The Elemental Diaries - Complete Series

by Andrea Lamoureux

  “Everything we do is for Khadji—in a way. Don’t make this difficult. Come back in here after you’ve eaten your last meal tonight, and I’ll help you prepare for this task. For now, go and get some sleep. It is going to be a long night. Someone will wake you when dinner’s ready.”

  “I woke not long ago,” I argued.

  Malyi held up her hand to stop me from continuing. “Rest then. You will need to be alert tonight. Trust me, Chelela.”

  I sighed in surrender. Wonderful, I thought bitterly. I realized Malyi was staring at me, waiting for an answer. I forced a smile. “Yes, of course. Thank you, Mistress Malyi.”

  I wanted to scream with frustration. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t fall asleep. It was too damn hot.

  Giving up, I went down to see if the bathing room was cooler. It was. I put my pillow and a blanket on one of the stone benches and passed out.

  One of the mistresses from Solis shook me awake in a panic. “Hey… hey! You slept passed dinner.”

  I sat up, ignoring the burning behind my eyes due to grogginess. “What? Oh no!”

  “No one could find you. Malyi’s furious!”

  “Argh. Sorry. I guess I didn’t mention to anyone I was coming down here. It’s just so hot in my room.”

  “It’s alright. The mistresses saved you some bread, but you need to see Malyi in her room now.”

  I nodded and rushed up the steep steps, taking two at a time. I found myself a chunk of bread and walked into Malyi’s room, chewing on a hunk of it.

  She narrowed her kohl-lined eyes at me. She wore a long skirt of black, gossamer fabric, which showed off her legs. With it, she wore a tight, black, lacy corset. Her long, straight hair was pulled back off her face, showing off her sparkling, golden earrings that matched her necklace and bracelets. She looked radiant… like a goddess.

  “I’m sorry.” I apologized, chewing on the last piece of bread. “It was too hot in my room to sleep there.”

  “Next time, tell someone where you’re going.” She handed me a cup of khaviss.

  “I will, of course.” I accepted the cup and took a sip of the dark liquid. I’d never get used to the bitter taste, but I no longer cringed every time it touched my tongue.

  She pulled something gold out of her wardrobe and handed it to me. “Put this on.”

  I took my white dress off and pulled the delicate gold one on. It fit tight and had a long skirt. The top was held to the skirt by two tiny chains that ran down each of my sides, leaving my stomach and back bare. It was more skin than I’d ever shown while still being clothed.

  I glanced down at myself and sucked on my lower lip before confessing, “This is quite the dress. I certainly look like a gift now.”

  “Listen to me, Chelela. These men, they aren’t like our usual clients. They’re Khadji’s warriors… more dangerous… more lustful. You must be even stronger with them. Do not let them take control, because if they do… well, let’s just say, they like a challenge. Khadji requested you for a reason. Do not disappoint.”

  I inclined my head. “Should I bring my tools then?”

  “No, there will be tools there already.”

  Lovely. I bet she has something sharp in each of those boots of hers. How is that fair? I didn’t give voice to my thoughts. It would do no good to complain.

  Malyi rubbed some oils, which smelled like sweet citrus, into my skin and hair before ushering me out of the house and down the street.

  We walked in silence for a while, the only sound the clicking of her boots on the stones as we entered a dark alleyway.

  “I didn’t want this, you know?” Malyi broke the silence. “You got too good at what you do, and it caught the attention of some of our clients. I’m not surprised word got back to Khadji. Everything gets back to him. I’m sorry for whatever you’re about to be put through.”

  She wasn’t making me feel any better. “You do this though, right? Go out and serve special clients.”

  “Yes, but I’m experienced—and strong. I have Motish on my side.”

  I eyed her black outfit with a sideways glance. “Is that why they say you’re obsessed with death?”

  She frowned and slowed her pace. “What? No. Who says that?” She didn’t give me time to respond. “I’m not obsessed with death. I’m Death’s faithful servant. There’s a difference.”

  “I understand.” I gently brushed the strange symbol tattooed on her shoulder with the back of my fingers. “Does this have something to do with why you worship death?”

