Kwin

by Trudie Collins

  She wasn’t sure why he was using her title, as everyone had to know what she was. It was impossible for them not to notice the colour of her skin or the shackles she was wearing.

  Almost as if he could read her mind, Brend explained to her. To the best of his knowledge, nobody had ever owned a titled slave before so he was lauding the fact that he did. Why anyone would believe him, Shona had no idea, but they all seemed to.

  “Anyone looking at you can see that you are no ordinary woman,” Brend said when she asked him. “The way you hold yourself shows your upbringing. You can never be anything other than a Lady.”

  Shona wasn’t sure if it was a compliment or not, but chose to take it as one.

  Shona acted the prefect slave throughout the evening, always looking at Fillen for permission before eating or drinking anything. After a while he was taken away by the host for private discussions and she was left alone with Brend. As soon as Fillen was out of sight, other Wayverns descended on them.

  One of them said something to Shona that she could not understand so Brend had to translate.

  “She wants to know what the master is like in bed,” he said through clenched teeth. The question had obviously bothered him, though Shona wasn’t sure why. He himself had told her to expect such questions.

  “Tell her I do not discuss my master’s private business,” Shona told him. She had no idea what Brend would actually say, but had to tell him that in case anyone else present could understand her.

  Brend grinned as he spoke to the woman who had asked the question. She turned her back on him and flounced off, not happy with whatever he had said.

  Together Brend and Shona deflected all questions about their master, even those posed by the slaves, though Shona took a different approach with them, telling them that she was not permitted to speak to them about Fillen and that she was scared to do so. Brend nodded his approval of her responses.

  Shona was actually enjoying the evening until a Wayvern man approached her. He introduced himself, speaking in Tippetian with just a slight trace of an accent.

  “Fillen lets me play with all of his new toys,” he said. Shona didn’t like the way he was looking at her. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Brend tense.

  “I am his property and he doesn’t like to share,” she said, hoping the man couldn’t hear the tremor in her voice. “So I’m afraid that doesn’t include me.”

  He grabbed her arm, holding it tightly enough to bruise her. “Of course it does,” he said roughly and tried to drag her away.

  Shona was stronger than she looked and had been trained by her brother to look after herself. She twisted her arm sharply, the unexpected movement making the man let go. “No, it does not,” she said loudly.

  Brend stepped between them. “I suggest you leave the lady alone.”

  The man was about to answer when Fillen walked up. Shona couldn’t understand what was said, but the man glared at Fillen then walked away.

  Fillen took Shona in his arms and held her tight until she stopped shaking. She looked over at Brend, who was glaring, his eyes full of hatred. But he wasn’t looking at the man’s departing back, he was looking at her.

  They didn’t stay at the party much longer and Shona was glad when they left. Brend had been giving her dirty looks ever since the incident with the horrible man and she couldn’t work out what she had done wrong. Fillen didn’t seem to be displeased with her actions.

  Brend told Shona to go straight to her room as soon as they arrived at Fillen’s estate. She did as instructed, but wanted to know what she had done to upset him. Without him on her side, life could become very unpleasant for her.

  She made her way to Fillen’s suite, intending to knock and ask for permission to speak to Brend, but the door was slightly ajar.

  She put her ear to the gap and heard Brend say Fillen’s name. There was such tenderness in that one word that she had to see what was going on. She peered into the room in time to see Brend place one arm around Fillen’s waist and the other around his neck. Fillen was taller than Brend, so Brend gently pulled his head down to meet his own. Fillen placed his arms around Brend then the two kissed passionately.

  Shona was smiling as she stood back. What she had just witnessed explained everything.

  Chapter 10

  Kwin looked at Luka, unsure how he was supposed to react. She had just told him that her father had been one of the most powerful magic users in the country. Did that mean that she, too, could use magic? It would make escaping a lot harder. There was only one way to find out.

  “So you can do magic,” he said casually.

  Luka laughed lightly. “No. It’s very rare for a female to inherit her father’s abilities and those few that do are put to death. While those in charge of this country have no problem with women being the head of a household or holding important positions in society, they draw the line at magic. A female magic user is an abomination and a danger to everyone, so they must not be allowed to live.” She smiled wryly. “Of course, that law was created by male magic users. Part of me thinks they just didn’t want to be inferior.”

  Kwin returned the smile. “You could be right.” In Tippet, anyone with magical ability was trained, regardless of their sex, but only the men ever received the advanced training.

  “It’s getting late,” Luka said. “You should go to bed.”

  Kwin had a lot more questions he wanted to ask, but they would have to wait until the morning. He was being dismissed and the look on the dog’s face told him he would be wise not to argue.

  “Goodnight,” he said, stood up and went to his own room.

  He had not been provided with any sleepwear, so he either had to sleep naked or in his underwear. The sheets on the bed were smooth and silky. Naked it would be.

  As soon as he was comfortable, he closed his eyes and opened his mind, reaching for Gareth. The two had been in regular contact since they parted company and, so far, Gareth had been treated well. He was being forced to have sex with his owner, but Gareth found her attractive and was more than willing to do his duty.

