Fairy Thief (42 page)

“
Now, Luv, you’ve no need to fear me. I may seem a bit off because I’m unaffected by this. I apologize. It’s just that we’ve been through i’tall before. Over and over, in fact, and when you’ve seen it as many times we have, it gets old.”

Saffron stole a peek at the macabre scene — the window dripping with fresh blood. “Why are we locked up here, anyway?”

“
Well, if they get beyond the upper door, they’ll never get through these bars, will they?”

Saffron blinked. “I have no idea, do I….”

“
Oh, Luv,” the matron tugged a piece of Saffron’s hair, “you don’t want to lay eyes on these creatures. No, it’s best they travel around up there, do what they need to do and stay out of sight of the good folk down here.” She nodded solemnly and looked up at the ceiling when something crashed.

Saffron jumped at the crash and gripped Orji’s shirt. “What’s going on, anyway?”

“
Oh, it was a long time ago — a nasty witch, and a horrible curse. Seven generations, I believe, now.” The woman drew a rag from inside her dress, blew her nose, then tucked the soiled thing back into the dark valley between her breasts. “One day, the prince of this land set out on his morning ride through the southwest woods. On that morn, he met a maiden by a stream. It was the middle of winter, and steam rose from the body of the girl as she bathed by the icy, cold waters. Her jet-back hair fell in piles around her delicate frame. A fine young lass was she, of such surpassing beauty, he begged her hand in marriage. She was much taken with the handsome young prince and instantly agreed.”

“
Whach ye piping about now, Merry?” One of her comrades had come over to see why she hadn’t returned to the card game.

“
Oh, just telling the pretty young vision here, about the curse.”

“
Shishe! Again with the curse? How many times can ye tell that old squash and drivel?”

Merry exploded into her phlegmy, hacking laugh. “Oh, Murto! It doesn’t get old! Let me enlighten the young thing — she’s nervous.”

Murto rolled his eyes, annoyed at the delay in the game. He took himself away, grumbling loudly.

“
Well, the young prince took her back to meet his parents — the king and queen. Not long into the meeting, it became apparent that the girl was not of royal blood — not one of the king’s serfs, at that — but a forest dweller who lived alone with her mother and lived off the land in the middle of the great woods. The king nearly exploded with rage. His son knew he must marry royalty — what was he thinking — bringing the trollop of the trees before him.” Merry shook her head. “In the old days, it wasn’t like it is now. Now, the prince can choose to marry anyone he wishes. He can choose anyone, because of the curse that was placed on the royal family that very fateful day, seven generations ago.”

Saffron fidgeted and moved out of Orji’s arms.

Merry eyed them warily. What was up with these folks, anyway? That girl hopped back and forth like she was burning to be with him, but getting burned when she was — all that with the prince’s betrothal bracelet around her wrist, too. Merry sighed, she knew folks, she imagined these lovers were just as out of it as any two fools in the throes. What a mess.

She cleared her throat and brought both pairs of stranger’s eyes back to her. “So, the maid went home crying to her Ma, telling the woman of the prince who wanted her for marriage, but so easily gave her up just because his father had said no. The girl’s mother, who — lo and behold! — was a witch, became enraged. She had never liked the royal circus, and now had reason to hate them. The royal family would not insult her, or her own, and get away with it.”

Saffron shifted again. One golden-capped sleeve slipped off her shoulder, exposing a good bit of satiny skin. Orji found this to be completely delightful and willed himself to remember. Remember the rush of blood a man feels for a desirable woman, remember the tingle in the roof of his mouth, and the powerful surge throughout his limbs. He sat back, smiling a delicious smile, and staring at Saffron’s bare shoulder.

Saffron had the sensation she was being watched, and fearfully, she looked out the blood-stained-window high above them. There was nothing there now. She looked around, frowning deeply. She turned abruptly and her eyes rested on Orji. He was in mid-drool. With a huff, she hiked her sleeve up.

“
The witch worked for several hours, consulted many demons, and finally came up with a curse that would appease her rage. She boarded her sleigh pulled by three black wolves and, at dusk, raced across the ice and snow to the royal castle. She stormed through the gates, casting curses at those who attempted to hinder her surge for the king and queen. Finally, she stood before the thrones of the two, chanted her awful words, and raised her awful staff. When she pointed the staff at them, thunder cracked and lightning sliced. A torrent of hail rained down on the castle and smashed the stained glass windows.” Merry was standing now, shouting the story excitedly, and waving her hands around with each expletive.

“
Hey, Merry,” shouted Murto, then spat on the cell floor, “Aren’t ye forgittin twas during the reign of the sun when all of that be happenin? Twasn’t hail breaking yon windows, twas moon rocks and spring chickens!” He was on his feet, mimicking Merry’s drama. People all around them broke out into knee-slapping, howling laughter. Merry shouted not-very-nice swear-words at them and encouraged them all to shut their traps. It took several minutes for everyone to forget Merry and the strangers and go back to their business.

“
Anyway…” she had lost her gusto for the story and quickly brought it to a close. “…from that day, till this, on the full moon of every month — the king, the queen, and their offspring would change. They would turn inside out. Yes, inside out, and so would their minds. Things, horrible things, they wouldn’t imagine doing on a normal day, they would now do. So, each full moon we lock ourselves in here to avoid seeing them and…” she shuddered, “…avoid being eaten by them. Because, my beauty, that is what they seem to enjoy doing most with their horrible bodies pulsing inside out — they chase whatever living thing they find, and chew it alive!”

Saffron jumped back, back into Orji’s arms, only this time he wasn’t there to catch her, and she slammed into the wall. She searched frantically for him, and found him by the front of the cell, giving her a carefree wave. He had seen the whole thing, knew she had flung her body back, hoping to land on him.

