The Elemental Diaries - Complete Series

by Andrea Lamoureux

  He gave me a big, yellow-toothed grin. “Hello.”

  “Hello… you,” I said back whilst trying not to breath in his scent.

  He beckoned me forward. I went. Before I could even think, he started pulling my clothes off. It wasn’t a hard task. Our outfits were designed to easily come off.

  This wasn’t a proud moment. It was the beginning of my path to self-pity and depression. I felt myself fade as we performed an act that once was sacred to me. As he took his pleasure from me, I withdrew to somewhere deep inside myself.

  When the act was done, he wrapped a blanket around me, thanked me and left. I sat, shaking on the edge of my bed with empty eyes and a heavy heart. I tried not to wish for Thaimis, but failed.

  After that first night, the rest were a blur. I couldn’t discern one man from the next. To me they were all the same. There to take a piece of me… to take their pleasure from me. Bought and used, over and over again. I didn’t know how the other women still smiled.

  One night, after I’d had a client who was very rough with me, I wanted to curl up and cry, but I didn’t want to stay in my room. It held too many bad memories. I wondered if perhaps I could stay in Malyi’s room—just for a little while. She was out serving one of her own clients. She never had to know.

  I found her room tucked in a corner away from the rest of the rooms. Hers had an actual door instead of a curtain to keep others out. I tried the latch, and the door opened.

  I stepped inside. My jaw dropped. The white, stone walls of her luxurious room were lined with sharp-edged weapons of all kinds. There were even weapons I didn’t know the names of. Many were bejeweled with expensive stones. Some were even made from pure gold.

  “You shouldn’t be in here.” Malyi’s voice rang out from across the room.

  I turned to find her lacing up one of her long boots. “Oh, I’m sorry. I was looking for a place to rest.”

  She stood up and put her hands on her hips. “You have your own room for that.”

  “It has—um, I can’t be in there right now.”

  Her forehead wrinkled, and she grabbed onto my arm and led me toward the door. “You can’t be in here either. My room is off limits.”

  I sighed. “I’m sorry. Why do you have all these weapons?” I couldn’t stop staring at the polished blades.

  She stopped and glanced up at a large curved sword on the wall before us made of some kind of black material. “Because I collect them. I love weapons. They are strength—they give us power.”

  “That must be nice… to feel powerful. I certainly don’t feel that way these days.”

  Her mouth drew down at the corners. She shook her head. “I told you, my Chelela, you must be the one to take control. Otherwise, you let these clients use you.”

  “I know, but I just can’t do it. I don’t have it in me.”

  “You can! Next time, I want you to tie your client up. Trust me. You will feel powerful. Come now, I have someone to meet. You can’t say in here.”

  I let my arms fall to my sides. “Alright.”

  “Good girl. Come on. You can rest in one of the pools until you are ready to go back to your room and sleep.” She slipped a small dagger into her boot and opened the door for us to leave.

  “Thank you.”

  She winked and locked the door behind her.

  I decided to try following her advice the next time I had a client. I had nothing to lose.

  A man close to my own age looked up at me with hungry eyes when I told him to lie on the bed and put his arms above his head. I found the leather bonds Malyi had given me and tied his wrists to the iron bed posts. He let out a sound that was half-laugh, half-growl. It seemed he was enjoying being restrained. To my delight, I didn’t even have to fully disrobe. I settled myself over him and took from him what all the others had taken from me, and there wasn’t a thing he could do but lie there and make sounds of pleasure. A wicked smile appeared on my lips as I threw my head back, squeezed my eyes shut and pretended he was Thaimis. You’re wicked! I told myself, but I didn’t care. I needed to adapt… just like water could adapt to any climate. Become steam—or ice.

  When the deed was done, I set him free. He left satisfied. I took in a deep breath and turned my face up to the moon glimmering through my ceiling window. Perhaps this was the key to my way out. I should’ve listened to Malyi before, because for the first time since I’d left Aquila, I felt in control.

