The Heartstone Saga by Archibald Bradford (pdf to ebook reader txt) 📗

the fact that the pile of seeds was probably one of the few things she had ever won in her life.

The scant clothing she wore spoke of a life of sex, but the way she kept her ears low and her eyes on the floor when he first entered the room spoke of abuse.

Never a good combination.

“Hey! We agreed! No frowning tonight!” She popped a couple of seeds in her mouth and chewed while leveling an accusing look at him.

His good humour returned as he ran his hand through his long hair before adjusted his loose ponytail.

The Katje wasn’t one to question the fashion choices of her customers, but she still thought that he had a very... unique, hairstyle: most of his hair was tied back save for an odd little braid that started with his cowlick and ran down the side of his face.

“Sorry, just thinking of a friend.” He replied.

Whatever his hair was like, the narrow shouldered yet lean and toned man was the most interesting customer the young Katje had ever met.

She munched away at her sunflower seeds for a moment; he had emptied the bag on the table for them to use in lieu of coins, she had never eaten them before and now she absolutely loved them.

“Is this friend… a girl?”

The leading nature of her question was painfully obvious.

“Yeah.”

“So, is she your girl… friend?” Her heart was in her eyes when she asked.

“Something like that.” He murmured.

Once again he could read her, in this case her obvious disappointment.

“I don’t get it, if you have a girlfriend, why are you here?”

“Why indeed.” He breathed, one finger pushing his tiny pile around in front of him absently as he considered the monster girl before him.

She had been introduced as Jasmine, though he doubted that was her real name. The fur of her ears and tail was a lovely light grey, nearly white in some parts. A large piece of her left ear was missing, the edges jagged as if torn off, and there was a corresponding scar over her left eye, the pupil milky white.

She quickly became self conscious under the scrutiny of his mud coloured eyes, looking away and popping some more seeds in her mouth while pulling her bangs down over her blinded eye.

“You know, you are the first um, customer, I’ve ever had that didn’t want to… you know.” Her head tilted to the narrow mattress in the corner of the room.

“Oh?”

“Yeah, and definitely the first to ever play cards with me.”

Her eyes flicked up to him again, and then back down as he felt a nervous flutter come from the stone in his pocket.

“So I have to ask, w-why would you rent my heartstone, and for a whole night even! If you didn’t want to have sex with me?”

“Why do you think I did?” He countered slyly in a bid to keep things light between them.

“I-I don’t know, I’m k-kind of afraid to know now.” Her voice trailed off to a broken whisper and there was a visible tremor in her lower lip by the time she finished.

Immediately he regretted his teasing.

He stood up, not missing her flinch at his abrupt movement, then rounded the table and knelt down, bringing his head lower than hers while at the same time reaching out to lift her chin with one finger.

“I told you, remember? You are safe with me, safer now than you have ever been in your life.”

“Okay.” Her voice was still little more than a breathy whisper.

He nodded at the weak smile his words elicited from her.

“You don’t believe me, and that’s okay, I’ll just keep saying it until you do. So chin up little sister, and let’s see how long it takes for you to win the rest of my seeds!”

Her enthusiasm returned at his cheeky tone and she began to gather up the cards on the table.

Sadly before they could continue their game a meaty fist pounded on the door twice and Leland Brown entered without waiting on a response.

“Young master! I see you and my Jasmine have yet to find the mattress! You need anything? Anything at all? Please don’t hesitate.” He rubbed his hands together greedily, clearly eager to make off with more of the small man’s coin.

Jasmine all but folded in on herself at the sudden presence of her owner, while the wiry man scowled at the rude interruption.

“I already paid you for everything that I need: the girl for the night, with no interruptions. So unless you are here to return my bits, get out.” He snapped.

For such a small man, his tone was surprisingly commanding and Leland actually stammered an apology, backing out of the door with an awkward half bow.

Once the door was shut again the little man turned to Jasmine, and was irritated to see her trembling once more.

“Sorry about that, shall we?” He gestured towards the cards, but it quickly became apparent that she didn’t want to play anymore.

“Why d-did you pay for me? What do you want with me?” She whispered, her glistening eyes staring at the floor.

He let out a heavy breath at the sight of the stressful tears streaming down her cheeks and decided that honesty was the best way forwards.

“To keep you safe.”

Her face turned back up to his, and there was a long pause as she weighed the simple sincerity of his answer, until eventually confusion replaced her fear.

“But-”

A sudden crashing sound came from outside the ramshackle building and several male voices shouting in alarm while Jasmine jumped at the sudden noise.

The man nodded, his lips tight with determination.

“That would be what I was waiting for.” As the noise increased, he flipped the table towards the door, scattering sunflower seeds everywhere