One day she was approached by one of the handsome Cats as she weeded the garden. She stood at his approach and he smiled at her as he made to grab her arm. His hand was swiftly grabbed by a fellow Cat that appeared from behind Neomee. The fellow Cat whispered in the smiling Cat’s ear and the handsome Cat’s smile faded as he turned and walked away from Neomee without so much as backward glance. She hadn’t been offended. Her goal was to blend in the best she could until the Honoring of Osiris festivities when she would make her great escape.
She’d been squirreling away fruits, vegetables, and nuts for weeks. Most slaves that attempted escape died from dehydration half way across the desert or were caught as they attempted to steal food from the local merchants. Neomee knew that if she had plenty of food and water then her chances of escaping the village and surviving her trek to the next village were exponential.
She hadn’t slept the night before and woke with a sour stomach. Her nerves were fraught with tension as she thought of her escape.
Amon, please let all go as planned.
Lost in her thoughts, Neomee sat back on her heels and looked up from her tilling, dropping her stone spade to wipe the sweat from her brow. Her eyes locked on Bray.
He was standing on the garden wall watching her. Over the past few days she’d often caught him there, staring down at her intently.
Neomee quickly dropped her head and got back to work. The last thing she needed today was to get caught up in some foray with the Prince of Cats. She could feel his eyes upon her as she worked. She prayed that her change of attitude from defiant slave to an obedient one had gone unnoticed.
If he has noticed, with any luck, he’ll think it is his fault. He’ll think that he broke me that day in the slave’s quarters. Just as well, it must have been his goal. Now he has no reason to torment me.
Neomee was distracted from her thoughts by the sound of rapidly approaching footsteps. Sticking to her role as a “good slave”, she forced herself to keep her eyes on the ground.
She was grabbed by her arms and hauled up from her work as Bray angrily bit out, “What is happening?”
“Master, I know not of what you speak.” Neomee fought to keep her eyes down.
“Don’t lie to me, lily,” Bray barked, “I can smell it, sense it, I can see it. You look like you haven’t slept in days. Something’s wrong and I demand to know what it is.”
Neomee refused to raise her eyes, “Master, I have had a change of heart is all. I am trying my best to perform my duties obediently. It has taken some adjustment. Please forgive me if I have upset you in any manner.”
Bray leaned down as he pulled her to him and growled in her ear, “I don’t buy it for a second. You reek of fear and it’s not of me or of the new Slave Master. You’re up to something.”
Bray growled deeply as Neomee shook her head without looking up. “Look at me damn it!”
Neomee looked up.
“I don’t know what you’re up to, but I am watching you.”
No, no, no, this cannot be happening. Not today! “Master please,” Neomee pleaded, “What can I do to convince you that I have learned my place? Name it and it shall be done.”
Bray put his lips to her ear and whispered, “Yes, it shall!” He released her abruptly and walked away.
Amon, what does that mean? Why? Why today? I’ve got to fix this!
“Master!” Neomee yelled at Bray’s retreating back. She heard audible gasps from the other slaves in the garden. So much for playing the part of the “good slave.”
With her eyes down, Neomee quickly approached Bray who had turned at her call. “Master, please! I assure you I have done nothing wrong.” Come on Neomee, play the part. Conjuring up tears, she continued, “Master I cannot have more attention brought to me. The new Slave Master does not hate me as the last one did, and…” she lowered her voice to a whisper, “the other slaves are becoming more accepting. Please whatever I have done. Forgive me.”
Bray grabbed her chin and forced her eyes up, “Still willing to convince me that you’ve learned your place?”
The trembling of her frame was matched by her tone, “Y-yes Master.”
Bray chuckled humorlessly, “Tonight then.”
“Tonight what?”
“Tonight we shall be bound.”
“Master…bound?” Neomee shook her head in confusion.
“To each other.”
“I’m sorry Master, I still do not understand. What does it…”
Bray cut her off, “You’ll find out tonight.”
Neomee’s heart thudded to a halt. Tonight?
