Chapter 3
3
J en
Two months later…
I continue to knead the dough, pushing into it with my palms in a rhythmic motion. My arms are much stronger than they once were. It’s like second nature after all these weeks. I’ve been on the island for just over two months and working in the kitchen for seven weeks. Sitting around was making me stir crazy. I guess I should be grateful that they let me work and move around freely in the castle. Freely. Okay, well, maybe using that term is a bit of an exaggeration. I’m far from free.
I keep working the dough, feeling the consistency slowly change until it becomes bouncier and more elastic. I know when it’s ready. I sigh as I place the dough in a large bowl, covering it with a cloth and placing it in the corner of the kitchen that gets the morning sun to proof. I wipe my brow with the back of my hand before going to the sink to clean up.
Two months and my fate still hasn’t been decided. I’m lying to everyone. They all think I’m happy and that I want to stay when all I want is to go home. It feels like I’m being lulled into believing that everything is going to be fine when it isn’t. I mean, right now, it isn’t bad at all. I like the dragon people. I’m even making friends. I’ve fallen into my new life and routine easily.
I hate it.
I feel like I’m sitting on a hand grenade, waiting for it to go off. I haven’t forgotten that one of these days, I’m going to be used as a political pawn. I’ll be handed over to someone and expected to marry them. Someone I don’t know or love. I know they’ll give my family a lot of money. It tempts me. I want them taken care of. I want to know they’re okay. I don’t think I can go through with it, though.
What if I can’t? Will they force me, anyway? Will I be tossed to the feral dragon men? I haven’t seen Lieutenant Jakes or the general since I got here that first day. Have they changed their minds? What is to become of me? I don’t trust them, and time is running out. I need to get home where I belong. It needs to happen before the Tribute money runs out. Before the bills start piling up again, which will be any day now. I’ve asked to speak with the general several times and I keep getting told that he will call a meeting with me soon, but it hasn’t happened.
I’m getting desperate.
My stomach clenches at the thought of my family being in trouble.
“Done already?” Tara smiles at me, pulling me from my dark thoughts. She picks up a wooden spoon and stirs a pot I know to be full of porridge. It’s Monday, so it will be oatmeal with cinnamon and honey. “I have to say, you might be a scrawny human, but you impress me more and more by the day.” Her smile widens, and her eyes twinkle.
I smile back. That means a lot coming from Tara. She was skeptical about me working in her kitchen and put me on potato-peeling duty for a whole week before letting me do anything else.
“I’m sad you’ll be leaving us one of these days.”
“Me too.” I widen my eyes, my stomach clenching all over again.
“You won’t have to work. You’ll be mated to some rich male who will worship you.”
If only that were true. I don’t know who I’ll end up with or what is even going to happen to me. Tara makes it sound magical, whereas I am well and truly in the dark.
“Are we making sticky buns this morning? I could help with those.” I lift my brows. “Or help cut up the fruit?” I point at the two men already at that station.
In many ways, it feels like I am still at home. Still working at the café, only I don’t need to serve customers, which I never really liked much, anyway. I miss making coffee. I enjoyed the grinding of the beans and the hiss of the steam. This really isn’t too different from it, and yet I may as well be on another freaking planet. I’m lonely. Bottom line, I miss my family.
“There’s a shipment of empty bottles going back to the Mainland this morning.” Tara looks at her watch. “The guys are behind with loading the truck. Maybe you could go out there, and Rex can give them a hand.” She looks over at my guard. “You can supervise them, Jen.” She winks at me.
I look over at Rex. “You up for it?”
He flexes his biceps. “Of course.” He gives me a cheeky grin. He’s good-looking. Then again, they all are. Dragon shifters are all tall, built, and seriously handsome. All of the men flirt with me, even though it’s not allowed. Rex probably more than the others. He’s a nice guy but not my type. Then again, no one is my type right now. Not with everything hanging over me. It’s been a while since I dated. My stomach clenches again. I feel tied up in knots.
I need to get the hell out of here and off this island. If only the general would speak to me and tell me what is going on. Maybe I could calm down and hang on a bit longer. My mom could really do with the money. I’m seriously getting cold feet here.
“Okay, then,” I tell him. “Let’s go. But I must warn you, I’m a slave driver.”
“I would expect nothing less.” He laughs.
