Three

I ran. 

I ran, not daring to look back till I reached out camp. I paused when I found Jessy waiting for me, arms crossed with a smirk on her face. With the look on her face, I realized she must have known master Kieran was not far away but she sent me anyways. I stared at her long and hard but that’s all I could do. Not when I didn’t want life harder than it was already. 

“How was it?” She asked, just when I walked by her. My eyes widened, wondering if she knew the hideous crime i had committed. Touching young master’s food and defying him as well. My heart began to race as I thought of several ways i would be purnished for it. 

“There’s a lot you could be doing right now, instead of staring daggers at me. One word from me and your already pathetic life is ruined, you know how Kieran can be.” 

“I did nothing.” I managed to mutter, wearing a confidence i didn’t feel. 

“Oh really? Then why do you look like you’ve seen the face of the devil himself?” She drawled with even more confidence and I swallowed thickly. I needed to escape her, before she finds out more. 

As I walked away, I however wondered how she knew master Kieran would catch me in his room and most of all, why she referred to him as Kieran, instead of young master. 

That night, I couldn’t sleep. I kept thinking about what master Kieran would do to me now. I might have been lucky, but I knew it was far from over. 

**

The next morning, just when I was finally able to close my eyes, I was doused with water, alongside the other maids. Wincing, I got off the floor, to aviod another round. It was a habit of the slave wardens to splash the slaves with water every morning. We would rise every morning, shackled and matched to the plantation, farm and sometimes, market for sale. 

Low curses and murmurs filled the air as everyone got on their feet, dreading today’s work. 

“Will you form a queue, you unlucky slaves!” Matt yelled, his disgusted eyes running over us. Wincing, I quickly got in line with the others. Matt always had a deep frown etched on his face, hated the slaves and didn’t hesitate to inflict pain on us.

“Hey.” I heard someone say from behind me. I smiled when I saw it was Lucy, my friend. She’s one of the oldest slaves here, as she was bought when she was just a child. The constant abuse didn’t leave her untouched as overtime, she developed a mental disorder. 

She would talk and laugh all day by herself, her mind oblivious to the hellhole we are in. Sometimes, I hoped for her kind of happiness. The kind that no situation could dampen, not even this place. 

Giving her a quick nod, we later proceeded to the farm. When we got there, it was all bushes. About 15 acres. 

“Madame had just bought this land, uproot the weed till you loose your breath.” Matt said cheerfully, as if eager to see us suffer. 

“Ermmmm, are we finishing all this work today?” I didn’t realize I spoke my thought out, till everyone turned to looked at me but with their expression, I knew they had the same thought.

Matt smirk and stalked towards me. 

“What is it Isabel, don’t tell me you want to spend a week here?” Matt asked, stepping too close to me. “Or you want me to show you a little mercy?” He whispered, leaning close to my ears. 

Matt had once hitted on me. When I refused to be his fuck buddy, he promised to marry me and elevate my slave status but I knew it was all a lie. I felt nothing towards him and even if I agreed to marry him, it would only make a slight difference. 

While I would no longer be a slave, I will continue to be under the same family. I would either become a maid, cook or hairdresser in the compound. That wasn’t the life I wanted. 

Just then, gallops of horses interrupted us. Riding on the road alongside the farm were the three sons of Rue pendragon. Damien Kieran and viktor. We all bowed slightly and kept our gazes on the floor. We weren’t allowed to look directly on them. When caught, penalty was a death sentence. 

I bowed my head, hoping they would pass and master Kieran wouldn’t notice me. Suddenly, a grunt sounded and we all looked up to see that the young masters had all stopped. 

I gasped when I realized Lucy had thrown a stone directly at them and it had hit master Kieran. Other slaves gasped as well. 

“Sons of the devil! Damn you all for enslaving us!” Lucy yelled, making my heartbeat increase. No one dares talk to them. 

The three brothers got off their horses and I watched in horror as master Kieran matched to Lucy, who stood defiantly.

 Just when he was about to reach her, his eyes met mine and I froze. His cold eyes ran over me, before settling on Matt, who was still standing very close to me. Matt stepped away from me immediately, noticing master Kieran’s stare. He obviously recognized me. 

As if nothing had happened, he continued his walk towards Lucy. 

“Damn you all, I am not scared of you!” She yelled again, pointing a finger at Kieran. 

“Do you have a death wish?” Master Kieran asked casually, like he was asking about her favourite food. 

“Just kill me already, I am not scared of you. Death is better than this!” She yelled in his face and my heart broke. 

“Fine.” Master Kieran said with a small nod and before I could register what was happening, he slipped a knife out from his belt so fast and stabbed it right into Lucy’s heart. 

Lucy gasped with pain, shock all over her expression as she watched master Kieran take her life. 

Master Kieran showed no remorse whatsoever. His face remained empty as he twisted the knife in her heart, before pulling it out. 

Lucy fell on the ground, life fading out of her. 

I screamed.