Mathilde was crouched by the fire pot, stirring a long wooden spoon about as wafts of her curry rose and spread like a fog over the enclosed kitchen.
The past few days had been silent, peacefully so. And though she missed her master with idle reluctance, the emptiness was welcome. She moved about her business dutifully, cleaning, washing, scrubbing, cooking— and sometimes she would catch herself glancing up at the clock overhead.
Waiting for master’s arrival.
Word of his return arrived a day in advance and she spent it in elation, gliding about the mansion cleaning every room, though no one but him resided within.
She polished the silver and dusted the ancient library. Tore down the curtains and replaced them with clean heavy dark drapes. Rolled out the Persian carpets and beat them in the back with a club until all dust vanished.
Last but not least, Mathilde prepared a bouquet of his favourite meal. It was hard to pinpoint which her ma
The bedroom chambers was far from what Inayah had expected. The room was large and round. It was dark. All the textiles black and the wood the darkest she had ever seen. The moonlight comes through the black panels seemed to be diminished in the dark room.Inayah stood shivering in nothing but the gown, her damp hair absorbing cold and sticking to the nape of her neck and temple. She fiddled with her fingers nervously eyeing the large fireplace that cracked and spat invitingly.It had been built on the corner, far enough to deprive her of warmth. Inayah glanced about the room one last time then took a tentative step towards the fireplace.“Make your way to the center.”Inayah leaped, startled by the sonorous voice that sounded directly above her. She felt his presence a moment later, large form towering from behind.The protest say steadily in her tongue but something else made her hesitant, silent. Perhaps it was the realization that t
Inayah slept fitfully throughout the night.Sleep constantly deserted her, playing games to which she constantly succumbed to— it reached for her along the edges and just as her eyelids grew hooded, she would catch brief flashes of a beast in the woods, and that alone shuddered her awake.She woke three times during the night, panting and gasping for air, glowing with perspiration that matted the front of her gown to her chest.Her body throbbed with great intensity, oftentimes she whimpered whilst lying on her back, afraid to flatten against her stomach.When the agony grew far too worse, she carefully rolled onto her side and gazed at the small rectangular window that gave way to the darkness beyond.It was quiet outside, deathly so, the sky night that was once lit with stars now blank. An endless abyss.A soft whimper escapes her and realizing that she was far from sleeping, Inayah gingerly pushed off the small cot. Reaching for a s
Inayah’s heart slams maddeningly hard within the walls of her ribcage. Her mouth turns bone dry and she struggles not to flinch nor move whilst astride Sin’s laps.Salem Raised an eyebrow, drawing her attention from his hair and eyes to the rest of his symmetrically masculine face. His nose held just enough authority without being too big. His chin was square enough to expose every clench of his teeth, and his throat powerful enough to reveal every swallow, rippling with sinew and muscle.Inayah’s eyes followed his neck, following the contours of his flawless skin until it disappeared beneath the dark grey shirt with the collar unbuttoned. A scar sat just above the bow of his collarbone, one that seemed eerily close to—“Shall I repeat myself?” Salemsuddenly questioned slight inflexion in his otherwise arctic mellow voice.Inayah’s eyes flickered to his face then down to her hands which lay uselessly on his lap, e
Inayah woke to sharp nudging against her side, seconds later the blanket was yanked from her form. A gust of cold frigid air shuddered across her and she began to scramble back in a hazy alarm when something hard landed across her left cheek.Her face snaps to the side upon impact. All sleep vaporized at that moment as stinging pain took its place.“Get your indolent ass up, girl.” Mathilde’s venomous voice echoed from somewhere in the room. Inayah blinked in a daze, her ear ringing tunelessly. Her hand rises to touch at the throb on her left cheek, then hesitates halfway when something jerks at her ankle sharply.“Sleeping in like you own the damn place,” the lady mutters furiously to herself. She wears her maid uniform beneath a winter jacket and hat pulled down to her ears. “The fire hearth is dead and dry, which means breakfast for Master Salem will be delayed,” Inayah swears smoke puffed from the woman’s flari
“Done,” Inayah huffed in exhaustion, sitting back on her heels and wiping saline perspiration from her forehead.Her wary gaze scoured the foyer and hallway before her, the wooden floors scrubbed clean of grime and dirt. The wooden bucket beside her sloshed with murky brown contents as she tossed the brush inside.Her whole body feels sore. The skin of her knees scraped, bruised and bleeding. Her arms numb from the strain of moving back and forth viciously struggling to clean the grime.She blows away a strand of hair that falls over her eyes, momentarily obscuring her vision, then flexes her fingers, cracking each stiff knuckle.Her legs ache with the need to rest, to find somewhere warm and cosy, curl up beneath a blanket and let her heavy eyes slip shut.However, something terrible was keeping her from succumbing to sleep. Her stomach snarled then and from it came the not-so-subtle undertone of pain.Inayah glanced up at the o
Inayah moved about the kitchen in a state of mild shock and hyper-awareness.Kade.Sin’s brother.Salem had a brother.She did not think it possible for such a man to have siblings, then again she barely knew him. Having only served for three days in his household. Yet Inayah could not help her state of numbing shock.In the dining room, Kade’s laughter rings out deeply. There is a certain mirthful melody to his voice, much as there is to those mischievous pine green eyes that danced with secrets only he knew. Secrets she found herself wanting in on as well.Something sharp nudged her ribcage, Mathilde’s scowling face dropping into view as she stared at the girl in impatient displeasure. “Hurry up, girl. They wait.”Obediently, Inayah reached for the tray of golden baked turkey with stuffings. The sight of it was mouthwatering and her stomach whined as the warm, decadent smell wafted through her nostrils.
Salem stood by the doorway, unsettlingly calm gaze on her.Inayah stood, half terrified and burning Bright red with shame at the notion of being caught not only eating forbidden food, but stuffing her face in the process, without so much of a care.She must’ve looked grotesque with grease and spices smeared across her mouth, cheeks bulging from being overstuffed and her hand… Inayah released the leg she had torn away and straightened, forcing herself to swallow whilst keeping a straight face.Her heart breathed into a paper bag of worry, shock roofing her to the ground. Words deserted her in that moment as she lay vulnerable before her master.Salem Watched her a moment longer, then straightened, “Come to my chambers after you are done.” Is all he says before pivoting and leaving her.Dread. That was all she felt and the food that once settled nourishingly sweet in the pit of her belly turned sour and churned about. She gre
Salem had officially won the worst companion to sleep with in the universe. Or perhaps it was his whole hardened demeanor, even in slumber, that denied Inayah of sleep.She lay awake trapped between his body and the thick mattress, struggling to loosen her muscles and even then, sleep had deserted her.Inayah was painfully aware of his breath against her temple, his heart that beat dully against her shoulder blade, every inch of his body down to the fine hairs on his legs. She lay stiff, hoping he would release her, and if not, praying for darkness to take over quicklyIt did not.Hence in the silence of the room, Inayah willed her mind to flee her current state as she thought of Sin’s recent change in behavior. His emotions gave her whiplash, racing from hot to cold, affectionate to distant.It irked her, and not in the good way.Being uncertain of someone’s emotions, let alone motives, made room for anxiety and panic. He