Forbidden Attraction

Arthur rubbed his forehead and sighed irritably. He had grown weary of the man's fawning from the moment he had stepped into the building, and with an impatient grunt he held up one hand. "Enough. Show me the slaves."

"Of course." The old man bowed low and pattered down the long narrow hallway. "Forgive me, my lord. It is not often we have someone of your stature visiting."

They walked out into the courtyard and the man stopped short, staring suspiciously at the large horses hooked to an empty wagon. A young man and a small girl were sitting on the seat of the wagon and they stared back at him.

He glanced up at Arthur. "My lord, how many do you need?"

"I require six."

The man led him across the yard toward a second building. As they walked by the wagon, Arthur stopped and held his arms out to the young girl. She was no older than seven, and she hesitated briefly before allowing him to pull her from the wagon seat and set her on the ground. "What are we doing here?" she asked.

"We're hiring some staff for our new home, as well as a nanny for you and your baby brother." Arthur smiled down at the girl.

She didn't return his smile, staring solemnly at him for a moment. "I can take care of Nicholas."

"I know you can, my love. But I think it would be best if you had some help." He squeezed her hand encouragingly as they approached the building. "I could use your help in picking out the right nanny. What do you say, Sophia?"

She nodded, watching curiously as the small, dirty man in front of them pulled out a giant ring of keys from a pocket hidden deep within his coat. He thumbed through them until he found the correct one and unlocked the door. Its rusty hinges squealed, and the little girl cringed but followed her father into the building.

They walked down the hallway. The man flipped a light switch on the wall and the overhead lights buzzed on weakly.

"You have electricity here," Arthur said.

"Aye - some days. We're close enough to the city to latch on to their grid. But it goes in and out." The man led them down the hallway to another door. This too was locked, and they waited patiently as he picked out the right key and unlocked the door. He ushered them into the room and shut the door behind him as Sophia peered from behind the safety of Arthur's legs.

The room quieted as the women in the room stopped their chatter and stared at the two strangers. Arthur grimaced. All of the women were dirty and unkempt, their hair uncombed and their clothing ripped and stained.

He swore softly and gave the man an undisguised look of disgust. "What kind of facility are you running here?"

The man bristled. "I can assure you, my lord, that our slaves are of the utmost quality. Just because our facility is not as proper as you are undoubtedly used to, does not mean we don't offer excellent services."

Arthur rolled his eyes. "I'm sure." He eyed the women in the room with suspicion. "How many of them are suffering from the sickness?"

"None of them!" The old man puffed himself up, trying to match Arthur's formidable height. "If they suffer from the sickness, we banish them to the outskirts immediately." He paused.

"Perhaps my lord would prefer to go somewhere else?"

"You know very well your facility is the only one within fifty miles," Arthur said. "Enough idle talking. I require a nanny and a house staff. Who do you recommend?"

The man didn't reply. Instead, he hobbled toward the group of women and began pulling a few of them to the front. Out of the nearly fifty women in the large room, he separated fifteen of them into two groups before returning to Arthur and Sophia.

"They have experience in both cooking and cleaning." He pointed to the ten women on the left. "They have experience with child-rearing." He waved his hand at the other five on the right. Arthur moved forward, Sophia trailing behind him, and looked over the ten women. He stood in front of the oldest. "What's your name?"

"Marian." She kept her gaze on her bare feet.

"What experience do you have?"

"I was the head of the household for the Farthing family for more than fifteen years. Perhaps you have heard of them?"

"I am not from here. Why did you leave their employment? Were you fired?" Arthur asked.

She shook her head. "No, m'lord. Mr. Farthing grew ill and died. Mrs. Farthing could no longer afford my services and sold me to pay some of her bills."

"How long have you been here?"

She squinted in thought. "Not long, m'lord. Six months perhaps?"

He looked behind him. "I'll take this one. Who among this group of women would you recommend, Marian?"

She hesitated. "How many do you need, m'lord?"

"Five, including yourself."

She pointed to four of the other women. After questioning them, Arthur agreed to the ones she had chosen.

He turned to Sophia, crouching beside her and patting her back awkwardly. "Sophia, would you like to help me pick out your new nanny?" "Yes, Arthur," she replied.

