Drastic Times (Book 3): Fierce Freedom

by Rock, R. A.

  I folded my hands and dropped my head.

  “Don’t lay it on too thick, Red,” Yumi sent on a tight band that only I could hear.

  “You let me handle the diplomacy, woman,” I sent back. “This kid wants his ass kissed.”

  I sent an image of me planting a kiss on her butt and Yumi sent back another image of her slapping me. Neither of us showed any reaction to our mental conversation on our faces.

  One of the first thing you learn as a Telepath is to keep your thoughts from showing, especially if you’re having a telepathic conversation while you’re talking out loud to someone else.

  Also, thoughts fly so quickly that you can have an entire exchange in a couple seconds, whereas if you were speaking aloud the same conversation could take a minute or two.

  I dared a glance up at Bakersfield, who appeared to be thinking.

  “I demand complete allegiance from the members of my community,” he said, his eyes shrewd and calculating. There was also a coldness that made me wary. He might be a kid but he had probably seen things in his life that no young man should have. And his will must be strong to hold this entire castle and have them do his bidding.

  Also, he must be intelligent, maybe in a Tom Sawyer sort of way, in that he could get people to beg to do things they normally would never want to.

  All of this flashed through my mind as he surveyed us with those empty, cold blue eyes. I suddenly realized that he was waiting for an answer. I nearly stumbled over my tongue to respond, fear hitting me for the first time since we had entered the castle.

  “Of course, your excellency. Complete allegiance,” I said.

  “I will grant you temporary accommodations and…” His nose wrinkled as he glanced at our travel-worn and dirty garments. “…clothing. You may stay… provided you follow our rules and can do the things you have told me you could.”

  “Yes, your excellency,” I said.

  “Can’t she speak?” he said, lifting his chin towards Yumi.

  She could.

  But she had been told to speak as little as possible in order to avoid offending or pissing anyone off.

  “I can speak, M’lord,” she said, doing a reasonable approximation of a deferential tone of voice.

  “Good,” he said, a tiny smile appearing on his face. “I was beginning to think you were mute.”

  “No, M’lord, only trying to keep my place. I know what a woman should be to a man.”

  “Now who’s laying it on thick?” I sent.

  “Do you?” Bakersfield said, and then his gaze swept down my wife’s body and back up, stopping for a moment too long on her breasts.

  The little fucker.

  He better not do that again.

  “Down boy,” Yumi sent. “A man distracted by a woman’s body is not thinking of other things like whether or not that woman is going to free all his prisoners.”

  “Yeah, well, he better not be planning on finding out what a woman should be for a man with you.”

  She didn’t answer but I sensed satisfaction coming through the soul bond. Then after a moment came her response.

  “Sometimes I like it when you go all Neanderthal on me.”

  “I will be watching you two with interest,” Bakersfield said, the frigid look back in his uncanny blue eyes. “You will have the run of the community. It is one of the ways I test my new citizens.”

  And I knew a warning when I heard one. We could go where we wanted but he would be watching us to see if we tried anything suspicious.

  “And though you will not be training anyone Mrs. Dvorski,” he said and this time when he looked at Yumi, he managed to keep his eyes off her breasts. “I would like to see you fight. Perhaps you might join the guards in the training ring one day?”

  “If you wish, your excellency,” Yumi said, dipping her head and almost making me believe that she was actually submissive.

  “Excellent,” Bakersfield said. “So that’s settled. Hawkings will show you to your chambers and provide you with a selection of appropriate clothing in your sizes. He will make sure that supper is sent up to you.”

  “Thank you, your excellency,” Yumi said, bowing her head again.”

  “My pleasure,” he said, as if he meant it. “I look forward to knowing you two better.”

  And there was no mistaking the lascivious tone of voice or the way his eyes lingered on her ass as she turned and went out ahead of me. I stifled my urge to glare at him and managed to exit the room without plowing my fist into his pretty face. But it was a near thing.

  It might be harder than I thought to kowtow to this little prick if he was constantly ogling my wife — or worse, trying to put his small, smooth hands on her.

  If he did that, I was pretty sure she would break his handsome face. And I wasn’t sure I could be held responsible for what I would do with what was left of him when Yumi got done. I’m not a violent man by any stretch of the imagination but the thought of him touching her enraged me to the point that I hardly felt like I could control myself.

  So, I had to make sure that he kept away from Yumi. Otherwise we would both blow our cover and we would never be able to help the Sipwesk prisoners escape. The servant called Hawkings opened our door, giving me the key.

  “The plant is for in the morning,” he said, gesturing to the potted plant that grew next to one side of the bed. I was completely confused and didn’t know how to answer that so I only nodded. He gave us a few more instructions about the bathroom and information about curfew. As he turned back the bed, he promised to send up some food, and then withdrew with a bow.

  I looked at the lavish bedroom we had been provided with, but in spite of the luxurious surroundings my stomach tightened. This place might be appointed like a resort planet, but I knew it for what it really was.

  A prison.

  IT WAS THE next morning and I lay awake, staring up at the ceiling of our room in Bakersfield Castle. I was exhausted and sore but in a good way. An extremely good way. Chad and I hadn’t been able to keep our hands off of each other all night.

