Chapter Seventeen

Maya’s Story

            Once they were in the limousine Alice turned to Maya. 

            “Are you okay?”

            If she’d expected the girl to burst into tears and cry on her shoulder she had been wrong.  Maya just looked at Alice with huge, frightened brown eyes and nodded.

            For the first time Alice wondered if she’d made a mistake taking her.

            “Did you want to be in his harem? Because I…”

            “No!” The girl burst out, and then clamped a hand over her mouth in horror. Alice wasn’t sure what to make of her.

“You don’t have to be afraid to talk to me,” she said. “Say whatever you like. “

            Maya’s eyes darted back up the driveway in the direction of the house.

Realization dawned. “Oh, he can’t hear you. And no one will tell him anything you say.  It’s our own driver up front and none of us like Ambrose anyways.”

            The girl lowered her hand slightly. When she spoke her voice was only a little above a whisper, and Lacy and Tricia, who were on the far end, had to lean forward to hear her.

            “I hate it there. The other women…are horrible.

            “The others were all chosen. How did you get there?”

            “I was there first.” Maya dropped her head and stared at the floor. “My mother owed him drug money…and couldn’t pay…”

            Alice felt a wave of disgust. “That’s horrible. That’s human trafficking. You can’t just take someone away.”

            “He can.”

Maya shuddered.  Alice noticed her skin was pale, and there was a film of sweat on her brow.  The girl was shaking.

            “Are you cold?”

            She nodded.

            Gabriel pulled his jacket off and handed it to Alice who draped it over the girl’s knees, while Altair leaned forward and asked the driver to turn up the heat. The girl huddled in the corner and shut her eyes.

            Azura shot her a meaningful look, “It’s probably the effects of some spell he has on them.  Tonight won’t be fun for her.”

            “Will she detox in one night?”

            “Violently.”

            When they got back to the store, Alice took Maya upstairs. The girl was shivering and holding the borrowed coat shut in an effort to keep warm. Altair walked up the stairs behind her, making sure she didn’t stumble.

            “You’ll have to stay with her tonight,” Altair said quietly, as they reached the door.

Alice nodded reluctantly. She had never seen anyone go through withdrawal, not even with normal drugs, never mind some kind of magical detox.

            “I think I should stay with you, we can take shifts.”

            Alice thought about protesting, but she was nervous enough that it seemed like a good idea.

            Maya barely noticed the apartment around her as she stumbled inside. Alice held one of her arms to steady her as she led her to the guest bedroom.  She helped her throw back the covers and Maya collapsed onto the bed.

            She was shivering violently, and Alice pulled the extra blankets from the bottom of the bed and piled them over her.   She watched with concern as Maya shook and twitched.

            “I’ll get her some water.” Altair offered.  Alice nodded and sank into the armchair beside the bed.

            It wasn’t until the small hours of the morning that Maya finally drifted into a sound sleep. Alice felt limp with relief.  The girl had convulsed and moaned for hours, sweat soaking her forehead.  It was a relief to finally see her sleeping quietly.

            Altair was sitting on the carpet beside the bed. He had stolen some of the pillows from the couch, using them to sit on, insisting Alice have the chair. He had drifted to sleep in spite of his best efforts to stay awake. He was slumped over sideways, half propped up on the side of the bed, his head resting on the blankets, blonde hair contrasting with the dark covers.  Alice watched him sleep, studying his face as he dreamed. Altair looked peaceful, and she wondered what he was dreaming about. If he were to open his eyes right now she would be embarrassed, but she couldn’t help staring.

            He was so scruffy - a well maintained scruffy.  It made her smile.

I don’t think he’s actually as tough and ruthless as he wants people to think.

            She knew she should wake him up and make him sleep on the couch. The position he was in didn’t look comfortable, and it was a good bet that when he woke up, he would have one heck of a crick in his neck.  She put it off just a little longer though.

            “You want me to wear an apron with little roosters on it?” Altair was looking at her incredulously as she held the lacy green apron out to him.  Alice snickered.

            “You insist on staying for breakfast, you wear the apron and help make it.”

            “Okay, but only because you look so good in yours.”

Alice rolled her eyes, but she had to smile when he tied the apron on and started stalking up and down the kitchen tiles like he was at a high end fashion show.

            “Bet you never knew I’d look this good.” He jutted a hip out in an exaggerated pose. He did look good, rooster apron and all, but she would never admit that.

            There was a timid throat clearing from behind them and they turned to see Maya emerging from the guest bedroom, brown hair in tangles, eyes puffy with sleep.

            “Good morning!” said Alice, cheerfully. “I hope you’re feeling better.”

            “I do,” Maya said, shyly.  The girl’s gaze darted to Altair, frightened and unsure.

            “Don’t worry about him,” Alice joked. “He looks mangy but he doesn’t bite.”

            “I behave or I get tossed across the room,” Altair said. Maya’s expression became alarmed and he quickly added, “That’s a joke.”

            “Do you like bacon and eggs?” Alice said.

            “I…think so.” Maya paused thoughtfully, as though she were trying to remember if she’d ever had them before.

            “What did they give you at his place?” Altair’s tone was disgusted.

            “Mostly whatever was leftover.”

            “That’s horrible.” Alice glared down at her plate full of bacon and eggs like they were personally responsible for Maya’s former situation. “Here, come sit down.”