Arthur stared at the women critically as he and Sophia paced in front of them. "How many of you were nannies before?"

Three of them raised their hands and Arthur glanced at the other two. "You're dismissed."

They melted back into the crowd of women as Arthur questioned the remaining three women.

Sophia clasped her hands behind her back and stared at the group of women behind Arthur. There was a flash of colour to her left, and she glanced over at the woman standing next to the window. Her long red hair glowed in the late afternoon sun and Sophia edged closer, fascinated by the red strands.

The woman smiled at her in a friendly manner as Sophia stopped in front of her. "Hello, little one."

"Hello," Sophia whispered.

"Your name is Sophia?" At Sophia's nod, she smiled again. "That is a very pretty name. My name is Kristen."

"Kristen," Sophia repeated, and the woman nodded.

"That's right. This is my little sister Maya."

There was a petite blonde woman standing behind Kristen and she peeked around and smiled just like Kristen. "Hi, Sophia. I like your dress."

"Thank you." Sophia ran her hands over the stiff fabric, wincing when it rubbed painfully against the cut on her finger.

"Are you hurt?" Kristen crouched in front of her.

"I cut my finger." Sophia showed her the long cut on the pad of her index finger.

"Ouch." Kristen frowned. "That looks very sore."

"It's not healing very well," Sophia said. "Marshall says if I don't make a better effort to keep it clean, he'll have to cut it off."

"Well that won't do." Kristen smiled at her. "Shall I kiss it better for you? When Maya and I were little, our mother would always kiss our owies."

Sophia stared at her. "I like your hair."

A strange look crossed Kristen's face, one that Sophia didn't understand, before she smiled at her. "Thank you, honey." "Can I touch it?"

"Of course." She tipped her head forward so that her long hair fell over her shoulders, and Sophia rubbed it between her fingers.

"It's so soft, so pretty," she whispered. She ran her fingers down the strands and Kristen smiled again at her.

"I'm glad you like it, Sophia." She captured Sophia's hand in her own. "Shall I give your owie a kiss?"

Sophia hesitated and then nodded. Kristen bent her head and placed a gentle kiss on her finger, directly on the cut. Warmth surged down Sophia's finger and through her hand. She gasped and pulled her hand free, staring down at her finger.

* * *

Arthur looked down. "Sophia, do you..."

He frowned when he realized she was no longer at his side. He glanced around the room, his scowl deepening when he saw her standing in front of the Red. The Red was holding her hand and when she kissed Sophia's finger, he stomped over to them.

"Get away from her." He pushed the redheaded woman to the ground with a hard shove. A blonde woman put her arms around the Red as Arthur pulled Sophia away. He took the little girl by the shoulders and shook her gently.

"Sophia, you know better than to leave my side. Did she hurt you?"

Sophia shook her head, staring with wonderment at her index finger. Where once there had been a long, swollen cut, there was now only smooth unbroken skin.

Arthur's expression softened and he smoothed her hair back from her face. She was still looking at her finger and he took her hand and examined it.

"Look at that - your cut has finally healed. That's good news. Marshall was getting ready to cut it off," he teased.

Sophia didn't smile, just looked at Kristen with wide eyes.

Arthur took her hand and led her back to the three women. "Which of these women would you like as your nanny?"

Sophia stared up at them for a moment before looking back at Kristen and Maya. "I want her." She pointed at Kristen and Arthur sighed.

"No, Sophia. You must pick from these three women here."

"I want her."

Arthur glanced at the man who was idly swinging his ring of keys from one finger. He shook his head. "No, m'lord, you don't want that one. She is contentious and disagreeable. You know how the Reds are."

Arthur looked back at Sophia. She was still staring at the redheaded woman and he frowned.

"Stay here, Sophia."

He returned to the Red. She stared unblinkingly at him as he looked her up and down. She was wearing a dirty, grey dress that was too large. She practically floated in it. Her feet were bare, and her legs and arms were covered in grime and grass stains. Her hair hung halfway down her back, a cascade of fire-coloured locks with twigs and leaves stuck in it. Her light green eyes regarded him with a cool sort of haughtiness that belied her dirty and disheveled appearance. Her face was as dirty as her arms and legs, and he wrinkled his nose at her smell.

"Do you have any experience with children."