Then Bray leaned in to whisper in her ear, “Now, I am convinced you are up to something. Your heart has accelerated, your blood is rushing through your veins, and I can smell…” He sniffed her throat, “…I can smell deceit barely covered by the scent of your fear.” Bray pulled back to look her in the eye, “Never lie to a Cat.”
Neomee stood motionless and terrified as Bray exited the garden.
He knows!
With her thoughts preoccupied, Neomee woodenly finished her shift in the garden before she hurried back to the slave quarters. Her poor body nearly sang with unreleased tension. She’d never been more exhausted or terrified in her life. Bound? If only I knew what it meant. Whatever it is it can’t be good.
The sun was dipping low on the horizon and it was nearly time for Neomee to implement the first stages of her plan regardless of what the Prince of Cats had in mind. With any luck, I’ll be long gone by the time he comes for me.
***
Bray couldn’t help the snarl that escaped his lips. He knew his lily was up to something and whatever it was it had her terrified.
He stomped through the corridors and down the tunnel that led to the altar room. When he saw the congregation of Cat’s milling outside the large wooden doors he almost corrected his course. However, when he thought of Neomee and her unknown scheme he forced his legs to carry him down the corridor.
“Aww, another one down for the count!” Madu yelled before turning his attention to Bray’s approaching footsteps. “Brother!” He smiled and shoved his pitcher of henqet into the chest of the nearest Cat before he wobbled toward Bray. “Have you come to laugh at these fools with us?”
Bray’s lips pressed into a grim line. In previous years he too had enjoyed heckling the guardian Cats who, on the day of the Honoring of Osiris Festival, sought out the altar room. Once a year the Cats were allowed to petition the Priest for bonding to a mate. While the Cats could claim a mate any day of the year and could seal that bond with consummation, only on the day of the Osiris Festival would the bond be acknowledged—upon petition—by the Priest and then rendered to the Vizier for his blessing. No bond was considered valid or recognizable by law without the Vizier’s blessing.
While the Cats were permitted a mate and even children if they so chose, his chosen mate and any subsequent offspring were expected to spend their lives in service at the temple until the guardian Cat was released from his obligation. It was the reason some Cats sought the challenge of fighting to gain their freedom.
“No,” Bray began harshly frowning at Madu and grabbing his shoulders to straighten him when his fellow Cat lost his balance and leaned heavily into his chest. “I am not here to chastise the fools.” He drew in a long breath through his nose, his dark eyes glinting. “I am among them.”
The crowd of Cats gathered in the hall instantly grew silent and all eyes turned on him. Even Madu seemed to sober at his brother’s revelation.
“Bray?” He shook his head as a huge grin split his features, “No?”
Bray snorted once. “Yes.” He frowned at the other Cats and couldn’t help the lifting at the corners of his mouth when he took in their shocked expressions. “It’s not that bad boys.”
Silence reigned a few more moments before Madu threw his arms in the air and shouted, “Price of Cats!”
“PRINCE OF CATS!” The group by the door shouted in unison before erupting
into a chorus of cheers. As Bray strode determinedly through the doors of the altar room to place his mark on the petition for recognition of mating status, he did so to well-wishes and good natured slaps on the back.
Chapter 9
Neomee retrieved a cloth and a jar of water before retreating to the slaves bathing area carrying her new white tunic draped over one arm. The new tunics had been provided to all female slaves for the special occasion.
The women’s bathing area consisted of a small empty windowless room with benches. In the middle of each of the four benches sat a large bowl and a chunk of pasty soap made from rendered animal fat and chalk.
Neomee placed the large bowl on the ground, removed her gown, sat with her feet in the large bowl, then poured some of the water from her jar over her feet. She dipped her cloth in the water before swiping it against the soap several times then proceeded to scrub her body before rinsing clean with the remainder of the water in the jar. Who knows when next I’ll have the luxury of bathing.
After her bath, Neomee changed quickly into her new white gown. It exactly matched her old gown except the new one was a pristine white, free of the dirt that had tinged her old gown to more of a cream colored hue.