“Try not to take too long.” Tara looks at the clock. “Or we’ll end up running behind.”
“Why don’t you go outside to help with the loading of the trucks, and I’ll get started on the sticky buns,” I tell Rex, who gives me a look.
The look quickly morphs back into a grin. “You know the rules, Jen.”
“Yeah, yeah.” I shake my head. “I think I would be perfectly fine here with Tara and the others.” I roll my eyes.
“I’m sure you’re right, but I have to follow orders.” He says, giving me an apologetic look.
“Okay.” I wipe my hands on a dishcloth. “We won’t be long,” I tell Tara, who nods.
“You can start on those buns as soon as you get back,” she yells after me.
“No problem,” I say over my shoulder as we walk toward the door that leads to the back courtyard. Rex goes ahead of me, making sure that the path is safe and clear. I want to roll my eyes all over again, but I don’t since he is just doing his job.
I have a guard following me everywhere. They camp outside my room at night. I can’t do anything without being watched. Even though they’re all really nice, it grates on me. They change out every eight hours. All in all, there are six of them who take turns watching over me. Everyone thinks it’s for my protection, but I know better. It’s to make sure I don’t attempt an escape. Apparently, they report back to Lieutenant Jakes in a weekly debriefing. I’m sure he checks to make sure I haven’t told them anything…namely, that I’m here pretty much against my will. There are rumors going around about what they plan to do with me. The one that seems to have taken root is that I’m going to be auctioned off to the highest bidder. I hope it isn’t true. I wish they would speak to me already.
Bastards!
“Are you sleeping any better?” he asks me once we are outside. “Any more of those…um…episodes?” The sun is already hot. It’s a humid heat that has sweat beads forming on my brow in an instant.
By episodes, he means nightmares. He’s sweet to play it down.
“I’m doing much better, thanks,” I lie. I’m not. I get nightmares about the abduction almost every night. It’s stupid since nothing terrible happened to me. I wake up with the feeling of a hand clamped over my mouth. For a few moments, I can’t move. I’m being held down. I’m gagged.
I’ve woken up screaming once or twice. Once during Rex’s shift. I nearly scared him half to death. Now, he asks me regularly how I’m doing. As always, I have to lie. I can’t tell him I was kidnapped. I have to lie about how I came to Mistveil.
I’m doing fine.
I’m sleeping fine.
I’m happy to be here.
“That’s good, Jen. Is that a new apron?” he asks, giving me the once over. “Green suits you.”
I laugh. “No, not at all, but thanks, anyway.”
“You still look really nice.” His face goes pink.
Hardly. I’m wearing pants that are too big for me and a shirt that could double as a small dress. Shifter women are taller than humans, but this is the uniform, and so I’m in it. Since my days working in the palace kitchens are numbered, they aren’t going to tailor a uniform especially for me. There is no point. Although, I’ve been here longer than I thought I would be. Far longer!
Point being, I don’t look nice, even though Rex always tells me that I do. He’s super sweet.
“Thank you, Rex,” I say anyway. We turn the corner to the loading bay just as a truck pulls away with a rumble.
Three men are loading big crates onto another waiting truck.
My mouth falls open at how strong these guys are. I’m shocked every time I see them do something beyond mere human capabilities.
Rex joins them. One of the shifters turns and waves at me. I wave back.
I watch in awe as the men effortlessly lift the huge crates, stacking them neatly onto the back of the truck. They barely break a sweat as they work. Another one of the men catches my eye and winks. All the attention freaks me out. You would think I’d be used to it by now.
I’m not.
I give a quick smile, not wanting to encourage him or any of the others. I feel for these people. There are not enough women for the men. The ratio is completely out. It’s strange for me to get so much attention all the time. It’s not that I didn’t attract men back at home, but not like this. I lean against one of the crates and yawn. Yep, I’m definitely not sleeping all that well. Who can blame me? My life is a freaking toilet.
I note that the tarp on the crate I am leaning against hasn’t been properly tied at one end. There’s a flappy opening on one corner. I go over there, intent on fixing it, when I decide to stick my head inside. Inside each crate are boxes. This particular crate isn’t full all the way to the top. There’s a gap at the top on one side. A gap big enough for a lean human woman to fit inside if she were to bend her knees a little. It’s tight but very doable.