  Like I said before. It has been a very long year.

  I gazed at Chad, who slept on his side pressed up against me with his arm across my stomach. My fingers itched to twine into his copper curls but I restrained myself. That would wake him. And after being up most of the night, he needed as much sleep as he could get. I figured that Bakersfield would probably work us pretty hard these first few days to see how we would react.

  It didn’t matter though, we just had to stay under the radar and wander around, pretending we had got lost if we ended up somewhere we weren’t supposed to be. Then we could find out where the prisoners were and work out a plan to free them.

  I had noticed that there were guards stationed all over the castle and every one of them was armed. It made the feeling I had that this place was just one big prison even stronger.

  I thought about the conversation we had had with the lord of the castle last night — making a mental note to send my update to Shiv and Audrey after I got up. That little Bakersfield jerk had really got to Chad in a way that most people never could. And he had done it just by checking me out. It wouldn’t be good if the young man found out how easily he could get to Chad through me. I made another note to myself to warn Chad about that. He needed to either get rid of that over-protective response or keep it under wraps.

  “I can’t help it,” he murmured eyes still closed. “Being your husband again is bringing out the protector in me.”

  I shifted a bit so I could reach his curls and play with them the way I wanted to. I twisted one around my finger, admiring how it shone like fire in the sunlight that was slanting in through the window. Then I pulled it out straight and watched in fascination as it sprang back. I grinned and pulled another one, watching it sproing back into place. Chad smiled, eyes still closed, and then without warning rolled over, pinning me to the mattress.

  “Are you done playing with my hair?” he said and then frowned pressing
his lips together.

  “What?”

  “My breath,” he said with a grimace. The words came out sounding strange because he had barely opened his lips to say them.

  “No toothpaste here,” I said, regretfully. “I wish we had brought a case of it from New Winnipeg.”

  He got a thoughtful expression on his face and reached out to pluck a couple leaves off the plant that was growing directly beside the bed. He put them in his mouth and chewed.

  “What are you doing, Dvorski?” I said. “That could be poisonous, knowing Bakersfield.”

  He shook his head.

  “Hawkings said the plant was for the morning.”

  He picked a couple more and fed them to me.

  “Mint,” I said, through the leaves.

  He nodded.

  “These people do like their sex,” he said, swallowing as I finished chewing and did the same. The mint miraculously gave my mouth a fresh taste that had completely cleared out the morning breath. “Of course they would have something to deal with morning breath so that they could have their morning delight.”

  “And what about you?” I said. “Are you going to have your morning delight?”

  He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

  “Only if you get to have yours,” he said.

  And something must have flashed across my face because he frowned.

  “You don’t want to? We don’t have to.”

  “No,” I said. “I want to. I pretty much want you 24/7 lately.”

  This elicited a smug grin.

  “But I’m kind of sore, that’s all.”

  “Well, why didn’t you say that in the first place?” he said. “I should have thought of it. Stretch your arms up.”

  I pulled my arms out and put them over my head and he twined our fingers together. Then I felt his mind joining with mine and I knew what he was doing. We were forming a two person Protectors Circle that would allow us to heal me.

  A minute later and he bent his head towards me and kissed me with his minty fresh mouth. Needless to say we didn’t make it to breakfast.

  LUNCH WAS already underway when we arrived in the converted powerhouse dining room. Hawkings spotted us from where he was serving Nathan and he came over to us right away.

  “Please follow me and I’ll show you your seats,” he said.

  He led us over to a table near where Nathan was dining with several other couples. And I wondered that Bakersfield didn’t have a partner. In a Survivor community, those who didn’t have spouses were looked down upon with pity.

  When Nathan’s gaze lighted on me there was something in his eyes that worried me. And from the flames licking my mind down the soul bond, Chad had noticed it too. I hoped the lord of Bakersfield castle didn’t have me in his sights as a future partner.

  Chad and I ate quietly, not joining in the conversation that was going on at our table. Every once in a while I could feel Bakersfield’s eyes on me and it made me nervous. I didn’t like nerves — they made me feel weak. As we were finishing, Hawkings returned, asking us to stop by Bakersfield’s table. We rose at the same time and headed over.

  “Hello Mr. and Mrs. Dvorski,” he said and I couldn’t help the mild thrill that ran through me to hear our names joined like that. I would never change my name. But…for now it was kind of nice.

  “M’lord,” I murmured and Chad said, “Your excellency.”

  “I have your assignments for today,” he said.

  I nodded, keeping my eyes on the floor.

  “Mr. Dvorski, since you seem to be strong and capable, I wish you to help with the digging crew. We are putting in a new sewer pipe to serve the community, which has continued to grow since we first built this castle. We have been working on digging a trench for the pipe. It will lead to the septic field that we have created — far enough away that it doesn’t contaminate the river.”

  I assumed that he was using the royal we when he said we have been digging a trench.

  “Excellent, my lord,” Chad said. His anger was like clouds of steam, scalding me, so I put up a shield to block his emotions.

  “And Mrs. Dvorski, I wish you to train with my personal attendant today. Then when she has a day off, you can fulfill her duties.”