  Chapter 18

  Once in a while, we were given time off to help with other duties around the house. I’d just finished scrubbing some of the rooms by the bathing pools. As I came upstairs, I heard soft murmurs coming from the main room. I found this odd because dawn was soon. Nearly everyone should’ve been asleep.

  Approaching the main room, I noticed a bunch of the women gathered around the burning fire. They were holding hands with their heads bowed in prayer. I didn’t want to disturb them, so I tip-toed toward the kitchen to put the cleaning supplies away, but I wasn’t as quiet as I’d thought because Kat called for me to come over.

  They all stopped praying and eyed me as I went and stood just outside their circle. I was surprised to find Granit with them.

  “We’re honouring Minyota tonight, Chel. Would you like to join us?” Kat asked me.

  I bit my lip. I couldn’t, in good conscience, pray to a goddess I didn’t worship. Perhaps I would offend the others with my refusal, but I’d rather offend them than a goddess. Celestia may have forsaken me, but there was the possibility she was still looking out for me in some way.

  “I’m sorry,” I looked down. “I feel it would be disrespectful to my own goddess. I’d love to watch, if you don’t mind, though.”

  Granit snorted and looked at me like I’d lost my senses.

  “Of course, maybe next time.” Kat smiled reassuringly at me and took ahold of the hands of those who stood next to her again.

  I sat down on a cushion just outside of the circle as they took their chant back up, the different pitches of their voices bouncing off the room’s walls. When they released each-other’s hands, it was to strip their gowns from their bodies. I watched in amazement as one of the women passed around dark pink fruit. Once everyone in the circle held onto one of the exotic fruits, the one who’d passed them around bit into hers and tilted her head back. Pink juices dripped from her mouth and down her chin. She raised the fruit above her head, closed her eyes and squeezed it. Juice drizzled down, showering her whole face. The others followed her lead, doing as she did, and then they threw their fruit into the fire. They took up their chant again and danced seductively around the bright flames. Granit didn’t seem to know all the words, but she was catching on quick enough. It was a beautiful sight. I was glad they’d let me observe even though I wasn’t taking part.

  When they were finished, someone fetched a wet cloth and passed it around so they could all wipe their faces. Some of them kissed each other on the lips or cheeks, and I heard the name Minyota a few times. I stood and put my hand on Kat’s shoulder after she’d finished washing her face. “Thank you for allowing me to watch. It was beautiful.”

  “I’m glad you enjoyed it. Perhaps your Celestia goddess wants you t’be open minded.” Her face shone bright in the firelight.

  I smiled at her and left them to find my room. It’d been a long night of scrubbing floors, and I was tired.

  I got used to sleeping when the sun was up, but I still didn’t understand why whoever had built this place had put windows in the ceilings when its inhabitants usually slept while the sky was bright. At least the window was small enough it didn’t let too much light inside my small room.

  “Wake up! Ladies, wake up!”

  I grumbled at the rude awakening but got up to see what the fuss was.

  I pulled my curtain open and saw the others rubbing their tired eyes and leaving their own rooms.

  “Psst.” I got the attention of a woman who appeared a decade older than I. “What’s going on?”

  “J
ehvad’s coming,” she told me and kept on her way.

  Ugh! Perhaps I could stay in bed and he wouldn’t notice I was missing. There were so many other mistresses… of course he’d notice. I was a foreigner on this island and probably thought of as some prized gem.

  I quickly changed into a loose fitting white dress and went to join the others.

  When Malyi opened the door to let Jehvad and his men in, we all stood and faced him.

  “Ah, ladies. You all look lovely today.” His eyes scanned the room, a pleased look etched on his face.

  Malyi bowed her head and said something to him I didn’t understand. He wore baggy, red trousers and a red, leather scabbard was strapped over his bare chest, which held a large, curved sword. The two men flanking him wore the same red trousers, but wore red, leather armour instead of nothing over their chests.

