And I had caught the eye of the most powerful one.
Pyke Silvermist. He stared at me like all the others, but with a sense of propriety that made my skin crawl. He had done so well before my eighteenth birthday. It was surprising that he only started pressing the issue of marriage to my father two summers ago.
I’m twenty-seven and have spent almost ten years enduring his lingering gazes and wandering hands. I refuse to marry a man like that, no matter how rich he is.
I recoil at the memory of his hot words whispered against my ear last night. He intends for us to marry tomorrow evening before he sets off to deliver our tithes to Lord Rhydian. My hand will be Pyke’s payment to cover what my father and I owe to the lord.
Curling my toes inside my worn boots, I snatch one of the loaves from the counter and place it in my wicker basket. Lord Rhydian is my only hope. If I can persuade him to give my father and me more time with our tithe, I won’t be forced to accept Pyke.
No matter the fact that Father will never give Pyke consent to have me, the words of a frail baker mean little when it comes to a man as rich as Pyke.
He knows it too. Pyke is a serpent, biding his time until I was the most vulnerable to strike. I refuse to be bought, even if the cost of not paying the tithe is great.
It is why I must go to Lord Rhydian directly.
Pyke is the only one from our village who has contact with him. He is rumored to be fearsome, but I need only one chance to avoid a fate worse than death. I know what happens to those who don’t pay, and I refuse to let my father’s hard work go up in smoke.
If Lord Rhydian seeks a similar payment as Pyke does, then I suppose it will be easier to endure knowing I have secured more time for us to pay. I pray the stories we have heard of the lord have been grievously over exaggerated.
It’s foolish to get my hopes up.
If I could have one wish, it would be that Lord Rhydian is a gentle male who will be understanding of my plight. We pay a tithe every month. Surely he will survive it being a little light until the next full moon.
Glancing at my father, I see the fear creeping into our matching hazel eyes. His dark hair is streaked with silver, while mine remains the color of the night sky. He hates what I intend to do, but he can’t stop me.
I can be just as stubborn as him.
When I was younger, the idea of marriage and children thrilled me. A small kernel of that desire flickers within my heart, but I smother it. All my thoughts are with the bakery. It’s up to me to preserve my father’s legacy.
If it means giving up my maidenhead to do so, then that is a price I’m willing to pay.
Dreams of settling down with a nice man and spending the days working side by side, kneading dough and decorating fruit tarts are forgotten. I can’t afford to waver due to childhood fantasies.
I have to do this.
“Bloom,” my father whispers. “My darling. I beg you. You saw what he did two months ago to the Fosters’ farm. Burnt to acrisp in the middle of the night. The whole family barely escaped with their lives. That type of monster can’t be reasoned with.”
I shudder at the memory of being awoken by blood-curdling screams. Thick smoke choked me through the open window. It was a horrific sight. The Fosters left Dew Hollow shortly after with only the ash-stained clothes on their backs.
“I must try.” I shake my head and smooth the front of my dress with trembling hands. “I’m sure his desires are those of any other man.”
It is the wrong thing to say. The dark truth we both refuse to acknowledge. My father’s face turns red. His blunt nails dig into the arms of the chair.
“He is no man, Bloom. The moment you set foot on his land,” my father pauses, his eyes burning into mine, “the Minotaur Lord of Dew Hollow will killyou.”
2
BLOOM
The trek to the minotaur’s cottage was surprisingly long.
How a man of Pyke’s age is able to make the laborious journey every month was beyond me.The Woodsare not easy terrain. My boots snag on gnarled branches several times as I walk down the overgrown path.
I pause under a sprawling oak tree to catch my breath. The glittering rays of afternoon sun give way to the pinks and purples of sunset. It will be dark soon. If I were smart, I would’ve left at dawn.
Father’s warning rings in my ears.
The story of the Minotaur Lord of Dew Hollow is taught to every child. He is a cursed male, tasked with watching over us. Pyke is the only member of our community who has met the Minotaur Lord. He assures us the beast is just as monstrous a creature as we have been led to believe.
