“You are very hard to confuse you for one another,” I told him, “especially you.”


    Christof seemed pleased and our Lunch continued with quiet thoughtful conversation.


    I swam out my hole in the grate that afternoon and thought about it.


    N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    That something I had been missing about my Masters. It was so obvious I had missed it. They wanted


    me to notice them.


    My head bobbed up and I took a breath before diving again. They Liked to be appreciated for their


    differences. It made sense.


    That single thought gave me a n and a purpose. They liked to feel special, so I would give that to


    them. Their happiness was the key to my survival and I was determined to live.


    In the bathhouse that night I washed Master Damien as usual. He seemed to like me to rub along his


    lines, so that’s usually how I organized myself. I ran my hands over his chest and back softly


    massaging and cleaning. He was so well proportioned.


    “Do you have an arm you favor, Master Damien?” I asked as I scrubbed down his left forearm.


    He had been sitting with his eyes closed. Opening them, he looked quizzically at me. His expression


    seemed to be warring between curiosity and irritation.


    “There is no end to your questions,” hemented, “and no, I do not prefer either of my arms. They


    work equally well.”


    A N G E L A ‘s L I B R A R Y


    That exined why he was built so equally. He didn’t preferentially use one arm when he trained and


    fought. My attention moved to his fingers and I cleaned each one.


    “The callouses are thicker on this side,” I said running my thumbs over his left palm and fingers.


    “Yes,” Master Damien said looking slightly ufortable, “but I am trained to use both hands,” he


    insisted.


    “But you prefer to use this one,” I whispered watching his face carefully.


    His features hardened slightly and I looked away. I hadn‘t meant to anger him.


    “Wash me, Ciara,” he said, “and no more questions.”


    Well, I had tried and I made up my mind I would try again. Evidently some things they didn’t want me to


    notice.


    It was still on my mind when they put me to bed that night. I curled up on my side between Master


    Damien and Master Evan. There would be mistakes, I soothed myself, but they wanted me to notice


    them, so I should continue.


    I started when I felt Master Damien wrap around my back. He pulled me flush to his chest and was


    breathing into my ear. When he spoke his breath tickled.


    “My brothers know I prefer my left arm to hold my sword,” he whispered into my ear. “No one else has


    ever seen that.”


    “Yes, Master Damien, I apologize,” I said softly.


    It wasn’t really the appropriate response, but I wasn’t sure what was.


    He was silent behind me for a short while, but he didn’t release me.