Chapter Eight

Lisha POV

The pungent smell of herbs is suffocating; I try to sit up only to be pushed back down on the bed. Seline is leaning over the top of me, applying ointment to the wounds on my back; her voice is soft as she whispers, 

“Stay still, Lisha. This will help take some of the pain away”.

I drift back to sleep, only to be woken up again by Seline; her big brown eyes are filled with pity as she looks down at me and says, 

“Stay in bed for  the day and rest; you need your strength to return to your normal duties tomorrow.” 

I go to thank her and stop when she holds her hand up and continues speaking,

“I don't know what you and Skyla were thinking, and I don't want to know, but from now you will be staying with me. I have the space, and it will be safer for you.”

I don't know what to say to her; I brush the tears from my eyes and whisper, 

“Thank you.”

Her lips tug up in a sad smile as she says,

“It's only going to get worse for you here, Lisha. The Queen has declared there will be stricter laws for the servants, especially where you are concerned”. 

The following morning after leaving Seline’s quarters, two guards are leaning against the wall in the hall; I try to slip past them when one of the guards grabs a handful of my hair and throws me against the wall. The second's guard presses his face close to mine; I turn my face away from his foul-smelling breath as he snarls,  

“You didn't bow, girl.”

I double over when he hits me in the stomach; the pain of him hitting me takes my breath away, and both guards take turns punching and kicking the shit out of me. When they have had fun, they laugh, wipe my blood on their uniforms, and walk away. I use the wall to support myself and slowly make my way to my room to wash the blood off my face and change my clothes. I knew there would be repercussions when they realized Skyla was missing, but I didn't expect this.

Over the next few weeks, the guards become more vicious. Trying to keep out of Gabriel's clutches is nearly impossible. Sometimes I can avoid being hurt by staying close to one of the senior servants. The problem is Seline is always in the kitchen, and Athena is just as cruel as the guards and joins in when she gets the opportunity.

It's late; by the time I have finished cleaning the kitchen, I am on my back to Seline’s quarters when I hear whispered voices are coming from one of the rooms. The people inside are talking about someone; I hurry past the door before they see me and stop when I recognize Nadia’s shrill voice.

"No one will know. Just get rid of her.” 

“No, it's not possible, Nadia; the Queen has a special interest in her,” 

“I don't care. I will not compete with another woman for Gabriel's attention.” 

“I am sorry, Nadia, but I can't help you with this,”

My heart starts pounding faster when the guard's footsteps get closer to the door; I turn and run in the direction of Seline’s room, only stopping when I realize neither the Guard nor Nadia are following me. When I reach my bedroom, I quickly shower and wait for Seline to come home. I can't understand how Nadia would think I was interested in Gabriel, the man is a total bastard, and if I thought I could get away with it, I would plunge a knife deep into his rotten heart. 

The days start to form a pattern; every day is the same; start work at sunrise, avoid Gabriel, the guards, and the queens' ladies as much as possible, and work until sunset. The mornings are getting warmer now that spring is approaching. Without thinking about what I am doing, I walk to one of the windows and look outside. The sun rising over the forest is beautiful; I don't hear Gabriel as he comes up behind me, pushing me to an empty room. I fucked up, got distracted, and let my guard down; fear makes me forget myself, and I hiss,

"What do you want, Gabriel?”

His smile is smug as he says,

“You know what I want, Lisha, and no one is here to stop me.'' 

H

e goes to grab me, and I duck, trying to escape his reach. Arms like steel wrap around my body; I put my hands against his chest, trying to push him off me. I stumble when Gabriel lets me go all of a sudden, I run to the door at the same time as a woman starts screaming at me,

“You filthy bitch, how dare you touch him.” 

Fuck no could this day get any worse? It's Nadia. I cringe in fear when she keeps yelling, slapping me across my face,

“The Queen will hear of this insult to her guard.”  

Gabriel takes her into his arms, soothing her,

“Come now, Nadia, don't let the Dark Fae upset you. I will take care of it”. 

Once Nadia is calm, Gabriel grabs my arm, dragging me back to the courtyard. There's no use struggling or trying to fight him; it will only make things worse.  

I don't know how I got back to my room, but Seline is bent over me, applying the healing balm to my back again. She shakes her head, murmuring,

“You need to be more careful, Lisha,” 

“I am trying, Seline, but sometimes It feels like they wait in the halls for me to show up.” 

Seline’s lips tug up into one of her rare smiles as she says, 

“Rest for a little while; I have to go back to work before I am missed if you are up to it; when I return, I will show you how you can avoid the guards.” 

I touch her gently on the arm and ask 

“Why are you helping me?”

Seline shakes her head, whispering, 

“I have my reasons.” 

Then leaves the room, locking the door behind her. 

The sound of the door being unlocked wakes me up; Seline holds one finger up to her mouth,” SSHH,” then motions for me to follow her. She moves a heavy tapestry to one side and disappears behind it, I hurry to catch up with her, and Seline turns toward me as she says,

“Use these tunnels unless it's unavoidable; no one remembers them. Only use the hallways every couple of weeks."

There’s nothing I can say to repay her kindness except,

“Thank you, Seline.”

Seline's plan worked. I avoided Gabriel and his followers for a few weeks before I had to re-enter the halls. The abuse starts again as soon as Gabriel or the guards see me. Once they have their fun,  I sneak back into the tunnels until I am healed. It's a vicious cycle, and at the moment, I accept it so I can stay alive long enough for Tyler to return and get me out of here. 

Waking up early and sore and covered in bruises after another run-in with Gabriel, Athena, and Nadia, I groan in pain when I try to move. Seline hasn't left for the kitchen yet, which is unusual; she hands me a cup of water and some painkillers and says,

“Take your time this morning, Lisha. The Queen and her Companions will be away for a few days.”

I can't help asking,

“Has Gabriel gone with her?”

Seline laughs. 

“Yes, and most of the guards,”

I sigh with relief; the last attack was brutal, and I need another day to heal. Sensing I am hurt more than I am saying, Seline smiles,

“Stay here for the day and rest. I will send some food up for you.”

I wait until she leaves, climb out of bed, and get dressed. It's not long before Tiffany, another servant, enters the room smiling shyly as she places a tray of food on the table and then hurries out of the room. Tiffany is new to the courts, very young, and very beautiful. I can't help feeling pity for her and hope she can go unnoticed for as long as possible. I quickly eat the food Tiffany has left, then pick up a candle and some flint. I need to see where the other tunnels lead to. It takes me a couple of hours to realize smaller tunnels branch off from the main walkway and lead to every room in the palace. Walking back to the start of the main tunnel, I decided to follow it and see where it ended, passing the kitchen’s hidden entrance and hearing Seline murmuring to the other servants. I know I have time. It doesn't take long to find the exit for the laundry. After walking for half an hour, I smell the fresh air and see sunlight in front of me. I run towards it. My excitement builds as I notice an opening; a small tree is blocking it. I quietly move the branches aside, sliding out of the entrance. I can't believe it. I am above the stream behind my old cabin, smiling as I turn back. If Tyler can't return, I know I have another escape route. I started planning what I would need to take with me, as there was no way I intended to stay here for the rest of my life, even if it meant death. I bathe and dress, hiding my dirt-stained clothes. Seline looks up as I enter the kitchen,

“You are looking much better, Lisha,” 

“I do feel better. Thank you, Seline.”

Noticing the kitchen is already clean, I excuse myself, rush back for my dirty clothes, and go to the laundry. The days take little time to turn into months, then years. The only thing that keeps me going is the thought that my time at the Seelie court is finally coming to an end.