“Thank you guys, have a good night!” Cherry said as we got into the vehicle. Although I could smell that her mood was more frustrated than anything else, I always appreciated how kind she was to most service people. I wasn’t exactly a bleeding heart in most ways, but I didn’t see a reason why anyone should be rude to someone doing their job—especially since that job greatly benefited our lives.
Still, I forced myself to be patient and waited until we were a couple of minutes away before I glanced at her.
“Thoughts?”
“Could you tell me more about this Parracida family?”
Not a question I had been anticipating, but one I was happy to answer. “They’re a bit of a funny one. I’m so used to everyone just knowing their history that I forgot it’s not something you’d be likely to look up. That was part of our ancestors’ deal with them.”
“Wait, what about a deal with your ancestors?”
“You see, their however-many-great-grandfather was actually the very first shifter to integrate with humans in the new world. This was way before us magical folks revealed ourselves to the world. He was not a nice man, and he tricked or enslaved weaker magical beings into his ‘freakshow’ for profit. Think of it kind of like the Barnum and Bailey circus, but even worse, because the people he abused were sentient.”
Even in my peripheral vision, I could tell that Cherry was staring at me with rapt attention, and I would be lying if I didn’t admit that being the sole center of her often-mercurial focus stroked my ego. It was all the encouragement I needed to keep going.
“It went on for a couple of decades before my own ancestor came over on a ship with the McElroys and the Derniers, who would later become the Bouchards, who then became the Chevaliers. I’ll explain that whole family history to you another time.
“Anyway, once they found out what was going on, they fought the man, and it was quite the knockout, drag-out fight. According to the stories, he was quite the powerful alpha, a purebred from a prestigious pack that stretched back thousands of years. The only reason he was in America was because he’d murdered his own brother and assumed control of his pack,which led to a country-wide revolt against him. The only way he’d managed to escape was to jump on a ship and come to the New World.”
“Oh my god, so he was a real prick.”
“That’s putting it lightly. His actions were truly heinous, to humans and magical folk alike. Naturally, once he was defeated, his punishment had to match his crimes. He was executed, and his remaining family members were ordered to serve the very people they profited from.”
“Wait, like slaves?”
“No, not quite like that.”
“Indentured servants?”
“Would you like me to explain, or do you want to keep guessing until you get it right?” I waited a few seconds for Cherry to think on it.
“Fine, tell me.”
“That first generation was probably the closest to indentured servitude. They had to help every single victim of their former alpha get back on their feet. Whether that was nursing the injured, helping establish a home, or ferrying them back to the family they’d been kidnapped from. They lived in modest cabins dotted around the East Coast and were paid a standard weekly wage as long as they could prove they were keeping true to their responsibilities.”
“Oh, so they were paid.”
“Exactly. And not starvation wages. Certainly not wealthy wages either, but enough that none would be desperate enough to try to avenge their fallen patriarch or abandon their restitution.”
“When did it end?”
“Pardon?
“I get that they had to do restitution all those years ago, but when did it end? After the next generation? The one after that?”
“I suppose that it never really ended.”
“What?”Cherry blurted like I’d just admitted to shooting someone. “They’restilllocked in their servant contract?”
“I don’t know if locked is the right word. They’re paid much more now and are considered to be the highest level of support staff. Really, there’s not much difference between them and an average pack member besides a hefty paycheck and not being allowed to gain power or political prestige within any of the packs. Of course, they’re allowed to leave whenever they want, so it’s not like they’re trapped here.”
“That doesn’t sound very fair. Alexandria and her brother didn’t do anything wrong, but they’re still being punished.”
Something in her tone made me a bit defensive, and I was taken aback at my own reaction. It wasn’t like I was all that passionate about having the Parracidas still serve out the sentence of their ancestors.
“I suppose it is archaic. But I don’t think anybody really considers it a punishment anymore. The family leads a comfortable life, is fully taken care of by the three packs, and all their needs and education are covered. They’re trusted with pretty much anything, and their parents have already retired.”
“I don’t really know what to think about that.”