Chapter 15: Windows
Present day, several weeks later
Animal hurried through the corridor towards his apartment. He was without inspiration and almost grateful that no students or assistants had bothered to show up. Surveying the revel room, he had been surprised at how much progress he had made in the last few weeks. The first two panels were finished, the third almost done, and the fourth and fifth well started. On a whim he had decided to leave the revel room until the softer evening light, and in the meantime . . .
Imagining how he and Rose would pass the afternoon, he smiled with one side of his mouth, scaring a rag who lowered her eyes and scurried past. He was like a houseboy recently, constantly aroused, as he thought about what he and Rose had done, what they might do. Rose had always been a good fuck - of course, he never would have kept her if she hadn't been trained properly - but now, increasingly uninhibited . . . Yesterday, in the revel room, the way she had looked at him from across the room before she walked over to the supply closet, swaying her hips as she went, her invitation unmistakable. He had no idea what he had said to his students. He had locked the closet door and taken her standing up, kissing her - it was amazing how she had learned to kiss, how sensual it was - and the cries she had made into his mouth had pushed him over the edge.
What would they do today? He walked faster, thinking over the possibilities. Lying on top of her, her arms over her head, his arms on top of hers, rough and fast. Or, in an armchair, holding her legs open with his, touching her as she writhed against him.
The apartment was empty when he arrived.
Rose was supposed to be finishing the last of the yellow ochre pigment. Where was she?
He heard laughter coming from the courtyard, Rose's laughter, loud, not her usual shy giggle. He looked through the sliding glass door. She was sitting on the ground, the mortar and pestle between her knees. And she was shaking with mirth.
Near her, Raul, the hall monitor, was spreading mulch with a rake. But as he was doing so he was saying something to Rose and gesticulating wildly with one arm. Animal slid open the door.
"So that night, who should show up on her doorstep but Penelope, ten pounds heavier and her hair dyed black!" Evidently this was quite a punchline, because Rose practically convulsed. "So she . . ." Raul stopped suddenly when he saw Master Animal out of the corner of his eye. He flashed Rose a baleful look before he fell to his knees.
Animal frowned. Why he had never heard Rose laugh like that?
He looked hard at Raul. "You are dismissed."
Raul quickly touched his forehead to the ground before he stood and hurried out through Gabriel's apartment, leaving his tools and mulch where they lay.
And Rose. She was looking at him as though she would speak.
"Yes?" Animal said coldly.
"Master," Rose said softly, seriously, all laughter gone although she was still damp around the eyes where tears had leaked out. "If Mistress Tabitha sees that Raul has not finished here, she'll punish him, and he . . ."
Animal's anger deepened. What did Rose care about Raul? "Would you like me to interfere?" he asked sarcastically.
"If it pleases you, Master."
Animal glared at Rose. Was this boldness? Or did she really not see his stern face, his hand on his whip? No, her eyes were down as she knelt in front of him, next to the mortar and pestle. Why was she kneeling? Gabriel wouldn't like that. But Gabriel wasn't here. Animal wished Rose would look at him.
When she did look up, trust in her luminous gray eyes, he softened. He turned on his heel and went back into his apartment before he melted altogether. He scribbled out a note on paper in his sketch pad, tore it out, and took it to the courtyard where Rose had returned to the mortar and pestle. "Take this to Mistress Tabitha," he commanded, holding the note out to her.
"Thank you, Master," Rose said, rising to take it. But Animal drew his hand back. "Don't dawdle," he said roughly. "I don't want you talking to Raul." At Rose's hurt, confused look he faltered, and indicated her tools on the ground. "You were supposed to finish mixing the pigment this afternoon." He bit his lip in frustration - his excuse sounded stupid even to him. But he had no need of excuses. He glared, ignoring the tears, not of laughter this time, welling in Rose's eyes. He handed her the note at last, and went back to the apartment as Rose exited through Gabriel's quarters.
When she was gone Animal felt foolish and at loose ends. He went back to the courtyard and looked at the tools left scattered by both Raul and Rose. A jar half-full of yellow pigment was carefully placed in the shade. Really, Rose had worked hard these last weeks to mix the ochre. Animal picked up the pestle, still damp from her grip. Funny how the pestle seemed to be Rose's now, although he had made it himself years ago, under his mentor Solis's tutelage. He sat on a bench, grabbed the mortar and began to mash, taking up where Rose had left off, the old familiar rhythm calming him.
Rose returned a very short time later, out of breath. "Clean up," Animal said, standing up, "and then come to me." He stalked over to the divan chair in the center of the courtyard. Kicking off his shoes he stretched out on it, watching Rose as she gathered up the bags and jars and tools and took them into his studio for storage.
And then she came to him, tentative, nervous, standing before him, looking down. Where was the bold girl of the day before, the one who had lured him into the supply closet?
She was never nervous with Gabriel, Animal thought with annoyance. But then, Gabriel was always kind to her. Never snapped at her, or moved his hand to his whip. Didn't even have a whip, and wouldn't know how to use one. Of course Rose wouldn't fear Gabriel. If he owned her he'd ruin her . . . But Gabriel did own Rose; the Bearer had given her to him, told her to treat Gabriel better than she treated Animal. His fists clenched.
And then Rose was falling to the ground before him, on her knees, her forehead touching the dirt. Why was she doing this? Animal generally allowed her to speak without begging permission, had since Gabriel's arrival. He didn't like her down there.