She wrinkled her nose in mortified repugnance. “You mean the prince,
my prince
, the dude who just proposed to me a few hours ago, is out there,” she indicated the dried-blood window, “chewing on
things that are trying to run from him?”

Merry clapped her hands together, “Oh, my lady! He proposed! Did you accept?!” Several heads raised and looked over at them when Merry shrieked ‘proposed’.

“
Aaacchh! SSShhhh!!!” Saffron grabbed Merry’s hand and shook her head, ‘no,’ violently. “Don’t
tell
anyone, Merry!

“
But,
why,
Luv — THE prince proposed to you! How wonderful! You should be screaming such from the hilltops!

“
Stop it, stop it!” Saffron stared from under her furrowed brow. “Honey, c’mon…I am
not
marrying that dude — he eats things that are trying to run from him! And, he’s inside out!” Saffron kept trying to wipe the gruesome image of pulsing organs and wet, bloody turned-inside-out skin from her mind. She prayed she wouldn’t come face-to-face with that thing.

“
Oh, pish!” Merry was becoming annoyed with Saffron’s theatrics, her insults cast at their wonderful prince. “He’s not
always
like that. Do you get your monthly yet, dear?” Merry eyed Saffron’s tiny breasts with suspicion.

Saffron gasped and brought her arms up across her chest. Was the old chick
serious.
Her ‘monthly’? Did that mean what Saffron thought it meant? Of course it did! Heat shot up through Saffron’s cheeks and singed her ears. “Of course,” she hissed.

“
Well, Luv, it’s a bit of the same, isn’t it?
You
get a little monstrous once a month too, don’t you? And more than a little bloody!” Merry clapped her hands at her own bit of humor.

Saffron walked over to Orji and slammed her hands on the bars by his head. “I can’t stay here, Orji. I need to get the hell out. These people are whacked!”

Orji leveled narrowed eyes on her. “Know what I was just thinking?”

Saffron rolled her eyes and looked away without answering.

“
No, really, Saffron, listen — this is an important observation.”

Saffron looked back at him and tapped her foot to let him know she was in no mood.

“
Have you realized, Saffron, honey, that you have absolutely the worst taste in men?”

Saffron froze.

“
It’s true. That one out there — he’s feasting on still-warm pig entrails and the other one — what did he do?” Orji squinted his eyes, feigning great concentration. “Ah, yes, I remember now — sucking the necks of frigid, young virgins wasn’t it?”

Saffron shook her head slowly, a warning sign that she was about to haul off and clock him.

“
And the one we’re tailing now – what is it? Took the soul of your high school sweetheart. And your high school sweetheart — didn’t he take off with another man?” Orji smiled.

Saffron surprised him by smiling back. “Now, Orji, if it were true that I only date monsters, don’t you think I would have gone for you a long time ago? After all,
you
are a great big, hairy beast!” She slapped the bars. “I want out of here!” This time, she screamed. Mostly, everyone ignored her. They were used to the breakdowns of newcomers after the fourth hour.

“
Yeah, okay, let’s go. You know, I was really enjoying being trapped in this cell, but, you’re right, dear, let us adjourn.” He swept his hand forward to indicate ‘ladies first,’ then waited for her to walk.

She locked an icy stare on him.

“
My lady, let us away!” He swept his hand forward again, smiling. “Move your arse my love, let us go forth!” He tried to sweep his arm forward again, but Saffron grabbed it in mid-swing and flung it down like a child throwing a log.

Orji grabbed Saffron’s head with both hands and smoothed her cheeks with his thumbs. “Saffron, my spoiled little child, we aren’t going anywhere until these people let us. So, get a hold of yourself, go lay down on the bench, and sleep it off. If you go to sleep, tomorrow will come faster.” He beckoned her. “C’mon. Let’s go lay you down.” He led her to an empty corner of the cell, settled himself against the wall, then encouraged her to lie down and put her head on his lap.

They awoke at dawn, along with most everyone else in the dungeon. Some hard-cores had stayed up all night, including all of the gamblers. Orji had stayed up for some time, watching them bicker over their game. At some point, he had drifted off, his hand resting lightly on Saffron’s head, the other on the curve of her back.

Saffron was slow to sit up.

All around, people were yawning, snorting, clearing throats, rubbing at their eyes, and popping the kinks from their backs. There weren’t many conversations — just a lot of grunting, groaning, and avoidance. Everybody looked as if they’d partied hard the previous night, and were now ready to scurry to their private holes and sleep it off.

Saffron was genuinely pleased she couldn’t smell the scene; these people looked like they
reeked.
Cold, morning sunlight barely limped into the dungeon — a wide expanse of the room was still mostly in dark shadow. Saffron just wanted to get out and leave this realm. Leave it far, far behind. She snorted.
With my luck, the twins probably picked up a trace of Ny in this realm, and we’ll be stuck here until the next full moon.…

Cells doors started to bang open. Saffron’s shoulders slumped in relief, and a smile crossed her wary lips.

“
Are you ready?” Orji’s deep voice by her ear made her jump. She looked at him shyly and nodded. She felt like an idiot. What must he think of her? Searching for the love of her life, but crawling into his lap like that. She wanted to tell him that she wasn’t using him. Because she wasn’t — at least, she didn’t
think
so. She frowned and looked up at the ceiling.
Am I using him?
She hugged her arms across her chest and followed the river of folks out of her cell, then joined the flood of people slowly making their way up the stone stairs.

Orji saw it in her eyes, in her posture. She regretted last night.

Saffron tripped on her tattered dress as she climbed the last step. She started to topple forward and, just before her face met cold, hard cement, Orji caught her by the back of both arms and pulled her back into his chest. Saffron breathed a sigh of relief and looked up into his warm smiling eyes. He pushed her back on her feet, albeit gently, and removed his hands from her arms.