carriage drew to a stop in front of her mother’s house. He was out of breath when he opened the door for her, but still managed to say, “I am so sorry for your loss.”
Luka nodded her he
ad in acknowledgement. “Take me to her.” Stewerd appeared to hesitate. “I want to see my sister now,” Luka snapped.
“Of course, my Lady,” he said and bowed low. “She has been laid to rest in her bedroom. I will have someone inform your mother that you are here.”
Luka ignored Kwin as he joined her and escorted her into the house. He placed himself on her right and a step back, assuming the correct position for a male slave, but Luka had no doubt that he would put himself in front of her, protecting her with his body, if he felt there was a need.
Luka went straight to Fain’s room. The door was closed and flowers had been laid in front of it. At least her mother had done something right.
Kwin put his hand on the door handle, but Luka placed her hand over his before he could turn it. “You cannot enter the room. Tradition dictates family only.”
She expected him to argue, but instead he stepped back. “If you need me, call out.”
She nodded, then turned the handle. The room was cold. The windows had been opened, letting in a cool breeze, and the curtains drawn back. The sun was on the other side of the house so was offering no warmth to this room. Scented candles burned by the bed.
Luka slowly made her way over to where her sister lay. She almost looked like she was sleeping. Then she gasped. Someone had hacked off her long brown hair, leaving behind too little for her to be able to perform the ceremony properly.
“No,” she whispered and her eyes filled with tears once more. She was too late. Her mother had already ruined any chance she had of saying a proper goodbye to her sister.
She heard a commotion outside the room, but didn’t turn around. It would be Moda and Luka needed to get her emotions under control before she faced her or she would end up doing something she might regret.
“Take your filthy hand off me, slave,” she heard her mother say.
“If you set one foot inside that room, I will kill you,” Kwin said. The softness with which he spoke made Luka shiver. There was undisguised rage behind the calmness and she was glad that she was not on the receiving end.
“You wouldn’t dare,” she heard Moda snap.
“Try me.”
Part of Luka hoped that she would.
“This is my house,” Moda said indignantly. “You have no right to order me around. I will have you flogged for such insubordination.”
Luka didn’t need to turn around to know that Kwin was smiling. “Go ahead. It doesn’t change the fact that I am not going to let you see Luka unless she gives permission. Leave her alone. She will see you when she is ready, not when you are.” He emphasised the second ‘she’.
“She will see me now.”
Luka had no idea what happened, but the next moment there was a thump of something being hit and her mother cried out. Curiosity pushed aside her grief for a moment and she turned around. Moda was standing in the open doorway, unable to enter the room. She was holding her nose. Luka could only assume that Kwin had put up some sort of shield or invisible barrier and Moda had walked into it. The other plausible explanation was that Kwin had hit Moda, but she couldn’t make herself believe that.
She watched as her mother rounded on Kwin. “How did you do that? Your shackles prevent you from doing magic.”
Luka had to intervene in case Kwin said something he shouldn’t. “Actually, they don’t. They just alert the wearer of the controller if the slave attempts to do magic. Not that the slaves are ever told that.”
Moda huffed. She didn’t like being told that she was wrong. “Yet you told him.” She indicated Kwin with a derisive movement of her chin.
“Of course I did. I need him to be able to use his magic to defend me whenever he feels the need.”
Moda grunted. “Have this animal of yours remove whatever he has done. Now.”
She nodded at Kwin and for a moment she thought he was going to ignore her. Then he dropped the shield so quickly that Moda, who had been futilely pushing against it, fell into the room, landing on the floor in a heap.
The look Kwin gave Luka told her he had done that on purpose.
She turned her back on both of them; one she couldn’t bear to look at, the other she wanted to never stop looking at.
“Why did you do it mother? Why did you take her hair?”
Unfazed by her unladylike entrance into the room, Moda verbally attacked Luka as she stood up. “I didn’t do that you stupid little idiot. What sort of a monster do you think I am?”
Luka turned to face her. “The sort that kills her own daughter.”
Luka saw the slap coming and did nothing to prevent it making contact, though she could easily have done so. The sound of her mother’s palm hitting her cheek echoed around the room.
“You bitch,” Kwin snarled and launched himself into the room, grabbed Moda by the throat and slammed her against the wall.
“You will show Luka the respect she deserves,” he whispered in Moda’s ear, loud enough for Luka to hear. “Or you will live just long enough to regret it.” When he stepped back, Moda didn’t move. Luka could sense Kwin’s magic was holding her in place.
