Jadira: Alrighty then…Sorry it took so long for me to update, but like I said in my profile, I just moved and haven't had Internet service for two weeks since the move. Suffice it to say I was not happy about that.
Tate: You were just upset because you couldn't check your e-mail and read your reviews, which made you mad because your reviews make you feel special. Which, by the way, you're not.
Jadira: So mean. Well, onwards with the story!
Disclaimer: Ownership of Yu-gi-oh not mine. Stop asking.
Chapter Five: Shocking Voices
Jaide stirred slightly on the cot where she had lain for the past half a week. The opened her eyes and blinked blearily, glancing automatically towards the large bed where Duke was. She sighed when she noticed he'd still not woken, and stumbled to her feet, already reaching for the knife, ever-ready on the small oak table.
Dizziness overwhelmed her though, and she had to lean against the wall to stop herself from falling over. Jaide supposed she could credit it towards blood loss–she'd given so much of her own to keep Duke alive, and she didn't even know why. She was his slave, a possession. She was not supposed to care. And she didn't, she told herself, not really. She was just intrigued. The man seemed different from everything she'd ever heard about vampires, and she didn't want him to die. Not yet anyway.
Kneeling on the bed next to Duke's still form and steeled herself for the pain. She swung the knife down and re-opened the cut. Sucking in a gasp at the onslaught of hurt, she held her trembling wrist to Duke's lips.
This time however, unlike the past days she'd done the same thing, Duke's emerald eyes opened and stared up into her own surprised blue eyes. He instinctively grabbed her arm, unintentionally covering her wound. "What in Ra's name are you doing?" Duke managed to rasp out, mouth dry for lack of water.
Jaide seemed frightened, her breath coming in short, soft gasps. Her wrist was already hurting from the constant re-openings of the injury, and Duke's harsh grasp wasn't helping. Memories flitted across her memory, painful memories that served only to hurt her more.
Duke frowned at the anguish he saw in those seemingly endless blue orbs. He released the girl's arm and sat up. "I'll ask only once more," he reiterated, "What the hell are you doing?"
"I-" Jaide stuttered, eyes going wider when Duke would have sworn they couldn't have gotten any bigger. It suddenly hit him that this was the first time he'd ever heard the girl speak. "I-I'm sorry!" Jaide couldn't stop herself from speaking even though she'd not done so since…no. It was better to think of other things. "I meant no harm! Please, let me go!" She hated herself for begging, but couldn't really see any way to get the man to release her. He was so strong!
Duke was mesmerized by her voice. It was soft, but not whispering; melodious as a bard's, lilting in a very Egyptian accent. He would listen to her talking about the most boring topic in the world if only he could hear her voice.
Jaide grew uncomfortable as the man said nothing. Perhaps she should not have spoken. She cursed herself; she hadn't spoken since her uncle had- no. She stopped herself. She could not think about that. "Master," she whispered, hating the word, hating herself for saying it, "I am sorry. I was trying to help."
Duke shook himself out of his reverie, glancing at her strangely. Jaide sat with her head bowed and eyes veiled as she had when Duke had first seen her. "Yes I know. Yami told me what you've been doing." Jaide swallowed nervously, unsure if it was a good or bad thing that she'd helped him out of the sun. "Why did you do it?" Duke asked gently. "Why did you save me? And how did you even know what I am?"
Jaide raised her head and gave Duke a look that he could only have termed as slight amusement. "I knew from the beginning. You all may try to hide it, but I see much. And…I could sense it." Her voice was barely above a whisper, rough with emotion and confusion. Why hadn't the man hit her for her insolence yet? "As for why I saved you? I don't know. You don't seem evil. Besides, no one deserves to die in such a way. It looks rather painful." She spoke the last sentence in a dry tone, causing Duke to chuckle.
"Well, you have my thanks."
Jaide shook her head. "No. I am your slave. It is my job to protect my master. I was given to you remember?" She asked somewhat bitterly, her heart clenching at the words. She'd tried long ago to fight her position, claiming she belonged to no one. She'd quickly found that to be an incredibly painful proclamation.
Duke frowned. This girl had been hurt before. Badly hurt. Her spirit had almost broken, he could tell. "That's not true," he said. "I don't condone slavery, and neither do my friends."
Jaide jerked her head up, glaring at the man. The sudden fire in her icy eyes startled Duke. "Is that so?" she asked viciously. "Then why is it that my life is worth only a few coins? Why is it that I was given to you- as though my life means nothing!" Tears welled in her eyes, though she would not let them fall.
Duke slowly grasped her smaller hands in his own. "I'm sorry," he apologized. "I didn't mean to upset you. Your life is worth more than coins, surely you know that."
Jaide's glare did not soften. "Then why did your friend, Bakura, buy me from my uncle, drag me here, away from everything I've ever known, and give me to you? What do you want with me?"
Duke struggled to find an answer, but Jaide spoke again before he could find one. "And contrary to his belief, I will not be used like a common whore to warm your bed. You will have to kill me first."
If she hadn't seemed so ferocious, Duke might have laughed. "Not to worry," he said. "As much as I don't condone slavery, I despise men who use women in such a way."
Jaide stared at him, unsure if she should believe him. People lied, why should this man be any different?
