Frayed Ties (Ties, Book 1) | ✓

Chapter 11

The next morning Simon's unit left the hotel just after first light to begin their evaluation of the city. They didn't expect to be doing anything dangerous just yet, but it still made Danya nervous. He couldn't be sure everyone was okay until they arrived home in the evening.

Fortunately, there was plenty for him and Cailan to occupy themselves with. The hotel may have been recently fitted with new security fixtures, but it hadn't been cleaned in a while. The construction workers hadn't even bothered to sweep up the dust they had left behind when they'd installed the new window bars.

Cailan was different when it was just the two of them. When the humans were around he was quiet, alert, and careful. Now that they were alone he smiled and joked and told stories.

Danya couldn't decide whether or not he liked it when Cailan talked about Liam. He was painfully jealous of the relationship they had, but it was comforting to see that his deepest heart's desire was possible at all even if he would never have it for himself.

As afternoon set in they started on dinner, a hearty stew made from ingredients left for them in the icebox in the kitchen. The whole first floor of the building smelled delicious by the time the others were due back.

Roope and Tris were the first to return, followed closely by Liam. Roope and Tris set straight to serving themselves, so Danya sat down next to one of the armchairs in the communal area. Liam sat down on a sofa opposite him and Cailan brought a bowl of stew out to his master.

By the time Simon arrived back, Roope and Tris had claimed the other sofa and Cailan was sitting on the floor with his head resting against Liam's knee.

Simon entered the room slowly, his expressed flat as he took in each of them in turn. Finally, his gaze landed on Liam. When he spoke, his voice was too quiet. "You are not living up to my expectations of you."

Realisation rose in Liam's eyes as he looked from Cailan to Danya and seemed to see what Simon saw. He opened his mouth to speak, but Simon cut him off.

"Have they eaten yet?"

"I don't—" Liam made a face. "No, I don't suppose they have."

"I invited you to be part of this unit because my understanding was that you treated your slave as a slave out of obligation only. Yet here, when under no obligation to do any such thing, you have them sit on the floor and wait until last to eat."

"I—" Danya started, and then immediately regretted it when Simon turned to look at him, eyebrows raised in expectation. "He didn't tell me to sit on the floor."

"Did he remind you that you didn't have to?" Simon cast a look at Roope and Tris, who had been watching in silence as they ate. "Did anyone?"

"You're absolutely right, Simon." Liam set his bowl aside and stood. "We've had to keep up this pageantry for so long that it's become a deeply ingrained habit. I forgot that it was no longer necessary. Cailan, please, sit up here, sweetheart."

Cailan allowed himself to be tugged up and sat down stiffly on the sofa. He kept his eyes trained on his master.

While Simon's back was turned, Danya took the opportunity to quietly get up from the floor and reseat himself in the armchair.

Liam bent and kissed the top of his Cailan's head. "I'm sorry, my love. I will do better."

"You can do better right now by going and getting them both some dinner," Simon said. "I'm sure you'll have no problem being the one serving for once."

"I assure you, Simon, we observe no such rigidity in our roles when nobody is watching. I'll be happy to."

"Mm," Simon responded as he took an unhappy seat on the sofa next to Roope.