by Joyee Flynn
“I will do my best and when I return I will bring out the books I brought with me. Maybe there will be some in my collection you might find interesting as well.”
“That would be greatly appreciated,” he said slowly. I nodded and stepped towards the horse. He surprised me by lifting me up onto it instead of letting me climb up on my own. I stared down at him in shock at the kind gesture. Boris didn’t meet my eyes, instead, glancing over my body as he ran his hand up my thigh. “I anger easily and I regret my words hurt your feelings. Your father was not worthy to have you as a son.”
He turned and briskly walked away before I could even think of what to say back. Boone was smiling widely and I gave him a quick wave. Bash mounted his horse and led the way.
I thought a lot about the past few days, wondering if maybe there was more to Boris than his crass, rude, and angry façade. I knew I hadn’t been exactly what he wanted, mostly because he hadn’t given me the chance to even speak with him or get to know him as Boone had. But if this was going to work, I had to try.
It was a few hours later when we reached the edge of the woods and Bash stopped his horse next to mine.
“Take this road about ten miles and you will reach the village,” he explained as he pointed in the direction. “If you can, talk to no one but Mitchell. There are some who live there that are not friends to us. They do not like cursed men in their woods and blame us for just about everything they can. Be careful and don’t dawdle or Boris will get angry because he will be worried.”
“Yeah, he paid good money for me,” I said sarcastically before I could stop myself.
“He’s not as bad as he seems,” Bash replied with a sigh. “It’s complicated but mostly it’s guilt because he blames himself for the curse. It was his idea to make a home in the woods. He didn’t know that they were controlled by a witch who cursed us for coming onto what she considered her land.”
“That’s terrible!” I couldn’t even imagine how that kind of guilt could eat at a man. No one deserved that and it did explain a lot. “I will make haste.”
“Thank you for doing this, Golden.” He gave me a shy wave and I nodded as I clicked my tongue and the horse went on his way.
True to his word, it didn’t take long to get to the village. It looked like most other villages so it was easy to find the store Boris had been talking about. The fact that it had a sign saying General Store might have been a hint too.
“Hello, I’m looking for Mitchell,” I said to the man behind the counter. “I have wares from Boris.”
“You are their slave?” he asked me, his eyebrows shooting up to his forehead. “You’re too little to be of use in their trade.”
“My duties will be more in the house and running to town,” I mumbled as I hung my head in shame. It shouldn’t have hurt that a random stranger referred to me as a slave. But it did. “I have a cart full from them. Are you Mitchell?”
“I am and what is your name?” He stepped around the counter, keeping a wary eye on me.
“Golden,” I answered as I handed him the list. He looked at it as if it was going to bite him.
“I know what type of slave you are, Golden,” he hissed at me.
“Be that as it may, my money is as good as everyone else’s,” I said, proud my voice barely cracked. “You have a standing arrangement with Boris and this is the list of items he needs.”
I set the paper down on the counter, realizing that it wasn’t the list that offended him but the possibility of having to touch my hand when I tried to give it to him. Then I pulled out one of the gems I had brought with me.
“And this is what I plan to use to buy some goods for myself. Is that a problem?” He met my gaze then as I set it on top of the list on the counter.
“You could buy half my store with a ruby of that size,” he whispered, eyeing me over. “How did you get it? Are you a thief?”
“No,” I gasped, tears forming in my eyes. “Not that it’s any of your business but it seems you lost your manners and won’t find them again until we settle this. I am from a wealthy family, but when my mother died a few months ago, she admitted I was not my father’s son. He took out his anger on me since I was the only one left, sold me, and let me take my belongings with me, including my mother’s jewelry.
“I am just trying to make the best of this and put the pieces back together of my life. So don’t you dare judge me or accuse me of crimes I did not commit.” I angrily wiped away tears, upset with myself for letting him get to me. It seemed the past few days had taken more of a toll on me than I would have liked to admit. “I just want to pick up new sketch pencils, pad, and maybe a few items from the apothecary. Is that really too much to ask?”
“No,” he said gently, patting my shoulder. “I will handle this list and pay out the difference. Would you like me to do the same for your gem?”
“Yes please.”
“Then go pick out what you would like and take a few moments to yourself without the pressures you have outside of this store,” Mitchell suggested with a smile. “We have a nice selection of artist materials in the back.”
“Okay, thank you.” I nodded and walked in that direction, letting him handle the list and the gem. I might not have gotten the best price for such a stone in a small village, but I had a feeling Mitchell was an honest man. But then again my judgment was for crap nowadays.
I roamed the shelf, picking out a gorgeous set of pencils, a few sketch pads in different sizes, and even decided to buy a paint set and brushes. My father had hated that I liked to draw so I had always kept things simple that could easily be hidden. I didn’t have to worry about him anymore and decided to try and further my art.
Then I realized I might need to buy more items or set up an account because if Mitchell had said the gem could buy half his store then I seriously doubted he had much gold on him to break down the price of it. I set my items on the counter as he kept working and thought of what else I might want. That’s when I saw it. There was a sign stating they had baby livestock out back.
