fails to see that, or simply doesn’t care. But I have learned, at great cost, that the only way I can protect myself from her ennui is to root out every one of her schemes before it can come to fruition. Those less harmful I allow, so that she does not suspect, while I defuse the worst of them.”
“I guess that makes sense.” Again, Kaie was at a loss of what to say. It did make sense. Locking the girl in her room would work better, but he didn’t think that a very apt observation to make. He couldn’t figure out why in the world this woman was talking to him. “What does this have to do with me?”
This time he was certain he saw her right eyebrow twitch upward. He decided it was out of surprise, not annoyance. If only because he liked the potential consequences of that a little more.
“You aren’t afraid of me, are you?” she said.
“Of course I am,” he answered honestly. “But you don’t seem interested in me falling to the ground and licking your boots.” Her lip quirked just a bit. He couldn’t tell if it was with distaste or humor. This woman was difficult to read. “You expect everyone to be afraid of you?”
“I hope,” she murmured, “that those who serve closest to me recognize that I do not enjoy cruelty. But yes, I suppose I have grown accustomed to most people I encounter having a bit of trepidation during our interactions. Even the free ones. My family is quite powerful, and it does inspire a great deal of that.”
“Well, it seems like you want something from me. So I might as well be a person instead of the broken animal you people want.”
She tilted her head and looked on him with an intense scrutiny. It made him very uncomfortable but Kaie didn’t shy away. He pushed – harder than he meant to – and he wasn’t about to back down and act submissive now. “You are surprising. I expect some of that is because you are so new to this life. But not all, I think. Most in your place fall to their knees, weeping and begging for my mercy. Some spit and hurl curses as though the gods would come avenge them personally. I’ve never met someone with such… daring. I do hope you find a way to hold on to it. I think I would be sad if you were to become one of those broken animals.”
“I’ll see what I can do.”
She nodded, like it was a matter decided. Kaie found himself believing she meant it. It was a jarring thought, from the one responsible for the destruction of his home and enslavement of his people. He didn’t know what to make of it.
“You’re correct. I do want something from you.”
“Of course I’m right.” The words were out before he realized he was saying them. She was letting him get away with a lot. He imagined his luck was just about up. “People like you don’t have conversations like this unless you’re trying to get something out of it.”
She nodded, no visible sign that she was tiring of him. That would change quickly, if he wasn’t careful. Kaie knew that from experience. No one put up with his talking back for long. “My niece is very interested in you, Kaie Zetowan. And I would like to know why.”
He scowled, battling down the urge to snap at her about his name. It was an insult – a deep one – but he didn’t believe she intended it so. And he was trying to be careful. Drawing in a slow breath, he swallowed the irritation and set it aside for another day. “I don’t know. No one bothered to tell me why they set me aside for her.”
She uncrossed her arms and flipped her hand in the same dismissive gesture he’d observed in her niece. It niggled at his control, his temper looking for an excuse to escape no matter how he told it this was not the time. “She is testing a theory about her concoction and the effect it has on people with different traits. Red hair is something of a rarity, and the Cat’s Legion is always watching for it. Along with a handful of other rarities. She was quite satisfied with the other one, though. That’s not what I mean at all. She wasn’t interested at all in you last week, so far as I know. But this week, she can talk of nothing else. Why?”
Kaie scratched his head as he thought. The hair growing back was itchy. “I truly don’t know.”
The woman began her sharp scrutiny again. “The one Luna has; I’m told he took the Lunin for you.”
It was hard keeping his face neutral. Harder, keeping his voice level. One word, and it took everything in him to keep it from coming out a choked sob. “Yes.”
“You’re going to try to tell me it was because you are a part of his tribe or some other nonsense, aren’t you?”
“Would it work?”
“No.” She folded her arms again. “My son, you met him as well. Peter. He would not tell me everything that happened in that room. But he said enough for me to know better. That boy took the collar for you, not another boy of his tribe.”