  I leaned into Kat and whispered into her ear, “Which god does red honour?”

  “Torin, God of War and Blood.”

  “Oh.” That made sense.

  “And how’s my exotic girl from Aquila doing?” Jehvad asked Malyi as he stepped forward and lightly stroked my cheek.

  I stared into his dark brown eyes, refusing to submit. It took everything I had not to shrink from his touch, but I refused to show him weakness.

  “She’s doing very well. Many have been requesting her services,” Malyi replied with an upward tilted chin.

  “So I’ve heard. I have a special task for you, amaries,” he said to me. “Malyi will tell you the details when it is time.”

  I forced my expression to remain bored, and he dropped his hand. Malyi’s face gave nothing away either. She held out a heavy bag for him, and he took it. I knew what it was by the clinking sound it made… payment for the work we’d been doing.

  He smiled and said something to Malyi again in their language and then left with his men in tow.

  Malyi closed the door and leaned against it with a sigh. Most of the others dispersed to go about their own business.

  I stood before Malyi. “What is an amaries?” I asked, crossing my arms in front of my chest.

  “It means, my love,” she answered as she pushed off from the door.

  “And what’s this special job he’s talking about?”

  She turned her face away. “I’m not sure yet. Probably a request for your services from someone of importance. I do it all the time.”

  My eyes widened. “I’m nothing like you.”

  She narrowed her own eyes at me then. “No, you’re not. Enough questions for now. I’ll tell you when I know more.” She went straight to her room and closed the door. I heard the lock click into place.

  She couldn’t be jealous of me, could she? It didn’t matter. When whoever this special task was for saw I wasn’t what they’d expected, I’d be left alone to blend in with the others again.

  I still had more questions, so I sought out Kat. She gave me one of her warm smiles when I found her bathing in one of the pools. I took off my gown and slipped into the clear blue water with her. “How long has Malyi been serving clients outside of the house?” I asked.

  She was pensive for a moment before she answered, “Since before I came here, and that was—a long time ago.”

  “Hmm, okay. How come I’ve never seen anyone wear green here?” If all of their gods were linked to colours, I wanted to know.

  She tipped her head into the water and came back up with soaking hair. “Because it is Bati’s colour. She’s t’Goddess of Growth and Fertility.”

  “Oh! We don’t want her presence in this house.”

  “Exactly.” She squeezed the water from her hair. “That’s also why we drink khaviss. It keeps us from being fertile.”

  “Is that what I’ve been drinking?” I scrunched up my face. “I thought it was some kind of awful wine!”

  She let out a loud snicker and covered her mouth with her hand. “No, no. Khaviss is made from a plant. We don’t drink it for its taste.”

  I laughed with her. That made much more sense.

  “Any more questions?” She tilted her head, amused by my curiosity.

  “Just one—how does everyone here know how to speak my language?”

  She shrugged. “Not everyone does. Mostly just t’ose of us who live in t’is house and t’men Khadji keeps in his army. T’rest only know a few words. I believe we began learning it when your people started selling girls to Gwon. I learned it when Malyi took me in off t’streets.”

  My brow furrowed at her last words. “You were on the streets?”

  “For a while, yes. My parents died when I was a small girl, so I had t’learn t’survive on my own.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “It’s alright. T’was a long time ago. I’m fine now. I’m fed better than I was before they died. My parents didn’t have much coin. And when I’m too old t’serve here, I’ll be given enough coin t’last until Motish takes me.”

  I felt the corners of my mouth tug upward. “Thank you for sharing your story with me, Kat.”

  She smiled. “Let’s get out of here. My fingers have turned wrinkly.”

  This time, I donned a robe and massaged oils into her skin and hair the way she’d done for me upon my arrival.

  My belly full from supper, I sat painting a picture of a seascape while waiting to find out if I’d have any clients that night.

