Page 28 of The Queen's Serpent

He doesn’t wait to see if I will follow him, walking away with a quick stride down the hallway to the right. For a moment, I hesitate, looking in the other direction that I know leads to the exterior of the building, rather than further within the compound. Could I make a run for it? How far would I get before one of his men captured me?

Not far. Play the game, Issy, and bide your time.

I follow the man down the hallway that opens into a large living room/dining room combination. The walls are all made of rich wood and stone, with large windows allowing the bright sunshine inside, and an angled glass ceiling, that enables you to look up into the canopy of jungle trees that surround the compound. It’s stunning, a work of architectural art that seems to blend with nature rather than try to subdue it.

If I wasn’t a forced captive, I might actually enjoy the space, all the abundance of nature, and the experience I could have of living in the jungle, but I am. I wasn’t given a choice; I was stolen by a thief who didn’t care about my fundamental right to choose for myself.

A small elderly woman, with pure white hair pulled back into a bun, stands with a welcoming smile next to a large, round wooden table laden with food. Her sleeveless dress is bright with an ethnic embroidered print; the rich reds, blues, oranges, and yellows of her clothing cause a smile to tug at the corner of my mouth, and her rich caramel skin to look like it’s glowing.

“Hola, linda muñeca.”She greets me, her arms reaching out and embracing me in a warm hug. I try to hold firm and rigid in the embrace, but her welcoming scent of citrus and honey, and how she tugs and squeezes me, have me melting against her.

“Hello,” my voice comes out small and husky, as I meet her lively, dark eyes.

“I…” She points at her chest as she pulls away from me. “Alisa, you call me.” Her attempt at English is endearing, and her warm brown eyes make me feel safe in a place filled with perils. She pulls me by the hand and leads me to a chair at the table. “Eat,muñeca.Demasiado flaca.Skinny.”

I stare at the banquet on the table before me. So many different varieties of fruits, some meats, and rice are just waiting to be served. My mouth waters at the same time my stomach rumbles.

“Eat,niña bonita,“ she hums as she starts piling food on my plate, and ignores my attempts to stop her. I wish I could understand all of her words, as her presence is soothing and makes me feel safe like my grandmother does, but without the lingering judgment that Stella always has.

Once she’s satisfied that I have a mountain of food to consume, she wanders off to one of the room entries, and I immediately feel bereft without her presence. My eyes wander around the room, and I take in the beautiful pieces of art that adorn the walls, and the crisp linen fabrics on the sofas. Everything here is bright with saturated colors. The yellows, reds, and blues calling out to you, but at the same time, not trying to outdo the presence of the jungle surrounding us, but instead, somehow seeming to compliment it.

My eyes slide over the mens’ large frames guarding each exit point, and the ones I can see beyond the windows, standing guard along the veranda that must run the length of this side of the compound. Each wears similar camouflage attire, and hasweapons strapped to their impressive frames. My body begins to tremble, and my hands feel slick.Did all these men watch me last night? Who amongst them took their pleasure inside of my body?

My appetite disappears instantly, and nausea turns in my stomach just as Alisa walks back into the room, carrying a black comb and bottle in her hands. Her eyes connect to mine, and whatever she sees in their depths has her cradling my chin in her aged hand. “It’s okay, niña. No hurt.” Her dark eyes turn towards the men who are doing their best to avoid meeting my gaze.

“Afuera! Todos ustedes! Ella no puede comer si la miras como animales.”

Whatever she yells at them has them shifting uncomfortably in their stances, and staring at each other. Alisa stands with her wrinkled hands on her hips and stares them down, as if she were about to fight a jungle cat, and I watch as grown men shuffle with wary looks on their faces, and leave the room.Holy fuck! How did she do that?

Alisa comes around and pats my arm. “Eat!” She orders, and a grin slips across my lips as I put a piece of fruit inside my mouth. She hums a tune as she comes around behind me, her hands pulling my hair from my back and laying it across the back of the chair, before she pours whatever is in the bottle on my strands, and combs it through my long matted tresses with her hands. The smell of jasmine and orange blossoms fills the air.

She gets to work, untangling the mess that is my hair, gently combing through my long, dark waves while I do my best not to disappoint her, and get some much-needed delicious food down. Heavy footsteps echo off the stone floors and make their way closer to us. I restrain myself from turning to see who it is, and try to swallow the forkful of rice that now tastes like ash.

“Hola,mamá. Cómo estás en este buen día.”The voice is deep but familiar to me. Santiago appears in my sightline, reachingacross the table to grab a piece of meat from one of the trays.Mamá?I know that word means mother. Alisa is his mother?

“Los espíritus de nuestros antepasados han visto que vivo un día más,”Alisa responds, never stopping her soothing ministrations of my hair.

“Good day,señorita. I see you have met Alisa, my mother. She is one of the fiercest and meanest cats in this jungle,“ he laughs.

Alisa must have an idea of what he’s saying about her because in the next instant, the comb whacks him on the back of the neck, and she goes right back to combing through my hair. A chuckle escapes me at their antics.

“She does seem fierce, and also lovely.” I watch as his eyes soften, and stare into mine with compassion. He rubs his large palm across the back of his neck and fidgets as he takes a seat.

“How are you feeling today, Isabella?” He inquires cautiously, his eyes assessing my condition quickly, and whatever he sees must bring him some relief because his features relax.

“Still a prisoner,” I scoff while pushing the plate away, my appetite truly gone now.

“Ehhh, yes, but also a no. Thejefehas sent me to tell you that you have free rein of the house and gardens. No more locked doors for you,chica. He… emmm,“ Santiago rakes his thick fingers through his salt and pepper hair, his face showing a measure of regret. “He said to remind you who you belong to.”

His words cause a deep sense of resentment to lodge in my chest. How fucking dare he? Now that he has abused me, broken me, and made me beg, now I have free rein in his fucking jungle kingdom?Well, fuck him.

“Where is Diego now?” I question, with my head cocked to the side and a raised eyebrow.

Santiago wipes at a bead of sweat on the side of his face. Whatever he must see on my face has him wary. Does he know that I want to strangle his boss? Perhaps the way that I amholding my fork, as if I might thrust it into his eyes, is an indication of how I feel right now.

I turn in my seat and reach for Alisa’s hands, cradling them gently in one of mine and bringing the back of her hand to my lips. “Thank you, Alisa.Gracias.“ I attempt the word, not knowing if I am pronouncing it correctly, but based on the smile that breaks across her lined face, I must not be too far off.

I move out of my seat and towards the middle of the room, stopping and looking over my shoulder and giving Santiago cold eyes. “Are you going to take me to the devil, or shall I go searching for him myself?”

---