A Sinless Betrayal - Cherie Benjamin (paper ebook reader .TXT) 📗

a thick layer of dust coming off onto my skin. These books and parchment scrolls and paintings haven't been touched in years. I wonder why no one's been in here for such a long time. I wonder why it's been sealed off in the dark corner of an even longer and darker corridor.

I pull one of the books off of the shelves and look at the title. It is a very old book, with writing barely legible. I must test my skills of reading Hausa. "The Origins" is what the title says. I open the first page and begin to read.

It happened long ago that Q'waeti journeyed all over the land setting the people aright and instructing the people that would come in the future how they should act. Q'waeti instructed the people how to build houses. One day Q'waeti came upon Beaver. Beaver was sharpening his stone knife and Beaver was very stingy. Q'waeti asked what Beaver was doing, whereupon Beaver said: "I am sharpening my knife in order to kill Q'waeti." Then Q'waeti took what Beaver was sharpening and stuck it on Beaver's tail. Then he said: "You shall always have this stuck to your tail, and live in the water. You will just slap the water with your tail and dive when the people come."

Then one day he came upon Deer. Deer was sharpening his shell knife, thereupon Q'waeti asked Deer what he was sharpening it for. Whereupon Deer said: "I am going to kill Q'waeti." Then Q'waeti seized the shell that Deer was sharpening and stuck it on Deer's ears. He said: "When you see people you shall run frightened and stop, and look back." Then Q'waeti went on his way.

Not long afterwards he reached Q'wayi't'soxk'a River. But he did not find any people. Then Q'waeti spit on his hands and rubbed them. Doing this he rubbed off the human dead skin into the water. Thereupon many people appeared. Then Q'waeti said to the people whom he had made: "You shall dwell here," said he. "Your name shall be Queets."

Then Q'waeti reached the Hoh people. He saw that these people walked on their hands carrying their smelt nets between their legs. At that time all the Hoh people walked on their hands. They were called the Upside Down people. Since that time the Upside Down people were known as the first people who had existed. Then Q'waeti turned right side up the ones who walked on their hands. "You shall use your feet to walk," said Q'waeti to the former Upside Down people. "Go and fish. You shall catch much fish when you fish." Ever since then there is much smelt at Hoh.

Then Q'waeti went on and reached the Hausa land. He saw two wolves. There were no people here. Then Q'waeti transformed the wolves into people. Then he instructed the people saying: "The common man will have only one wife. Only a chief may have four or more wives. For this reason, you Hausa shall be brave because you come from wolves," said Q'waeti. "In every manner, you shall be strong."

I close the book and pull out a different book. It is red in colour and the ink is thick and blue. "The Child Eater" is the title. I lean against the bookshelf and open it up.

Here lived once a big woman named Dask'iya. She was an evil woman who stole innocent children from their loving families and takes them to Yaq'ilis creek (Dry River in Barbarian country). She gathers the children together by the river in a cave. Here, Dask'iya would cook the children. She built a large fire on stones and tended to it with rocks and sticks she found in the forest. Dask'iya would broil the children on her special fire. But before Dask'iya would broil them, she would put gum into their eyes so that they could not see anything.

One day she stole many children and took them out to the creek. Then she heated the stones in which she was going to use to broil the children and feast upon them. The children were standing around the fire with the gum covering their eyes, cowering in fear. Many nightmares had come to them about the Child Eater and now it was really happening to them. One older girl--afraid but daring--warmed her hands in order to melt the gum that was stuck to her eyes while Dask'iya danced and sang around the fire. "The fire is getting hot," she sang merrily. "The rocks are almost ready!"

The young girl finally melted the gum and opened her eyes. Dask'iya hadn't noticed the little girl and continued on singing and dancing around the fire. When Dask'iya was in front of the little girl, she pushed Dask'iya into the fire. The little girl watched as Dask'iya burned quickly because there was nothing but gum in the fire, and listened to the agonizing screams of the woman

After Dask'iya burned completely, the girl warmed her shaking hands once more and melted the gum off of all of the other children's' eyes. All of the boys and girls opened their eyes again and ran back home to tell the story of the little girl's triumph in killing the Child Eater.

I slam the book shut when I hear footsteps coming closer towards me. Suddenly I feel a strong hand on my arm, yanking me upwards. "What do you think you're doing?" I don't recognize his voice as Abigor's. I'm terrified and afraid.

When I look into the eyes of the person that had attacked me, I see that it is Iron Coyote. When he notices the terrified expression on my face, he laughs evilly. I don't say anything; I'm still in shock.

"Didn't the king tell you not to come into the private family library?" he hisses at me, his black eyes narrowing.