  She touched the spot on her shoulder where my own hand had just been. “Yes, but that’s a long story. One for another time and place. We’ve arrived.” She stopped walking.

  I gaped up at the magnificent, columned house made of dark grey stone. From the outside, one could tell who ever lived there had a great deal of wealth.

  Malyi marched up to the large, daunting door and knocked loudly. The metal knocker was shaped like some kind of demonic face.

  A moment later, the door swung open and a tall, stiff, well-dressed man stood on the other side. “Good eve, ladies,” he greeted us. “Nibu and Shikahn are awaiting your presence in the main room.”

  I followed Malyi up some wide, dark blue, carpeted stairs and into a spacious room with the same carpet. Inside the room, a large hearth sat near the back with a roaring fire inside. Many shelves lined the white walls and were full of all sorts of twinkling treasures. A painting of a wheel with different colours separated into equal segments caught my eye. Each segment had a different symbol painted on it. The black segment’s symbol matched the one on Malyi’s shoulder.

  Two men dressed in loose, white trousers and grey tunics lounged in red velvet chairs by the fire. They both stood when they noticed us enter. Even without knowing, one would be able to tell the men were twins. They looked nearly identical. Only, one was a bit taller and wore a gold chain around his neck. Both had dark eyes, shaved heads and a bit of scruff on their square jawlines.

  “Ah, Malyi,” the one with the gold chain said, embracing her and kissing her gently on the cheek.

  “Nibu.” She kissed his cheek in return, and then went to the other brother and did the same. “Shikhan.”

  I stood back awkwardly, watching them until Nibu acknowledged me. “And who are you, love?”

  “This is Chelela. She’s come to help us celebrate your anniversary. On behalf of Khadji,” she added, bowing her head as she said the leader’s name.

  Nibu took my hand and kissed it lightly. “You’ll be mine tonight, aye?”

  My tongue felt like sand. I couldn’t get it to cooperate, so I simply nodded.

  “Perfect!” he exclaimed, causing me to flinch. “Shikhan will take Malyi. I will take Chelela.” My name rolled elegantly off his tongue.

  Shikhan sidled up to Malyi, and she smiled brightly at him. “Agreed, brother. We can always switch later.” Shikhan winked at me. “Malyi, lead the way.”

  Malyi flicked her tail of hair over her shoulder and led him from the room, her hips swaying in that teasing way they usually did. She knew where she was going. Of course she’d been here before. My stomach was doing flops like a fish out of water. You can do this, Chel. It’s just like all of the others you’ve been with, only this time, you’re at their house instead.

  I took a deep breath to calm my nerves and looked at my client. He wasn’t hard on the eyes. He was the taller of the brothers. He certainly had a nice body— like his muscular form was chiseled from marble by a great artist. His bronze skin reminded me of the way the sun reflected off the surface of the Vitreus Sea.

  I followed him up another set of stairs to a different room. This one held a smaller hearth and a wide bed covered in red silk blankets. An iron bar hung on a chain from the ceiling. I wondered what it was for.

  “Wine?” He interrupted my thoughts.

  “Yes, thank you.” I accepted the ornate glass goblet filled with crimson liquid. It was much brighter than khaviss. Swirling the liquid around, i
t evoked thoughts of blood.

  Nibu studied me while he filled his own goblet.

  I took a sip. My knees weakened at the taste of the wine. “Oh! It’s been a long time since I’ve consumed anything so fine.”

  He chuckled softly. “A shame, that is.”

  Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad…

  “Are you warm, love? I want to ensure you’re absolutely comfortable.” He sat on the bed and looked up at me through thick, dark lashes.

  “A bit too warm, actually. I find the summer weather here to be quite suffocating compared to my home-land.” I twisted my mouth to the side.

  He laughed again and went to open the heavy curtain covering the window. A cool breeze fluttered in, causing my hair to tickle my shoulder like a lover’s gentle touch.

  “There. Better, yes? Now, let me have a look at that pretty face, aye?” He brushed my cheek gently with his knuckles, running them down my jaw, and then he tilted my chin up so I had to meet his gaze.