I followed the arrow to the back door and gasped. There were goats, chicks, calves, piglets, and puppies. I’d always wanted a pet! If I got some chicks then maybe Boris would let me keep them because they’d give us eggs. I wanted a piglet but had a sneaking feeling if I bought one it would be the same as signing its death sentence because he’d be dinner one day.
I raced back up to Mitchell and asked if he could add to my tab half a dozen chicks, a cage for them, food, and whatever I would need to build a chicken coop. He gave me a funny look, but nodded.
“That’s still not even a fraction of what the gem’s cost is,” Mitchell hedged. “The apothecary owes me along with the butcher and the baker. Would you like to see their wares to settle the payment?”
“We could do that,” I answered as I started to blush. I hadn’t meant to cause issue but I also couldn’t have left my father’s house with sacks of gold pieces. “The rest we could leave as credit for when I come next time?”
“I would appreciate that, Golden.” He gave me a genuine smile and led me to the butcher as his son took over handling Boris’s items. I picked out several items, knowing how to make a few lamb dishes that would hopefully make the brothers happy. Then I went to the bakery and bought way more than we would be able to eat before it started to go bad. But all the purchases were in line, nothing lavish, just maybe not what they normally bought.
I couldn’t say the same about my time at the apothecary. There I might have gone a little overboard. I bought some scented oils, hoping a little romantic effort might calm Boris a bit. Then there was the salve that Boone had used on me. That I bought a large jar of because I had the feeling I would need more of it. And I bought several different types of tea, also in the hopes that they might help Boris’s temper.
When I was done I’d been in the village almost two hours. Bash was going to throw a fit and then probably Boris too. I started to get nervous when Mitchell was settling accounts w
ith each shop owner and deducting it from the price of the gem. I hadn’t meant to take this long. Would they think I had run and search my belongings? Boris would have no compunction about ripping my room to shreds if he was angry.
“You are all set, Golden,” Mitchell informed me with a smile when we were back at his shop. He handed me a bag of gold pieces, informing me that was for Boris. Then he handed me another one, a larger one, saying that was what was left from the gem and I didn’t need to have credit for next time.
I thanked him and tucked them into my jacket on opposite sides of my body so there was no confusion. Part of me wanted to laugh when I saw how all my additional purchases were taking up almost half the cart. It was either find humor in it or worry Boris was going to beat me.
I went with option one.
The horse had had a good rest and was ready to head home so we made good time back to the woods. Bash had been pacing a line in the ground, his repeated footprints having mashed the grass down.
“Why were you so long? Were you hurt? Did they do anything to you?” he asked in a panicked voice as he eyed me over.“You look fine.”
“Everything took a bit longer than expected because what I used to pay for what I wanted wasn’t exactly a few small gold coins,” I answered as my cheeks heated up. “I ended up getting much more than planned so I didn’t make things uncomfortable with Mitchell and having him owe me.”
He glanced at the cart with wide eyes. “This is going to be interesting,” he grumbled and then mounted his horse. I didn’t want to ask what that meant because I had a sinking suspicion I knew… And wouldn’t like it.
Was my life now just going to be walking on eggshells because a big jerk owned me? I bought extras that we could all eat and share. Why could I possibly get in trouble for that with a sane person?
And that thought just about answered that question. Did I know that Boris was sane?
Chapter 4
“ You came back,” Boone greeted me as he lifted me out of the saddle and hugged me close. “We started to worry.”
“I didn’t mean to make you worry.” I sighed, wanting this to always be my welcome and to feel cared for as he was making me feel right in that moment.“It seems I shouldn’t pay the shopkeeper for a few things with a gem. Things got a little complicated.”
“Why do you have gems?” Boris growled as he pulled me out of Boone’s arms. “You stole from your father? Did you steal from us too?”
“No! Why does everyone assume I’d just steal?” I exclaimed, pushing at him with all my might. It didn’t work as I had planned and I fell to the ground on my tender ass. “They were my mother’s jewels and presents that had been given to me over the years. I would never steal from you and even if I did, the man sold me. That’s illegal but everyone seems to gloss over that detail and focus on me being a sex slave or thief.”
I pulled his bag of coins and tossed them at his feet. “I bought extras for all of us from my own money to try and be nice, to be a part of this family instead of just your whore. I was trying here.”
“I believe you wouldn’t steal, that’s why the idea of you walking around with gems shocked me,” Boris replied as he picked up the bag. Just then the chicks started peeping and he narrowed his eyes at me. “What was that?”
“I never had a pet and I wanted a pig but then I figured he’d become dinner when he got older. So I got chicks, they can give us eggs and I can have a pet we don’t have to eat,” I rambled. “I got everything they need though I don’t really know how to build a chicken coop.”
“No, take them back,” he growled at me, flashing his sharp teeth at me.
“I’m not a child. I can have chickens if I want to,” I whispered. He took a step closer and I curled into a ball, using my arms to protect my neck and face. “I’ll take them back.”
“Boris, stop this!” Boone shouted as he shoved his brother, finally having snapped out of his shock at what was going on.“He can have some damn chicks if he wants. I will build the coop and help him take care of them. Why can’t he have something of his own? Look at what he brought. There’s a full lamb there and enough bread for weeks. He bought that for us with his money. When has anyone done something like that for us and you’re being a brute over a few chicks?”
