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Chapter 8 - The Chief

They weren't walking through the streets for long before little clusters of people started appearing at the sides of the road. They stood in small groups, leaning against the walls of crumbling buildings and talking in low voices to each other.

Some watched them as they passed, smiling sinisterly but others ignored them completely.

Next to her Kai walked with the quick strides that she was beginning to learn were characteristic to him. His expression was smooth save for a slight pulling in of his eyebrows and somehow she knew that his composure was just a mask on the surface.

Her palms started to sweat with anxiety. What if...what if he didn't protect her? How could she have so much trust in this man that she'd just met? Stop it, she told herself, you have no choice.

Her heart jumped when a hand reached out and grabbed her right arm. However, as she pulled air into her lungs to scream, she realised that Kai was, in fact, the man pulling her to the side of the road.

He pressed her into the grimy wall with his whole body, his head falling so his mouth brushed her ear. Her breath stopped and her eyes widened. Was it really necessary for him to get so up in her personal space? Her collarbone throbbed painfully where Braeden's hidden mark lay.

Kai's breath was soft on the side of her face as he spoke in a stifled voice. "Know that people will assume the worst of our association."

Someone wolf whistled loudly from behind Kai, as if on cue. "The sun hasn't even set yet!" The unidentified male voice shouted. Nereyda waited for Kai to turn around and teach the man a lesson for sniping at him in such a disrespectful way but he didn't, simply waiting for the footsteps to pass.

"But more importantly," Kai continued, "we are dalatzef. You have no time to learn that, you just need to know."

Nereyda blinked at the small portion of the sky that she could see. Give up her leopard completely? Half of her soul? She couldn't, wouldn't do it. But, if it meant her survival, she could pretend.

Kai took the two steps that released her from his constraints and her lungs expanded rapidly.

Nereyda scrambled to keep up with him as he resumed his stride, taking deep breaths to try to calm her racing heart rate. He had such an overwhelming presence this man, and so close to her like he'd been just now... She squeezed her eyes shut to try to clear the fog from her brain.

Kai stopped at an unassuming fire escape staircase that looked the same as many down the street before it. Had they arrived?

Nereyda followed close behind him up the stairs, suddenly feeling like eyes were watching her from all directions. Peeking down at the street they were leaving, she realised that the people that had previously been occupied with their own business, now paused in their activities to gape up at her with wary stares.

She quickly averted her eyes, ducking her head in a reflex that would once have sent a sheet of snowy hair falling to protect her. She bit her lip, tugging uncomfortably at the too small top that left her skin bared to the scrutiny of others. Gods she felt so exposed.

Kai pushed open a heavy door to reveal what looked like a deformed version of one of her drawing rooms back home. It had several low sofas facing even lower coffee tables, arranged to maximise each segment's privacy.

From what she could see as Kai led her through, there weren't many people around in this open room.

A man nearly double her size stood with his back to the wall near the door and exchanged nods with Kai as they passed. This must be what the dalatzef used as their guards.

Nereyda saw that the end of the room finished with a balcony railing, presumably the room overlooked some kind of hall below. She wanted to go and look but Kai wasn't headed that way and for some reason the entire setup of the place set her on edge. It didn't feel safe.

He led her through all the seating to the end of the room where a pair of large double doors lay. They weren't as ornate as the ones she'd had back home but it was still obvious that they concealed something important.

Another big burly human stood in front of the doors. He bowed his head to Kai and immediately pulled open the doors for them. Nereyda's stomach fluttered with nerves. Obviously her guardian was well respected.

The doors led to a throne room. That was all she could think as she took in the empty aisle with a chair on a raised stage at the end of it. The sofas lining the walls in there were more luxurious than the ones outside, the plush cushions ready to yield to whoever sat there.

Nereyda's eyes did a quick survey of the people there. There were about twenty, give or take, either sinking into pillows or lying on the floor gazing up at the ceiling. Many of them were sucking on the fire sticks, and the strange smell of the smoke was dispersed through the air. One man was lying backwards over the couch, his legs resting over the back of the seat and his head dangling near the floor. He was grinning into the distance, seemingly at nothing.

Nereyda followed Kai as he strode down the aisle with confident steps. Whatever this place was, he definitely had the right to be here.

Music was playing lowly in the background, emitted from where, she could not see.

The chair on the riser had its back to the room. A dark head was just about visible over the back of it.

"Nefasu," Kai clearly addressed the chair.

Slowly, it span around on some kind of wheeled mechanism. Nereyda released the breath she hadn't known she'd been holding when she saw an ordinary man lounging in the great armchair. She didn't know what she'd been expecting, but the sight of the man came as a relief.

He had dark skin and black hair cut close to his head. "Shade!" He greeted enthusiastically.

Nereyda stood directly behind Kai, ashamed that she wished the chief wouldn't see her.

"So rarely do we see your face," Nefasu continued, "To what do we owe the honour?" There was a barely concealed mocking in his question.

Uhoh, Nereyda thought. Tension?

Before she could further contemplate the strange dynamic, Kai was reaching behind him to pull her forward.

She gasped in fear, fighting her leopard's instinct to throw him off her and run out the door.

"I have a recommendation," he said in a calm, commanding tone.

Nefasu's glinting smile froze in place as he drank her in with weary but greedy eyes. They raked her from parted lips down to the ends of her legs, stopping to suck at her bare stomach.

Suddenly his gaze snapped up to address the rest of the room and he opened his mouth to yell, "KAI'S GOT HIMSELF A HOE," over the low voices and music.

Everyone who had been somehow distracted seconds before, turned their full attention on the confrontation taking place in the middle of the room. Some burst into laughter, others let out congratulatory whoops of celebration.