Duke saw the deep mistrust in her eyes. "I'll wager that you've been hurt before." He spoke softly, but it still shocked Jaide. She shot off the bed faster than humanly possible and backed away. "Yes," Duke continued, "You've been hurt deeply. Perhaps not in such a way," he said referring to the bed-slave situation. "But you've been abused by another man before, and it has marked your soul."
Jaide glared at him, memories overwhelming her. She gasped for breath, tears obscuring her vision. This time she could not stop them from falling. Duke stood and reached for her, causing the girl to back away until she hit the wall. He wiped a crystalline tear from her tan cheek, frowning deeper when she flinched.
His next words were a whisper. "I promise, you'll not be hurt again. You're safe here, no man will lay his hands on you."
For some reason, Jaide trusted his word. She nodded slightly and smiled. "It is good that you are well now," she said in a wry tone. "Otherwise I'd have had to give you even more of my blood, which I would very much like to keep inside my body." Duke laughed at her next words. "Not all of us are immortal you know!"
In only a moment or two, Jaide felt a thousand times better than she had in a very long while. She smiled to herself, glad to finally feel safe. She followed Duke downstairs, ready to face the others with her head held high.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Bakura glanced up as Duke came down the stairs, slightly surprised, but happy, to see his friend awake. He was even more surprised however, when he noticed Jaide trailing after the green-eyed vampire. Nudging Ryou with an elbow, he nodded towards the two.
Jaide could feel everyone's eyes on her. Instincts told her to look at the ground, as was her wont. Attention never meant anything good. Luckily, Yami sensed her discomfort and spoke. "Duke, seeing as you're awake, what do you think of going into town today? It has gotten boring around here, and the others wish to look through the market."
Duke considered it. His friend was right; it was boring at the manor. And leaving gave him the chance to speak with Jaide, as they were the only ones not 'with' anyone. He nodded. "Sure. Jaide," he asked, turning to face her. "Do you want to come?" 'Say yes,' he thought. 'Please say yes!'
Uncertain, Jaide glanced towards the other men lounging in various chairs. Yugi and Ryou grinned encouragingly, Yami smiled softly, Marik and Malik were grinning maniacally as usual, Bakura looked stone-faced, and Kaiba and Jou were…busy. We'll leave it at that. The girl's lips quirked into a half-smile. "Very well," she almost whispered, startling the others.
Raising an eyebrow but saying nothing, Yami glanced at Duke for an answer, but the taller man merely shrugged and went to grab his cloak. "Jaide, would you like something nicer to wear tonight?" Yami asked her, standing and heading for the stairs. The girl looked shocked, but nodded her head. It would be good to get out of the dress she'd been wearing for so long. Following the slim man upstairs, she wondered why in Ra's name male vampires would have female clothes.
Entering a dark violet room with soft-looking cushions covering the floor, Yami opened a trunk at the end of his bed and pulled out a long ivory dress. Jaide's eyes widened as he handed it to her. The fabric was softer than she'd ever imagined anything could be, delicate and shimmery in the candlelight. Yami politely turned his back as she tugged it on.
Jaide brushed the skirt to smooth out imaginary wrinkles and whispered, "I'm done." Yami turned and caught his breath. The fabric draped across Jaide's tan skin, causing the white to seem even brighter. It hugged her in all the right places, showing her slender body without being provocative. She looked like an angel.
Jaide shifted uncomfortably. Again with the damn silences! "Does it look alright?" she asked softly.
Yami nodded dumbly. He chanted a mantra in his mind, 'I'm gay, I'm gay, I'm gay…' He caught a flicker of Yugi's amusement through their telepathic link. "You look fantastic," he told Jaide. "But maybe you should wear your hair down?"
Jaide nodded slowly. "Alright. If you say so." Yami grinned and asked Yugi to get Ryou to come upstairs. Seconds later, there was a knock on the door and Ryou stepped in.
"Something you needed Yami?" he asked, smiling at Jaide.
"Yes, I need you to brush out Jaide's hair for her. You do it better than anybody around here," Yami replied, handing Ryou a wooden brush. The white-haired man smiled gently and sat behind Jaide on the bed, un-doing her long braid with sure, deft fingers. Once it was completely undone, he started brushing the chestnut strands until they shone nearly as bright as her smile. Grinning at each other for a job well done, the vampires led her back downstairs.
Duke turned around from his conversation with Malik and swore in that moment that his jaw hit the floor and his eyes bugged out of his head.
She was a vision sent from the God's themselves. Long hair with golden strands hung past her waist, the beautiful white dress set off her tan skin, and the kohl outlining her icy blue eyes made his heart beat faster than he ever remembered.
Jaide laughed softly at his reaction. Everything about her was soft; her voice, her hair, her stunning curves…Duke knew in that moment that there was something inside him that wanted her. Not as his whore, as his equal. His partner.
The group grinned with amusement at their friend's sudden infatuation. "Well Duke, when you've picked your jaw off the floor, may we go?" laughed Marik. Hurriedly collecting himself, the ebon-haired man pulled on his cloak and hurried outside to join the others.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Jadira: Well, this is technically only the first part of chapter five, but oh well. Chapter six will be up very soon I promise. I'm sorry it took so long for this one.
Tate: Sure you are.
Jadira: Shuttup. Anyway, my account tells me this story has gotten 269 hits so far. Please leave a tiny comment if you read this. It helps keep me motivated. Thankies!