She unbraided her flowing black locks and ran her fingers through her hair in an effort to brush her waist length mane. Satisfied, she quickly re-braided her hair, folded her old gown and placed it under one arm as she exited the slave’s quarters.
The temple would be home to hundreds of guests and every temple slave was assigned multiple tasks for the evening. Even slaves from the town and outlying villages had been loaned to the temple for the great festival. Neomee’s hope was that in the mass confusion and raucous celebration that a lone missing slave would go unnoticed long enough for her to put great distance between herself and the town.
She couldn’t help but remember Bray’s odd threat. All my plans are ruined if he intentionally seeks me out. If he cannot find me, perhaps he’ll think I’m hiding from him and will let it be.
The temple and town were both already filled with more people than Neomee had ever seen in one place, and as she made her way down the crowded hall to the garden, she had to sidestep multiple guests and ornately dressed Cats to avoid collision. Head bowed, eyes cast downward, she traversed the corridors quickly.
Approaching the garden cautiously, she stopped at the door to peek around the corner into the open area. She sighed her relief to find the plots empty.
She crossed the garden to a large thick shrub on the farthest wall then scanned her surroundings and the wall one last time to ensure there were no witnesses. Satisfied that she was alone, Neomee crouched behind the shrub and pulled her food cache from under its lush green leaves. Unfolding her old gown, Neomee loaded it with the fruits, nuts, vegetables, and dry meat that she’d been hoarding before she topped her gown with a small calf skin water bag she’d managed to steal from one of the Cats when he’d dropped it as he carried a slave out of the garden for some primal pleasure.
She quickly folded her gown around her contents and carried it like a sack. Standing, she scanned the garden again. Empty. Funny, she could feel the fine hairs on the back of her neck standing on end. It felt like she was being watched, but she saw no one.
Paranoid, she chided herself. Get moving girl. Exiting the garden, Neomee made her way quickly back down the crowded corridor, her eyes on the ground. Music drifted through the temple from the altar room. The festival had officially begun.
As Neomee passed a mixed group of noblemen and Cats, one of the noblemen grabbed her arm, “Beautiful woman, what is the hurry. Come, stay, play awhile.”
Neomee kept her eyes on the ground, her arms firmly wrapped around her make shift sack, “Sorry Master, I am on a mission for the Priest. Please forgive me.” She made to pull away, but the nobleman was not ready to let her go.
“Surely, we can find another to handle the Priest’s mission.” The nobleman grabbed another slave as she walked by, “You’ll do nicely, take this slave’s package and deliver it where it needs to go.” The other slave made to grab Neomee’s sack, but Neomee jerked out of the nobleman’s grasp and began to quickly walk away as she lied, “I’m sorry Master. The matter for the Priest is of utmost urgency. I was told it could be trusted to no one else.”
Stunned, the noblemen stared after her. As she departed, Neomee heard one of the Cats laugh, “Let her go. Take this one instead.”
Neomee looked back to see the Cat rip the gown from the slave and shove her into the nobleman’s greedy arms.
Amon, I am sorry sister.
Neomee ducked around drunken revelers and tried to avoid Cats at all costs. Thanks to the Prince Cat, she knew they could smell her fear if she got too close. Noblemen, noblewomen, Cats, scribes, Priests, half naked women both slave and of rank lined the halls. The closer Neomee got to the door that led to the lower catacombs, the faster her heart raced. Her plan was to sneak down to the maze of catacombs and to follow the tunnel that led directly under the garden to the field just beyond the temple wall.
She only knew of the tunnels from talk she’d heard among the Cat’s who lounged as she’d worked in the garden. According to the Cats, the tunnel that led under the garden was the only lower tunnel that led out of the temple.
Finding the door, Neomee’s sandaled feet crunched on the sand covered stone steps as she descended into the lower catacombs.
Few candles illuminated the darkness and it slowed her progress significantly. Neomee didn’t know where her escape tunnel lay, but she knew the general direction.
