Page 17 of The Toymaker

Kit jumped when he heard Riju scream, and he looked up at the ceiling. He was sure they’d been arguing because he’d caught their voices raised in anger.

“Master?” Kit wasn’t supposed to stand, and he couldn’t go anywhere either since Trig had changed his mind about him sweeping and chained his ankle to a ring in the wall. He had slack, but not enough to go very far.

Trig wouldn’t truly hurt Riju, right? Why had Riju shouted at him to get off? Kit’s heart pounded as he tried to think of what to do. His options were quite limited. He heard a slam, and Trig’s voice pleading. Kit forgot the command and stood. Why did his leg have to be chained? He wanted to run upstairs and make sure Riju was okay.

“Master?”

It wasn’t long before boots came pounding down the steps.

“What’s going on, Master? Why was-”

“Did I say you could stand?” Trig’s eyes blazed as he reached the bottom.

“Master, I heard Riju. He-”

“He’s fine and overreacting as usual. Stop worrying about him.”

Kit hesitated as he eyed Trig. He’d never looked so pissed. “But-”

“What the fuck did I just say?”

Kit flinched and hurried to obey. “But Master, I heard him scream. He’s upset, and-”

“Shut up. It’s your fault he’s upset, and you probably filled his head with stupid shit.”

Kit’s mouth dropped. If they fought, how was it his fault? “He said to get off me. What did you do to him to make him scream?”

Trig came closer and folded his arms. “What did I do to him? Really? I guess you think you can do whatever you want too?”

“No, Master.”

“You were standing. I told you to stay on the floor.”

“I heard you fighting, and I was scared! It sounded like you hurt Riju!” Part of Kit wanted to believe that while Trig might say things to upset Riju, he’d never actually hit him. But why else would Riju shout to get off? He’d heard a faint thump beforehand and dismissed it, figuring one of them had dropped something on the floor. Now, he was picturing worse, and his stomach twisted with nerves.

Trig brushed his hair back. “I’m not punishing you right now because I’m pissed, but I expect answers. What did you do the evening I went out?”

“We had dinner and read a bit, Master,” fibbed Kit. It was true, just not the whole truth.

“Who cooked dinner?”

Kit paused because he shouldn’t lie, but the truth would get him in trouble.

“Don’t you dare fucking lie to me.”

“Riju cooked, Master,” whispered Kit. Trig looked like he’d already guessed the truth, and if Kit fibbed, he might regret it along with Riju. It wouldn’t make him angrier.

“After I said you were supposed to cook?”

“Yes, Master, but-”

“Who’s the one who makes all final decisions?”

Kit hugged his knees, and a tremble started in his belly. “You, Master.”

“Did you sleep in his room too?”

“Yes, Master.”

Trig stepped back and rubbed his forehead. “What have you been telling him? He’s awfully obsessed with living elsewhere and his damn toy shop idea, and he likes you, so I’m sure he’s said something. I bet you told him it was a great idea and didn’t even think.”

Kit’s heart pounded. He wasn’t tattling everything, and why would he say Kit didn’t think? He wasn’t stupid.

“What has he said about leaving?” asked Trig.

“He’s just mentioned starting a toy shop, Master,” said Kit. “That’s it.”

“What else?”

“Nothing. He likes dolls, Master.”

“You think I don’t know about his stupid, fucking doll obsession?” Trig clenched his fists. “He’s got a new obsession and thinks he can live on his own and start a business. You’ve been here long enough to see how he is. Do you really think he can do it on his own?”

Absolutely, and it’d be a whole lot easier without Trig trying to drag him down.

“He’s in his room and having a meltdown because I told him no. Do you think he’s mature enough to cope on his own?”

Kit squeezed his legs and remained hunched on the floor. Riju didn’t cry over a simple no or refusal. Even with him crying over the fair, Kit had heard their voices in the sitting room. They’d spoken about it, and Trig had acted rather like an asshole.

Looking back, his dismissal of a thing Riju liked was disrespectful, and Riju must have caught it. The fair discussion certainly hadn’t been the first time. Trig didn’t want to go with him at all anymore, thought it was stupid, dismissed his feelings, and tried to forbid him from going with someone else too. It was why Riju had grown upset, and with certain things in the past years, it made sense he’d start crying.

