Page 94 of Protect Your Queen

“What do you remember about the day before your thirteenth birthday?” Jazz asked.

I thought back and shrugged. I had good memories. Confusing memories. But they were good.

“Papa took me out for dinner. There was a cake, and…”

“Don’t ever call him that. That man doesn’t deserve the title,” Jareth spat out, then wiped an errant drop of rum from his lips.

“He gave me a drink, and there was cake.” I shrugged, knowing that my siblings hated the only father I had ever known. “We were so poor at the time that it surprised me how much he spent. But it was all that I ever wanted. Time with him, and food, and… then, the next day, he left.”

Ifelt the hot tear go down my face. He had left because of me. He had disappeared because I asked for too much.

“Jestiny…” Jazz reached out and took both my hands in hers, placing them on my knee. “I came home and you and Pa– our father were gone. He came home alone. I couldn’t find you. I called Jareth, and we searched the whole house. We called your friends. Do you remember what happened?”

“I don’t. I woke up in my bed, so maybe the drink was too much for me. But he said he was proud of me.” I still remember our father at the table, stroking my hair, and telling me I was the most beautiful of all his kids. That I’d do great things for him.

“He came home alone. He had expensive booze, new clothes, cash… he was so drunk.” Jazz dropped her head, placing her forehead on the back of my hand. “We tried to ask him what happened, but he said nothing. He was so…”

Jazz’s eyes grew watery as she looked away.

“I tortured him and found out he’d sold you.” Jareth’s eyes turned to me, his face somber. “I beat our father within an inch of his miserable life, and found –”

“He drugged your food, or your drink. We don’t know.” Jazz interrupted him. “You were…are… beautiful. I was always very jealous of that. He sold you because of it. To men who would have… done terrible things to you. We met a man who was on his way to rescue you and the other girls in your… your…shipment.”

Jareth looked positively miserable. Jazz looked afraid.

“They had you in a box with holes in it. They didn’t even know if…”

That was when the darkness had started. It wasn’t just a nightmare, but a memory. I had lived through it.

“You see, that man was some kind of agent. He was trying to stop people like the ones who took you, and…”

“We made a deal that if we found you in time, I would be in his debt.” Jareth tilted his head down, his fist clenching. “I am still in his debt now.”

“Are… are we paying this man?” I asked, confused.

“It’s not that kind of debt.”

“We took you home, and took care of the… sperm donor our mothers had the misfortune of knowing.” Jazz let go of my hand, sitting back in the seat. “You slept through it all. I was worried all night, waiting for you to wake up.”

That was the night the sleep paralysis began. The first time I knew I was asleep and couldn’t wake myself up. The first time my body refused to let me come out of a catatonic state. It had been real.

“That’s why we keep you so guarded, Baby,” Jes said, coming back to me. “We almost lost you because we weren’t paying attention.”

She grabbed me by the back of the head and pulled me to her chest. I felt her heartbeat in my ear, as I wrapped my arms around her waist, and she stroked my hair.

“So now you know.” Jareth wiped a hand over his face. “Maybe you and I will understand each other better, now.”

“Kuya.”I wanted to reach out to him, but he stood up, swaying when he came to his feet.

“I hated you. All four of you were the product of Josiah Bautista’s affairs. Each one a mark of my mother’s humiliation.” He stepped away, his feet unsteady, swaying a little until he got to the kitchen counter. “The day you disappeared, I realized how much of a prick I was.”

He turned around, leaning back on the counter and looking at me and Jazz with bleary eyes.

“I might interfere too much with your life–”

“Might?” Jazz interrupted him, as she rolled her eyes.

“– but the price of not paying attention was too high. I won’t risk that again.”

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