  Usually Kwin didn’t have much to report. Tonight would be different.

  Gareth sounded tired when he responded to Kwin’s telepathic call.

  “Are you alright?” Kwin asked.

  “Yes, just a little worn out.”

  Kwin smiled. “What? One woman too much for you?”

  “I wish it had only been one woman. My owner had a party tonight and I was the entertainment.”

  Kwin didn’t ask for any details. While he was sure that Gareth would tell him, he didn’t want to know. As far as he was concerned, a man’s sex life was his own business, even under the current circumstances.

  “I have a lot to tell you. I was purchased today.”

  Kwin told him everything that had happened that day, including the strange behaviour of the other slaves.

  “It’s almost as if they respect Luka,” he said. “Something weird is going on here, but I have no idea what.”

  “It’s different here,” Gareth said directly into his mind. “All of the slaves are terrified. Not of my owner, I don’t think, but definitely of her brother. Especially the younger women. Nobody has said anything but I suspect he is abusing them. I regularly see them with bruised arms or faces.”

  “Don’t get involved,” Kwin said, though he hated himself for saying it. “Do nothing to bring attention to yourself. Have you found out anything useful in regard to escaping or tracking down Lady Shona?”

  “No. If only I could use my magic.”

  “Funny you should say that. I have some interesting news for you.”

  Kwin told Gareth what he had learned about the shackles and the fact they didn’t suppress magic. “Do not, however, try it,” he warned. “Your owner will know if you do. Don’t let anyone know that you know the truth until you are ready to use your magic to escape.”

  “I won’t,” Gareth assured him. “I have to go. My owner has just walked in
wearing something that I can only assume she believes is sultry. She has a lot to learn.”

  “Have fun.”

  Kwin broke the contact. He didn’t want to risk accidentally hearing what was going on.

  He wasn’t tired. He debated using his magic to calm his mind and put himself to sleep, but decided against it. Luka would know that he was using magic and he didn’t want her coming into his room to investigate, especially if she brought her dog with her.

  He fell asleep much quicker than he had been expecting and it was still dark outside when he was startled awake by something jumping on the bed.

  Reluctantly he opened his eyes and found himself almost nose to nose with Canis. The massive canine was straddling him, pinning him into place. Kwin was unable to move.

  “What do you want?” he asked, but the dog didn’t answer. Not that Kwin was expecting him to. He was staring at him intensely, as if trying to read his mind. His eyes were full of intelligence.

  “Get off me,” Kwin said and the dog obeyed. It had to be coincidence. It wasn’t possible for the animal to understand him, was it? Anyway, he had spoken in his own language. Surely if the overgrown mutt could understand human speech it would only be words in the Wayvern language that it would have been taught. Then again, he had understood when Koal spoke to him.

  Canis laid down next to him, but never broke eye contact. Kwin forced himself to. The animal was beginning to freak him out.

  Then he remembered that it had been magically altered. Maybe it was more intelligent than normal dogs.

  “What do you want?” he tried again. Canis put his head to one side and gently pawed at him. The animal definitely wanted something.

  Deciding that he wouldn’t be getting any more sleep until he found out what, he decided to risk angering Luka. He tentatively held his hands out toward the dog, which did not react. He nervously placed his hands on either side of Canis’s head and his jaw dropped when the dog closed his eyes. It was almost as if he knew what Kwin was going to try to do.

  Kwin had never tried to mind meld with an animal before and had no idea if it was risky or not. He closed his eyes and bent forward until he could feel fur on his forehead. Then he opened his mind, searching for the dog’s.

  He was surprised at how easy it was. It was almost no different to finding a human mind. When he probed, the mental barrier he had encountered gave way, allowing him entry.

  “About time too,” a voice sounded inside his head. The dog was talking to him!

  His bedroom door burst open and Luka walked in. He was so caught up in what he was doing that he barely noticed that she was naked.

  “What are you doing to my dog?” she asked. She sounded curious rather than angry.

  “Talking to him,” Kwin said in wonder. “I have linked our minds.”

  “Ah,” Luka said, as though it was no surprise to her.

  “Didn’t you hear what I just said?”

  Luka nodded. “My father was able to do that.”

  That explained her lack of surprise. It also made Kwin feel a little deflated. His discovery wasn’t as unique as he had been imagining.

  “Why are you doing this is the middle of the night?” Luka asked. “And how did you get Canis to come to you?”

  “I didn’t. This was his idea.” Kwin had no doubt that he was telling the truth and the mind meld had been the dog’s reason for waking him.

  “I see,” Luka said. “Canis, let the poor man sleep. You can play with him in the morning.”

  Kwin stared at her as she turned around and left the room. The dog slunk off the bed and followed her.

  Kwin relaxed back onto the bed and closed his eyes. “Gareth,” he called out silently.

  “This had better be good,” Gareth replied. He sounded exhausted and for a moment Kwin felt a pang of guilt for waking him.

  “I just spoke to a dog.”

  When Gareth had finished swearing at him, Kwin explained what he meant.

  “You mind melded with a dog?” Kwin could hear the incredulity in his friend’s voice.

