11 Chapter 11 (2/2)
We all eat in silence. I keep my eyes on my food. After we finish eating, we head to our room and quickly get changed, taking turns to go to the far side of the room while the others turn their backs toward the one changing. When they turn out the lights, everyone lays down. I just sit on my bed facing the wall. It takes only a few minutes for Janel and Lilith to come sit down next to me on my bed. ”Jaycie, are you okay?” Janel asks. ”I am fine.” I say flatly. Lilith gives a small laugh. ”Okay, I know she asked, but it was less of a question and more of a, 'I know you aren't okay. When are you going to tell us what's wrong?' We can see it in your eyes that you aren't okay.” I look at one of them, then the other. Then I turn to where I am completely facing them. ”If you knew what I was, you would stay as far back as possible.”
They share a look then look back at me. It is Janel that speaks. ”Are you going to tell us what you are. Who you were back in your town?” I shake my head. Lilith speaks this time. ”We know what you were. What you are. We know you are an assassin. The guards have been talking about you. We saw your skills with a blade when you killed that jerk a week ago.” I look at them with narrow eyes. ”I am no longer an assassin. I am a servant.” Janel gasps. Lilith puts two hands on my shoulders and shakes me. ”No. You are an assassin. Don't forget that. Get out of here when you can. Get out and get out quick.” I pull away from her and lay down with my back to them. ”I will never be an assassin. It obviously it to hard for me.”
Lilith scoffs. ”No, you will always be the queen of hell. The assassin that killed Daren, and those two guards. The one that came here fighting, and that hasn't given up yet.” I hear her walk to her bed and Janel walk to hers. I try and convince myself I am no longer an assassin, but Lilith's words lay the first steps to the ladder I need to climb out of this whole I am in.
When I wake up in the morning, I get changed into todays clothes. The rest of the girls wake up when the orange girl comes in. We all go to breakfast, then they start the tour. One of the girls who hadn't talked to me started it. ”Hello Jaycie, I am Canterlen. It is nice to meet you. Anyway, this way it the kitchen.” She leads me into a huge kitchen, and I look around at girls dressed in blood red and gold. They show me the laundry room, sitting rooms, studies, guest rooms, then head outside.
I feel the blast of heat hit me, and for the first time am glad about the attire I was forced to wear. They show me the gardens, where the girls in green work. They work there way through the plants, until they get to the dragon statues. They are pretty. Details are worked in everywhere. Another girl talks, her name it Ileana. ”This is were we can have peace. Pray for everything we need or want.”
I roll my eyes on the inside. The first sign of my old self. ”Dranea gives you everything she thinks you need.” I look the statue up and down. Then nod. I don't make any remarks on anything. As we walk back towards the reception room, I ask, ”What is with all the different colored clothes. We are hot pink, some are green. Some are red. And I am sure you know the others.” Canterlen smiles at me. ”Different jobs have different colors. Gardeners in green, cleaners in orange, cooks in red, and we personal assistant's to the bosses are in hot pink.” I nod, and we enter the reception area and take out seats. Out of the corner of my eyes, I start to assess the room.
I mark possible hidden passageways, note the guard shifts, notice how much the other girls move. I listen to footsteps enter and leave the room from behind me, even though the only seen door in the room is the one in front of me. And slowly as I have to sit here, I start to rebuild myself. I watch which come multiple times, and every time that mad and boy come in, I listen as they form their plans. It took about a week for me to be called on be Sairyia. ”Jaycie. Up here now.” I stood up and rushed over to her.
”Yes.” I say. ”That is yes Ma'am to you, and I need a glass of water. Hurry.” I rush off. A guard follows me, but he has trouble keeping pace with me, even though I am the one in tall heels. When I get into the kitchen I say, ”Excuse me. One of you, can I have a glass water?” I am immediately handed one and I rush back. When I get there, I hand it to her, and wait, unsure what to do. She takes a long sip, staring at me. ”Well, don't just stand there. Go sit.” I sit down.
That is how the days go. In my heart, I can feel anger welling up. It is soothing. I let it get bigger and bigger with each day that passes. Each night, when we go to sleep, I lay awake. I can only sleep about every four or five nights, but I don't make myself pass out. I just work through the drowsiness. It takes about four weeks for me to snap back.
