Chained To Him [Editing]

Chapter Thirty-Four

Jayde watched Aylah dance and admired her fluid movements, the way her arms seemed to echo the swaying of her body. She noticed how she was careful with the way she held herself, and her legs never kicked too high. For the first time, as her body still ached from Aragon's abuse, Jayde realized that Aylah must think about that man every time she danced. It was little wonder she didn't believe Jayde when she told her about Izzara. Jayde barely believed it herself. But Aylah only knew a single side of the woman, a side that quietly delivered her to torment to save herself.

Would Jayde or Aylah have done the same if they were in that position? It was impossible to tell; and their situations were too different. As much as Aragon enjoyed tormenting her, it was her he wanted to torment. There would be no surrogate for her suffering.

"You're thinking too hard," Aylah remarked, coming to rest by her as another set of girls practiced their dances in synchronized movements to the strum of a lyre.

"How can I not?"

"You're really caught on that woman, aren't you."

"Aylah," she breathed. "If you had seen the look in her eye, you would trust her too."

"Will you see her again?"

"If Aragon permits it. I suppose it isn't likely. She will leave for her home before long anyway."

Aylah was careful to hide her relief, but Jayde felt it anyway. As much as they had come to trust each other, she knew how terrified Aylah was of letting their secret slip. Jayde had rattled her by demanding to see Izzara, and she supposed the other woman was worried that she would begin making other decisions without Aylah's help as well, like sharing their plan. Jayde was sure that Izzara wouldn't tell anyone. She wouldn't help, either, but she would never tell. But still, she hadn't shared what they planned to do when the time was right.

And when would the right time be? They waited for news, for the right conditions to align, and for Aragon to leave. Jayde knew she couldn't wait much longer to tell Aylah about Luc. If she waited until the last moment, Aylah would want to move forward regardless of whether Luc was himself or not. To her, he would just be Greywood, as Izzara was just the woman who chose her that night. The longer she waited, the longer she betrayed Aylah's trust, and the thought ate at her more and more each day. Aylah was right to not trust her fully; perhaps some part of her knew that already.

"Jayde," Maigi's voice interrupted her thoughts, and Jayde stood and bowed her head to the other woman. "Lord Greywood will see you tonight. Prepare yourself and go to Chev when you are ready."

Jayde nodded, feeling a coil of dread in her stomach. It would be hard to see him after the night at the party. It wasn't fair for her to put so much faith in him and to feel so let down by him, but she couldn't help it. And still, he had tried to take her from Aragon that night. At least he seemed to care for her, in some way; at least, he cared what happened to her. The thought calmed her as she made her way toward the showers.

As she neared the training room, the door opened suddenly and Chev stepped through. They stared at each other blankly for a long moment before he moved aside to let Samira and Wren through the door. Their eyes were distant, and they didn't look at Jayde as they walked toward the showers. She wished she could better read the look on Chev's face. Was he ashamed? Neutral? Guilty? Perhaps he'd already forgiven himself. But it was always hard to see him here, especially so near Samira and Wren. Just moments before, his hands would have been on them, and they would have had no choice but to comply.

She didn't speak to the other women as they showered – they, cleansing away the evidence of their slavery, she, preparing for hers. Would she choose Luc over them? If Greywood had to die to take the city, would she have the strength to kill him? She just needed more time, but each day the sun set a little sooner, and it wouldn't be long before the summer would be over and the winter would bring starvation and sickness to the very people she needed to be strong. The heat of summer and the increased rations from it would drive her people to rebel. But she didn't know if she could stand there with them, for it would mean that she herself would kill Luc so soon after he had seemingly come back to life.