Chapter seventeen
“It’s nice to meet you.” Spoke the most beautiful woman Elanor had ever met.
Long black hair framed a lovely dark brown face. Her lips full and proud, her nose slightly wide and flat gave away a proud heritage. Her name, Leelah, and she was Caspin’s wife…he’d married an Aprican goddess.
“I don’t know if Derek told you this, Elanor… we work in this village or we don’t eat.” Her tone held contempt, bothering Elanor out of her stunned stupor. She sat straighter as the woman continued. “Sitting and watching does not contribute to the Island.”
“I have a-” She got to her feet, pointing to the shackle ready to explain to the woman about her predicament, but was cut off abruptly.
“You can not be serious. Plantations full of slaves who are fully shackled. They’re expected to work from morning til night without complaint or they get more lashes.” Ebony eyes regarded her coolly. “If all you are is Derek’s pampered pet, then take yourself back to his house and wait for him there. I have no patience for, useless, spoiled women.”
Elanor mouth fell agape, she could only stare speechless for a moment. She’d always envisioned most goddesses sweet and serene. This one was full of wrath.
“I am not his pampered pet, he‘s keeping me prisoner…”
“All the more reason to find yourself useful?” Leelah spared her an uncaring glance. She would receive no sympathy from Caspin’s wife as she’d hoped when hearing she’d be arriving back soon. After an awkward silence, Elanor felt obligated to ask.
“What can I help with?” Her question answered with a shrug of slim shoulders. Leelah passed Elanor to join her husband coming down from the roof. “How should I know? I just got back.”
A young girl and boy skipped over to them as well, hugging Caspin and greeting Derek with child joyfulness. She watched them and their familiarity with each other with the smallest twinge of envy. She felt so out of place and alone suddenly.
Why did he bring her here? She thought for the thousandth time.
Derek caught her eye and they locked gazes. For a breath of a moment she knew what he was thinking without having to hear it. They could have a family now too. A pang of sadness and loss washed over her. But she’d hoped he’d move on and maybe started another family after realizing she couldn’t go on with their lives after what happen.
If she and Constance had been there; maybe the five of them could have changed the outcome. Elanor knew she didn’t deserve the happy moment presently in front of her.
They had talked about having many children, her and Derek. She did mourn the loss of that but then guilt mingled with the sadness of her older sister’s miscarriage. It had taken Araminta months to recover from the carriage accident but Elanor felt sure she had never recovered from losing the baby.
The battle of emotion storming inside her felt raw and muddled sudden and intense.
Derek had no idea what she felt and gave her a quirking expression. He always insisted on making jokes. She turned her back on him sharply, limping towards the others working about the small houses that made up the village. She had never shirked work in her life. Even when they lived in Port NewLlyn, she’d helped in the kitchen. She loved to cook.
Just like people had green thumbs working in the garden, she seemed to have a natural thumb for cooking. She’d never made lizard before, and though the thought of cooking one of those green odd creatures made her a bit squirmy, she wondered how they did it.
Approaching what she assumed was the prep area and the fires they used, she saw an elderly man cutting a plant she didn’t recognize.
Elanor limped over to stand near his table, watching the steady process of his knife through the plant. She remembered Leelah’s warning of watching which helped her bravery to shyly get the man’s attention.
“May I help?”
He stared, pausing in his work. At first, she thought he purposely ignored her question, but then saw the lift of his shoulders and a confused movement of his head. Of course she’d found the one person on the island who didn’t understand her.
She pointed to the table and then herself, trying to communicate with him that way. He lifted his elder hand to scratch at his jaw, still not answering. It occurred to her that even if she did get the message across to him that she wanted to help, she didn’t know this food well enough to do it on her own. Without being able to ask questions, it probably would turn out to be a disaster.
Elanor had no idea what else people did about the village though. So she tried one last time to speak to the man by gentling touching the hand that held his knife to chop and then pointed to herself.
Understanding lit his dark eyes; nodding saying words she had no idea in their meaning. He pointed the knife at a nearby crate.
She limped to it to looking curiously in.
Fish! He did understand.
She lifted one of the bodies from the crate smiling triumphantly. He again nodded, saying more words she didn’t understand. She set it back down, trying to think of how to ask the next question.
There were so many ways to prepare fish. She cheered silently seeing pots and pans laying near him on the ground. Leaning forward, she let out a soft cry of surprise when a rat weaved its way around the pots and pans. It stopped to stare up at her with dark liquid eyes.
A sudden surge of tense energy knocked the air from her lungs.
It was the same feeling she’d gotten on the path.