She couldn’t disguise the hate she felt when she looked at her mother. “I will be leaving shortly and I will be taking Fain’s body and all of her slaves with me. As her next-of-kin, that is my right.”
“No you won’t,” Moda rasped. “With Fain dead, I have exclusive control of them and I won’t allow it.”
“Right now, Luka’s wishes are the only thing keeping you in one piece,” Kwin said to her. “I suggest you do as she says. You really don’t want me to persuade you.”
Luka wasn’t sure if Kwin was just trying to scare her mother or he actually intended to make good on his threats. Part of her wanted to find out.
“I am Fain’s next-of-kin,” Moda protested.
“You lost the right to call yourself that the moment you killed her. The law states that nobody can profit from their crimes,” Luka said.
“It was an accident. If Fain hadn’t been in Jona’s bed, this would never have happened.”
Luka was taken by surprise by the comment, but shouldn’t have been. Her mother never admitted to anything. Everything was always someone else’s fault.
She went over to Fain and gently removed the controlling bracelet from her cold and lifeless arm. She placed it on Kwin’s arm before turning to her mother.
“Transfer control to Kwin,” she said. “Now.”
“Never.”
Luka had no idea what magic Kwin used, but it made Moda cry out in pain.
“Do as she says or I will break another finger,” he said. “This time I won’t use magic so it will hurt a lot more.”
Moda began to whimper, but she did what was necessary to her controller then indicated that Kwin should move closer. She was still being held against the wall, only able to move her arms, so she couldn’t go to him.
She started shaking when he moved close enough for her to reach the controller he now wore. When she had completed her task, she pushed Kwin’s arm away.
“I am so glad I never have to see you again,” Luka said. “You disgust me. Stewerd,” she called out loudly as she walked out of the room and the man quickly appeared.
“How may I help you, my Lady?”
“All of Fain’s slaves are being transferred to me. Please organise the paperwork.”
“At once, my Lady.”
“And please tell Jona I want to see him.”
“I’m afraid that won’t be possible. We don’t know where he is. He packed his things first thing this morning and took a carriage. He left no word as to where he was going or if he will be coming back.”
Luka noticed that he said ‘if’ not ‘when’. So Jona had finally developed a backbone and had walked out on her mother. It was sad that it took such a tragedy to make it happen.
“Thank you. In that case, I will wait in the carriage. How many slaves will there be?”
“Three my Lady, including her pleasure slave.” Stewerd glance
d at Kwin before adding, “Though you don’t need one of those.”
“I’m taking him anyway,” Luka said. “And please have someone wrap Fain’s body in a blanket and place it in the carriage with me. I want my sister treated with dignity. The slaves can be put in the other one.”
Stewerd bowed. “It will be my pleasure.”
“Come on,” Luka said to Kwin once Stewerd had departed. “We will wait outside. I can’t stand being in this house a moment longer.”
“Do you want me to release ‘her’?” Kwin asked. Luka had never heard so much venom be put into such a small word.
“Not until we have left the estate.”
“You’re my daughter. You can’t do this,” Moda cried out.
Luka turned to stare at her mother. “Don’t you dare ever call me that again. I disown you. First thing tomorrow I will petition to have the official records altered to no longer show our relationship.”
“You can do that in Wayvern?” Kwin asked in surprise.
‘Yes,” Luka said. “And under the circumstances, I think my petition will be approved.”
Moda started swearing at Luka, telling her she had always been an ungrateful brat. Luka smiled when Kwin used his magic to silence her.
It didn’t take Stewerd long to get the necessary paperwork completed for the three slaves that Fain used to own. Fain’s body was placed in the carriage beside Luka, a blanket wrapped over her as though to keep her warm. Luka looked at her short hair and began to cry again. Her mother had denied doing it, but who else could it have been?
It was a solemn journey home. Luka held Fain’s hand the entire way. It was cold and stiff, but Luka refused to let it go.
Drake was waiting to open the carriage door for her when she arrived home.
“Please have someone take my sister to one of the spare rooms. Then cover her up. She’s cold.” As soon as she said the words, she realised how stupid they were. Of course she was cold, she was dead.
“A room has already been prepared,” Drake said.
“I’ll take care of her,” Kwin said. She hadn’t heard him approach. She had insisted that he travel in the second coach, stating she wished to be alone with her sister and that he needed to be near the slaves he was now in charge of. The reality was that she didn’t want to be alone with him in case she threw herself into his arms and confessed her feelings.
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