Chapter 3 Rejected

"What on the gods' earth were you thinking, Arthur?" Marshall frowned at him as he clucked loudly to the horses. The wagon started with a jolt and Marshall slapped the reins gently on the horses' backs, encouraging them to move faster. They pulled onto the dusty road, the wagon creaking and groaning as they drove toward their camp.

"What do you mean?" Arthur asked.

"The Red? Are you deliberately trying to curse us?"

"That's nothing more than an old wives' tale, Marshall," Arthur scoffed derisively. "I didn't know you spooked so easily."

"I don't," he protested hotly. "But it's bad enough you're bringing more humans into the household. Did you have to bring a Red as well?"

Arthur rolled his eyes. "Afraid she'll cast a spell on you?"

"You laugh, but my mother used to tell me tales of the witches when I was still a small pup. Terrible tales they were. Women with flaming red hair, chanting and casting spells as they danced naked around their fires. Humans and paranormals alike have been destroyed by them, Arthur."

Arthur snorted with disdain. "You sound like a dithering old woman, Marshall. Tales of the witches are a human thing."

"You forget my mother was human."

"I haven't forgotten. Human blood runs within your veins, and yet you seem to loathe them."

Marshall refused to answer, staring forward moodily as Arthur glanced behind him at the back of the wagon. Sophia had insisted on joining Kristen and Maya in the back of the wagon and she was sitting on Kristen's lap, her small hand stroking the Red's hair repeatedly.

"Besides, Sophia has taken a liking to her."

"You don't need two nannies, Arthur. It's just another mouth to feed," Marshall argued in a low voice. "Tonight, after Sophia falls asleep, I'll take her to the outskirts and abandon her. You can tell Sophia in the morning that the Red ran away."

"That's a death sentence and you know it," Arthur said. "If the fairies don't capture her, the leeches definitely will."

Marshall shook his head. "I've never seen you bend so easily to a woman's will before."

"Sophia is my child. She has just lost her mother, and a father she barely knows is taking her to a home she does not remember. I will do whatever it takes to make her feel comfortable."

He paused and gave Marshall a hard look. "I value your opinion, brother, but the woman stays.

Do you understand me?"

"Of course, I do. But when she's murdering our chickens and using their blood to write spells on our bedroom walls, you'll owe me an apology."

Arthur laughed. "Fine. When that happens, I'll apologize."

* * *

Maya smiled at Sophia. "How old are you, Sophia?"

Sophia looked up from Kristen's hair. "I'm seven."

"Seven. Wow. And can you read and write?"

Sophia shook her head. "No. Can you?"

Maya nodded. "I can. Perhaps I could teach you? Would you like that?"

"Yes. I have a little brother you know. His name is Nicholas."

"And how old is Nicholas?" Maya asked.

"He's seven moons old. He's sick a lot."

Maya glanced at Kristen. "What kind of sickness?"

Sophia shrugged and stroked Kristen's hair again. "He sneezes and coughs a lot. He's always throwing up his milk. Mrs. Lanning says it's the air. She says my mother should never have lived in the city."

She frowned, her hands tangled in Kristen's hair. "I don't like Mrs. Lanning. She has bad breath, and she says mean things about my mother when she thinks I can't hear." "Where is your mama?" Kristen asked.

"She's dead," Sophia said matter-of-factly. "She had a friend who was a bad man. He took her to the leeches."

"I'm sorry, baby." Kristen rubbed her back, and Sophia leaned companionably against her.

"You must miss her very much."

Sophia shrugged. "She wasn't around a lot." She snuggled in closer, resting her head in the curve of Kristen's neck. "I take care of Nicholas – I'm very good at it."

"I'm sure you are, baby."

Sophia wrinkled her nose. "You smell bad, Kristen."

Kristen grinned as Maya giggled. "I know I do. Perhaps when we get to your home, I could have a bath."

"We're not going home yet. We're going back to our campsite. Marshall says it will be another two days before we arrive home."

