Whispers From Below

Chapter 5

Weeks passed, I did truly ignore everyone at school, did my work then went straight to the bakery. Before I could start Ryland made sure my homework was done, so I was not tired later and tried to excuse doing it.

The work was a lot, but I really did enjoy learning how to make everything. I tried to keep more in the back away from the front. Many people were now almost afraid to eat the things, thinking I cursed the pastries.

Ryland would assure them that it was fine and he would bless the pastries in the morning. A total lie, I do not think there was a religious bone in his body, but that was enough for them to believe him. My hands got better and I no longer had to wrap them, even though they were now rattled with sacred lines.

~~~

One weekend morning going into the bakery to open, a boy was behind sitting on the counters in the back, Ryland was not in yet.

Quietly unlocking the door I crouched down slowly till I was able to grab a wooden pole from an old mop. Heart beating so hard in my chest it made my ears warm.

While still hunched down I shuffled around the corner, then jumped up quickly holding the pole up confidently.

"Who the hell are you and what are you doing here!''

The boy turned around looking at me with his brow raised, he could not have been much older than me, his skin the color of a deep caramel and hair a soft brown with loose curls covering his forehead.

"The question is who are you and why are you here?" He slid off the counter he was sitting on then strutted towards me. I held the pole up and back about to swing "stay back I will hit you"

He smiled a perfect toothy grin and came closer, I wound up and swung aiming for his face, instead he caught it in one hand and pushed me back into a wall.

"That was absolutely adorable." With his other hand he played with the ends of my hair. "You're just like a snowflake. Gentle and pretty." Gritting my teeth as the wood dug into my hands and my reflexes came in and kneed him right between the legs.

He coughed and keeled over bringing the pole with him. I then punched him across his cheek. Looking back up at me absolutely enraged, his deep brown eyes turned bright blue.

My eyes shot wide open and I scooted away walking backwards from him until my back went right into Ryland who seemed to have appeared from thin air.

" Ahh Jace you're back, that's great."

He placed his hand on my shoulder "looks like you met Lily she helps me out here. Lily, Jace is almost like a son to me. He stays with me from time to time, I'm sure you two will be great friends."

He was looking at Jace who was breathing heavily with his eyes closed. "Lil, can you go to the center and get us about a dozen eggs?" Handing me some coins as he spoke, without hesitation I took them and ran out.

My heart still racing from the adrenaline and seeing Jace's eyes change, was something I had only read in scripts that I had always been told to be made up lies making monsters look like good beings. Maybe I just imagined his eyes changing like they did.

I got to the center farmers market already packed with people. The stall baskets overflowed with different colors of the produce from everyone's farms. The village mostly survived on its own, with our own farms and crops. No one from the outside really came in. Everyone here felt that if they ate outsiders' food they would become cursed or something.

The sound of string instruments echoed through the plaza, everyone just in a good mood and not a care in the world.

Spotting Will the egg man I went right over to him. His farm only sold eggs and dairy products. He even looked like an egg with his bald head.

"Hey Lily, getting stuff for Ryland?"

I nodded " yeah can I just get a dozen eggs please."

He smiled, " of course you can."

He placed the eggs in a basket and handed them to me while I traded him coins. "Fresh from this morning." Will was one of the very few people that accepted me. Especially since I've been working with Ryland

Giving him a soft smile "thank you very much."

Walking back, the black cat strolled up just to walk with me back to the bakery.

~~~

Ryland was right, Jace and I had become close friends within the year I spent working here. Jace would leave now and then for a week or two, he lived in the main kingdom Lambegus. He would not talk much about the kingdom or what he was doing but he always came back with smiles.

Even though he was 15 and I was younger then him now 12, he was still nice with me and helped with my homework. Well more like he stared at the paper and I had to explain to him what it was, I was really teaching him. Guess the schools in the kingdom are not very good.

After school he would wait for me in the front and walk me to Foúrnos, even walk me home at night as well. For the first time I felt very happy.

Jace's eyes were never brought up after I saw them that first day we met. I think part of me did not want to know, because if the nuns found out they would not let me be here anymore they might even vouch to get him burned at the stake.

Working for Ryland for a little over a year now I thought would make me seem more adoptable. Every month I would even get summoned to meet a family interested in adopting, until they saw me.

The wife was always so worried and scared, and they would always respond the same 'we'll get back to you' then never show up again.

At this point with not being adopted my thought was just to ask Ryland if I could start getting paid, to save money then hopefully have enough to get my own place even if it was as tiny as a shack. I would be fine with anything as long as it was far away from Kardama and far away from people.

I did everything the nuns asked, and really made sure to hide my nightmares and visions from them so I would not get in trouble anymore.

June was truly jealous of me working at the bakery, though I made up for her by bringing her and Henry sweets now and then.