The strangest sensation stirred Evelda from her power nap. Something was prodding her in the face. Her exposed cheek twitched as the poking became more incessant. Without opening her eyes she brought her arm up to swat the offending thing away from her. She grunted and turned onto her other side, giving her back to the annoying thing. She hadn’t connected with anything when she slung her hand up, but hopefully it would get the message.
Unfortunately the prodding continued, except she could have sworn she now felt a hand shaking her shoulder.
“-can sleep later. I require you to attend the evening feast as agreed. I tire of this.” A voice came into her consciousness.
…she knew that chilling voice.
With a frightened start she snapped her eyes open and jerked round to lay on her back, propped up by her elbows and staring at the sight of the hooded spectre. He sat on the bed next to her and stared down at her with annoyance in his fiery eyes. “Finally. Do you always take so long to rouse?”
At first fear kept her mind from speaking to her mouth. This was the second time he had been glowering over her as she slept. “You also snore.”
“S-sorry.” She gulped and didn’t dare move from her prone position on her back. He was leaning over her, and she didn’t like the idea of getting any closer to him just to sit up.
“I told you I would come to you this evening. Do you remember? To observe your people when they are at ease and true to their natures?”
“Y-yes Master I remember.” Evelda gulped. He inclined his head to one side and seemed to regard her curiously.
“Yet you went to sleep?”
“I was tired.” Her hazel eyes were wide as she watched him. Was she in trouble? Was he angry that she’d been asleep and not patiently awaiting his arrival on bent knee? “I-I didn’t mean to sleep for so long.”
“I see.” He suddenly took hold of her face and she yelped with fright. The junction between his finger and thumb encased her chin, and his long supple fingers dug into her jaw and cheeks. He used his grip to turn her face from the left to the right. “You still look pale. Nearly everyone else I’ve observed in Douma appear to be regaining their complexion, energy and natural girth. Yet you appear to still be underweight, your pallor is meek and you are sunken around the eyes. If you are ill you must tell me. Part of my deal with Bryne includes medical aid.”
“I-I’m not ill master.” He released her face and narrowed his fiery eyes on her.
“Then why do you not seem to be recovering like your clansmen?” when she didn’t answer he leaned forward to look down at her trembling form. “If you are not ill, then what causes your fatigue and sullen appearance?”
“Stress.” The word leapt from her mouth before she could stop it. Bloody pendant!
Evelda closed her eyes and braced herself. When he didn’t snarl at her or bring his rage down via fist or spell, she slowly peered her hazel eyes open once more. The hooded demon just stared down at her. Was he thinking over her answer? Or perhaps he was apathetic to her plight. After all, why would he care if he was mentally torturing the poor girl on a daily basis? Day, night, more than once a day, with no apparent end to his apparent ‘need’ for her assistance…
“I wonder…” He blinked slowly and turned to look at the embers of her central fire pit. “…how different your behaviour is when I’m not present?” From the distant tone he took, there was no way Evelda was meant to answer that question. Nor did she like the idea of him deciding to watch her without her knowing, like he intended to do tonight to the rest of Douma’s women. “You can’t always be so fearful, or you never would have braved the forest and entered my glade in the first place.”
Again, she felt he wasn’t talking to her. Evelda just waited for an instruction. Her heart still hammered in her chest and her nerves were on high alert. She even flinched when he turned to look down at her once more. “I promise you that no harm will come to you whilst you are in my service Evelda.”
“So long as the others don’t catch on.” She gasped and clasped her hand over her mouth. Damn that pendant. She didn’t even have time to think that before it jumped from her lips.
“Wait…you mean you aren’t only afraid of me?” He turned to sit on the bed even more and gave her his complete attention once more. She felt the intensity of his gaze like a prickling over her skin. “What else do you fear Evelda?”
“P-please I-”
“I order you to answer the question.” Turuk spoke with an even tone, but she knew from the fire of his eyes that he was not trying to reassure her. He wanted to know, and he wouldn’t let her have any privacy. “Now.”
