Page 51 of The Prisoner's Gambit
“We arrived here together. He saved my life, actually, but he got in trouble for helping me. I’m so glad to see he is okay.”
Mistress Tormik snorted her disdain. “I see you misunderstand, so allow me to clarify thisonetime. There isnosocializing. Not with anyone. Do not break this rule again.”
“Yes, Mistress,” Maureen replied, her eyes cast low as she’d been instructed to do the day of her arrival. “Do you have another parcel for me to carry, Mistress?”
The Mondarian glared at her a moment longer. “No. And I grow bored of this outing,” she said, turning on her heel. “We return home. Come.”
CHAPTERNINETEEN
The walk back to the Tormik residence was a relatively short one and it was a good thing, as Maureen felt strangely unsteady on her feet. Almost as if she’d had one alcoholic drink too many, though she had partaken of nothing of the sort.
Mistress Tormik led the way, the plebeians parting as she approached, affording her clear passage. They either recognized her, the markings on her garments, or simply saw the way she carried herself, like someone who could make your life a living hell if you rubbed her the wrong way. Whatever the case, the way was wide open for her and the stumbling servant following behind.
The mistress didn’t care about the peon laboring at her command, but she did notice the odd looks coming from the crowd. Looks directed not at her, but behind her. She stopped and turned, observing Maureen’s gait.
“What is wrong with you?” she demanded. “Are you falling ill?”
“No, Mistress.”
“You are affected.”
“It’s nothing. And we’re almost home. I’ll be fine.”
Tormik mulled over her words a moment. “Then come along. But do not falter. You are a reflection of my house, and I will not have you tarnishing my reputation.”
Maureen took a deep breath and tightened the muscles in her core and legs, forcing her body to steady itself. “I understand. You can count on me.”
Tormik didn’t say another word but simply turned and walked away, leaving her poor human servant to hurry after her. But Maureen’s focusing trick had done the job, and her feet remained stable the remainder of the walk. In fact, by the time they reached the building, she was almost back to normal.
What was that?Maureen wondered as she followed the older woman onto the lift.My body was not right.
She kept her mouth shut, however, not wishing to draw her matron’s ire any more than she already had.
Once inside, she followed Mistress Tormik to her chambers and deposited her acquisitions where she was told. She then turned to leave without a word, as the mistress expected. Only today, things were different.
“One moment,” Tormik said, walking to her, looking her up and down, an odd look in her questioning gaze.
“Mistress?”
“Something happened to you today.”
“I merely felt unsteady. It won’t happen again.”
“Unsteady? How? Describe it for me.”
Maureen thought back on the moment, when Bodok took her hand, making her whole body tingle and the pigment in her skin tug and pull to her very core.
“I guess it was some sort of reaction to the ink they put in me,” she finally replied.
“How so?” the woman asked, her curiosity intensifying.
“It’s hard to say, exactly.”
“Try.”
“Well, it was sort of a tingling. But not like your legs were falling asleep or anything. This was different. Warm. Comfortable even while it was disconcerting, if that makes any sense.”
“Hm. And then what?”
