AN: The muses have returned. Throws party However they came back with quite a bit, so I'm posting the 4th chapter in two parts. I'll be posting the second half sometime next week. along with the next chapter of Ryana.

Chapter 4

The Dinner

The limo returned Nikki and Elekti to the house with about half an hour before dinner. It dropped them off at the front door and they quickly made their way to Nikki’s room to drop off their purchases. Since they had some time to kill before dinner, Nikki helped Elekti take the tags off her new clothes.

“After dinner we can work on making these more comfortable for you to wear.” Nikki said as she folded up a pair of Elekti’s pants.

Elekti nodded. “Thank you, Nikki.”

“You’re welcome, Elekti.”

After they were done folding and taking care of Elekti’s clothes, Elekti looked out the window with a thoughtful look on her face.

“What’s wrong, Elekti?” Nikki asked when she noticed Elekti’s silence.

Elekti turned to look at Nikki. “Why did you buy clothes for me? No one has ever done that for me before.”

Nikki sighed, but noticed the time before she could answer. “I will answer that when we get back from dinner. Come on” She headed for the door. “You have to eat dinner with the other drasa, unfortunately.”

Elekti followed Nikki out of the room and towards the dining room. When they reached the dining room, Nikki walked into the room followed by Elekti.

The room was done in deep reds and gold, giving it a homey yet imposing air. It was occupied by a long oak table that could easily seat twenty, even though it was only set for two. The far wall had large bay windows that looked out onto the estate.

Before Elekti had a chance to take in the rest of the room, the butler and several drasa entered the room. The butler watched the drasa like an eagle as the set dishes of food on the table. When they had set all the dishes on the table they quickly retreated back the way they’d come and the butler turned his gaze to Elekti.

“Shouldn’t that drasa be down in the kitchen?” he growled.

Nikki glared at the butler. “Yes, I was showing her the way down there.”

“It can find its own way down there.” The butler replied. “You need to be ready to eat when your father gets down here.”

“It won’t take that long and she doesn’t know her way around the house yet. So I think it’s fair that I show her where she needs to go to get food.”

The butler looked less than pleased. “If it’s that important that she have a guide, I’ll take her down there.”

Nikki nodded and gestured for Elekti to follow the butler. “I’ll see you after dinner Elekti.”

Elekti approached the door the other drasa had disappeared through earlier and looked at the butler. He gestured for her to proceed him through it and followed her through, not looking too pleased with her.

The door opened into a narrow hallway that led to a flight of stairs. The butler followed her to the top of the stairs.

“The kitchen is down at the bottom. The other drasa will show you where and when to get your food. And they will also let you know when it’s time for you to return to the Lady Nichole.”

Elekti nodded and began to head down the stairs. When she’d gone down about two steps the butler grabbed her arm.

“Do not forget what your master ahs said to you”, he hissed. “If I hear about anyone calling you by that name again, I will report it to Lord Willston and see that you are beaten severely for it.”

Elekti could barely contain her anger at the butler’s treatment of her. He was acting as if she could control other people’s actions. She nodded keeping her face neutral.

The butler studied her for a moment longer, as if trying to read her mind, before letting her continue down the stairs. The closer to the bottom of the stairs she got the more she began to her the noises of the kitchen. It started as a dull roar and slowly increased in volume until she could begin to make out the individual noises of orders being called out and pots and pans being banged together as they were being washed and dried.

Elekti stood by the door for several minutes taking in the overall activity of the room. She’d spent a fair amount of time in and around kitchens during the years, but none were as big as this one or as well run. It seemed that everyone knew what they needed to be doing and when it needed to be done. She also noticed that there didn’t seem to be a human overseer for the kitchen. In fact it appeared as though a large male drasa was the one in charge of the kitchen.

The male that seemed to be in charge looked towards her and jumped as if he hadn’t noticed her until just then. He quickly walked over to her with a genuine smile on his face. He wiped his hands on his apron as he neared her and stuck his hand out when he stopped in front of her.

“Good evenin’ to you and welcome to Café Tuber. Ya must be new to the estate.” His gave her hand a firm shake before he moved to stand next to her and put his arm around her shoulders. “It won’t take long to learn the ropes around here. We eat dinner once these dishes are done and then we get to wait around for the master and whomever else he’s eatin’ with to finish. Then we do those dishes and are free for the rest of the evenin’.”

Elekti nodded, not quite sure what to make of this drasa. “I’m not actually assigned to work in the kitchen though. I was just told that I had to come down here to get my dinner.”

The male drasa, obviously Tuber, looked down at her in surprise. “Yer jokin’, right? I’m fair certain that they woulda assigned ya to the best place in the estate.”

Elekti smiled at him. “It looks like fun to work down here, but the master set me to be Nikki’s escort.”

Again Tuber looked shocked. “Yer the new escort? How do ya rate? I’ve been here nearly a decade and never seen hide nor hair of the mistress.”

“I don’t know. I was just bought my the master and he said I was to escort his daughter.” She shrugged and grinned ruefully. “I would’ve much preferred the kitchens, then I wouldn’t become a side show attraction.”

Tuber nodded. “Well ya might as well give me yer name, so I know who to save food for.”

She looked at him uncertainly. “I, uh, don’t really have a name. The one most people have called me is what led me to be here and the master forbid me to give that as my name.”

Tuber nodded as he began to lead her around the room. “Yer one of those ones. The ‘trouble makers’.” He made air quotes when he said the last two words.

She looked uncomfortable. “It’s not intentional. Other drasa hear of me and make unreasonable assumptions about me that lead to trouble around the house.”

Tuber nodded again as he pulled his arm from around her shoulders and she found herself missing the contact. She’d never had anyone treat her so much like a person, even if it was only for a few minutes.

“Yer her, aren’t ya?” he asked looking down a line of drasa scrubbing the stovetops.

“Her who?” she asked, hoping he wouldn’t be like the others and believe her to be a savior to her people that she definitely wasn’t.

“The one called Elekti. The one they say will free us from this existence and make us equal to the humans.” His gaze had turned distant as if he’d been dreaming of this meeting his entire life.

“As much as other would like to believe it, I’m not the Elekti. Every time that subject has been brought up, it has only led to trouble for everyone. If you value your life and hide, do not tell the others who you believe me to be. This is my last stop, if trouble crops up here then I will be killed.” She sighed. “And as much as I hate this life, I’d like to live it as long as I can before I’m put down.”

Tuber looked over at her and held her gaze for a minute, as if weighing what she’d said, before he sighed and turned his gaze to the floor. “Very well, but we still need something to call you. We don’t use numbers among ourselves and the master allows us to do so.”

“I’ll be fine with anything as long as no one calls me Elekti.”

Tuber tapped his chin with a clawed finger before pointing at her. “Essie. We’ll call you Essie.”