A slow grin spreads across my face as I think of all the possibilities. There's no chance that Wolfe will give me complete freedom, but I can have fun with this, or at least fun with the guards. They've kept me cooped up in the harem for three long weeks and though I know that it's on Wolfe’s orders, I'm not feeling particularly kind toward my guards.
I turn in my seat to face the guard more fully. "I require my freedom. You will let me leave immediately."
I'm impressed with how straight he keeps his face as he answers back, "You may ask for anything you wish, but there are several things we have been instructed not to give you. Your immediate freedom is one of them."
"Then I guess I'm not being treated exactly the way Wolfe would be treated." My words are smug. "I don’t see him locked up in the harem."
Finally, his eyes slide down to meet mine. A frown of disapproval draws his brows together. "You think that Warlord Wolfe is a free man? Then you know nothing about running a Sanctuary. It is as much a prison as this harem."
Well that got serious fast.
"What’s your name?" I demand.
"Kingston."
"Last name?"
He continues to stare at nothing, but I can see the tension in him. He doesn’t like answering my questions. I wonder if it’s because I’m a woman or a prisoner.
"Kingston Carr."
I happen to agree with the man about what Wolfe’s job entails, knowing exactly what it takes to run a Sanctuary, but I'm not going to get into an argument with him. Until I have my complete freedom, I refuse to be compliant.
I turn my back on him and reach for my fork. "You may leave, Kingston Carr."
I hear the door close and lock behind him. I've been left alone in the harem once more, but today the idea is a little less depressing since I know I'll be leaving tomorrow. Perhaps for good, if I can find a way out of the city.
Wolfe will have me watched closely, will expect me to act. I'd love to disappoint him, but I need to catch up with my team and they have a two-week head start on me.
I dig into my food, savouring it, knowing what it takes to put this kind of meal on the table. The succulent meat took manpower to hunt, the vegetables took time, effort and skill to grow. But the bread, oh my god, the bread! It’s my favourite part. It's like heaven in my mouth and I know that it was baked recently. I eat three pieces, all smothered in butter that was cultivated in the palace. Again, the collective effort that goes into this kind of elaborate meal is not to be taken lightly. I wonder if Wolfe eats the same things as me; if everyone in the palace eats this well.
I frown at my plate. It almost seems wrong to eat food this delicious and plentiful bounty when I know that there are people in the city who are not as lucky.
Still, I eat everything on my plate. There's no point in waste. I vow to find out in the morning how food is being distributed throughout the city. Maybe Wolfe can use some tips. Food distribution was one of the things I oversaw when I lived here before.
I prepare myself for bed, taking a shower and changing into a long warm nightgown. I like to sleep with the windows open, I've always felt this way. Something about the fresh breeze floating over me as I sleep is as comforting as a blanket. Someone must know this about me because my bedroom window is the only one in the harem with the ability to open. It can only open a crack, but it’s enough to let the breeze in.
What's less comforting is the way I'm woken up the next morning. Being locked up in the harem for weeks on end I’ve grown lazy, sleeping in because there's nothing else for me to do. This particular morning, I find myself being rudely awakened just as the sun is beginning to peek through the window.
I roll over to look at my attacker and find myself blinking up at a scowling, scarred man. Wolfe. I'm not worried about the scowl since it's his go-to expression. I smooth the hair off my face and sit up, yawning.
"What's going on? Is the palace on fire… again?" I snicker.
"You wanted to get out of here," he says matter-of-factly. "Get up, get dressed, meet me outside."
He turns to leave before I can ask questions. Like, where are we going, why are we doing it so early, and should I wear anything special? The man of few words strikes again.
I mumble my annoyance as I start digging through clothes. Besides the outfit that I showed up in I have a few leather items that I’d packed from Tucson and several harem outfits. Filmy dresses mostly. I decide to wear the same leather pants and shirt that I'd worn the day we came to Santa Fe. Leather clothing is a particularly sought-after commodity in a world filled with Primitives sporting sharp teeth. Leather is a difficult material to penetrate.
I head out of my room toward the entrance of the harem. As I walk past the table, I notice a plate laden with food and a steaming cup of tea. I shove a forkful of fried potatoes in my mouth, a couple grapes and a piece of buttered bread. I grab the cup of tea and head out the door.
Wolfe meets me at the entrance. He glances at my tea and then turns and starts to walk. I assume he wants me to follow so I hurry to catch up.
"For someone who kept me locked up for three weeks, you're in a hurry to get me out of here now." Not that I mind. I hated being locked up. "Where are we going?"
Wolfe continues walking until he reaches the main stairway leading down in the building. He shoves the door open and we start to descend together. It takes him a minute to answer.
"I kept you in the harem because you needed time to calm down and accept your situation. Your anger had to dissipate so that you wouldn't do anything stupid."
"Like set a fire?" I ask sarcastically.
He glances at me. "You did that deliberately, with careful precision. You didn't set anything more than that part of the harem on fire and you used the distraction to escape. It was a decent plan. Would you have come up with such a strategy during your first few days here?"
The fact that I hadn't come up with a plan proves his point. I'd been far too angry and emotional to think straight. I'd wanted to burn the harem down, but had I acted then I might’ve hurt myself and others. Dammit, I hate when this man is right.
When I don't answer his question he continues, "As for where we’re going. We're heading out to survey the city and supply sheds. I want your opinion on some priority projects."
I raise a brow, but he doesn't see my expression. We're both going down the stairs at a rapid pace. "Why do you need my opinion? You're the Warlord, it's your job to figure that shit out."
I almost regret my words. I don't want him to change his mind and take me back to the harem. But I am curious. Why would he want my opinion about anything? Wolfe does what Wolfe wants, regardless of what anyone else thinks. Even when he had to answer to Silas, he was always doing his own thing.
I finish my tea before we hit the bottom level and pass my cup off to one of the waiting guards who takes it with a slight bow of his head. This respect thing the guards have to show me is pretty sweet. I step outside into the warm sun and tilt my face upward. It's been a long three weeks of captivity. After spending months on the road prior to coming to Santa Fe, I’d gotten used to outdoor living.
Wolfe strides around the idling vehicle and gets in the driver side. I assume he wants me to follow and I reach for the passenger door. One of the guards steps forward and opens it for me. I give him a tight smile and slide in.