“Sorry, I was just leaving.” I explained to the woman.
“In this rain? Nonsense.” Her forehead creased as she studied my appearance. “Dear goddess, you look like you’ve seen better days. Come inside.”
Her invitation surprised me. She didn’t know me. I could be dangerous like the little girl had feared. I did have a scimitar strapped to my back. I decided she was either stupid or confident in her ability to deal with threats. Who was I to turn down such an offer?
I nodded and stepped through the doorway. What I saw inside was like nothing I’d ever seen before. The room was decorated in shades of grey and pink. There was so much pink, it appeared the goddess of love and sex had made her mark on the place. “What is this place?” I asked in wonder.
“Welcome to the House of Minyota,” she said, standing beside me.
That explained it. Minyota was the goddess of love, sex, and desire. She was represented by the colour pink.
Women of every age and size were sprawled around the room. Some were so thin they’d probably blow away if they went outside during a strong wind. Others unconsciously rubbed their pregnant bellies. Many sat on cushions on the floor conversing with one another. Some had draped themselves over soft loungers and were enjoying a late morning nap. I later learned these women worked through the night as servants of Minyota. A hearth burned low in the center of the room, keeping the chill from the rain outside at bay. I heard a baby’s cry from somewhere in the house.
“You look like you could use a warm meal and fresh clothes,” the woman who’d invited me in indicated.
I gaped at her, still unsure of why she’d invited me in. “Who are you?”
“I’m Safiya, the head of this house, and who are you?”
“I’m Malyi, faithful servant of Motish.” I put emphasis on the goddess’s name to ensure she understood.
Her eyes darted to my shoulder before settling back on my face. “Minyota loves all. Besides, I don’t believe you’ll harm those who aid you.”
I relaxed a little. “No, I won’t harm anyone… unless they try to harm me first,” I added, hearing the threat in my own voice.
“Good, then it’s settled. You may stay here as long as you want. Go with Affie,” she gestured to the girl who’d found me. “She will show you to the bathing room and get you some soup. I’ll find you something clean to wear. Okay Affie?” She turned to the little girl with big brown eyes.
Affie nodded eagerly.
I hesitated. “I prefer to wear my own clothing.”
Safiya smiled. “Just until we can clean and dry your own clothes then.”
“Alright.” I surrendered.
Affie, who came only to my waist, led me away.
Growing close to a hallway lined with rooms with curtained doors, I heard babies crying, moans of pain and… someone vomiting? Scents of body odour covered up by strong incense made me gag. I covered my nose with the back of my hand.
“Sorry, Mistress Malyi. A lot of the women here are sick,” Affie explained.
“Are they contagious?” I didn’t want to stay here if I was at risk of falling ill.
She stopped and peered up at me. “Not unless you lay with them.”
“Oh.” I immediately thought of khaviss. I didn’t say anything though. Telling anyone about the potion would be a risk to my life. I kept my mouth shut as we descended a stairway to a most luxurious bathing room filled with pools of clear, steaming water.
A couple women were washing each other in one of the small pools. Affie took me to a pool on the other side of the room. “Disrobe and I’ll wash you.”
I studied the reflective water. “Is the water clean? I’ve only bathed in water that’s been brought from outside and is dumped afterward.”
“Safiya says these pools clean themselves,” she explained.
I wrinkled my nose but accepted her answer and got out of my clothes.
Safiya had another woman bring down a white robe for me while Affie scrubbed me free of dirt.
“You bear the mark of Motish,” the woman who’d brought the robe stated, her eyes glued to my tattoo.
“Yes.” It was no secret. I’d never deny the mark that gave me power. I’d accepted my role as Death’s mistress.
“We have enough troubles here without the presence of her.” She raised her chin, showing off her long, slender neck.
“Well, your head of the house said Minyota welcomes all,” I countered.
Before she could answer Affie got up from washing me, stood in front of her, and placed her hands on her hips. “Safiya says she can stay. Take it up with her, but leave us alone,” she glowered. She was small, but she was fierce, and I had to bite my lip to keep from laughing.
The woman snarled at Affie but turned and left us, probably to seek Safiya out. I wasn’t worried. Surely Safiya would let me stay regardless of that woman’s wishes.
Once I was clean and wearing the fresh robe, I sat enjoying a big bowl of fish soup. The salty flavours that hit my tongue had me moaning with pleasure. A few women cast strange looks my way.
Safiya did as promised, and both of my outfits were clean and dry the day after my arrival. I shared a room with a mother and her newborn baby, which often kept all three of us awake by screaming through half the night. Sounds of pleasure mixed with sounds of suffering also filtered in through the walls. I felt sympathetic for the women. Some were so thin their dresses hung like curtains off their frail bodies. Others were so pregnant they could hardly move. With new babies being born all the time, there wasn’t enough space for them each to have their own room. Those who were healthy, didn’t have a baby, and weren’t with child were the only ones who did. They were the top choices for clients so they had priority.