She shook her head. "No, m'lord. But she does." She dragged the small blonde woman out from behind her and pushed her toward Arthur.

"Kristen no," the girl whispered.

"Hush, Maya," Kristen said fiercely, and the girl quieted immediately.

"Have you nannied before, girl?" Arthur asked her. The blonde girl blushed and stared down at her bare feet, and Arthur rolled his eyes with barely-concealed impatience. "Well, have you?"

"No, m'lord," she whispered.

Before he could turn away, Kristen said, "She's had plenty of experience with our younger siblings, my lord. She practically raised both our younger brother and sister. She has a comforting touch with babies, and she can read and write. She taught our brother to read when he was only three."

Arthur stared at the trembling girl and then at her older sister. "Are you that eager to rid yourself of her?"

Kristen flushed. "I want nothing more than a better life for her, my lord."

"And what makes you so certain I will give her a better life?" He arched his eyebrow at her.

She looked around the room and, in a voice filled with desperation, said, "Anything is better than this. She is too bright and too beautiful to live her life in a cage. Please, take her with you.

She will serve you well. I swear this to you."

Arthur frowned. The woman's impassioned plea had moved him more than he cared to admit. "Very well then – we'll take the girl."

Kristen nodded with relief, but Maya let out a loud wail. "No, Kristen! I will not leave you!" She threw herself into the redhead's arms, sobbing brokenly. Rather than soothe her like Arthur expected, Kristen grabbed her upper arms and pushed her upright.

She shook the young girl harshly. "Maya, enough! Stop your crying right now."

The woman struggled to obey, sniffing and hiccupping as a stray sob escaped. "Kristen, please don't send me away."

He watched as Kristen cupped her face, wiping away her tears with dirty thumbs. "Maya, listen to me. I love you. I will always love you. I do this for you. Do you understand?"

Sobbing quietly, Maya nodded, and Kristen hugged her hard before kissing her on the mouth.

Dry-eyed, she pushed Maya toward Arthur who took her upper arm and led her toward Sophia. He stopped when Kristen dropped her hand onto his arm. He could feel the heat of her hand through his shirt. A shiver went down his back and he stared at her as she stepped closer.

"Keep her safe," Kristen demanded, her green eyes staring into his. His eyes dropped to her mouth and then to her breasts. They were well-hidden beneath the sack of a dress she wore, and he looked back up at her, flushing a little at the wry look on her face.

"Promise me you'll keep her safe." She frowned at him, and with a small jerk he yanked his arm free. He pulled Maya toward Sophia. Already the girl's relentless sobbing was beginning to grate on him, and he was regretting his impulsive decision.

"Come, Sophia. Let's go," he said brusquely. The little girl shook her head. "No. I want that one." She pointed again at Kristen.

"No, Sophia. I do not have time for your games."

The small, dirty man gave an ugly laugh. "Listen to yer father, girl. The Reds are all witches or whores. No one with half a mind brings a Red into their household. They bring nothing but death and destruction they do." He picked his nose, staring at the green smear on his finger with interest before wiping it on his pant leg.

Arthur stared at him with disgust, and then at Sophia as she took his hand in her small one. She was staring up at him, her dark eyes large and wet with unshed tears. "Please, Papa. I want her," she whispered.

Sophia never called him papa. She kept her distance and referred to him as "my lord" or "Arthur" when prompted to interact with him. Hearing her call him papa made it difficult to resist her.

As though sensing his weakness, Maya said, "Kristen is also very good with children, my lord. And she is excellent with plants. Your garden will thrive and provide plenty of food for your children's bellies."

Arthur scrubbed his hand across his face. "Fine. I'll take her as well."

Maya gasped with happiness, and Sophia grinned triumphantly as Kristen joined them. Maya hugged her and Kristen kissed her cheek before taking her hand. The four of them joined the others and as they filed out the door, the man grabbed Arthur's arm.

"Perhaps you would care for one more, m'lord." He looked down at Arthur's bare left hand.

"Perhaps a fine wench to warm your bed?" He pointed to a dark-haired woman who was wearing a dress that left little to the imagination. She smiled slowly and invitingly at him.

Arthur pulled his arm free. "I have no need for a bed warmer. Let us agree over the price so I can leave this wretched place."

"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."