Sairyia calls me over to her. She is standing in front of her chair. Xalem isn't there. I walk up to her and say, ”Yes ma'am.” She sneers at me. ”I am having some friends over today. I need you to assign one of these to each of them.” She points as the girls. I hiss. ”How about you do it. You could obviously use the time to learn their names.” Her hand flies back, and flies toward me. I duck under it, grab her arm, and throw her into the aisle between the girls. She stands up and shrieks. I see the guards by the door chuckle lightly and pretend not to notice.
”You better come help me up now.” I smirk. ”No thank you. I rather help Zachery up.” She looks confused. ”Who is Zachery?” I raise my brow. ”Someone with a lot more-” She holds up her hand. ”Don't even finish that statement.” I walk down to her and put my hands on my hips. ”What is wrong, are you to shocked to get off the floor on your own. To spoiled?” She jumps up. ”Guards.” Three walk in. ”Ma'am?” One asks. ”She needs a day in the mirror room.” They all look at me and I slip out of my shoes. ”They have to catch my first.” I run out the door and down the halls. I run past may guards, just a flash of pink and gold. They all follow me.
I run around the city. The citizens all stare at me. I am a servant, running barefoot, through the streets, with about a hundred guards following me. They start to come out of alleys ahead of me, so I veer back towards the main grounds, and head to the dragon statue. I scale it quickly. The are all staring up at me. I see all nine girls staring up at me with Sairyia behind them and Xalem behind her. I must look crazy because I am dancing on top of the statue taunting the guards. They are all to big to climb the statue.
My eye's flick to the girls and they are all holding back smiles. I look up and see Xalem smiling and laughing. Sairyia smacks him. She starts yelling. I start singing at the top of lungs. More servants come out and stare at me. Then I go from singing to yelling insults about this place. I am digging myself a deep hole, and I don't even care. Finally, they get a ladder, and one of the guards starts to climb up. When he gets a few steps up, I shove the tops back, and he has barley enough time to jump off. ”Hey, you okay?” I ask. ”Because it looks like you were jumping away pretty quick. Though I thought you were supposed to be getting closer.”
Xalem walks to the base of the statue and yells up, ”Jaycie. Come down know, and you won't be punished.” He calls up. I look down at him and I can see genuine humor in his eyes, though I can see the lie in his eyes. ”No thanks. I know that trick. ”Jaycie, get down now. We have guests coming in a few minutes. I look up and see the man and boy, though it is not a boy, more of someone my age. They are to far for me to get clear details of the face. ”You mean them?” I ask pointing. He turns then faces me again. ”Down, now.” He yells. ”No thanks.” I yell back. Then I go back to dancing and singing.
The older man walks over and asks, ”Isn't that one of your servant's?” He asks. Xalem nods. ”Yes. She is rather rebellious.” I start making a song about rebellion.
”They say behave and listen to your head, then they say follow your heart. Well I am sorry for them because my rebellious heart will always win. Yeah, my heart will always win. I am wild as the wind, running round with out a care in the world. Made a big mistake, just tryna catch a break. The rebel me will always run free.” I keep rambling on, and the man laughs. ”I think your words are inspiring her.” Xalem smiles and says, ”Get down here.”
I smirk and start a new song. ”I ain't never gonna come back down. I have flown so high up. I have made my way away from you, and I am finally free. Nothing holdin me back, nothin tellin me to stay. So I am gonna run run run. Run away from you.” The man laughs. ”This one is funny, but we have actual business to talk about.” Xalem looks at me with pleading eyes.
I feel something wrap around my ankles, then my shoulders. Then one final thing around my waist. A huge yank pulls me back. I go flying over the back half of the dragon, and land in the arms of about six guards. I try to fight away from them, but the still have a hold on the ropes around me. While they carefully keep their hands on my arms. ”Guards, take her.” They knock me out, and when I wake up, I am surrounded by mirrors. They don't have the same affect this time, I just keep reliving my day.
When they pull my out, I am all cramped up and I heal myself quickly. Then the whole process of being good and soaking up information, snapping, running, making a fool of them, and getting sent back in here starts again. Each time, the mirrors have a more and more affect on me until I am back to screaming, shaking a crying.