Someone had trapped a very powerful entity in the rat. After a long stare off, the slinking body moved quick. It climbed up the man’s leg and perched on his thigh. Elanor prepared herself to ward with magic; ready to defend him from the little beast. The elder man said something else she didn’t understand and the rat dropped something into his lap.
A sudden dizzying realization that she’d found the source of the energy and another caster made her stomach do odd things. It jolted with electric currents, mingling hope and fear together. Dark magic. Had he trapped the shadow within the rat for nefarious reasons? If he was an experienced caster…….he could help her leave the Island. But then, the type of entity he’d drawn in for a familiar told her his magic could be dangerous. And he may want more to trade than she could give. When Derek had told her there were other casters on the Island- she never dreamed it would be a dark magic user as well.
There wasn’t a doubt in her mind that the rat was possessed by a dark entity. She’d never been around one but its tense energy pulsed like a throbbing sore. She knew the rat knew of her ability to sense it because it masked its presence until reaching the man.
She watched carefully, waiting. The man said something else causing the rat to hiss at him with its hair bristled. She swallowed hard as black pools filled with rage pinned her with a monster gaze. It dropped to the man’s feet, running out of sight. To her astonishment the man began his task again as though the rat had never come to him. Derek had brought other casters to the Island too. She stood dumbly for a moment longer; trying to determine what she should do. If the others knew about Zo’s practices, then he wasn’t dangerous?
Deciding not to judge quickly about him, Elanor took careful steps towards the pots and pans. After all Derek wouldn’t have invited him to stay here.
It occurred to her that she’d been drawn to another magic user. But she had no idea if he knew she was one. Seekers used generation old knowledge about casters to group them into two sides. A light side, which seemed to be their fairy god mother stories and the dark side, which entailed evil monsters. They never grasped the idea that all casters and all magic held both. It only came down to intent and reason that a fellow caster would be considered evil or not. Elanor hadn’t a reason to judge him either way. He hadn’t done anything to her. But the dark entity made her wary and watchful.
Soon other people gathered to help prepare the midday meal with them, she had been early to offer it seemed. They didn’t talk to her, nor did she to them.
She did listen though. Watching now and then to their banter and family gossip. The elder man continued to prepare the tube like root. He didn’t talk to any of them either. She found comfort in that. It made her feel less out of place to know he chose not to interact. Elanor watched for his rat now and then; sure that the next time she saw it, it would do the same with surprising her. Dark sources often loved fear.
Caspin’s daughter ventured over as did his son after a time. They watched Elanor cut and clean a fish, then moved to the man talking in his language. He lifted a fish head, making its mouth move. The children giggled at his puppet show. She wished she knew what he said, the funny tone he used with his gravel voice made her smile with them even though she hadn’t the slightest idea what the words were.
She caught sight of Derek watching her but the smile didn‘t leave until she saw the way he stood. His arms crossed over his broad chest, he looked irritated as though she‘d done something wrong.
“What now?” She asked.
“I’m just making sure you don’t have any plans for that knife.” He answered. The knife? Again? Hadn’t they already gone over this? Did he think she’d threaten the children or the man? No, they’d already had this talk on the ship. So what could he possibly mean by it? His eyes lowered to her ankle in a gesture.
Guilt rose when she realized she hadn’t even thought of trying to cut the leather away. She’d been having such a good time trying to figure out how to communicate with the older man. She’d forgotten!
Elanor shook her head angry with herself. Pride made her speak harshly to him now.
“I have no intention of doing anything but using the knife but what is for.” She did a haughty toss of her head and shrug of one shoulder. “I‘m doing my part since I am a prisoner.” He didn’t say anything. She pointedly went back to cutting the fish. It was less enjoyable with him watching her like a guard. The good natured feeling had left completely. He’d been the one to remind her, she didn’t belong. Elanor cut the fish‘s head off and cocked her arm back to throw it at Derek.
“Go away!” She said. The fish head just missed him and bounced on the ground. King swooped to it, sniffing and then snatching it up before the other dog could.
The man said something to Derek, pointing a tube at him as he did.
“I’m not bothering her Zo, I’m just standing here.” The man spoke again, she heard his tone and though she didn‘t understand his words, his body language clear.
“I know she’s been helping out. You don’t know how she is, Zo.“ The man talked fast and shook the root at Derek again.
“Fine, but if she tricks you and disappears, you and me Zo,” Derek pointed to the man backing away with a grin. “You and me.” He shook his head at Elanor.
“I don’t know what you just said, but thank you for it.” He gave a slight grin, nodding. He motioned for Caspin’s little girl to come to him; she had wandered to play with the dogs. He said something while pointing at Elanor.
“Zo says thank you too for the help.” She shyly pressed her face into the Zo’s shoulder after.
Elanor smiled openly, nodding her head.