She was startled right away by a Cat that stepped out of the darkness to cut her off.
“I was hoping the slaves would begin to come down soon to play.” The Cat purred as he ran a hand down her hair and pulled her into him.
“I didn’t…I’m not…Master I am not here for…that.”
The Cat leaned down, a wicked smile dancing on his lips. Neomee stared at him in shock. Just as the Cat was about to speak, he quickly looked over Neomee’s shoulder then dropped his hands, stepping out of her path. Neomee quickly looked back over her shoulder and saw nothing.
“On your way.” The Cat demanded still looking over her shoulder.
Neomee didn’t wait for a second chance, she quickly fled. She ran the length of the corridor, unable to shake the feeling that her entire escape was being witnessed. She prayed the eerie feeling was the result of the Cats’ presence in the catacombs; regardless, she wasn’t going to back out of her plans now.
She continued running down corridors, slowing momentarily here and there to turn down hallways she was certain led to the path she sought.
Exhausted, she stopped in a particularly dark corridor and fell back against the wall, sliding down its face with her package clasped tightly to her chest. She concentrated on slowing her breathing as she eyed her surroundings. Her mouth dropped open as she saw moonlight shining down at the furthest end of the long hall.
Yes! Almost there. Neomee quickly rose from her huddled position and sprinted down the corridor, eyes shining with barely controlled excitement. I can’t believe it. I did it! I did it!
Her joyous celebration was cut short as she was thrown to the ground from the force of her collision with a wall that seemed to appear from out of nowhere. With the wind knocked out of her, Neomee peered into the darkness trying to make out shapes. Her blindness was alleviated when a Cat ran up from behind her, torch in hand.
Still sprawled on the ground, Neomee stared up at the Cat in shock. He paid her no attention as he leaned forward over her sprawled body with his torch extended. Instantly, light flared to life as the Cat lit a torch on the wall she’d just run into. It was no wall. Bray glared down at her now holding a blazing torch in his hand.
“Trying to escape?”
“Uh, no Master! I uh…I-I was delivering a package for the Priest.” Neomee quickly surveyed the ground and found her bundle lying against a wall. She grabbed the package and stood, droppin
g her eyes, “Uh…Master. Excuse me, the Priest wanted this package delivered immediately. It is of the utmost urgency.” No one moved.
“Ha!” Shouted the Cat that stood behind her, “Her lie confirms your belief Prince.”
“No Master, I wouldn’t...”
Angrily, Bray grabbed her chin and forced her eyes up, “Never lie to a Cat.” His warning, the same as he’d given her earlier, reverberated through her brain.
“Master please!” Neomee’s plea came out breathy.
“We should punish her.” A third Cat she hadn’t noticed standing behind Bray grinned at her devilishly from the darkness, the flame illuminating only his exposed teeth, canines lengthened.
In fear, Neomee backed up, right into the Cat that stood behind her, “Yes. Let’s punish her.” The Cat purred in her ear.
Neomee jerked out of his embrace and glared from one Cat to the other.
“No.” Bray growled, “I’ve got other plans.”
Chapter 10
Neomee’s heart was racing. As Bray retrieved something from his waistband, she made to back away from the trio but was grabbed by the Cat blocking her exit. Her breathing was harsh as Bray held up the retrieved item.
What is that? A belt? Too small. A necklace? It’s too thick. The other two Cats hissed their anticipation. The Cat holding her in place grabbed her chin firmly and forced her head up, exposing her satiny throat while his other hand clamped about her waist holding her in place.
As Bray approached, the smile that touched his lips slid from his face. He was murmuring something unintelligible.
Neomee squirmed in her captor’s embrace. “What is that? What are you going to do?” Her heart hammered in her chest. For the first time since her childhood she was legitimately terrified.
Bray kept on murmuring in his foreign tongue. His nostrils flared and he lifted his hooded gaze to stare at her. “It won’t hurt lily.” His eyes flashed to the object then back to her, “It makes you mine.” He held the circular item up in front of Neomee, and she decided she’d had enough.
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