113 Him- Part 3 (1/2)
As he lathered her up with the soap, Heidi couldn't resist but to take a peak over her shoulders at the man. When her eyes met his, she heard him question,
”What is it?
”You were being quiet.”
”Is that so unusual?” at the nod of her head, he asked, ”When did you receive the mark on your back? Where the Curtis' family who bought you?” Last night they hadn't found the time to talk about everything and Heidi knew that Nicholas would have questions about it, ”If you don't want to talk about it, you don't have to,” he added.
”I was seven when I received the mark. I ran away from the slave establishment,” at Heidi's confession, Nicholas raised both his brows. Slaves rarely tried escaping from the prison like environment the slave offered due to the punishment that was implemented, ”I don't remember how I got in there. I don't have memories of my biological parents but I do have memories of the confined walls of the building I was in. The slaves, the head guard. I see them in my dreams sometimes. During my stay there, there was a woman there who took care of me like her own daughter. Unfortunately I don't remember her name, maybe we never exchanged our names. She took care of me, even going an extra mile by giving me her share of food. She was a good person,” Heidi said softly.
”Did she die?” Nicholas asked her.
”The guard killed her in front of me. She was supposed to go with the guard to an auction but she refused that day. Disobedience is not taken lightly there and the guard's word is absolute. He...butchered her in front of me,” she whispered as her voice wavered unsteadily. Nicholas rubbed her shoulders to comfort her. Bringing her closer to him so that he could hug her, ”After she died I couldn't bear the pain and I tried escaping but it didn't go well and the seal of slave was placed. I took another chance and finally did outrun the guard in charge of the facility. I ran for days until I ended up in Woville and in front of my uncle, Raymond Curtis on the street.”
”I didn't want to get married to Warren initially and I ran away.”
”You seem to hold a successful record when it comes to escaping,” Nicholas commented teasingly making her smile.
”I wasn't successful though.”
”Why not?” he asked, curious with the story.
”My family aren't fond of vampires and when father heard that Nora was going to be sent here, he and my uncle switched her place with me. I...I didn't want a marriage like that. If my mother was alive she wouldn't want that for me. Even if it weren't for the uninvited marriage, I would have left. I saved enough money to start life anew but things didn't go according to plan,” Heidi sighed, ”My sister found out about it and our caretaker, Howard was beaten by the Duke's men.”
”Duke?” Nicholas questioned her. He didn't miss the fear that had begun to creep into her eyes and there was a change in the rhythm of her heartbeat. Nicholas was aware with the fact that there was something more than her family's ill-treatment and now that she had finally opened up to him, he waited for her to speakpatiently.
”Duke Dorian Scathlok. My uncle Raymond is well acquainted with him. He was the one who proposed our names for the truce to Lord Wastell. I, the Duke kept Howard in proposition that he would keep him alive and breathing if I complied with the truce without any resistance. He planned to kill you through me.”
”Did he now. The plan must have gone awfully bad if I'm still alive,” he joked, ”What about your caretaker?” he inquired
”I'm not sure if Howard is fine,” she said worried.