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Damien watched my eyes and I saw his features soften slightly. He showed me how the lock worked by pressing on either side of it. His fingers somehow indented the solid looking metal. When he removed his hand the metal snapped back into place. I never would have seen the mechanism if he had not pointed it out. The door swung open before he latched it closed again.
“Your collar and cuffs work the same way,” he said watching me intently. “Your fingers will not be strong enough to open this door.”
“Thank you,” I said softly looking down at my wrist.
I’d wondered how they removed the solid looking metal. Evidently that was how they did it.
Fingers under my chin nudged my face up, until I was looking into Damien’s steel grey eyes. I had seen his eyes blaze in anger and passion. Once, I’d seen defeat reflected in them. Now, I saw grave concern.
Ages ago I’d seen this worry. When Christof refused to join their minds and held himself separate, it had upset them. The family and its health were more important than anything. Damien again carried the look of a man with the world on his shoulders, all because of me.
“My love,” I said stroking down his face, “please don’t worry.”
Damien brought his face within inches of mine. His hands cupped the back of my head so I couldn’t move away from his scrutinizing stare.
“Prove to me,” he ordered harshly, “that this is all unnecessary. Be a strong member of this family and bear our burden with grace. We would not survive without our Sister. You must understand this.”
I was too stunned to speak. A moment later Damien led me out of the closet.
I was tied in the main room this time. My leash was long enough I could sit on the furniture or dance with my friends, which I was instructed to do.
“You will not be able to touch the fire,” Damien informed me coldly.
For a moment I was confused and looked at the low burning fire. I’d never burned myself since I’d been here. As a matter a fact I hated burns, the stinging drove me nuts.
I’d expressed a foolish desire to harm myself, though. They weren’t sure how I was going to do it. Of course they’d prevent me from getting too close to the fire.
Sighing, I wished Damien a good afternoon and he left.
Rose, Fuji, and I did as our Masters had ordered. We played instruments and danced with one another for the afternoon. When we were tired we sat and I taught Rose symbols.
My family came home and didn’t seem to listen to me again. They were furious or just fed up, I couldn’t tell which. Either way, I felt like isolated and lonely. I missed the closeness they usually invited me to share with them.
It would be wrong to say they didn’t touch me. One of them had a hand on me at all times. Every move I made was monitored and contained.
As we walked to the bathhouse Bane held my upper arm.
They must think I would jump off the balcony, I mused.
There wasn’t a chance of that happening. I abhorred the feeling of falling. It would not be my preferred method of suicide, not like I could tell them that. They didn’t want to hear me speak.
Damien allowed me to wash him, although Kein watched me closely. I sighed and ran my hands over the defined muscles in Damien’s torso. I traced his faint scars and rubbed his muscular physique.
These men were definitely not counselors, but then I knew that. They were Warriors, trained to fight. Dealing with a suicidal human was not in their skill set.
Evan took Damien’s place and I rubbed and twisted his hair. They had no idea how to change my mind on this, but they’d probably recognize when it was different. If I wanted back into the family, I had to acquiesce.
I sighed again.
This would be hard. Giving up control, even when I didn’t really have it, would be difficult. I just had to have faith. Trouble with that was I’d never had much faith. Being enslaved on an alien planet hadn’t really helped with that. It wasn’t going to be easy.
I remembered our conversation in the apartment when this situation started. Kein had used the word escape. It was something to hope for, a bright spot to center my sanity on.
Another sigh as I rinsed Evan’s hair.
Love the children when I had them and have faith that they would be protected afterward. That would be so hard. I’d probably drown the apartment in tears. It would be a hard fight to hang onto my sanity.
Evan pulled away from me and dunked his head. He turned toward me shaking out the braids I’d been putting in. The room seemed to close in as Bane and Christof stepped into the pool on either side of me. Kein still sat behind me.
“Why do you breathe so loudly?” Evan asked unwinding a four piece braid from the underside of his hair.
“Perhaps she is ill?” Bane asked quietly stepping closer.
His eyes scrutinized me, but he looked confused.
“Is that a… cou-gh that the Healers speak of?” Christof asked quietly when I turned to look at him.
The word was in English and Christof had said it with the emphasis on the wrong syllable. I understood what he meant and shook my head silently.
“A ‘cough’ sounds different, harsher,” I told them sincerely. “I think I was sighing. It’s just breathing out loudly. I’m not ill.”
It was the truth, but they still looked concerned. The worried looks didn’t stop and soon I knew why.
The Healers came that night. Damien and his Brothers didn’t mention my suicidal thoughts. Unlike normal they seemed edgy and nervous around the Healers. When the Healers mentioned I had not been at the Keepers today Damien’s face took on a look of steel.
This must be what he feared to tell them, so I relieved him of the duty.
“I did not sleep well, Healer,” I murmured innocently. “I had bad dreams, for some reason. My owners allowed me to sleep late and stay close to their scents. I like to be near my owners’ things. My friends stayed with me.”© 2024 Nôv/el/Dram/a.Org.
It wasn’t a lie, which I sensed the Healers would be able to detect. It was the truth. I’d spent the morning wrapped around Bane’s pillow. Rose and Fuji had been here with me.
“Only speak to us,” Damien chastised gently from the side and I looked into his eyes.
He wasn’t angry, but I couldn’t quite discern the emotion behind his features.
The Healers seemed surprised I’d spoken, but recorded the information. If the poor sleep continued I should be allowed to rest some in the day, they told Damien. Humans may need that, but a regular schedule at night should prevent it. They would intervene if the problem persisted long enough.