  I smiled coyly at him but stared into his eyes. I wanted to look away, but I knew better than to show any sign of submission.

  He leaned in, I could smell the wine on his breath, and brushed his lips against mine. They felt soft like feathers.

  My eyelids fluttered as I brushed my hands up his arms and around his neck, sinking into a deep kiss.

  With arousal showing in his eyes, he reached behind my back and tore the top piece of my dress off.

  I gasped, only to have my breath stolen away by another kiss. This one was rougher. His hands groped me hungrily. Control was slipping out of my grasp. I opened my eyes and spotted leather bonds lying on the ornate iron chest at the foot of the bed.

  He must have seen me eyeing them, because he laughed wickedly and grabbed the bonds. “Oh, you want to play with these, do you?”

  I nodded, believing he was going to hand them to me.

  How wrong I was.

  He grabbed my wrist and pulled me up off the bed. When he began looping the leather strap around the metal bar that hung from the ceiling, I shook my head back and forth. “No—no. Sorry, that’s not what I meant.”

  “Well, that’s what you’re going to get. You are a very bad girl. I’m going to teach you a lesson.” His expression hardened. Gone was the gentle man I’d just kissed moments ago.

  I tried to pull away. To take the control back, but his grip was too tight. He dragged me closer to the bar, forced both my wrists above my head and tied them in place. He was stronger than any of my previous clients. Obviously. He’s one of Khadji’s warriors! I scolded myself. How could I let the control slip away so easily? I was no Malyi. No one would be able to tie her up—unless she wanted them to. I was as sure of that as I was sure my name was Chelela.

  Nibu watched me with a bored expression. “Pathetic. That’s what you are.” He threw open the lid of the iron chest and pulled out a long, black whip.

  I shuddered as he cracked it in the air. He laughed maliciously at my misfortune before coming around to stand behind me.

  I waited for the strike of the whip. Instead of hitting me, he unclasped the rest of my dress. The skirt fell to the floor.

  “That’s better,” he purred from behind me. “Where was I? Oh yes, you wanted to be punished. Isn’t that right?”

  When I didn’t answer, he grabbed ahold of my hair, pulling my head back, and whispered into my ear, “I asked you a question, love.”

  I whimpered, feeling my neck strain. “Mmhmm.”

  And then came the lashes. They came slowly, but when they came, searing pain blossomed as the leather lacerated the delicate skin on my back. The moments between were as bad as the strikes themselves… waiting for the next hit was a torture all on its own.

  He laughed, a deep and guttural sound, as tears streamed down my cheeks. My knees began to buckle. Weak! You’re so weak!

  I ground my teeth at the voice in my head. No, I’m not!

  He came around to stand in front of me. He raised both brows at the look on my face. “Poor Chelela. You’re no match for Nibu.”

  He began stripping his own clothes off when I spotted his unfinished goblet of wine through my blurry, tear-eyed sight. A smile crept onto my lips as I willed the wine up and out of the goblet. It flew through the air in a glistening, red stream and into Nibu’s nostrils. I’d never used my power to harm another, and something inside of me snapped into place as the liquid obeyed me… survival.

  His eyes bulged. He gripped his face and tried to take a breath. His gaze snapped to me, and his brows shot down. His face turned a deep shade of purple, and he fell to his knees, taking a shelf down with him. He clawed at his face, but the liquid wouldn’t budge.

  I held my own breath until he collapsed onto the floor and went still. My mouth opened, letting out a whoosh of air. I did it! I saved myself.

  With my back still throbbing and my hands still bond to the bar above, I let out a cry of frustration. I flexed my fingers. My arms ached from being tied above my head.

  Shikhan came running into the room. “What happened? We heard a crash.” He paused, seeing his brother’s body crumpled on the floor. He turned his face up at me with a sneer. “You! You’ve poisoned him!” he accused.

  I panicked as he stalked toward me. He wrapped his hands around my neck but released me suddenly and fell, face forward, onto the floor with his brother.

  I peered down at him and saw the black obsidian handle of a dagger protruding from his back.

  Malyi stood in the doorway with her hands on her hips. She did not look pleased.