  I heard Chad draw a deep breath and I sent soothing feelings towards him, even though I was also wondering exactly what duties this personal attendant performed for him.

  “Don’t do anything stupid,” I sent to Chad, then felt shocked. He was usually the one telling me not to do anything dumb.

  “Excellent, my lord,” I said, echoing my husband’s words as a good shadow of a wife should, trying to show in the only way I could that I was Chad’s.

  “Good,” Bakersfield said. “Hawkings, take him to the digging crew. They are preparing to leave the castle.”

  Hawkings nodded and Chad followed him out of the great hall.

  “Keep an eye out for any useful information,” Chad sent as he walked away. “And I will too.”

  I gave a mental nod and then turned my attention back to Bakersfield. I remained standing before him since he hadn’t dismissed me and I was pretty sure I shouldn’t just leave without permission. A server brushed by me and I stepped a little closer to Bakersfield, which he noted and a tiny bit of self-satisfaction crept into his expression.

  “Hawkings will introduce you to my assistant. And later we shall dine together tonight after the sparring demonstration, so that I may get to know you better.”

  “Sparring demonstration?” I said sharply, looking up to meet his eye. The tone of my voice made his eyebrows flutter briefly up and then he narrowed his gaze on me.

  Shit. I was giving away my cover.

  “What sparring demonstration, your excellency?” I said, adopting a demure tone and fixing my gaze on his chest so I didn’t have to look in his snake-like eyes.

  “You mentioned you could both fight,” he said. “I hope that wasn’t a lie because I won’t let you out of it.”

  “It wasn’t a lie.” I risked a quick look up at Bakersfield and found him studying me speculatively. “We can both fight.”

  I dropped my eyes again and realized that Chad had made an error in telling him about our fighting abilities and agreeing to show him. Now he would be able to size us up and know exactly what we were capable of.

  Damn. I hoped I wouldn’t have to hold back. I hated that.

  “Good,” Bakersfield said. “Then you will both fight this evening at the monthly sparring demonstration. I have a number of excellent warriors lined up. It ought to be very entertaining.”

  I DRAGGED MYSELF back into the castle at nightfall, my steps stumbling occasionally as I followed the other men. The group of us were like a line of ants heading back to the anthill — except for the fact that we were watched carefully by armed guards.

  I was fucking exhausted.

  I had worked all day. We only got one break for the bathroom and a fifteen minute lunch to scarf down some buns and butter. The digging had been back breaking work in wet muck. To make matters worse, snow had been falling all day. The guards berated us immediately if we stopped for more than a minute but nobody did because we would instantly get chilled and begin to shiver.

  It had been a nightmare.

  And I was so glad it was over.

  “Hey Damien,” I said to the man in his thirties who had befriended me today. He had given me some warnings and watched out for me. “Are we going to get supper?”

  He twisted his head a little to look back at me, his friendly brown eyes glancing at the guards and then to me.

  “Of course. It’s one of the reasons that I stay. They may work us hard but we get good food and a warm bed. It sure beats what I had out here. Starving and cold most of the time.”

  I shuffled a little closer to him.

  “But what about Bakersfield,” I dared to ask, wanting to know how his people felt about him. “He’s a bit… tough… isn’t he?”

  Damien shrugged.
/>   “He is. But as long as you stay on his good side, he’s fine. And I’m telling you, having a place to live and food to eat is worth it. It’s worth putting up with this damn digging in the freezing muck. And Bakersfield pretending to be king. It’s worth all of it.”

  I couldn’t believe that he would be willing to give up his freedom for food and a bed and the thought must have shown on my face.

  “My wife and daughter were starving, Chad. I could see their bones,” he said, quietly. “I couldn’t stand it anymore. You’d do the same.”

  I nodded, thinking about his words. If I was me, I wouldn’t, but if I was him… yes, I probably would have made the same choice.

  I sighed, unable to think about politics and impossible choices anymore. I fell back as we approached the castle. I was starving and tired. All I wanted was to eat supper and go straight to sleep. I didn’t even have the energy tonight to fool around with Yumi.

  “Mr. Dvorski, this way,” Hawkings met me at the door and herded me away from the other men, who continued on in a different direction. I disliked being herded. And being singled out.

  But I didn’t argue.

  It wouldn’t do to argue.

  Not in this place.

  Damien winked at me before following the other men and I gave him a tight smile.

  Hawkings led me to a room that held leather armour and weapons.

  “What’s going on?” I said, bewildered.

  “You are to be a part of the monthly sparring demonstration,” he said. “You may pick your armour and weapons. Then I will escort you to the training ring.”

  “What?” I said, in disbelief. “Right now?”

  His eyes met mine with sympathy, and for the first time I saw a glimpse of the man behind the servant.

  “Right now,” he said. “They have already begun.”

  “So, I’m supposed to fight your best trained warriors with unfamiliar weapons at the end of a day of digging trenches and on an empty stomach?”

  “I’m afraid so,” he said and there might have been the trace of an apology in his tone. Not that it was his fault. “Best to hurry up. His excellency does not like tardiness. We have to leave the castle and go down to the arena. It is a few minutes walk.”