“I thought,” he said with a good deal of struggle, “that you do not enjoy cruelty.”
A tiny wrinkle appeared between her brows. If he wasn’t watching her so closely it would be too small to notice. He didn’t know what it meant, but it was another miniscule clue into this perfectly poised woman. Whether he ever needed insight into her was inconsequential. He needed it now and that was enough to make it a good idea to assume he would later.
“I am not trying to be cruel. I am asking what that boy knows about you that would capture my niece’s interest.”
Kaie’s stomach dropped. “Nothing.”
The line grew a little deeper. “I see. Well. That nothing has made her very determined. I told her that, as you refused her already, any further attempts to take you for one of her experiments might be seen as a breach of her agreement with the Empress. That has stalled her. For now. It was not intended to stop her forever, though. Just long enough for me to determine how harmful this scheme of hers is.”
Kaie hesitated. There was only one thing he could think of that might explain her interest. “It’s… harmful.”
She inclined her head just a fraction as acknowledgement. Then she turned and resumed her walk. He watched for a minute, wondering how much of a mistake he made in giving this woman even a hint of his secret. After a slow breath he started following again. Like a dutiful dog.
They walked for a while. Long enough to make his legs hurt. The limp made walking difficult. And he was out of practice. The trip to the stream and back was the most exercise he’d gotten since waking up in that strange white room. She set a rapid pace, too. When she finally stopped again, his breathing was a bit labored. He considered being embarrassed that this dainty older woman was winding him. Then decided it wasn’t worth the effort. He was supposed to be recovering after all.
She turned on him, lacing her fingers on top of her stomach and tilting her head a little to the right. This he could read. She was in charge now. “You will work in the stables. Several of the ones who were put down worked there. I am in great need of talented hands. You will be very talented. I do not care what skills you find, but you will find something. You will be so good at it that my stable manager will be happy to tell anyone who asks that you are invaluable.”
“Yeah, ok.” He scratched his head again. He was about to ask something he shouldn’t. He knew it, but he needed to ask just the same. “Why? There are easier ways to prevent her from…doing whatever she intends to do.”
She licked her lip just once. That was interesting. A crack in her perfect mask. “What does that boy know about you?” She sighed and rubbed at her right eyebrow. Another crack. He stumbled into something with that question. He only wished he knew what it was. Kaie pressed his lips closed, giving her no answer. She seemed unsurprised. “We all have our reasons. Slaves, noble women, even the Empress. Reasons for secrets, reasons to hide. Reasons to put you in the stables. Some you get to learn, others you don’t. Now you say ‘Yes Mistress’ and play your part.”
He grimaced. Dog indeed. But, whatever her reasons, she was giving him a lot more than was necessary. Kaie didn’t need any particular insight into her emotional workings to understand that her generosity was at its end now. The words felt sour on his tongue, a new and utterly unpleasant experience. “Yes Mistres
s.”
She paused as she turned away from him, as though she only just remembered something. Kaie didn’t believe that. This was not the kind of woman who forgot anything.
“One more thing. Whatever this ‘nothing’ that has so captured Luna’s fascination might be, it does not end with you. She mentioned a desire to pair you with women known to be fertile and is requesting that I give her any offspring you manage to father. I can make you too valuable to give to her experimentation, but I cannot extend that worth to infants. I would suggest you take steps to avoid that particular problem.”
The Lady Autumnsong was not interested in seeing his reaction to that bit of news and Kaie was grateful. He never gave much thought to children. He was one, technically, until the family accepted him as otherwise. Outside of his impossible desire to marry Amorette, he figured everything after would happen the way Mother Lemme willed it. But the knowledge that the option was removed from him was like a blow to his gut. Another possibility, another future…gone. Suffocated before it drew its first breath.
“If you find the ‘nothing’ becomes something, be sure to inform me. You can speak to Josephine. She is my overseer for East Field, so she is always close. Always watching. Remember that.”
Twenty-Two
He woke early. Before the sun. Like always. On the