The Curse of Thir
Chapter 7

It had taken Aaraos the better part of an hour to wash and dress Xylee; the difficulty had come when she had woken up entirely from her stupor, found herself naked and in a tub of freezing water, with Aaraos leaning over her with a brush. She’d managed to punch him in the eye before he managed to thump her again on the side of her head. Her fist was sharp and his eye stung as he towelled down her floppy body. It would be so easy to take advantage of her as she was, but he could feel Roccas’ gaze on him. Bonifacio had sent him ten minutes into Aaraos attempt at undressing her, commenting on how idiotic he looked and then placed himself squarely in front of the door and told Aaraos not to slip up or Boni would skin him then drag him.

“You Bonis’ lap dog?” Aaraos commented as he carried Xylee to the dining hall with Rocca close behind him.

“I am the watch dog. You are the lap dog.” Roccas’ calm always unnerved Aaraos. It wasn’t normal.

“Sit her down over there.” He pointed towards the plate of bread and tomato’s. A full cup of mead and water stood next to it.

“We’re feeding her now?” Aaraos sat her down. The dining hall was empty. It was training time for the men down in the grounds.

“Not we. You. Wake her up and make sure she eats and drinks everything.” Aaraos sat beside Xylee propping her up, whilst Rocca sat opposite to keep guard. Aaraos shook Xylee, when she didn’t wake he took the water and dripped some on her head. Her eye lids quivered. He repeated the shaking and her eyes popped open.

“What the Null?” She sat upright, her ears folded back in fear and her eyes brimmed with tears. She was dumb with fear and shock.

“Eat. Drink.” Rocca motioned to the food and drink. Xylee thought she must be dreaming, the Dreag did not offer food and drink to her. She shook her head fiercely. “No.” She looked from Rocca to the warm thing sitting next to her. Aaraos huffed at her. She winced and attempted to shift away. His sinewy arm snaked around her and kept her at his side.

“If you don’t eat and drink willingly, I am going to shovel it down your throat girl.” He said this with very little enthusiasm. Xylee still felt nauseous but the idea of Aaraos spoon feeding her was worse. She took a bite of the bread chewed and swallowed following it with a swig of mead, all under the watchful gaze of the two Dreag. “Drink the water too.” Xylee looked at both men and gulped some down. She finished the bread and mead then moved onto the tomatos and water. As she bit into the juicy red flesh of the tomato her stomach and mouth remembered the boys flesh. The food almost erupted from her stomach but she managed to swallow it, willing it back.

As she drank the last sip of water Rocca stood up.

“Come on, get up girl, Aaraos you are no longer needed. Go train with the men.”

Aaraos gapped at Rocca.

“What do you mean I am no longer needed?”

“It’s exactly as I said Aaraos. You no longer own Xylee so you have no need to know what Bonifacio plans for her. Understand?”

Xylee got up slowly, taken aback by the events that were now unfolding before her eyes, not knowing up from down or what these mysteries plans were and followed hesitantly out the hall. She glimpsed back and saw Aaraos flipping over the table she had just been sitting at. She must’ve been dreaming, but her belly was full and her skin was clean and she no longer belonged to that creature.

They entered Bonifacios room and found him sitting with his back towards them.

The room was cold and Xylee had the greatest urge to run back to Aaraos. It seemed the lesser of two evils.