“You are so obvious when you talk to me, master.” She gulped. “T-today you pointed at Valdis and Freydis, and the others saw. I-I’m afraid they will realise that you are using me to choose your brides.”
“Potential brides. And you are. What’s the problem?”
Her jaw dropped. How…how could he not realise why her active part in his selection of the women of Douma might put her life in danger?!! From the look of utter disbelief on her face, Turuk realised he was missing something. “Explain why knowledge of your servitude would-”
“They’ll kill me.” Evelda sat up and held her hands together on her chest. “Working for a Demon? Helping him to choose the daughters and sisters of Douma to be his? Regardless what deal we’ve made or how much choice I’ve had, it will matter for naught! I’m not just afraid when you’re here, I’m scared that when you’re not here I’m going to be dragged out of this shiny new home you’ve given me, tied up and stoned to death!”
That was it. All of her pent up fear and frustration was spilling over. How much of her dangerous rant was coming from the pendant, or just her despair was unclear. Regardless, Evelda was unloading every unsecure thought and nightmare upon the devil who caused her life to become this mess in the first place.
And to his credit, his only reaction was his eyes widening ever so slightly. He was listening. “I’m scared all the time. That’s why I don’t sleep properly. Why food doesn’t fill me or vitalise me as it should. Why sleep doesn’t rest my mind. Why I look ill.” Her hazel eyes watered, as her rational mind realised what she was doing, and how close she must be to feeling his wrath. “I…I’m so scared master…I can’t even confide in anyone for fear of being overheard, or betrayed. I’m scared.”
Evelda pulled her knees up into her chest and held them close. Damn it. If Turuk was going to beat or hex her, so be it. In that moment she didn’t care. She sobbed into her knees and waited for the hammer to fall.
“Is that all?” He sounded disappointed. His reaction had been so different to what Evelda was expecting that drew her head up from her knees. “I gave you my promise that you could come to no harm you whilst you are in service to me. That includes the kind of harm inflicted by others. So you fears are unnecessary.” He rose from the bed very matter-of-factly.
“…and when our business is done?” Her voice came out as a whisper, but jerked his head to her like she’d shouted. She saw the shadowy outline of his mouth open, then close.
“That is none of my concern.” Turuk snarled.
“I see…then please understand why I might be concerned about the torturous death that will befall me when the rest of Douma find out that I’m your pawn. If they even wait until you’ve gone. Once they find out…I’m as good as dead.”
Sombre to her ultimate fate, Evelda dragged her cold bones from the bed and stood before him. Her hazel eyes were lacking their usual light, and she wiped her tears on the back of her sleeve.
Her master wasn’t angry at her admission. He simply didn’t care. So why should she? “So you’ll be a cat?”
At first the demon lord didn’t answer her. Eventually he nodded. “Then I would become a fat fluffy grey cat. Like the ones that pulls Freya’s Chariot.”
“Indeed.” He nodded to her. “You are being helpful? Why? After all you have just said?”
“If the villagers find out about my servitude to you and all in entails, nothing I can do or say will spare my life. But if I help you, at least you won’t kill me…right?” Evelda gulped.
“Correct.” Turuk took hold of his sweeping cloak and pulled it tight to his form. “I will transform now, and follow you to the grand hall. I will move freely amongst the Doumian people and you are not to give me away. If I approach you then you are to behave as if I am a welcome pet, and nothing more. I will make it obvious when I wish to leave, and you will return to your home to answer any questions I might have.”
“Yes master.” Her voice was very quiet, showing how broken her will had become.
She watched as the tall spectre seemed to turn into black smoke and compress in on itself. Seconds later Evelda found herself looking down at the fluffiest grey cat she’d ever seen. You could tell that its round appearance was due to its fur and not actual fat. It’s eyes were big and blue, its paws and snout were snowy white. A very pretty cat. Evelda walked around the waiting creature and walked over to her door. She stepped into her boots and pushed the door open. “After you master.”
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