Chapter 14 Chapter Fourteen
Isla watched the Mate Killer stalk away, struggling to maintain control over his wolf. If there were two perks to being wolfless, they were that she was always in control and could hide her emotions. Despite everything she’d heard of the ruthless Mate Killer, to her, he seemed like every other male wolf struggling with their baser, instinctual sides. Someone stepping into her space drew her attention away from the prince. Georgia stood directly in front of her, nose practically touching hers.
Georgia’s nose twitched. “Wolf.” She shrugged her right shoulder. “Weak,” she said, as she circled Isla with her hands behind her back. “But still a wolf.”
“I may be wolfless,” Isla said, the term tasting bitter on her tongue. “But I am not weak.”
Georgia wheeled her hand back and smacked Isla across the face. Isla’s head whipped to the side. She cupped her burning cheek with her palm and exhaled in shock. She looked back at the woman who stared down at her with contempt.
“That is the second form of disrespect you’ve shown me since stepping through those doors,” Georgia said, starting to circle her again.
Isla looked out at the other maids who had accompanied Georgia to welcome the prince. They all stood in head-to-toe black uniforms, their hair pulled back under a bonnet, their eyes cast down to the ground. One of them glanced up but once Isla caught her eye, she looked quickly down.
“Within these walls you will call me, Missus,” Georgia, Missus, informed her. “I am head of the staff at Castle Aerhart. It is a title I have worked long and hard to achieve. I oversee the six groups of employees: maids, launders, kitchen staff, wait staff, landscaping, and husbandry. Normal procedures would have you go through an intake evaluation with our witch practitioner, Lilith, wherein you’d receive a physical, get appropriately cleaned and be sorted into whatever class your background best serves. However, since Prince Sylvan has chosen one for you, you are to be classified as a maid. I will be your supervisor so long as you live here.”
Missus stopped her circling, so she stood directly in front of Isla. “Despite whatever preconceived notions you may believe based on the fact that you have been handpicked by a member of the royal family, let me make one thing clear: You are a servant, a slave of the nation of Eredhal. you are not a guest. You are not an employee. You are a slave to be used by the kingdom in whatever way the king or his children see fit. You do not make eye contact. You do not speak. You are a ghost among the walls. You do your job in silence. You do your job well. There are three meals a day which are served inside the kitchen. If you miss a meal, there is no snacking. I suggest you keep an eye on the clocks and finish your tasks in a timely fashion.”
As if the woman had spent an entire lifetime moving from one task to the other, she started to pace in front of Isla again. “You do not step foot outside of these castle walls unless given explicit permission. Sentinels are stationed on the walls every second of the day and night. Your magic will be bound and your beast caged.” She leaned ever closer so that Isla could count each of the crow’s feet lining her eyes. “There is no escaping this place. Are we understood?”
Isla nodded, her eyes narrowed in contempt.
Missus straightened. “When a superior asks you a question, you answer. Let’s try that again. Are we understood?”
“Yes, Missus,” Isla hissed.
“Good. We shall start with your intake now. Follow me,” Missus instructed.
Isla followed Missus in order to begin the next stage of her servitude for the country of Eredhal. They walked down a long, wide hallway that seemed to be even more intricately decorated than the foyer she’d first seen. More granite and colored stones made up the floors and walls. Heavy tapestries hung alongside portraits of various royals and elaborate landscapes. They walked past a set of ornate double doors in which the dragon rider and the Mate Killer’s beta lounged. The dragon rider stood straighter and gave her a nod and a smile while the beta ran his fingers thoughtfully over his lips.
A few more turns and down several less polished hallways brought them to their destination. The scent of the witch’s chamber was almost a physical barrier as Isla tried to step inside. She paused at the threshold and looked around at her surroundings. It was a small room with stone floors and walls lined with glasses filled with various herbs. A table sat to the side with a mortar and pestle and books steepled several feet high. An exam table sat in the center. Isla’s attention was drawn to the two women in the corner, heads bent over what looked like a spell book with many notes scribbled along the margins.
“And you were able to encase the entire encampment?” one of the witches asked, aghast.
“I must tell you, the power within those waters… its untapped potential was thrilling, Lilith. And then this girl, she merely strolled through, completely unhindered and…”
Missus cleared her throat and both women looked back, startled. Isla immediately recognized Delilah, who slammed the book shut without even touching it. The woman to her right, she surmised, must be the castle’s witch practitioner, Lilith.
