The Dragon and The Nomad

(5) Penny For Your Thoughts

it is a quiet night. A decent patron visited and didn’t leave Doll with scars and fever to get over after their tryst. But it doesn’t mean the patron was kind. She threw her coins at Doll and me as if we’re just objects to her, and she left with a satisfied smile just when the sun is starting to rise.

I knock on Doll’s open door. My face heats up when he stands naked in front of me. my neck craning up to keep my gaze on his face. “I-I-I’m here to change the sheets.”

He gives me a gentle smile. “Yes, of course.”

I duck my head down and head towards his bed. I try to ignore his prickling gaze down my back as I do my job. I’ve prepared him a bath in the corner of his room, but I didn’t expect his bathroom door to be open as he submerges himself. I hear him just soaking in the water.

I clear my throat. I try to ignore him just to finish the job in front of me, and I try not to mind what I’m cleaning or even the smell that is slowly filtering out of the room. Instead, it’ll be close to the end of spring and the start of summer soon. I do not miss the heat of my home, but whenever summer does come, it rivals the heat of my hometown.

I prefer Autumn. Where we’d reach one of the many oases of Karina and some of the trees would turn brown, and their leaves would detach and be carried by the wind. It would also be the time where we would wrap ourselves in thicker clothes and huddle closer in the hearth of our tents. My brother would implore me to join him for a hunt or a simple childish game that we’ve played for years.

There isn’t a day where I don’t ask myself when my brother started changing. When did the family stop being enough for him? Ama always said that he isn’t meant to stay in our clan and destined for a different life. For someone who doesn’t have the gift, she’s really on point on predictions to the point that we’re convinced she has the gift and didn’t want to admit it.

“You’re deep into your mind.”

There is someone’s heat from behind me that freezes me in position. My lungs seize inside my chest, and I dread to turn around. Not because I’m scared. I would never be scared of Doll, but he has never been this close to me, not out of his own volition. And for some reason, I know that he’s barely dressed right now.

“Yes, I am” I clear my throat. Moving my limbs to ignore him and doing my job simultaneously. I pull the sheets off the mattress and bundle it all in my arms.

“What should I do to hear those thoughts?”

I smile. “Why do you want to hear my thoughts? These feeble and small thoughts.”

The heat behind me increases till I feel him leaning behind me just as I am leaning down. My breath hitches again. “Who calls them feeble? Who dares to call them such a thing?”

I purse my lips. Heat rushes up my neck, almost electrifyingly so. “I did”

His breath on my neck. “Would a trade interest you?”

“A trade?”

“I’ll tell you about me if you tell me about you.”

I turn abruptly, but his closeness pushes me back to sit on the mattress. My face heating up even more as I look down. “You’d…do that?”

His hands-on either side of me, caging me. Something that every nomad hates, but I’m anticipating more than dreading this feeling. The doll could never be a predator if you’ve only glanced at him, but now, sitting so close to him. He resembles a beast than a doll.

He smirks. One tooth is sharper than the others and peeking out to his bottom lip. “You’d take it then?”

I’m boggled. He was so reserved when I met him and quiet as the days passed. I’ve thought that he’s the intellectual type that doesn’t say much, but the Doll in front of me is different. Like a switch has turned on for him, and he’s this wolf.

“There are days that I don’t see anyone but you” he pulls my face closer to his. Cupping my cheeks like I’ll disappear if he lets go. The doll looks so strange. He looks so put together, this time inexpensive clothes that I won’t ever be able to hold much less wear. “So don’t go. Don’t ever run from me.”

I blink. The vision took a few breaths for my brain to absorb.

“Amara?” he tips his head to the side in concern. “You’re lost in your thoughts again. Strange, I feel so…upset that I can’t hear any of it.”

I purse my lips. “Okay, if you tell me about your thoughts, then I’ll tell you mine.”

“I’d prefer if you talk first.”

“You never tell me anything” I bravely touch his hand on my side. Meeting his eyes with the same bravery that I’m momentarily feeling. “I want to… know more about you too.”

He exhales. Truly exhales as if he just inhaled most of me. “I’m thinking…of how your scent is pulling me everywhere.” He leans back and takes my hand that was touching his. Intertwining it instead. “Surrounding me with a feeling that I didn’t think I’d ever had.”

My skin tingles. “Why do you think you’ll never...?”

Hooded eyes that flicker to meet mine. Its intensity makes my insides curl. “Because life is cruel and fate is a trickster.”

“Is that what you really think about fate?”

His lips twitch. “Yes, why?”

“Fate is kinder than you think.”

The wry smile that comes next makes my chest ache. “Kind? Look where I am, Amara”

Alive, the whisper from the gift is loud. It almost drowned out everything. “You’re alive.”

His eyes widen. There’s something that passes through his eyes, and I was too slow to decipher it or to even understand what it could be. “I am”

“I’m not going to pretend that this is a good place or to understand what you’ve been through” I cup his cheek with my free hand. His skin is slightly warm from his shower. “But you’re alive, and not a lot would be able to change the fate that they have because they’re dead.”

“So, I’m lucky?”

“Whatever you think you are.” I squeeze our intertwined hands. “You’re here, and not a lot could say that. I’m grateful that…you’re alive, and I’ll even help you.”

“Help with what?”

“I’ll help you escape” I search his eyes. “I swear to you. Fate is not unkind.”

He chuckles. “No offense, Amara, but how would you do that?”

I shrug. “Trust in fate.”

“Ah, the faithful nomad in you is astounding,” He says this not insultingly, but he actually sounds so hopeful.

“We are just bodies filled with souls. Our very existence is just faith.”

He leans over. His breath touching my skin, and before I know it, his warm lips graze my forehead. “Whatever you believe, then I’ll believe in it too” he takes a step back and smiles at me.

He doesn’t believe me, but that’s okay. I’ll believe it for him. That vision I had means that he was meant to escape from here. He’s meant to have a life outside of this horrible brothel. If I’m here with him means that I’m supposed to help, then I’ll do it.

Maex

I pull myself up and smile at him. “You’ve never told me your name.”

He raises a brow. “Is that what you’ve been thinking about?”

“One…of many” I purse my lips.

He grins. It just occurred to me that he’s only in a towel that’s wrapped around his torso. My eyes unknowingly trail from his impressive wide shoulders down to his hard abdomen with his abs glistening from his bath. “Maex”

My eyes snap back to his face. “What?”

“My name is Maex” He lightly scoffs and steps away. “Don’t tell the knights that you know it. I’m warning you now that you’re not allowed to know.”

I purse my lips. It was a good call for me to keep that name away for several days now. “It’s a beautiful name” I stand off the bed and towards the door.

A hand grabs my arm before I could get out of the room. Spinning me to face him, and he’s just smiling down at me with that predatory look again. “You should know that I find you more beautiful than my name.”

I blush. “Ah, I…see.”

He chuckles. “So innocent”