To Love A Myth - Book 1: Mr. Higgs and the Maid🎩✔️

20

Patrick grabbed Merida and threw her on the ground. She slammed her shoulder hard, feeling she may have broken it since her arms were tied in the weird fashion he had done them in and making it practically impossible to keep herself from getting hurt. Luckily, she turned so that she didn't end up with a broken nose.
"It looks like your employer doesn't really give a rat's ass about you, Scot."
"Aye, most likely he's kenned I've left him and is in a muckle bout of sadness."
"That or he never liked you in the first place but didn't want to fire you, so when you left it was something he looked forward to. Now he doesn't have to look for you or look at you. He'll be free to do as he pleases."
"Do ye believe that that's how Mr. Higgs is? An ye do then ye're a piece of shit. That lad hasnae anything to do with what's going on here. Ye are just angry that I beat ye pretty little face and gave ye a scar or two. Believe me, the scar makes ye look ten times better."
Patrick kicked her and she hissed, scrunching up in a ball.
"I won't have a barbarian talk to me like that! Your people are nothing but cannon fodder to us. Just little nomads that run the Highlands and the Lowlands and great target practice."
Merida turned to him. "Ye watch what ye say now, laddie. Ye be walking into blaspheme soon and I dinnae mean with the Laird. If I wasnae tied up, ye'd be seeing it."
"Ooh, I'm so scared of the tied up Scotswoman." Patrick said, acting like he was scared. "She's going to get her barbaric, heathen friends and have them come and try to kill us. Your dog is barking up the wrong tree, Scot."
Merida smiled. "Aye, Sassenach, ye should be scared."
Patrick looked at her for a moment and then reared his leg back, kicking her fair in the stomach. She cringed but it was nothing to her. She had been captured many a time and interrogated as well; she knew how to blather on and be a good distraction. Patrick was laying into her again when she saw Edgar out of the corner of her eye slinking past them. He looked at her, worry in his eyes but she gave him a firm stare. He nodded, understanding, and went out the front door. Go, laddie. Go and tell Mr. Higgs that I'm coming back... Please dinnae let that boy believe I've left him for good.

Higgs knocked on his mother's door and a maid opened it up swiftly. He smiled and she put her hand over her heart as she turned in to the mansion.
"Lady Saxon, I've found Mistress Fuscia."
Higgs walked in holding his sister as she still slept from the night before. Margaret came down the stairs with Jamison in tow and she sighed, putting her hand on her heart.
"Thank the lord! Higgs, where did you find her?"
"Last night was the last of my ogre transformations and she was out there with bread for me. I settled down for the night and she settled down with me. When I woke up she was in my lap so I carried her down here."
Jamison held out his arms and Higgs transferred his sister to him. He smiled at her.
"This girl will be the death of us with her romping about... I'll go put her in the bed."
He left and Margaret touched her son's face, noticing it was dirty and tear stained.
"Higgs... will you be alright?"
"I guess I'll have to accept that Merida is gone... It might have been for the best." He said with a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "I'm going to the market for some food since she isn't here to do it."
"Is that wise? Why don't I go with you?"
"No, I can go myself."
"I'll go with you. I need to talk to you anyway. We don't get to have a lot of manly heart to hearts." Jamison said, coming down the stairs again. He turned to Margaret. "Fuscia's all snuggled in bed."
Margaret nodded. "Alright then. While you're there would you mind getting my hat that I ordered? It's at the small hattery next to the bakery."
Jamison nodded. "Give me the ticket and I'll get it for you."
Margaret nodded as Higgs made a face at his father. He looked at his son.
"You need to get some clothes on. Go upstairs and borrow some of mine."
"I don't need you to go with me, Father."
"We don't know what you are and you're grieving right now. If you do something that causes you to get into some trouble then you need someone to be there and cover it up."
Higgs growled a little and Jamison looked above him.
"See?" Higgs looked up and saw two glowing orbs above his head. "It looks like you're one of the new creatures that even I'm not very familiar with. Since that's the case..."
"Dad, I've been a kitsune before. Every year for nineteen years, alright? I know how to handle myself in this form. I don't need you to be with me all the time. If you haven't noticed, I look human, don't I?" Jamison nodded. "That's because as a kitsune I can make myself look like a human. As for my star balls..." Higgs waved his hand around in the air as the glowing balls turned very tiny and he grabbed them. He stuck them to his earlobes, the glowing stopping and now looking like two pearls. "I can keep them safe on my own."
Jamison looked behind him at the ground and Higgs gave a small growl.
"That I can't help." He snarled, tromping up the stairs.
"I'm still going with you to the market!" Jamison yelled.
Higgs didn't answer and his father frowned as Margaret handed him the ticket for her hat.
"He's starting to break." Margaret said.
"No doubts. That's why I want to be with him. Was I this emotional before I met you?"
"That's something you'd have to ask Davros about, I'm sure. Higgs is different though... He's so sensitive to everything. He was like that when he was born though... but I agree that someone needs to be with him. Ms. Dunbrough was quite an influence on his life and with her gone, I fear he may get himself into trouble."
Higgs came down and walked past his father.
"If you're going to come with me then you'd better come."
Jamison sighed but walked with his son to the market.