            Maya followed her to the table and sat where she was instructed. Alice gave her a knife and fork, and set the plate full of steaming food down in front of her.

            “Enjoy. You need it after your night of detoxing.”

            “Thank you,” Maya speared a piece of bacon with her fork.  Alice and Altair brought their own plates to the table. Maya ate her eggs and bacon very slowly, as if she were savouring every bite. When she was finished, Alice watched her put down the knife and fork carefully on the plate and look up, catching her staring.

“Thank you.” Maya said.

            “You’re welcome. How are you feeling now?”

            “Better.”

            “Good.” Alice collected the plates and began to scrape them in the garbage underneath the sink. She couldn’t help but feel awkward. What should I talk about? Should I make sure not to mention Ambrose?

            “This shop moves?” Maya asked.

Alice looked over at her curiously. “It does. You’ve heard of Threads?”

            “Everyone in Ambrose’s court has heard of Threads…and of you.” There was no malice in the girl’s voice, only amazement, as if she could hardly believe that the Sorceress that Ambrose talked about so much had swept in and carried her away.

“If this shop moves you should get away from here,” she continued earnestly. “Right now! You’ve taken me away from him. He’ll be furious, and now you owe him. He desires you, you know. It’s no secret.” Maya saw Altair bristle and she flinched back. 

            “She’s right,” he said. “We should move.”

            “What does he want?” Alice asked her. “Do you know? Did he ever say why he’s so interested?”

            “He would never confide in me. All I know is you should run…as fast as you can.”

            Alice frowned. “He’ll get really mad if I just take you and leave. I’d rather avoid making an enemy.”

            “You already made an enemy,” Maya said. “Haven’t you noticed how Allira looks at you? She’s in love with Ambrose.”

            “I think I figured that one out,” Alice murmured.

.           “That woman is horrible.” Maya shivered. “She’s been with him for years. I’m the only one Ambrose has had longer then her, and she hates me for it. She used to come by the harem when Ambrose was away and say awful things to me, hit me every chance she got. She hits anyone that Ambrose pays attention to, she’d kill them if he’d let her. She flies into jealous rages and smashes things.  I think she’s so obsessed with him that she’s gone crazy.” Alice frowned, disturbed that Maya was talking about being abused so matter-of-factly.

“I could try to move the shop.” She stopped scrapping the dishes and was pacing back and forth across the kitchen tile. “But last time I tried it refused to move.”

            “Your shop refused?” Maya said, confused.

            “It’s a magic shop,” Altair explained. “It has moods apparently.”

            Maya blinked. “Moods.”

            “And I will no doubt make a permanent enemy of him if I move,” Alice muttered. “I’m sure Greek gods live a long time.”

            “Forever, actually. And they have long memories and are champions at holding grudges,” Altair added.  Alice glared at him.

            “Yes, thank you.”

            “Just saying.” He shrugged.

            “That means I could never come to New York again, plus I would be worried that someday he’d come after me.”

            “He would, or he’d send someone. You would never be rid of him.” Maya’s breath hitched.

            Altair said, “You must know, if you’ve been with him so long. Is he really powerful? Or do people just do what he says because he claims to be a god?” He leaned forward, eyes burning. “Has he ever done magic around you?”

Maya hesitated, leaning back from Altair.  “Once, a long time ago…a man stole from him and he made that man’s house collapse around him.” She blinked back tears. “It was horrible to watch but he made us.  He wanted us all to know what he could do.”

Just for a split second a look of intense anger and grief flashed across Altair’s face, and the girl flinched. Alice’s mouth dropped open. That man must have been Altair’s mentor!  As she watched, Altair quickly smoothed his expression into a reassuring smile.

“You’ve been with him for years and you’ve only seen him do magic once?” he asked Maya.

            “He doesn’t need to - he has Wizards and Witches at his beck and call. When he wants something done, someone else does it for him. He doesn’t like to get his hands dirty.”

             Alice huffed, frustrated. “That still makes him dangerous. I wish there was a diplomatic way of doing this.”

            “Too late for that,” Altair grunted and leaned back in his chair.       

Maya’s face fell. “I’ve put you in a terrible position.” She bowed her head.

            “You hardly asked me to swoop in and grab you,” Alice said. “I don’t regret what I did.  I don’t care if he chases me to the ends of the earth.”

            “It’s what she does…” Altair shrugged. “She rescues strays. She’s already got a Tiger she saved from some evil pet shop, she saved me from getting killed and now I won’t leave her alone, now you. God only knows what’s next.”

            Alice hoped Maya wouldn’t take offence to being called a stray.

             “I know him - I’ve been with his court since I was thirteen - he always gets what he wants.” Maya looked up at Alice. “And he wants you.”

            “Why?” Alice cried in frustration. “I don’t understand why he’s interested. He’s a rock star and a god, for crying out loud.”

            “Don’t underestimate yourself,” Altair muttered at her. “There are plenty of reasons a guy would want you.”

            Alice blushed furiously, and hoped that Maya wouldn’t notice. Luckily, the girl either hadn’t heard Altair or was ignoring his comment.

“Perhaps he’s just attracted to you. He’s had many women. He prides himself on getting what he wants.”

            “Not this time,” Alice said grimly. “This time, he’s going to be disappointed.”

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