“We are but simple miners,” said Brundage. “What could we possibly offer that would be of value to mercenaries such as yourselves?”
“A woman.”
CHAPTER 3
Rona wasn’t sure which was worse—the mercenary’s demand, or the crowd’s reaction to it. Sure, there were some gasps and murmurs of surprise, but they were not nearly as loud as the sounds of protest that had accompanied the fee the Merc had quoted earlier.
It was obvious where everyone’s priorities lay.
It was also fairly obvious why the Mercs wanted a woman as “collateral.”
Rona grimaced with disgust. She knew these men were no knights in shining armor. Chivalry did not exist here on the Outworlds. Still, she couldn’t believe they would actually stoop so low.
Was this a common practice among the members of the Mercenaries Guild? Rona had never heard of it before, but maybe others had?
Brundage, for example.
The little man seemed more than eager to meet the Mercs’ wicked demands. At the moment, he was patting the air with his hands, exhorting the crowd to be quiet.
“Please!” he said. “Please! We must think of the good of the whole village!”
There was only one way in and out of the Common Hall—the same wide door through which the Mercs had entered a few minutes ago. A few of the women tried to make a run for it,but the crowd was too tightly packed, and the men around them seized their arms, arresting their flight.
The bastards were actually going along with it!
Unbelievable.
Actually, no. It wasn’t all that hard to believe, was it? When the chips were down, people were more than happy to sell out their fellow man—and even happier to sell out their fellow woman.
“That’s better,” Brundage said from the platform. “Now, let’s give these fine gentlemen what they ask. If all the women would kindly come up to the stage so the Guildsmen can make their selection.”
Fuck. That.
Rona backed away from the railing and started to melt into the crowd. With her close-cropped hair and unfeminine clothing, there was a chance she could pass for a—
“Woman!”
The cry exploded across the balcony. Before Rona had a chance to fully blend into the crowd, arms seized her and shoved her forward. She looked to see who had called her out. It was the same guy who’d grabbed her ass earlier. He was wearing a big shit-eating grin.
“Thought you could slip away, didja? Shoulda been nicer to me, sweetcheeks. Maybe I woulda helped ya out.”
He patted her butt as she shuffled past.
Rona experienced an urge to draw her knife again, but she suppressed it. No point bringing more attention to herself thannecessary. The best thing she could do now was just keep her head down and try not to stand out.
She descended the stairs to the ground floor and wended her way through the crowd to the platform. Most of the other women were already gathered there, maybe a hundred in total, all of them packed together in a staggered line. They looked scared. Even the professionals seemed apprehensive about being handed over the Mercs.
Rona climbed onto the platform and squeezed in among the others.
“Now then,” Brundage said. “That should be all of them. Do you fine gentlemen see anything that catches your eye?”
Rona scowled. The little creep sounded like he was actually enjoying himself. Yet at the same time, she took a strange comfort in the councillor’s words.Shewould not be catching anyone’s eye tonight. Not with her mannish hair and grubby miner’s clothes. It made her feel a bit guilty thinking that way, because it meant one of the other women would have to go with those beasts instead…
But hey, better them than me, right?
That thought only gave Rona another, sharper twinge of guilt.
The Mercs were pacing in front of the stage now. Even though their feet were on the bare ground, their eyes were level with those of the women standing on the platform before them. Rona didn’t dare look at the big men. She dropped her gaze to the boards and imagined she was somewhere,anywhereelse. Her tiny hovel. The mine. The hill outside of town where shewould sometimes go to look at the stars and the occasional ship streaking across the night sky. Her heart was drumming hard.