"And isn't she pretty," he murmured, almost to himself. He raised a hand to beckon her over with one finger.

Hell no. There was no way she was going over there when every man in the room was eyeing her like she was a pig for slaughter. The few women in the room just stood by and roared with laughter, obviously finding the whole situation extremely funny.

Kai pushed her forward, none too gently, and she tried not to show the hurt in her eyes as she looked back at him in question. He simply gestured towards Nefasu with a jerk of his head, his expression hard and stern.

Seeing that she wasn't going to get any help from him and hating herself for being emotionally reliant on a stranger so quickly, she steeled her resolve. This was what she had set out to do. She'd be damned if she'd let a bit of intimidation get in her way.

Giving Kai an angry look, she pushed her shoulders back and lifted her chin in the air. Letting the mask of nothingness fall over her face was easier than she'd thought it would be. It now acted as her shield instead of her prison bars and her leopard knew it.

Nereyda strode through the throne room towards what she assumed was the King equivalent of the land, forcing herself not to shiver under the lecherous stares she could feel on her body.

She wasn't sure how close he wanted her to get but she continued walking until he stopped beckoning with his finger. That brought them toe to toe, her standing over him.

His dark hand reached for hers and before she knew it, he'd tugged her down onto his hard lap. Her eyes went wide and her whole body stiffened at the action. Without her consent, her eyes sought out Kai's.

He stood a step beneath them, facing the riser where they sat. His eyes were dark but slightly lowered in submission. Nereyda couldn't believe he was the kind to ever submit to anyone and yet the truth was there before her eyes.

Something hard was digging into her hip and she shifted slightly, glancing down to identify the object. It was a strange piece of black metal, shaped somewhat like a boomerang but it was cylindrical instead of flat.

When she looked up she realised Nefasu had caught her staring and a cocky smile had taken over his face. "Don't worry," he said quietly, just to her, "I won't be using it on you anytime soon." He had the strangest eyes this man. They were like pools of molten gold, dripping with heat and temptation. He reached down and pulled the strange object off his lap, placing it on the wide arm of the chair.

Looking out at the room, everyone's eyes seemed to rest on the small piece of black metal for a second before flicking away fearfully.

If she had to guess, she'd say it was some kind of weapon.

"So do you have a name?" Nefasu's intimately spoken question brought her attention back to his light eyes, so in contrast with the colour of his skin.

Just as she was opening her mouth to answer, another voice interrupted.

"Daliah." It was Kai. "Her name is Daliah," he repeated.

Nefasu took his eyes off her to glare at Kai.

"She migrated up from the South," Kai continued, "Looking to move into the city."

Realising that Kai wanted to do all the talking on her behalf, she turned further away from Nefasu and towards the room. Kai was trying to help her: he knew what to say.

Nefasu shifted in his chair, his muscles tightening and Nereyda's own stiffened in response. In her heart she knew that this was a dangerous man.

"And you're shagging her then?" He spat the question with disgust.

Nereyda didn't understand the slang but Kai's prior warning echoed in her ears. She could take a pretty good guess.

Kai's face gave nothing away as everyone in the room scrutinised him, his eyes simply glaring over her shoulder at the chief. The whole room seemed to hold its breath for the heavy seconds that followed and her suspicion that something was going on between Kai and Nefasu was practically confirmed.

Finally Nefasu let out a disbelieving hiss, shifting slightly so she knew he'd broken eye contact.

"Alright mate. Well congratulations for getting over the last one." He laughed and everyone in the room laughed too.

Her logical brain was registering how it was obvious that Nefasu was in control here but all she could think was 'last one'?

Kai's gaze was back on the ground but she could see his clenched fists and taught jaw. Again, she couldn't believe he let himself be controlled like this.

A few seconds later Nefasu fired off, "Prostitute, stripper, waitress, take your pick."

Kai's eyes flew back up to the chair.

"Or," Nereyda felt his hand caressing the side of her rib cage and coming to rest possessively on her bare stomach. When he next spoke his voice was low in her ear, "You can be mine and be treated like a Queen."

Her eyes flew up in shock at his words...and landed immediately on Kai. The corners of his lips were downturned with distaste and his eyes screamed warnings at her. Surely she would be a fool not to listen to him?

But to be treated like a Queen...her eyes closed at the thought. She was meant to be a Queen. Perhaps this was the gods, giving her a chance to live as her birth had dictated she would. Nefasu had unknowingly hit her weak spot. His hand tightened on her stomach as if he knew he was getting to her.

No. She wouldn't sell herself. She wasn't that desperate yet and she had too much self respect to voluntarily give herself to a man for money. Because that's what this was. His offer was an equivelant to prostitution.

Seeming to sense her change of heart, he released his hold, giving her a push which ordered her to get to her feet.

She did so quickly, turning to face him and bowing her head. "Waitress," she said softly, her voice only just carrying over the music.

Nefasu's lips twisted with disappointment and he gestured for her to return to Kai's side. She barely stopped herself from dipping into a curtsey before she scurried off the riser and back to Kai. Not in this world, Nereyda.

"Granted," Nefasu said, flicking his wrist in their direction. "Welcome to the Aris," he rattled off, already turning his chair to face away from them. "Dismissed," he called finally before silence took place.

Kai wasted no time putting a protective arm around her and hustling her out of the room as if he couldn't get out of there fast enough. She followed him in a daze, Nefasu's words still ringing in her ears. Welcome to the Aris.

Was this real? 

--- A/N ---

YAY I UPDATED! It's a serious struggle finding time to write these days, plus, I have my Maths mock tomorrow. Vote if you're proud of my dedication XD (nah not really, only vote if you actually liked the chapter >.<) Thanks for reading, all my love to you! - Z