These crates are being loaded onto an aircraft destined for the Mainland. The Mainland, for goodness’ sake. An idea forms in my mind. I instantly shut it down.
No! I can’t! They’ll catch me; I know they will. I’ll be in big trouble when I’m caught.
Then again, I haven’t heard from those two assholes since I first arrived here. For all I know, they’ve changed their minds about giving me the money.
I don’t want it.
I don’t want to stay here.
I look longingly into the crate. What if an escape worked? It could work. There’s a chance I could get off of this island. That I could go home. I heave out a heavy breath. I’m pretty sure I’m worth more to them alive. Worth more to be used as a pawn rather than tossed away to the feral dragons. Like I told them, I’d rather die than live with the knowledge that my family is in trouble. That my little brother was in foster care, and my mom was sick or even dead.
No!
If they won’t speak to me, tell me what the hell is going on, then I’m getting out of here. I’m running.
I need to try. I’ve been sitting on my hands, waiting for an opportunity to present itself, and here it is. At long last. This is it. The moment I’ve been waiting for, and I have to take it. I owe it to myself. To my family. My mom and Caleb will be worried about me.
I look over at the shifters loading the truck. Rex glances my way as I lean against the crate. I pretend to be relaxed. I even force a yawn, holding my hand over my mouth.
“I’m going to go for a walk,” I shout at Rex, pointing across the courtyard.
He frowns and pulls in a breath. I know what he’s about to say.
“Don’t worry; I’ll stay where you can see me.” I roll my eyes and laugh. Rex has been watching me for two months. He knows me and trusts me, even though he follows the rules. I feel bad doing this, but it can’t be helped.
He smiles at me and nods, picking up another crate together with one of the other guys. The courtyard has more than one door along the back. I assume they lead to the gardens. There’s a passageway at the end that leads to another part of the castle and then a door that leads back to the kitchens. I walk to the end, turning just before I reach the passageway. I pretend to march up and down the courtyard. It’s a big area. Out of the corner of my eye, I catch Rex looking my way once or twice. For the most part, he keeps on working, too distracted to pay me much attention. It won’t be long before they reach the crate that I plan on using for my escape. I need to time this right. Too soon, and I will be caught; too late, and I will miss my chance.
Please let this work!
I keep walking, noting that Rex is paying less and less attention to me. He’s concentrating more and more on getting the crates into the back of the truck. They’re big and strong, but it’s hard work in this terrible humidity.
“If we don’t leave in four minutes, we won’t make it to the airstrip in time to load the aircraft,” the truck driver says, looking at his watch. He’s frowning heavily, wiping sweat from his brow with the back of his hand.
“Let’s leave the rest,” another one says.
No, they can’t! My plan will fail.
“How do we explain that?” his co-worker asks.
“We’re nearly done,” Rex insists. “Let’s finish it. We still have time if we hurry.”
“Yeah, let’s hustle,” one of the others says.
So, they work harder, their full concentration on getting the job finished.
This is my chance. I take it. Swallowing thickly, I walk around the crate. Then I glance at the guys. They’re loading a particularly heavy crate. All three of them are busy. It’s like the universe is conspiring to help me. I’ve got this.
I jump up onto the crate, keeping half an eye on the guys. Then I hoist myself up, quickly wriggling my way through the tiny opening. Good thing I watch my diet, or I wouldn’t have fit. Once inside, I grip the edge of the tarp, pulling it down. It’s tight and a little claustrophobic, but I can do it. I have to.
For my family.
For my mom.
For Caleb.
We’ll make it. I know we will. If I asked them if they would prefer a bank full of cash over having me back, I know they’d choose me every day of the week. The times ahead will be tough, but we’ll tackle them together. I’ll work five jobs if I have to. I can’t trust the general or the lieutenant. I wish I could. I’d probably stay for the money if that were the case, but it isn’t. A big part of me heaves a sigh of relief at not having to marry a stranger. Of being in a loveless marriage. I may have dodged a bullet. First, this plan has to work.
The guys keep working. I hear their boots on the stone.
“Hey!” Rex says a minute later. “Where is Jen? Where is the human?” His voice is laced with concern. “She said she wouldn’t stray,” he mutters to himself.
“Maybe she went out into the gardens. It’s nicer to walk out there than in here,” one of the guys says.
