I ate breakfast in the kitchen the next morning. I toasted the bread with my Power and sat at the kitchen counter.
‘Morning,’ Jack smiled brightly as he walked in to the kitchen. He helped himself to my toast. ‘Sleep well?’
‘Mmh.’ I gave a shrug. I was furious with Jack, but he didn’t know that, yet. I would wait for him to tell me what had happened last night. ‘Did you sleep well?’
Part of me reasoned that it was none of my business who Jack kissed. He could cosy up to every woman within a hundred mile radius if he wanted to – and I wouldn’t be able to say a thing about it.
‘Very well indeed. I’ve been up for hours, getting ready.’
‘Is Georgia still asleep?’ I asked, stumbling over her name as though it was tainted.
‘No, she left hours ago. For work, I assume.’ Jack said with a raised eyebrow. ‘Is everything okay?’
‘Fine,’ I answered bluntly. I could not bring myself to tell Jack that I had spied on him and Georgia last night.
‘All right. So, what’s the plan?’ said Jack, stuffing toast into his mouth.
I sighed and leaned backwards, avoiding his gaze.
‘What do Humans wear?’ I asked.
‘Well,’ Jack said as he chewed. ‘Owners usually dress their Humans in rags. They are not allowed to wash themselves either, because that would indicate some sort of civilization.’
‘So, I need to get really filthy,’ I said.
‘I can help you with that,’ Jack said with a malicious smirk.
I did not bite at Jack’s sarcastic remark, like I usually would. He did not seem to notice my lack of spirit, however.
We made a makeshift dress out of an old curtain we found in Georgia’s attic. Jack then proceeded to make a thick paste of dirt and water. He grinned mischievously when he showed me his concoction.
I crinkled my nose. ‘Are you going to lather me in that?’ I asked.
With a fervent nod, Jack dipped his hand into the mud and slapped copious amounts into my hair.
‘Oh, Jack,’ I groaned as the mud oozed through my hair and down my face. ‘This is disgusting.’
‘You have to look like a Human,’ Jack insisted.
‘Surely some Mages keep their Humans clean?’ I said hopefully.
Jack scoffed, ‘Yeah right. At best they might get a bucket of water thrown over them once a month.’
‘It’s just disgusting,’ I sighed. ‘The way they treat these people is horrid. Do they really think Humans will be a threat to our way of life if they are treated with decency?’
‘That’s exactly what they believe,’ said Jack, rubbing the mud across my skin as though it were lotion. The mud dried quickly, leaving a hard, dusty coat across every inch of my skin. It looked at though I had not bathed in weeks.
‘That should do,’ said Jack, wiping his hands on my dirty rags.
‘How do I look?’ I asked, turning on the spot.
Jack smiled. ‘You’re perfect, but we need to go over a few things first.’
‘Like what?’ I asked.
‘Mannerisms,’ said Jack. ‘How you and I need to act in front of Realm officials.’
‘All right,’ I agreed. I had not had much interaction with Humans before but Jack had seen them sold in the marketplace in Frost Arch a thousand times.
‘First of all, Humans don’t have names,’ Jack told me.
‘Helena has a name,’ I said heatedly.
Jack backtracked. ‘Humans born into slavery are not given names. I will have to call you girl, or Human, all right? It’s what masters do to their Humans.’
‘Okay,’ I said. ‘That’s fine.’
Jack licked his lips nervously. ‘Secondly, they will expect me to treat you roughly. It is not uncommon for a master to push their Human around as though they are nothing more than meat.’
I nodded. ‘I can deal with that.’
Jack took a deep breath. ‘Third, you must not look anyone in the eye. Humans lack the social etiquette that you and I learn at an early age. They do not speak and they do not make eye contact. Keep your head down and your eyes to the floor. If a Human looked their master in the eye, they would get a flogging. Do you understand? If I show compassion towards you they will think that I am a Human sympathiser.’
‘I understand,’ I said, my nerves increasing with each passing moment. ‘Do you … do you think they will hurt me?’
A nerve seemed to twitch in Jack’s temple. ‘I won’t let that happen, all right? They may be rough when inspecting you. I don’t know what this registration process involves.’
I took a deep breath and nodded. ‘I’m ready.’
Jack put a hand to my shoulder. ‘Are you sure you want to do this? Pretending to be a Human is dangerous.’
‘I know, but how else will we find my family? The Realm took them, so we are going to The Realm Headquarters to get answers.’
Jack nodded. ‘I know I can’t change your mind.’
‘You’re right.’
‘But I can make sure you don’t do anything stupid.’
I smiled. ‘Me? Do something stupid? Never.’
Jack chuckled. ‘Now, I have a present for you.’