  “Oh, my dear, Chelela. What a mess you’ve made.”

  Chapter 20

  After Malyi had untied me and helped me back into the gold dress, she handed a pouch to the man who’d greeted us and told him he was now free to go where he pleased.

  “You’re not worried the servant will tell Khadji what happened?” I asked, trying to keep pace with her as we made our way down the dark street. “I could take care of him too,” I offered. I was thrilled I’d finally found a way to use my power to my advantage. It shocked me a little, how okay I was with murder. There wasn’t a good bone in their bodies, I reminded myself.

  “No, I’m not. And you will do no such thing. I gave him enough gold to live comfortably without having to work for men like that. Besides, he doesn’t know what actually happened.”

  “Won’t someone notice their absence?”

  “Yes, hush! Let me think.” She stopped and closed her eyes before turning her cat-like stare on me. She pressed her lips together. “You must disappear. Never show your face in this city again.”

  I had another idea. I could be the answer to Sarantoa’s biggest problem. “You should turn me in to Khadji. I can take care of him.” I crossed my arms and widened my stance.

  She laughed so hard, tears streamed down her face. When she finally stopped laughing, all humour left her. “Don’t be stupid! You wouldn’t last a day in Khadji’s fortress. Look, I don’t know what truly happened back there, and I don’t want to, but you are still just one woman. You need to leave—or face execution.”

  Perhaps I was being a bit rash. “But where will I go?” I searched her face for an answer. She couldn’t just throw me away.

  She sighed and raised her eyes to the dark sky. When she spoke again, her voice was softer. “You will walk that way.” She indicated with a wave of her hand. “Keep walking until you are no longer in the city. Eventually, you will come across some boulders. Follow those until you reach the shore. See that red star?” She pointed toward the sky.

  “Yes.”

  “Walk along the shore, toward that red star, until you come to a small harbour. Find someone with a ship and ask them to take you home.”

  I wrapped my arms around myself. It was chilly standing outside at night in nothing but the gold dress. “But any ship will be full of people from Gwon. They surely aren’t going to aid me.” I couldn’t believe this was her resolution.

  “Any ships you see around there wi
ll be full of fishermen. Offer them something in return for passage. You have the skills.” She shrugged a shoulder.

  I scoffed. “You must be jesting.”

  “It’s your best chance. This is your own doing.” Her voice was steel now.

  I wanted to scream at her. This was a fools plan. I breathed deeply and refrained myself from doing so. She was only trying to help.

  When I’d regained control of my temper, I asked. “What about you? What will you do?”

  She tugged on a strand of her hair. “I’ll tell Khadji the twins got into a fight and killed each other. I’ll tell him you ran away, and I couldn’t find you. He won’t like it, but he’ll believe it. As you saw, they were both aggressive in their passions.”

  I put my face in my palms, speaking into them. “Okay, I’ll go.” My arms fell back to my sides, and I stepped close enough to her I could feel her breath. “Just know, I’ll probably die of starvation and that will be your fault.”

  She touched my shoulder. “I don’t know what happened to Nibu, but I know you were a part of it. You’re strong. You’ll be fine. Here, take this… a parting gift.” She held out one of her daggers, offering it to me. “Use it to hunt and fish—or whatever.”

  I slid the dagger out of its sheath and inspected the short, thin blade. The handle was made of polished silver. The diamond cut caused the handle to catch the starlight from the sky above. I pressed my finger to the blade’s lethal edge. It instantly drew a thin line of blood. “Thank you,” I breathed, taking a step back.

  “It was a pleasure to have you in my house. Your presence will be missed. Take care of yourself.” She leaned in and placed a soft kiss to my lips.

  I gave her a curt nod when she pulled away, slipped the dagger back into its sheath and placed it inside the waist of my dress. I watched Malyi glide down the street before turning and disappearing out of sight.

  I straightened my shoulders and proceeded the way she’d pointed.

  The homes grew smaller the closer I got to the outskirts of the city. Instead of houses lining stone streets, huts dotted the edges of dirt pathways in this part of the city. Most were asleep inside, but I did come across a few people huddled on the ground.