“We have a new servant, brought in by Prince Sylvan to be his personal maid,” Missus said, shoving Isla unceremoniously inside.
Lilith cast a wide-eyed expression at Delilah, who nodded her head vigorously. “Well, hop up on the table and we’ll take a quick look so you can be on your way.”
Isla did as she was instructed while Missus stepped up to watch with shrewd eyes.
“Your name is Isla?” Missus confirmed.
Isla nodded while Lilith made her lie back.
“You speak when spoken to,” Missus reminded her.
Isla sighed. “Yes, my name is Isla.”
“Where are you from?”
“Tridea.”
“A Tridean prisoner. Hm, figures,” Missus said with a sigh of arrogance.
“I am not a…” Isla bit her tongue.
“Do you have experience as a maid, at least?”
“Yes.”
“Yes, Missus.”
“Yes. Missus.”
“What is your species?”
“Wolf,” Lilith answered for her. Isla glanced up to find Lilith’s eyes closed as her hands hovered just above her body. The lines between her eyebrows deepened as she concentrated. “Wow, Delilah, you were right. The binding is…”
“Sh,” Delilah clipped out.
“Binding?” Isla asked.
“Binding?” Missus repeated.
Lilith stepped back and it wasn’t until she’d removed her hands that Isla realized she’d been pressing some kind of energy over her. The energy felt as though it were ripped from her bloodstream as Lilith pulled away. Delilah stared at her, eyes wide as though communicating something she could not say aloud.
“Oh, no, I just mean, the binding… of her wolf. It is all done,” Lilith said with a nod.
“So sudden?” Missus asked. “Normally it takes…”
“I am wolfless,” Isla said, staring upward.
“Yes, right, there is no binding that needs to take place,” Lilith corrected. “I thought I felt a trace but I must just be in my head,” Lilith finished with a flick of her hand. “All seems well, Missus, she’s good to go.”
“Good then. Up. We have places to be.”
Isla stepped down, casting a suspicious look at the two women who were smiling tightly as though they were ready to burst into gossip the moment Isla walked away. Missus took Isla by the arm and thrust her in the direction of the door. She stumbled over the threshold and had to jog to keep up with Missus’ hurried steps.
She took a left and they walked down some steps that quickly turned from beautiful granite to cold limestone that was made smooth by years of being walked on. The area grew warmer and the sounds of dishes, chatter and the various noises of a kitchen filtered up. Then she smelled the food and clutched her stomach as a painful cramp seized her insides. She hadn’t eaten in days.
The last step brought them directly into the chaos of the kitchen. Servants bustled around, preparing the meal for lunch. Cooks in large hats yelled at those in shabby dresses as they rushed to fill cauldrons with water or bring inside barrels of wheat. Isla spotted a nervous young girl, no more than eight, wringing her hands as an older woman instructed her how to properly roll dough. At least the girl would be safe here in the kitchen and the work wouldn’t be too physically demanding.
“Eloise!” Missus called.
A petite girl with short dark hair swiveled to face them from her station at the sink. “Yes, Missus?” the overly cheerful girl answered back.
“You have a change of duty for today. Come with me.”
“Yes, Missus,” Eloise responded, though the light in her eyes dimmed slightly at the command.
Missus didn’t wait for her to catch up. Instead, she snapped her fingers for Isla to follow.
“Hi,” Eloise said as she caught up. “I’m Eloise.”
The small girl held her hand out, her dark eyes seeming to grow several shades lighter as she smiled.
“Isla.” She shook Eloise’s hand.
“Oh, sorry, dishwashing,” Eloise apologized, wiping her soapy, wet hands on her apron.
“It’s okay,” Isla said, meaning it.
It was the first drop of water to touch her hand since leaving her home. There had been no rain. There were no lakes or ponds on their journey. Even the water she’d been given was only enough to quench her thirst.
“So, Missus,” Eloise said, raising her voice so the supervisor would hear her. “What’s this new service you have me signed up for?”
“It’s not new, Eloise. Prince Sylvan has returned but wishes you removed from his services. Isla here is taking your place and is in need of training.”
Isla watched Eloise’s expression. She expected jealousy, hatred, maybe even curiosity. Instead, Eloise smiled and relief flooded her features.