  Granit came out of her room in an outfit that left most of her body exposed. A female client’s arm was draped around her shoulders. Granit giggled at something her client said and batted her lashes as she walked her to the door. She’d changed so much from the frightened girl I’d met on the ship.

  Once her client was gone, she turned and faced me with a sneer. “What?”

  I checked beside me to see if she was talking to someone else. She wasn’t. I gave her a blank stare.

  “I’ve seen you judging me. You think you’re better than me,” she accused.

  “No I—”

  “Well pardon me if I don’t respect our goddess. She threw me away just like the rest of our people did!” The words poured from her mouth as though a dam had been broken.

  I went to console her. “Granit, I don’t think I’m better than you. I’m sorry if I made you feel like I do.” I grabbed her wrist and pulled her down to sit with me. “What’s wrong? I understand if you are angry with Celestia—and our people. You have every right to be.”

  I could see tears shining in her eyes as she battled with her inner thoughts. At last, she let out a big sigh and dropped her chin to her chest. “I know. I’m sorry. It’s just that you remind me of them, our people—my parents. And what you said about Celestia the other night… I don’t know. It got to me.”

  I put my arms around her and held her tightly. She leaned her head against my chest. “I’m not like your parents, hey. I would never sell a person. And Celestia seems to have forsaken me too.” I confessed to her while rubbing her back.

  When I let her go, she looked up at me with her big blue eyes, which were now a bit red in the whites. “I’m alright, Chel, really. These people are taking good care of me, and when my clients are really impressed with my services, they slip me some extra coin or jewels. Malyi says we can keep our tips. Perhaps one day I’ll have enough to leave this house and make a life for myself here in Gwon. The people aren’t all bad here.”

  My mouth pulled into a slight smile. She was right to want to stay here. I was learning our people were no better than the ones on this island. “I hope you do.” I was glad we’d talked. I’d felt her pulling away from me since we’d arrived in Gwon. It would be nice to have another person I could call a friend here.

  Chapter 19

  I tore the blankets off my sweaty body as I sat up and wiped my forehead. It was growing harder and harder to sleep as the days grew longer. Luckily, we took fewer clients during the summer season so we could retire to bed earlier, but some nights, a few of us would take men or women who came by late looking for a quick copulation.

&nb
sp; After donning the simple dress I usually wore during the day, I ventured out to the little garden. Most of our food came from the market, and only Malyi was allowed to go there. Our vegetables, though, came from the garden, which laid outside at the back of the house.

  The air in the summer was hot and sticky, because besides being sweltering out during the day, it rained nearly every night.

  I was bent down, pulling long, dark purple vegetables from the ground when I heard someone calling me.

  “Chelelaaaa!”

  I shaded my eyes from the blinding sun with my hand and peered up toward the house to see Granit waving her arms back and forth above her head.

  “Malyi wants to speak to you!” she hollered.

  “I’m coming!” I yelled back, brushing the dirt off my palms and gathering up my pile of vegetables. I dropped the vegetables off in the kitchen and headed for Malyi’s room where she was awaiting me.

  “You wished to see me?” I placed one hand on the partially open door.

  Spotting me, she beckoned me inside and closed the door behind us. “Yes, please sit.” She sat on the edge of the large bed and folded her hands.

  I sat beside her and waited for her to continue.

  “Tonight’s the night,” she said darkly. “You’ve been given a special task.”

  I felt my heart sink. I’d probably get to leave the house for once. As exciting as that may be, I’d grown comfortable with my routine at the house. The idea of this new expectation made me anxious. I swallowed hard and asked, “What do I need to do?”

  “You are to accompany me late tonight to serve two clients… twin brothers. It’s the anniversary of the day they joined Khadji. He wishes to give them a gift. He thinks highly of these brothers.”

  “I see. We’re doing this for Khadji then.” I stated, suddenly not feeling quite like myself. I hated the man almost as much as I hated King Zaeden. Yes, Khadji had killed my father, but I blamed my king for it more than I blamed Gwon’s leader.