I noticed there were no young boys in the house and asked Affie about it one night while we sat by the hearth.
“If a boy is born at this house, his mother has to find him a new family or leave with him by the time he can walk. Males aren’t allowed to live here,” she explained, adjusting her position so her legs were tucked underneath her.
“That’s harsh. Do most find new homes for their sons?” I asked.
She shrugged. “Some mothers return, claiming they found a good family for their son. Some never return at all. I’m not sure if they survive or not. A lot of boys are taken in by the temple of Bebik.”
The temple of the Bebik protected all knowledge of our gods and of our people’s history.
“What happened to your parents?” A girl her age should have someone to care for her.
“My mother died here giving birth to me. My father… I don’t know who my father is.” She looked into the fire with longing, as though she could find the answers within the flames.
I winced. Her story was so similar to Tavah’s. I really needed to stop asking these kinds of questions. “I’m sorry, Affie.”
She looked at me with a small smile. “It’s okay. You can’t miss someone you never knew. Safiya’s like a mother to me. She is to us all.”
“Someone help me!” a shrill voice cried from one of the curtained rooms.
Affie jumped to her feet and took off towards the cry.
“Affie, wait!” I tried to stop her, but she was already gone.
I grabbed the fire iron and followed her. I found her holding one of the curtained doors open. She stood wide-eyed as a tall man with bulging muscles stood naked with his hand around a mistress’s neck.
“Let her go!” Affie’s voice cracked with a sob. I admired her courage.
The man threw the tawny-skinned mistress to the ground and placed his foot over her face. “She won’t do what I asked of her. I’m a paying client!”
“Please don’t hurt her,” Affie pleaded, the curtain clenched in her small first.
The man, who had a large scar running down one side of his forehead, glared at Affie and pressed down harder with his foot. By then, a group of women had gathered around us.
His laughter was cold. “What are yo
u going to do about it, ladies?” He swung back his leg to kick the woman on the floor.
By some kind of instinct, I tightened my grip on the fire iron, ran at the man and swung the iron. The iron connected with his head and made a loud CRUNCH! He crumpled to the floor without another word; the blood that pooled beneath him evidence he no longer posed a threat.
The woman who’d almost had her own skull crushed rolled over onto her hands and knees and wept. I dropped the fire iron and gathered her in my arms. The others still stood in the frozen in the doorway, their feet stuck to the floor as though they were statues.
“What’s going on? My goddess! How did this happen?” It was Safiya who asked the questions, breaking the stunned silence of the others.
“That was unnecessary,” another voice said. It was the woman who’d brought my robe the day I’d arrived.
I raised my eyes to them. “He was going to kill her.” Couldn’t they see that? I’d just saved one of their own.
“No client has ever come to harm in this house,” the robed woman said in an accusing tone. “We have a reputation to uphold.”
“Silence!” Safiya commanded, and everyone went still again. Safiya crouched down beside me and the upset mistress. She rubbed the woman’s back, like a mother would its child. “Kali, what happened? You need to tell me.”
The woman was finally able to stop sobbing enough to choke out the words. “He—he wanted to torcher me w—with that!” She pointed with a shaky finger to a whip that laid beside the bed.
Safiya picked up the strap of leather. She ran her finger over the three metal spikes on one end. Her eyes flashed with anger. “That’s a line we do not cross here. You were right to refuse him. Still, we have a mess to clean up now. Hopefully no one comes here looking for him.”
I stood up. I’d felt sure I’d done the right thing. Now I was worried that I’d made an even bigger mess of an unpleasant situation. “I’m sorry, Safiya. It was either him or her.”
“It’s not your fault. You saved the life of one of my mistresses. I thank you for that.”
I bowed my head, my hair falling like a curtain around my face.
“Ladies, take the body to the garden. We’ll burn it,” Safiya ordered, helping Kali to her feet.
As Kali made her way past me, she threw her slender arms around me. “Thank you!”
My lips curved upward. I really cared about these women. They were faithful devotees of Minyota, and they deserved better. That was the moment I swore I’d protect the mistresses of the House of Minyota. It became clear to me what I had to do next.
Chapter 8
“Are you sure about this?” Safiya asked me while helping me into the small wood cart hitched to two grey mules.
“Yes, khaviss will end the diseases of the women here and make them barren. It will make the house a better place.” I adjusted my scimitar so I could sit on the single bench in the back of the cart. There was no way I was going back to the fortress without it.
“Be careful.”
“Motish is on my side,” I assured her.