Riju had mentioned the majority of his meltdowns had one common factor. It was Trig.

“Well?” demanded Trig. “Are you going to stare at me like an idiot? You tend to do that at times.”

“I’m not an idiot, and neither is Riju, Master,” Kit dared to say. “He is mature enough to live on his own. You just don’t want him to go, Master. You make him feel like he’s dumb, and you try to drag him down. When he gets upset, you poke at him and say stupid shit too.”

His stomach tightened at the bold contradiction. Even though he was the slave, it didn’t mean he had to agree with anyone’s thinking in his head.

“You think a customer is okay with a shop owner crying over something stupid?”

“He cries because you upset him, and I bet you’ve done it a lot. You interrupt him and a bunch of other little things. They build up, and it’s you who makes him cry! The physician was a different th-thing.” Kit stuttered to a stop as Trig’s face darkened.

“I don’t upset him. He upsets himself. What bullshit have you been telling him? I know it’s you getting him riled up since he’s been spending more time with you, and I guess he’d rather fuck you now too.”

Was he jealous? “Why can’t you give him a chance, Master? He’s an adult, and he does well overall with running the shop with you.”

“Yes, with me!” yelled Trig. “Not on his own. He can’t live without someone to keep him focused.”

“He does work without you telling him anything, Master! I’ve seen him, and when he has a task, he’s able to focus on it and do a good job, Master. He also makes amazing dolls, and you’re not keeping him focused when he's working on them. He does it entirely by himself. You don’t even like his dolls.”

“I’ve taught him what to do. That’s why he can focus on them.”

Then why say Riju needed another to keep him focused? Kit felt like he’d fallen into an argument he’d never win because the other would say whatever in retaliation even if it contradicted the first thing.

“It’s the same if he goes out,” said Trig. “I’d tell him to come back by noon at the fair, and he’d finally return midafternoon.”

Maybe he didn’t need Trig to tell him when to come back. He was a damn adult.

“I want to know what you’ve said to him.”

“I want to know why he screamed at you to get off of him!” Kit suddenly snapped. “How come you won’t answer? You made him scream, so you did something wrong, and you don’t want to say it.” He shut his mouth when he realized what he’d done.

Trig pursed his lips. “You’ve got a long day ahead of you, and you’ll stay there until I decide. I think you’ve been telling him a bunch of crap, and that’s what’s got him all in a twist. You’re warping his damn brain.”

“I haven’t, Master. You upset him because you don’t want him to go-”

“Shut up, and don’t talk about what you don’t understand.”

Kit made a frustrated noise. “I want out. I’m done with this. You’re upsetting him, I don’t know what you did to him, and you’re acting like I made Riju upset. I’m not going to sit around like nothing's wrong while you abuse him and make him feel like shit! You’re just trying to control everything, and I’m done!”

“How fucking dare you! I don’t abuse him.”

“You’re the one who upsets him, and you say he’s not a retard, but you treat him like one!” shouted Kit. “You treat him like a dog you have to train to act a certain way. You threatened me to not yell at him or make him feel bad, but I think you hit him upstairs! That’s why you keep saying stupid shit and refusing to tell me what happened.”

Trig’s face reddened as Kit breathed heavily. “I think you forgot you’re not leaving here until the cage is done.”

“I’ll tell everyone you didn’t let me have a safety word, and how you treat Riju, and you make him cry, and you kept me stuck here like a prisoner-and-”

Trig marched over, and Kit scooted back to get against the wall. If it came to blows, Kit was smaller and not as strong. He’d never felt so terrified or angry before, and he balled a fist because he wasn’t letting anyone beat him without trying to defend himself. He’d scream too, and he knew Riju would come down for him.

Trig didn’t strike him. He leaned over and pointed at Kit. “If you ever dare to say a word, do you think they’ll believe you? You’re a nobody in this city. I’m respected and known by a lot of people, including those who keep this place running, and the lord of Raven’s Landing. They’ll believe me, not you. I also think you’re not quite right in the head. You might be a little like Riju, and nobody is going to believe someone who’s a little retarded.”

“I’m not retarded!”

