We were halfway through when I heard metal against metal. I lifted my head and met Sabriela’s fear-filled auburn eyes. Her hands trembled as she hid her necklace beneath the neckline of her dress, just like I always hid mine.
“He’s coming, he’s coming. What are we to do?” she asked. Her voice was low, yet each word sounded dipped in fear and panic.
I shot to my feet, hauling Sabriela along with me. I was about to open Aegir’s door but he beat me to it. Sabi turned towards me, her brows knitted. There was no time. I grabbed her by her shoulders and pushed her into his room, onto Aegir, then lifted my index finger towards my lips, gesturing a silentshh.
In that second it took me to close the door, I saw her. I saw her sombre face looking up, up, up, until she met Aegir’s confused eyes. Then she snapped her gaze back at me, shaking her head. “No. Please, don’t—”
Silence. I imagined Aegir silencing her mouth with his palm. Oh gods, I remembered then, how terrified she was of them, of him. I had promised her that she wouldn’t serve them, and not only was that promise broken, but now, I had locked her in a room with one of them. My chest tightened, my lungs squeezed, but I did not have the luxury of time to worry about my breathing. So I knelt on the carpet and continued picking up the shards. And with every one I picked, the sound of clinking keys grew closer.
“What in Amfir’s name is the meaning of this!?” Mounir exclaimed, his voice raw. “And where’s that little brat?”
Behind Mounir, the door handle lowered, but I made it retract with my careful reply. “Lord Hailin—he asked if he could get an apple instead of the carob sweets, so I sent her to fetch him one. I accidentally hit the jar and it fell. It’s my fault, I apologise.”
“You do not give orders to other servants! No! You do not give orders to anyone here. And do you know why? It is because you arenothingandnobody.” He shook me by the shoulders. “You keep acting like you’re entitled, like you’re important here.”He shoved me to the floor, my elbow landing close to a sizeable shard. I stared at it, wide-eyed. “Clean this mess.”
I resumed breathing the moment he left. I was waiting until I could deem it safe to open the door, but Aegir opened it before I could even make it to my feet. Sabriela pushed her way out and collapsed onto me. We embraced each other tightly.
“I’m sorry,” we both breathed.
Before my eyes squeezed shut, I glimpsed Aegir’s tense gaze and hardened jaw. And even if I hadn’t seen that, the way he slammed the door shut, like the crack of a whip on a silent night, told me he was livid.
I felt Sabi’s chest rising and falling before I heard her sobs. “Hey, it’s all right, don’t cry,” I told her softly, wiping away her tears. “You have nothing to be sorry for. I know it was an accident. Come now, help me clean this mess.”
We had just convinced ourselves that the carpet was free from glass and sweets when we heard him approach.
“Do not say anything,” I instructed, using the lowest voice possible.
He paced towards us, head down and swaying like a slithering snake with eagle eyes, scanning the carpet attentively.
“Don’t you ever take orders from other servants!” he barked at Sabriela, yanking her by her elbow. “Do you understand?” Her curly auburn hair bounced as he shook her forcefully. My nails dug into my palms and my lips tensed as I watched uselessly.
“Yes, Mr. Mounir,” she replied reluctantly.
“Now go get the twins, school finishes soon.” Then he turned to face me, the look of disgust written all over his stupid face. “You, go throw that away,” he barked, gesturing at the bucket, now filled with broken glass and carob sweets. “Then go to the laundry room and do not come out of there until your next service with Lord Halin.”
I nodded.
I was gathering the rest of the cleaning supplies when Aegir threw open his door.
“You didnothave to do that,” he rumbled, white mist forming at his mouth.
I struggled to hold his gaze. “Yes, I did.”
“Why?”
“Because she doesn’t deserve any of it.”
“And you do?” I looked at him, unblinking. “You lied using my name. You put me in a position where I couldn’t help you.” His tone teetered between tension and frustration.
“I don’t need your help,” I murmured. “I just want her unharmed.”
“Unharmed,” he repeated, bristling. “Is that why you felt the need to apologise to her? For locking her in with a monster, only to evade another?”
I averted my eyes. “I have to go before he finds me up here.”
CHAPTER 10
We’d been very silent these past days.