“He doesn’t listen to me,” Boris replied. “He’s a slave, not a partner. I should be able to tell him something and not get an extra headache because he wants a pet, extra meat coming with him or not.”
“I can’t do this,” I whispered, rocking myself back and forth, tuning out their argument. “I can’t. I can’t be a slave and have everyone treat me like shit the rest of my life. Mitchell was only nice to me when I showed him the gem. Boris sees me as a possession, I can’t live like this!”
I hadn’t even realized I was talking out loud until there was silence around me. I peeked out from under my arms to see everyone staring at me. It was humiliating and I wanted to die right where I sat.
“What if I bought my freedom? I could pay you back and then some for what I cost you,” I begged.
“No,” he snarled, pulling away from Boone and forcing me to lie back on the ground as his large frame surrounded me. “I like having you at my disposal. You are ours to do with what we please, Golden. Why would we give that up?”
“Because you’re not monsters who don’t have a heart,” I answered as tears clouded my eyes. “Do you really not care if I’m not happy or scared of you all the time?”
“I prefer it.” He leaned in and sniffed my neck. “The scent is enticing and we are monsters. Never forget that.”
“Then just kill me now,” I pleaded as I closed my eyes. “I just wanted to do something nice.”
“For yourself,” Boris clarified as he ran his hands over his body. “You thought if you acted like we were equals and a family, getting food we all could share like one, we would treat you as such. You were manipulating us when the one thing I asked you to do for us you forgot.”
“I wasn’t manipulating anyone!” I exclaimed as I beat my fists against his chest. “I’m not the bad guy here.” I froze as the rest of his words sunk in. “I forgot the books.”
“You did,” he agreed as he grabbed both my wrists and pinned them over my head. “And now you will pay for it.”
“No!” Boone snarled and tackled his brother off of me. “This madness stops, Boris. Golden isn’t our enemy and isn’t property. You’re going to make him hate us or run. Is that what you want?”
“Run to where?” he threw back, trying to hit Boone in the face. “He doesn’t know his way out of the forest and he’d be a fugitive.”
I stopped listening after that, having my fill of all this drama and anger. I stood with a heavy heart and upset stomach and walked over to the chicks. Lifting the cage out of the cart, I set it on the ground and did the same with their food. Then I opened the bag, took out a handful, and opened the tiny door.
All six started peeping as they hopped out and started eating out of my hands. “I’m sorry, guys. I just wanted to give you a nice place to live where you could be loved and lay some eggs. It wasn’t supposed to be like this. I was going to be happy and take over my father’s businesses when it was time, giving lots of people jobs, helping out the town when I could. Sure, I’d never marry a nice girl like my parents would have wanted, but I could have still been happy.
“Now I brought you into this misery and you’re too young to know such realities about life.” I sniffled, wiping away a tear with my forearm. “I think I’m too young to know them too, sometimes. I just thought together we could deal with them and I’d have some friends even if you were animals.”
I think I temporarily lost my mind, talking to chicks while the brothers were duking it out around me. I glanced up. Oh, all three were fighting now. Splendid. They were still going at it when the chicks were done eating and I put them back in the cage. I sighed and set it in the cart where they would be safe. Then I started unloading what I could carry.
/> After that I went to my room and collected all the books I could hold in my arms, knowing there was no way I was lifting the trunk full of them. I walked back outside and dropped them to the ground before putting my fingers in my mouth and letting out a whistle. Instantly they paused the fight and turned to me.
“Sorry I forgot the books. These are some of what I have but you’re welcome to all of them. I’m going to start making supper.” I turned to go back inside.
“Golden?” Boone whispered as he moved away from them and towards me.
“It doesn’t matter, Boone. It is what it is. What’s the point of fighting it? I’ll take the chicks back tomorrow and just live here until I die as a sex slave no one really wants but I’m all you could buy. At least I can still do some sketching. I like doing that.”
Yeah, maybe I really had cracked. I just couldn’t take any more of anything. No more fighting, no more issues, no more being in trouble or not what someone wanted. I was just done. They wanted to fuck me and for me to be obedient… Fine. Everyone in my life had finally pushed me too far where the will to fight left me. They won. I was a slave.
And this slave had to make dinner so the lamb I purchased with one of my mother’s jewels didn’t go bad. I found spices and herbs, rubbing them on the meat as I started the stove. Then I got the lay of the kitchen and put the bread and items away. I realized then that I hadn’t eaten all day besides a few samples the baker had given me to try.
But I wasn’t hungry. I didn’t want to eat or do anything really.
“Golden, can we talk?” Boone asked hesitantly as he walked into the kitchen through the back door.
“I was going to take a nap if that’s okay,” I answered as I slid the pan of lamb into the oven. “It’s been a long day and the food won’t be ready for hours.”
“May I join you?”
“I don’t have a say in anything anymore, Boone. Do as you want.” Maybe I was being mean, taking my feelings out on the wrong person. But I was numb and didn’t really care if I sounded harsh.