She stepped away from the cart and eyed me. “Okay,” she replied. “May the goddess be with you.” And then she hollered to the extravagant, white haired driver wearing purple and turquoise. “Take care of her, Polo!” He was one of Safiya’s rich clients. I’d been surprised to learn that, besides running the house, she also had her own clients. Though, not many could afford her services. This man was one who could. Apparently he transported all kinds of people around the island. He was driving me to the fortress as a favour to Safiya.
The cart jolted forward, and we were off. It didn’t take long to reach the fortress. By late afternoon, I stared up at the daunting structure surrounded by golden sand and stone.
Polo helped me out of the cart, the wind blowing his long white hair into his face. I thanked him and made my way to the great stairway that led to the main entrance. Of course I was met by a pair of burly guards.
“Gentlemen,” I greeted them. “I need to speak with Khadji’s mother, Nenet.”
One of them looked me up and down, his eyes settling on my scimitar. “Not with that, you’re not.”
I crossed my arms. “I’m not giving up my weapon. I’m a lone woman entering the home of a cruel leader full of armed men. Do you think I’m stupid?”
Neither of them replied; both stood sturdy… unmoving.
I let out an exasperated sigh. “How flattering it is that you believe I could take down a whole fortress fully guarded with tons of big scary men. Have someone escort me then.” I tapped my foot and waited.
The guards looked at one another. Obviously, they were unsure what to do with me. I didn’t have the patience for this nonsense. I reached over my head with both arms and pulled my scimitar out. I impaled the guard who hadn’t said a word through the throat before they could even discern what I was doing. I pulled my weapon free from the guard’s body. He fell to the side just as the other guard pulled out his own blade and blocked my swing. I parried with him for a few moments before growing bored of the whole ordeal. I dropped my scimitar, pulled my dagger from my waist and threw myself to the ground between his legs. I came back up behind him with a twist and planted the dagger into the back of his neck. I pulled the dagger free, and a spray of crimson blood shot from the wound. The element of surprise really does work. Lucky, I only wore black now. The stains wouldn’t show on my clothing.
I picked up my scimitar and put it back in its scabbard, cleaned the blood from my dagger off on my trousers, and wiped the red liquid from my skin. I put the dagger away and focused my attention on the stairs. I climbed them and went through the entrance of the fortress. They really should have this place guarded better, I thought as I reached the first corridor.
I passed a few guards along the way. Some I recognized, others I didn’t. They all gave me suspicious glances. My heart dropped when a familiar face appeared.
“Malyi, what a nice surprise.”
“Jehvad, I can’t say the same.” I tried to step around him, but he moved in my way.
“Why are you armed?” he asked, rubbing his freshly tattooed neck. He now wore the mark all warriors wore… Torin’s.
“I feel safer travelling this way these days.” I didn’t have the patience for small talk. “I’m here to see Nenet. Where is she?”
“I believe she’s in the pit with Khadji. I’m headed there now. Khadji is assessing our fighting skills. Those of us he’s impressed with get to go with him to Fraisha. They’re rebelling against the uniting of the islands,” he informed me as I strode towards the pit with him in tow. His lips were loose around me. Too bad I didn’t care what Khadji’s plans were.
I didn’t bother answering him, hoping he would stop talking. He didn’t.
He grabbed my arm and spun me so I was facing him. “You know we could never be together now that you’re marked with Motish’s symbol, right? We could never have a family. Not now that death follows you—but you are still the most beautiful woman I’ve ever known.” He leaned in, running a piece of my hair between his fingers and whispered, “And you smell delightfully like cinnamon.”
I jabbed him in the stomach with my fist. “Save your honeyed words for someone else.”
He bent over, sputtering… unable to speak. Good.
I walked on without him, but he caught up to me before I reached the pit.
“I can’t let you in there with that weapon. You can’t be armed in the presence of our leader.”
I paused, chewing on my lip. “Fine, but I want it back when I leave.” I handed him my scimitar. I still had my dagger anyways.
“Fine.”
The pit was filled with men’s cheers and the clashing of weapons. I spotted Nenet standing beside her son. They both watched the two warriors battle in the center of the circle. Two women with sleek, black hair pulled back with wide, scarlet ribbons stood on either side of them. They waved giant, silk, white fans to keep their leader and his mother cool.
> Nenet was partially blind so I knew there was no chance of her spotting me. I pushed my way through the crowd to her side. I touched her shoulder softly and yelled over the cheering, “Nenet, it’s me. It’s Malyi.”
Her mouth opened and closed, and she turned to face me. “Malyi? What are you doing here?”
“I need to speak with you… in private.” I set my eyes on Khadji. I saw him watching me, but then he turned his focus back to the pair of fighters, not giving me another thought.
I helped Nenet out of the pit and scanned the area to make sure no one was listening. “Nenet, I need more khaviss.”
The Mark of Motish (An Elemental Diaries Side Story) Page 6