She sighed. "And it's not my home. Arthur says I used to live there but I don't remember it. Arthur says I'll like it. He says there are lots of places to explore and the house is very large. I'll

have my room, and he said he would buy me a pony and teach me to ride."

She hesitated. "I'm not sure I'll like living in the country though."

Marian spoke up. "The country is a wonderful place to live, young miss. The fresh air, big open sky..."

She sighed happily. "The Farthing's had the most beautiful country home. I've missed it. I'm so happy to hear we'll be living in the country."

"I'm not." The girl sitting next to Marian said. She had a thin and mousy face, and she sighed dramatically. "I hate the country. Give me the city any day."

"I miss the city too," Maya said.

Marian frowned. "It was the city living that got the ancients into trouble in the first place. All of those people crowded into the city with no place to turn without running into another human.

"The Great War destroyed so many of us because we were crowded into the old cities like cattle. Three-quarters of the population wiped out in an instant." "We have seen an old city," Maya said.

The mousey girl's mouth dropped open. "You're lying."

"I am not!" Maya replied indignantly. "Our father took us to see one when we were young.

Did he not, Kristen?"

"Aye." Kristen nodded. "He did."

"You would have the sickness if you had gone to the old city." A dark-haired girl, Kristen thought her name was Nadine, said critically. "Your hair and teeth would have fallen out, and the sores would have appeared."

"Would have been a blessing for that one if her hair had fallen out." The mousey girl nudged Marian and looked pointedly at Kristen.

"Don't be rude, Renee." Marian frowned.

Maya shook her head. "My father arranged for us to wear special suits. They had these small canisters attached to them that gave us our air. That's why we didn't contract the sickness." "What was it like?" Nadine asked.

Maya glanced at Kristen. "I was very young, around Sophia's age, but I can still remember how tall the buildings were. They blotted out the sun. A lot of them had crumbled to the ground. Father said there used to be a great many more, but the Great War destroyed most of the buildings."

She shivered delicately. "It was so quiet. No birds sang or animals moved about. Although the sun shone brightly, no plants were growing. There were no signs of life at all – even after all the years."

"Why did your father take you there? What if you had gotten sick?" Nadine wondered.

Kristen shifted Sophia on her lap. "My father was fascinated with history. He had a thirst for knowledge, particularly about the ancients' lives, and he wanted to share it with us. He wanted us to learn from the ancients' mistakes. He believed it was worth the risk."

"He sounds crazy." Renee sniffed.

Maya frowned but Kristen smiled. "Aye. I guess he does."

"I still wish I had been bought by someone who lived in the city." Renee sighed. "The lights are so pretty at night, and there is music and dancing and parties."

Marian rolled her eyes. "What do you know of the parties? You, who was born into Kristen."

"My lord's son favored me." Renee gave her a haughty look. "I pleased him well, and in return, he showered me with gifts and took me with him to many gatherings."

"A fat lot that did you, didn't it?" Marian glowered at her. "You still ended up being sold when the household could no longer afford to feed you."

"It doesn't matter. Now that we're going to the country, I'll never hear music or go dancing again," Renee said.

"Arthur says there is a village not far from his home," Sophia said. "Perhaps they dance there?"

Renee smiled at her. "Perhaps, young miss. But I would still prefer the city."

Marian frowned. "With the leeches and the faeries and the Lycans just running rampant? No, thank you. Do you know how many people go missing every day from the city? Why, before Mrs. Farthing sold me, there were five people in the city not five miles from our home that went missing all in one night. Of course, no one knows for sure what happened to them. Some swear it was the faeries, but I heard from Mr. Windon next door that it was the Lycans. It was a full moon that night."

Sophia was visibly trembling in Kristen's arms and she squeezed the little girl soothingly. "Are you okay, my pet?"

She nodded as Arthur turned around. His gaze landed briefly on Kristen before he scanned the rest of the women. "Quiet your tongues. All of you."