Trig backed up. “I think you are a bit. You clicked way too fast with Riju to start-”

“I like him as a person, and how dare you call him retarded! Maybe you should try liking him as a person instead of trying to change him.”

“Shut up,” Trig said in a deadly quiet voice. “You’re already getting mouthy and forgetting the title. Your ass is going to feel every fuck up tomorrow. Like I was saying. You two are practically obsessed with each other for whatever reason, and you like everything he’s into. You’ve started sleeping with the damn doll you made.”

Kit liked it, and he’d made it with Riju. Besides, why not? Riju slept with dolls, and he didn’t see the problem with it, so he’d started keeping his next to his pillow at night. Who cared if he discovered a thing he liked? Trig could go fuck himself.

“You can look at me, but sometimes, your face is kind of blank, or you put on this expression like-I don’t know. You repeat words like him, and I don’t think you’re quite right up top. You’ve tried to turn him against me, and I’m the one who took care of him for years, long before you came along, and you’re filling his head with lies. I never should have taken you because we were happier.”

“You were happier because he listened and did what you said. You’re not happy now because he stood up for himself. It would have happened eventually.” Kit got on his knees. “You treat him like a dog, and I guess you don’t care if we’re ‘retarded’ when you want someone to suck your cock or pound your ass! Funny how it works out in your favor, huh? You resort to insults and interruption when things aren’t going your way.”

Trig clenched his fists. “You’re not leaving this basement or seeing Riju until I say, and once the cock cage is done, you’re going out on the street. You better not ever step foot in here again or I’ll have you arrested. If you ever say a word, I’ll say you tried to steal from me, and you can sit in a cell in the city jail for all I care. I’ll whip you tomorrow when I’m not so pissed, and you better be thankful. We’ll see how defiant you are after I’m through with your ass.”

With that, Trig stomped up the stairs. The door slammed shut, and Kit was sure he heard the latch rattle. He was locked in. He sat on the floor and started to shake all over. Dear Elira.

Trig had seemed decent at first and like a good man. It was because he’d been getting his way in general. When that ended, his true colors had shown. The more pushback he received, the angrier he grew.

He wondered if he should scream then. Riju had said to scream for him if he didn’t feel safe, and Kit knew he was far from safe. No. With whatever happened upstairs, Riju would know they needed to go, and he’d said if anything happened, he’d get Kit out and to the gate guards.

He wouldn’t leave Kit and let him be punished tomorrow. Besides forgetting the title multiple times, he’d stood up for himself and Riju. Trig would likely give him more than twenty or thirty lashes as punishment.

Despite Riju’s promise, Trig would be a problem. He wouldn’t stand around and let them do whatever. Kit’s chain presented a problem, and he knew where the key was. He couldn’t reach the cabinet where Trig had hung it.

He tried to tug the chain from the ring, but it was solid, and he couldn’t get the shackle off of his ankle. He was stuck and couldn’t reach anything either. What was he supposed to do if Trig came down later to punish him instead of waiting? Riju would try to stop him, but it didn’t mean Trig couldn’t fend him off. He had more muscle, and what if he hurt Riju worse? Kit was chained and naked on the floor.

He almost expected Trig to come back down, get a whip, and whale on him because he could, and he seemed to think Kit had been warping Riju. What kind of man said he loved someone while thinking that kind of bullshit? Riju just wanted to go out on his own and live life on his terms.

He sniffled and huddled on the floor while he tried to listen. He caught voices once in a while, and a woman laughed at some point. Trig must have opened the shop. He didn’t hear Riju’s voice, and he was likely in his room. His stomach dropped further as he imagined Riju possibly hurt and trying to deal with it alone.

When Kit was sure it was lunchtime, Trig didn’t come back. He heard Trig’s angry tone at one point. Was Riju still in his room? He had to be.

Trig treated him like he was retarded. Riju was far from it, and his quiet hiding meant he was probably listening and waiting to ensure Trig didn’t hurt Kit. He’d wait until later, see how things went, and come down to get him out.

The light through the high windows dimmed. Trig had left a lantern on, and since he'd likely forgotten about it, Kit didn’t have to sit in the dark. If Trig went to bed and did nothing further, Riju could come to get him soon.