She Was The Queen

Chapter Eighteen ✅

Khai tugged me into an unknown distance. We were about a kilometre away from the house when a shelter came into view. It had two giant brown doors that pulled up vertically when Khai pressed a button in his hands. Inside was a black car, it wasn't shiny at all it seemed to be matte. It was small and sexy, Khai said it's just like me, small and sassy. I rolled my eyes as he made me sit on the passage seat, strapping me to it. I'd seen cars passing my village before but it used to be bigger cars, those ones that made a menacing noise. I'd never imagined being in one. "Why do you even have one?" I asked when the engine roared to life.
"Humans aren't that accustomed to us running in the streets." Khai said simply and we set off. The car was like its own person, it moved, it roared, it felt good to be in. Watching him handle the wheel with ease made me envy driving it.
"So we're going to the city?" I piped up with my voice cracking. I'd never been to the city, matter of fact I've never even imagined how it looked. Khai nodded, approving my fear of the unknown city. I'd seen humans before, they looked like us and it made me really question why we lived apart from them. Obviously, I'm sure they suspected something of people that lived in the woods, even if the Tragas hid it by living in houses, I'm sure people questioned it. "Why?"
"You ask too much." Khai said curtly. It seemed he was getting into one of his capricious moods, so I sat back and watched the trees pass us by as we left the house far behind. On our path we passed many houses, not close to each other, just fair distances. All of them were huge and only a minority were small. Khai confirmed they belonged to Traga and I discovered that this land was bigger than I thought, even parts I thought belonged to Sun Wolves, didn't. We took some time to make it out but we finally met the black tar and joined a snake of other cars.

It was completely different out here. Here the houses were built close to each other, there was no sign of huts. People walked around in coats and beanies even if winter was over. This made me felt instantly out of place in my dress that only covered down to my knees. There were lights above the car every time we stopped that were red, then switched to green. There were kids on our left, crossing the road in similar clothes. A couple of teenagers were puffing smoke into the air and the distorted smell intruded my nose after I asked Khai to open my window. Luckily, better fumes blew into my nose and through my hair, I caught the scent of bread, fried chicken and the wetness of the road. It was busy and almost clustered, just a few people were around but I could tell the others were hidden in their homes, living normal lives and not always in the edge. The car came to a stop in front of a place that oozed the smell of meat, aged grapes and people, lots and lots of people. Khai stepped out of his car and came to my side to unbuckle the belt that was restraining me. The weather was moderate, everyone else was just being extra. "Where are we?" I asked him but he just grabbed my hand and tugged me into the small building.

Inside the sound of chattering, frying and pouring overflowed in my ears. Big men sat at the bar, drinking some apple juice, families sat at tables enjoying what smelt good and a few youngsters read books near computers. Yeah I knew what computers were. "Khai?"
"Table for two." He told the lady before she even reached us and she turned around to lead Khai, with him dragging me, to a table, truly for two. He sat me down and I folded my arms.
"Anything I can get ya?" The blond lady asked. Khai shook his head and she left. He pulled out his phone and started fumbling with it until he caught my death stare.
"What?"
"What is this, where are we? I almost shouted.
"This is a restaurant we are on what humans call, a date."
"A date. Really." I said languidly. "Why didn't you just ask me on a date like a normal guy?"
"If I was a normal guy, I wouldn't be your mate now would I?" Then he smirked. This guy.
"You're lucky I'm hungry." I scoffed.
"I'll get you something. Cynthia!" Khai hollered at the lady who was here.
"Yes sir. What will it be?" Cynthia chirped up, coming with super haste.
"Some undercooked steak and a well done full spicy chicken."
"Anything to drink?" She asked after jotting something down.
"Water."
"Nah, I want that juice." I came out, pointing at what the men were drinking at the bar. I was craving some juice, it's been a while. Khai snorted a laugh and nodded at Cynthia.
"Give her what she wants." He said. Cynthia smiled and left. Before she could properly get out of sight she hollered something at me, I didn't hear it well but I caught the name Luna.
"She knows me?" I slammed the table.
"Everyone knows you. I own this place." My jaw dropped that instant. So Khai wasn't a guy who just sat at home. "All people who work here are Traga." He said, slumping into his chair. "I own most of the businesses in this city, a barber shop, apartments, etc." Then he chuckled. "You think the government just blessed us with land and money to build all those houses."
"The government?"
"People in charge of the people."
"Government is not a person?"
"It's a whole lot of selfish people." The way Khai said selfish, anyone could tell he didn't like the government. No wonder Traga owned so much land, they were balling. No wonder they had all the things they did, unlike us we who fended for ourselves, living on everything Yaga gave us. Now I had a different look on the restaurant, I noticed some of the waitresses and bartenders. One of them had long sideburns that give him easily away, it was Iman. I met him a while back when he came to whisper something in Khai's ear at home. It was a cosy place, the music was low and calm and the colours were autumn browns and royal reds. The table cloths were grey like his favourite colour and the chairs were chestnut. We sat for some time until she returned with the steak, chicken and drinks. Overtly the steak was mine and the full chicken was he's. He nodded at her and she left. My drink sparkled with bubbles rising up, I frowned and took a sip. My frown grew deeper as bitterness met my taste buds. I swallowed painfully and coughed straight after. Khai's had been on me the whole time and he laughed.
"This is disgusting, what is it?" I tried to shrug it off as my lips curled down.
"It's beer, why would grown men be drinking apple juice at a bar?" He asked like I was supposed to know.
"It's too disgusting, you better drink it." I demanded.
"Me?" He pointed at himself and started with his chicken. I nodded and started to dig in. I smiled at how the steak was still bleeding, it was like they knew just how I liked my meat. And it was perfect, not heavily spiced, just salted. I ravaged the steak and made Khai's chicken as my next victim. He watched me as I took his drumstick, he taking his time. He didn't fight, supposedly he wasn't hungry so I basically finished the rest of his chicken and took his water to gulp it all down. After I had finished all in sight he had no choice but to drink the bitter liquid.