I push away from him, getting his filthy hands off of my flesh. "Don't touch me, beast," I hiss at him. "What are you doing up here?"

Amusement mixed with anger flash in his eyes. "I could ask you the same exact thing."

Iron Coyote was supposed to be at the meeting with Abigor. After all, he is one of Abigor's men. I try to leave, but he pushes me against one of the bookshelves and pins my arms above my head. "Let me go!" I scream at him.

He sighs and tilts his head as if contemplating whether or not he should let me go. "Hmm, let me think. No!" He laughs when I growl at him. "So, whose side are you really on, Tiger Claw?"

When his face draws closer to mine, I struggle more. "Is this some kind of sick joke?"

He's so close to me that I can feel his lips turn upwards into a smile on my skin. "I am afraid not."

I decide not to provoke him. He's got the upper hand on me and Abigor can't protect me while he's at the other end of the castle. "I am on your side. Why do you think I gave you the information about Bellechester if I was not?"

He chuckles slow and deep. "Because quite frankly, little one, I don't trust you."

I almost want to laugh. He doesn't trust me. This has to be a joke. "Fuck you," I tell him. I've never been one to curse, but this time my feelings just cried out for some form of expression.

He smiles wide, the sides of his cheeks pulling up greatly. "Maybe I'll let you if you behave and be a good little girl." Then he thrusts his pelvis against my core. I can't help myself when I begin to scream and beat him with my wrists.

Iron Coyote wrestles me back towards the bookcase again. "You bastard," I hiss at him. "You can rot in hell for all I care!"

He laughs and thrusts himself against me one more time. "Then you're coming with me, darling Eliza. If I find out that you're a goddamned spy or selling us out, I will personally end you, despite the pleas of my brother." The look on my face makes him throw his head back and laugh again. That's when I find my perfect opportunity to hurt him.

My fist darts out and hits that long stretch of neck muscles, causing him to go down in an instant. My blow knocks the breath out of his body. He writhes on the floor, trying desperately to suck in some air. My eyes blazed with fury as I see him there flopping around like a fish. "You…*cough* kariya!" he chokes out.

He's trying to get up and it finally occurs to me that I should probably run. At least now that I know I didn't kill him. I turn on my heel and dart down the hall, my cloak flying off in the process. I don't have time to stop and turn and grab it, since Iron Coyote's hot on my heels.

I turn a corner and hide behind a little divot in the wall, watching as he darts down the hall past me, muttering curses along the way. I can protect myself without Abigor's help…at least this time, I could. Once Iron Coyote is out of sight, I creep back to get my cloak and then scurry back to my room.

0o0o0o0o

Since I'd been able to escape from Iron Coyote, I've been feeling a little bit more confident about my keeping. Abigor doesn't come back until really late when it's darker than dark outside and awfully cold. I'm huddled by the fire, trying to keep warm while drinking a cup of warm tea.

He sits on his chair and reaches out to touch my head. "How did you fare without me?" he asks. I shrug my shoulders and take another sip.

"Fine." That's all I choose to say. I don't want to say anything about his brother and I because I'm afraid he'll feel burdened by me and will never let me roam the halls alone again because of the nagging fear of his brother coming to claim me. I know that I can protect myself.

He shrugs off his animal skin pants and shirt. "And what did you explore tonight?" he asks me. His clothes land near my person as he strips down into something more comfortable.

Iron Coyote had said it was a private library and I don't know if Abigor will become angry with me for venturing there. Yet again, he hadn't told me it was off-limits to me. "A library," I finally say. "I read about some old Hausa legends and one about a vicious child-eater. I forget her name…I believe it starts with a D, though."

His brows raise and the corner of his lips juts up. "Dask'iya?" he questions.

I nod my head. "Yes, that's it."

"My father used to read me those stories when I was a young boy," he whispers, reaching for a glass of wine. "He said that if I misbehaved or failed to please his wishes, Dask'iya would come after me and broil the flesh from my bones."

I make a face at him. "That's a horrid threat."

He laughs a little. "Yes, I suppose. But it made me work much harder." He pauses, seeing the distressed look on my face. "Er…Elizabella?"

"Yes?"

"You are…on our side, correct?"

I sigh. "By our side you mean your side, don't you?" I look up at him. He looks a little shocked but interested in what I have to say. "If I am to be your mistress, I have no choice in sides. But if I am to be your love, then I must choose sides based on what my heart tells me I should do."

Abigor swallows thickly and looks at me in wonder. "And…what does your heart tell you that you should do?"

I tear my eyes away from the fire and look back at him in the seat that he sits upon. "My heart tells me that I should choose my love."

"And you love me?"

"Of course I love you," I reply with a smile. I kiss his hand when he reaches out to touch