“Thank you for being patient enough to let me help. My name is Elanor, it’s nice to have met you both.”
Elanor had been glad to have a chance to do something other than feel guilty, angry or confused even if it were a short time. Oddly enough as much as Derek wanted her to like this place… he’d been the one to ruin it and remind her.
***
“Aren’t you going to eat too Elanor?”
“I’m not hungry right now.” Elanor explained to the sweet little girl, Breeze. They had finished cooking the meal; drawing everyone from their daily chores to sit and eat together. It truly being a community that worked, ate and lived together. Oddly enough, it felt just like being home in the country side with her Grandmother’s coven. She hadn’t seen Derek since throwing the fish head at him. That he wasn’t in sight prompted her to start to sneak away from the crowd until Caspin’s little girl had spoken to her.
Leelah who’d been talking to Zo, now watched too having mother ears for her daughter’s question. Elanor felt like a scrutinized insect now, with so many eyes on her. She paused in her creeping to the path.
Leelah spoke up, gesturing to the food.
“There is plenty.”
“It’s good too.” Caspin said around a mouth full. There was a chorus of agreement around the tables laden with the mid day meal she’d helped to make. Elanor was grateful to Zo’s help in getting to know some of them. Even Leelah seemed less abrasive to her.
She politely smiled shaking her head silently while resuming her dragging of the ball towards the path.
“You’re not going for a swim are you?” Derek asked.
She nearly jumped out of her skin, turning to see him standing so close.
His upper body bare and glistening in the sun; King trotted happily beside him, bounding for her.
“I was going to go look for you.” She gave a sardonic smile as King demanded attention.
“I bet you were.” He took a small cloth from one of the tables, wrapping up food in it. He gave a head jerk for her to follow him, heading down the path. She limped behind him without arguing. Derek led them to the short path to the house, but stopped before it instead continuing.
“I’m of two minds.” He said.
“About?” She inquired carefully.
“I want to go for a walk and show you something at the beach. But,” He looked down at her leg. “That is a problem.”
“Oh.” She knew he was baiting her to promise that she wouldn’t run off. Elanor knew his tricks by now, easily avoiding them. She purposely didn’t say more.
“How about a deal?” He prompted. “I’ll take it off for the rest of the day, in exchange, for a kiss.”
“A kiss? Really? That’s your deal?”
“That’s right. A kiss for the rest of the day to have your leg unshackled. Nothing more, nothing less.” He said.
Elanor weighed his new baiting in her mind. She didn’t have to promise not to run away, so if the moment arose she could bolt without breaking her word. And she was faster than him running.
She had kissed him many times before, a simple pressing of lips and she’d have her leg free. Not a terrible feat to accomplish.
“Alright, I agree. One kiss and it is unshackled for the rest of the day.” She said limping towards him.
“But not yet. I’ll unshackle you now, the kiss will wait.”
“Why?” Her lack of trust edged in the tone.
“When we reach the water, so you can wash up. Not to be funny or anything- but you smell like lunch.” He smiled.
“Oh.” She chuckled softly having completely forgotten what they’d cooked.
“Are we going to the water now?”
“That eager to kiss me are you?” His grin made her heart skip a beat making her shake her head at him. Clearing her throat, she gave a sarcastic twist of her hand in the air.
“I merely wanted to know when I’d be free of this weight pulling on my leg everywhere I go.”
“Does it hurt your leg?” The concerned question made her heart thump louder, a tenderness there she hadn’t expected. He made it hard to stay angry at him and he didn’t even know it most of the time. She had to work to keep focused on what was important.
“It cramps my thigh,” She proudly lifted her chin. “But it’s nothing. Just an uncomfortable feeling to get used to. I am not asking for it to stay off or anything.”
He snorted crouching. “Of course not.”
The leather fell loose from her ankle and he rubbed where it had been latched. His hands worked their way up her calf easing the muscles. She hadn’t realized how much it did bother her leg until his fingers found muscles that hurt a little when he massaged.
She allowed him to continue reluctantly since her leg really needed it. When his hands smoothed over her thigh, her own hands held his shoulders to steady herself. The muscles there flexed and shifted under his small circles beneath the material of the light dress. “Better?” His gray eyes lifted to meet hers. She felt her lungs hitch again.
“Yes, better. Thank you.”
“My pleasure.” Derek told her. His firm lips were usually curled, always ready to smile or laugh. But just then they held a sensual secret that only she knew. Elanor considered then if the deal she’d made was actually equal in risk. He must have read her mind because he gave her a cocky grin before standing.
“Too late. Come on,” His fingers warm and slightly rough slid around hers. “You’ll like what I’m going to show you down at the beach.”