She woke to shoutings. She glanced around, searching for him. "Erik?"
"Obviously the boy is worth more than thirty!" her mother argued.
She made her way to the stairs, peering beyond the railing, seeing a strange man in colorful clothing standing in the sitting room. They seemed to be arguing over something...no...someone!
She ran down the stairs and just at the doorway, seeing that the man was indeed standing over Erik, who was kneeling before them. He glanced at her and gave a small shake of his head.
No, he mouthed. Stay there.
Her mother put her hands on her hips. "He is worth more than thirty! Imagine what price he'll fetch in one of your shows! They've never seen anything like him!"
"Thirty, and that is final."
"Perhaps you didn't get a good look at him, then!" she ripped the mask off, revealing his face to them.
"Ow," he winced.
"He's too scrawny!" the man pointed out, nudging him with the toe of his boot. "He'll be dead before the next show! Just look at him! Thirty is the highest we'll go!"
"Fine!" her mother shouted, throwing her hands up into the air. She turned and saw her. "Adellade! Go on! This has nothing to do with you!"
"Oh! Hiding one from me, are you?" The man came forward to grab her and drag her out before she could run. "This one here has such a pretty face! And a pretty figure too! She'll make a fine dancer."
"Adellade is not for sale!" her mother argued. "We only agreed on the boy!"
"You're selling him?" she whispered, staring at her. "Why?"
"Look at him! Do you honestly think he had any place in this house? It's been decided! Finally, we'll be rid of him!"
She looked at him. He sighed. "Might I at least say my goodbyes?"
"Please?" she begged.
"Make it quick," her mother snapped.
The man released her and she ran to him, kneeling down to wrap her arms around his waist.
"I don't want them to take you away from me!" she whined.
"Shush now," he whispered. "It'll be alright. I'll see you again before long."
Tears started to fall down her face. "I don't want them to take you away."
"Everything will be alright, you'll see."
"It's my fault, isn't it?"
"What do you mean? Adellade?"
She sniffed. "I liked you. That's why she's doing this. She's taking you away from me because I liked you-just like she does with everything I've liked before. She's taking you away and it's my fault."
His arms wrapped tighter around her. "Not this time."
She looked up at him and frowned as he stood.
"What are you doing?" her mother demanded.
He smirked, placing himself between Adellade and her. "Doing the one thing I should've been doing: protecting her from you, Madeline. Adellade is my sister, and I won't allow you to hurt her! Not for one more second! You might've been able to take everything else from her, but you won't take me from her-and you most certainly won't take her away from me."
"Fine!" her eyes narrowed. "If that's the way you want it!" She turned to the men. "One hundred. For both of them."
The man nodded in agreement. "One hundred."
"You would sell her?" His grip on her tightened.
"If it means being rid of you. Seems a fitting trade. Now you will know that you were the one who put her through this. You want to be with her so badly, then so be it!"
He hesitated and she looked at him.
"Adellade…."
"I want to go, Erik," she argued. "I want to go with you."
He sighed and nodded.
Erik sat in his cage, knees folded up to his chest, back to the noise and merriment of the gypsies. Four years had passed since they had left their home far behind. He sighed, leaning against the bars, closing his eyes. Four years of traveling with the gypsies, going from town to town, being put on display for the jeering crowds. Four years of being called the "Devil's Child" because of what he looked like-because it could sell to the masses….
He stared at the dark fields ahead of him. It would be easy enough-to escape. To pick the lock of his cage and run for it. He sighed, banishing the thought from his mind. No. He couldn't leave her. He just couldn't leave her.
His gaze drifted to where she slept, dress tattered at the edges, small body curled up in an attempt to block out the wind, scarf used as a makeshift blanket. His eyes traced the chain around her wrist, preventing her escape-preventing his escape. He would've long fled them years ago had he not imagined what they would do to her once they learned of his escape.
"I won't!" he shouted, being beaten to the ground again.
"You will be a good little boy!" the gypsy man shouted, walking around him. "Be a good little boy now!" Erik winced as the man whipped him.
His hands balled into fists, seeing the look on her face as she tried not to watch from the side. He sighed and swallowed the anger rising in him. "What would you have me do, master?"
His "Master" made his way over to them, shoving Adellade with his boot as he did. "Wake up!" She opened her eyes and sat up. He knelt down and undid her chain. "Time for your little dance!"
She fell and they laughed at her, making a show of it, making a show of her…. He did his best to hide the anger, to focus on himself, his knuckles turning white in the process, fingers digging into the palm of his hand.
"She'll dance for him!" they shouted, dragging him over. "Of course our pretty little girl will dance for the Devil's Child!"
She looked at him and swallowed, looking at him with nervousness. He gave a slight nod of encouragement. She sighed and danced, trying to hide any mistakes she made. He couldn't help but smile to himself a bit, seeing the way she moved….
He dragged her off and Erik sighed, trying not to look at her as she was led off toward the others.
She missed a step and fell. They laughed as she tried to get back up and complete the dance.
"Look at her!" one of them shouted out. "She's too pretty to be a dancer! One of us should have her instead!"
He growled, glaring at a man as he stood and went up to grab her.
"Don't touch her!" he shouted.
She stopped.
"Ah! The little Devil Child cares so much for her?" they taunted.
"Why don't you apologize for speaking out of turn?" his "Master" demanded.
He grunted as he received a kick to the gut. "No."
"Why don't we show him the price of his resistance?" he challenged. "Have her dance with the whips."
Roars and shouts sounded. Adellade looked around, confused, as a gypsy stepped forward with a whip in each hand. He smacked the ground at her feet and she jumped. He did the same again and she jumped again.
A whip caught her around the ankle, pulling her to the ground with a grunt, the whip causing her to bleed….
"Stop it!" he shouted at them.
"Is he going to apologize for speaking out of turn?"
Another whip caught her and she gave a shout. He sighed and lowered his head to the ground in defeat. "Yes. Erik apologizes to his Master."
"I will get you out of here, Adellade," he whispered, closing his eyes. "One day soon, I will get you out of here. I will get you out of here and away to someplace safe. Someplace they can't hurt you."