  “Yes. His mistress took him away before I could establish a permanent link though.”

  “And how exactly does this help us?”

  “I don’t know yet. I’ll let you know as soon as I figure it out.”

  “Try not to make it the middle of the night next time.”

  “Goodnight Gareth.” Despite the fact that Gareth couldn’t see him, he couldn’t help grinning. “Sleep well.”

  “I will if I’m not disturbed again.”

  Kwin lay awake for a long time, thinking about what had happened and how he could use it to his advantage until eventually sleep claimed him.

  When he woke the next morning he went in search of Canis. Assuming that Luka was still in bed, he knocked on her door, but received no reply. He was about to open the door anyway, but remembered her warning about never entering her bedroom without her permission. He didn’t want to break one of her rules until he got to know her better and found out what his punishment would be.

  He tried the kitchen and found Koal there, making breakfast. “Good morning,” Kwin said in as friendly a voice as he could.

  “Food will be ready soon,” the man said gruffly. So much for pleasantries.

  “Actually I’m looking for Luka. Do you know where she is?”

  “In the dining room. She said you may join her there, if you wish, or you can eat in the kitchen, it’s up to you.”

  Kwin thanked him then went searching for the dining room. Before he found it, he was side-tracked by raised voices coming from outside.

  Curious, he went to the front door to see what the commotion was all about. He found Drake remonstrating with a smartly dressed Wayvern man. The purple shirt the man was wearing clashed with the blue hue of his skin. He was short, for a man, and slightly overweight, but that didn’t stop him talking down to Drake.

  “I heard what you said. If your owner isn’t in, as you claim, then I will wait for her, now get out of my way.”

  Kwin didn’t like the way he emphasised the word ‘owner’. Whoever this visitor was, he wanted Drake to know he was nothing more than a slave.

  “Lady Luka does not allow anyone to enter her house when she is not at home,” Drake said. Kwin could hear the hate in his voice. This man had done something to really upset him.

  “Get out of my way,” the man shouted.

  When he raised his arm to strike Drake, Kwin acted instinctively and threw an invisible shield around him. The aggressor hit it hard with the palm of his hand and cried out in pain. Kwin could not believe he was going to slap Drake. He thought only women did that. Real men used their fists.

  While nursing his injured hand, the man looked around and spotted Kwin standing in the doorway. His eyes widened as soon as they fell on his silver collar.

  “How dare you attack me,” he yelled out, though Kwin could detect a trace of panic in his voice. The fact that Kwin was a magic user obviously scared him.

  Kwin walked casually up to him and couldn’t help smiling when the man took a step back.

  “Actually,” he said in the Wayvern language, “I haven’t laid a finger on you. Yet.”

  The colour draining from the man’s face gave Kwin a strange sense of pleasure. He had no idea who this man was or why he was there, but the fact that Drake hated him was enough to let Kwin know he was not Luka’s friend.

  “Now I suggest you leave and return when Lady Luka is home.” He smiled, but it was not a friendly smile. “Unless you want me to make you.”

  The man literally put his nose in the air, turned around and almost ran to his carriage. Kwin waited until the carriage was out of sight before addressing Drake.

  “Well now I know why I was purchased. What’s the story?”

  “That was Lord Trane. He has been trying to date Luka ever since she split from her betrothed.” Kwin raised a questioning eyebrow, but Drake did not elaborate.

  “And I take it she isn’t interested.”


  Drake grunted. “Of course not. You just saw what he’s like, and today he was being better behaved than normal. He’s looking for a trophy wife who he can show off and own.”

  Despite the little he knew about Luka, Kwin couldn’t imagine her being happy with that arrangement.

  “Is he going to cause trouble?” Kwin asked.

  “No. Next time he comes here he will act as though today never happened.”

  “Then I will have to make sure I remind him. Do you think Luka will mind if I turn him into a goat next time?”

  “Can you actually do that?”

  Kwin thought for a moment. “I’m not sure. But it will be fun finding out.”

  Drake laughed. Kwin was about to leave him and return to the house when he remembered he was looking for the dining room and asked Drake for directions.

  It was easy to find and he knocked on the ornate wooden door then waited for permission to enter.

  He looked Luka up and down as he walked into the room and took a seat opposite her. She was tall, almost as tall as Kwin himself, and slim. Her long white hair had a hint of blue in it, which matched her skin and dark blue eyes perfectly. He had no idea if it was natural or not. She was attractive, but not beautiful. He could imagine men taking one look at her, then quickly moving on to her sister. She seemed a little younger than himself and he wondered if she was more able to look after herself than she appeared.

  He placed his hands on the table and said, “We need to talk.”

  Chapter 11

  “Alright,” Luka said. “We can talk while we eat.” She was aware that Kwin had used magic, but not exactly how and wondered if he would explain without her having to ask.

  There was a steaming pot of porridge in the middle of the table, which she had been serving herself from when Kwin had entered the room. There was a second bowl beside it and she waited until Kwin had filled it and had started eating before continuing.

  “I don’t like eating in here,” she said. “I’d much prefer to eat in the kitchen with the servants, but it makes them feel uncomfortable.”