Book Three of the Follower Trilogy
"If we're together, even in an endless maze is paradise."
Abraxas is dead Everything is well. Until the flute turns into a beautiful girl with long golden hair, lost in the maze of time.
A/N: I'm so excited for this chapter. Partially because I am doing something different for this chapter versus the other two and because it will finish up the first Piper story, Jimin's. He truly is my Piper and was the first one I envisioned as the Piper when I started Follower. So, enjoy the end of Jimin's story.
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"On your knees, girl," the lead bandit said. He roughly took her shoulder and forced her onto the ground, the dry grass cutting into her knees. She could feel the point of the dagger drag across the back of her neck. Not enough to cut, but enough to cause panic flood her chest.
She felt as the hair dropped in small chunks a little weight loosening from her scalp each time. When the bandit finished, her hair was cut to her jawline, a jagged and rough cut, but one that would continue to grow nonetheless.
She still thought of him in these moments. The way he cut just a small chunk of her hair off in class. How he'd held the dagger so steadily and was careful not to cut your skin even though he was teasing you. The way he held your hand in the cave. Nabi didn't think she'd forget the feeling of his hand in hers. It's what got her through the past two years. Whenever she cried when the bandits left her tied up in the caravan and alone, she would imagine his hand around hers.
"This is the best batch yet," the bandit said, holding up her cut hair. "It's silky and smooth. I think we can sell this for double." The other men took turns stroking the cut hair and each remarked on how soft it was.
"Feels just like real mink," he said. " 't's too bad she can't grow that stuff faster. We'd be the richest men in the world."
The other men nodded in solidarity as they watched Nabi's hair be carefully locked away in a box only the leader had a key to.
Nabi looked out across the vast field the caravan of covered carriages was parked. It was an endless sea of tan grass that went on to the horizon. She could run if she wanted to, hope to one day make it to the horizon, a village, whatever lay beyond this horrid field. But, if she were to break out in a run, she knew she wouldn't make it far. She could only dream of what lay beyond the horizon.
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On market days, Nabi had to stay in the caravan. If she'd gotten out, it would be much too obvious where the hair the bandits was selling came from, and Nabi liked to think that if the patrons knew where the 'fur' actually came from, they wouldn't buy it. But, Nabi's stomach boiled just thinking about it.
"Sold out already!" the lead bandit said, coming back to the caravan. Nabi's eyes widened as he approached her and took her chin in the palm of his hand. "You're going to make us more money than you can even imagine." He paused, his fingers cutting into her jawbone. "Who knew such a useless little girl from Hamelin could bring us so much wealth?"
"Boss!" one of the other bandits called. Through the crack in the curtain, Nabi could see the main running towards the carriage and holding something in his hand. "I found something that's going to make us even richer!"