Rex is silent for a few long seconds. “Maybe, but she knows better than to pull something like this,” he says, sounding worried. I feel bad. He’s such a great guy. So super-sweet. I really hope he doesn’t get into any trouble for this. I told him about my mom and Caleb. I’m hoping he’ll understand even if he doesn’t have all of the facts.
I lie there, keeping as still as I can, keeping my breathing even.
Please don’t find me.
“I’m sure she’ll come back.”
“She probably went back to the kitchen. They might start to run behind otherwise. She’s a hard worker. I’ll help you with the last two crates, and then I need to go check on her,” he says.
“Thanks for helping,” one of the guys says. “We would never have made it otherwise.” They lift the crate I’m in.
“There aren’t normally this many,” the other guy says as they walk. I keep expecting them to notice that I’m in here, but they don’t.
There is a scraping noise as they push the crate into the truck. A minute later, the last crate is being loaded.
I hear them say their goodbyes, their voices becoming muffled as they close the doors. I pray they hurry. It won’t take Rex long to realize that I am not in the kitchen or in the gardens. It won’t take him long to realize that I’m missing.
The engine starts with a deep rumble, and the truck starts to move. I heave a sigh. It feels like we are going slowly. The engine hums. We go over the odd bump. There’s a turn here and a turn there. It’s so dark inside the truck that I can’t even make out my hand in front of my face. I shift my position to try to make myself more comfortable and will myself to stay calm. It’s going to be okay. It’s going to work. It has to.
The sound of the engine lulls me, the steady hum soothing. As the truck continues down the winding road and picks up speed, I start to feel a glimmer of hope beginning to spark within me. This might be my chance to escape.
It doesn’t take much longer, and the truck stops, the air brakes releasing with a hiss. I hold my breath, listening intently for any sounds outside. The voices of the men grow louder as they approach the back of the truck, which they quickly open.
“This is the last of it. Let’s get these into the hold,” one of them says.
My heart races as the crates are pulled out of the truck, landing with a light thud on the ground outside. There are more booted footsteps as crates are moved from the truck. Two seconds later, my crate is lifted as well. Once again, I work on keeping as still as possible and at staying calm, with even breathing.
Thankfully, there isn’t much room to be jostled around. There’s scraping and bumping as my crate is pushed into place. I think I’m in the aircraft, but I can’t be sure.
I hear the men talking, but their voices are muffled by the walls of the crate. There is the odd call from a seagull overhead. They must be looking for food. It’s oddly relaxing to hear the birds, even though my heart is pounding in my chest.
Please hurry.
Please!
The sounds go on and on. The birds, the men, their boots on the tarmac. We need to leave now, or I will be caught. Any calm I was feeling earlier has evaporated, and in its place is a sense of extreme urgency.
The cargo door is closed, drowning out most of the outside noise. I feel like I’m in a coffin. For a moment, I want to scream and beg for them to let me out, but I hold myself together. It won’t be long now, and we’ll be taking off.
I try to clear my head. I will do this for my mom and for Caleb. My little brother needs me.
Moments later, the aircraft is moving. I push out a heavy breath I didn’t know I was holding. This is it. We’ll be taking off soon. We keep going and going. Surely the runway on such a small island isn’t very long? Why is this taking so long? We turn and then turn again. Something feels off. Sweat beads on my brow, and I strain to hear anything outside over the engine noise.
I can’t.
Then, the aircraft stops. What’s going on? What are we waiting for? Do they know I’m here?
I strain my ears, but it’s quiet. Too quiet, perhaps? I wait for ages, my fears growing by the second, even though I can’t hear anything out of the ordinary.
Then the tarp is being pulled open, and a dark shadow looms over me. “You’re in big trouble, Miss Harris,” someone says in a voice I don’t recognize.
The tarp is opened further, and I am pulled from the crate.
“What do you think you’re doing?” he says as he puts me down. Before I can answer, he goes on. “Rex doesn’t deserve what’s coming his way, and it’s all because of you.” He gives me a light shove on my back as the hold is opened.
I put a hand in front of my face as light floods the interior. “What will they do to him?” I ask. “It isn’t his fault.”
“Don’t pretend to care. I hope they make you watch. You deserve to watch.”
A tiny sob leaves my lips. What’s wrong with these people…? Shifters, I remind myself. They’re part animal. It’s easy to forget that. But, in moments like this, it’s impossible not to have it at the forefront of my mind.