“I’ll be taking my pendant back.”
“Of course, sir,” the slaver stammered, digging around in his pocket. With little more than a flick of his wrist, he returned the length of silver chain that had been my undoing, and left it in the captain’s possession once more. Only when they were beyond earshot, did the slaver whisper a shaken, “Unholy god,” under his breath, clutching the mark of the serpent between slippery fingers.
The auctioneer banged his gavel. “This first Eloran treasure has the perfect temperament for a novice trainer…”
His voice faded to the background as I tried to quell the terror screaming inside my head. He’d found me! Goddess, ofcoursehe’d found me after the entrance I’d made, but then, he’d beenwaitingfor me to arrive! And me, bound by the Raith, unable to do a damned thing about it.
Just as he’d planned.
Sweat trickled down the back of my rough-spun shirt, burning the whip lashes bisecting my skin. I dared not raise my eyes for I couldfeelhim watching me, even without my ki.
“That him?” Alicia whispered, her voice barely reaching me over the din.
My chin dipped once.
“Fuck meraw,”she hissed. “Chose a handsome villain, at least.”
I shook my head, for I hadn’t chosen any of this.
A scant few minutes later, the stage had been cleared of everyone but Alicia still standing on my left.
“This is our main event of the evening!” The crowd quieted as the auctioneer hauled me to my feet. “May I introduce Hob. I’m told this horrible little creature has been living in the forest for quite some time, causing all sorts of chaos for the good men who fill this fine establishment with merchandise. But this delicate Eloran rose,” he continued, stroking Alicia’s battered face, “has befriended her. And yes, from what I’ve been told, there is indeed a female under all this filth.” He poked me with the edge of his toe. “Though you can be certain I took Jasper here at his word. I wasn’t brave enough to check for myself.” He shuddered, smirking when the crowd erupted into peals of manly laughter.
“Either way, this beautiful girl cannot see Hob’s hideous exterior. But her charms are matched only by her stubborn will, gentlemen, so she is suitable only for those of you with experience. Wouldn’t want to damage such a treasure, would we? On the other hand,” he said, palming the back of my neck and giving me a little shake, “for those of you who enjoy a challenge or some sport, Hob is your girl. She certainly doesn’t seem like much, and honestly I should be paying you to take her off my hands, but Hob comes with a nasty little bag of tricks!” He gave the collar a vicious tug, making me grimace—and bare my teeth.
The crowd gasped.
A man in the front leaned closer to the stage, eyes fixed upon my face. “You couldn’t pay me to stick my dick in that mouth! Seems too risky for such important equipment.”
“She’d be doing us all a favor, stopping you from reproducing!” shouted the man to his left, and the crowd erupted again.
“Shall we start the bidding for this beautiful Eloran rose at ten thousand?”
Alicia’s eyes widened in surprise, and continued to do so as the price rose, climbing as high as thirty before a lazy drawl from the crowd rendered the room silent.
“I’ll give you fifty.”
“F-Fifty, sir?” the auctioneer stammered, flushing red beneath his tan. “That’sverygenerous of you, sir. I hear fifty thousand, does anyone wish to better the captain’s offer—”
“Ah, you seem to have misheard me. My offer is fifty. Full stop.”
“Captain Rawlings, sir, that’s not how this process works. You see, the bidding is currently at thirty thousand—”
“That’s odd,” the captain said, parting the edges of his coat to reveal the glimmer of a silver handle snug in a holster on his hip. “I don’t recallhearingthirty thousand. Do you, Marco?”
Boots propped up on the table, Marco grinned, blowing smoke rings at the ceiling. “No, sir! The only offer I heard was yours. You were very clear. All articulate n’shit.”
“Ah, there you have it. Does anyone else recall hearing thirty thousand?” the captain asked, raising his voice above the silence. “How about you, Jasper?”
The slaver coughed. “Well, it’s an unusually low price for a slave, but for one such as Hob’s quality, I suppose I wouldn’t mind parting with her for—”
“Fifty forboth.”
The auctioneer patted his shining forehead with a handkerchief. “I think Imusthave misheard—”
“Then allow me to be articulate. I’ll give you fifty forbothslaves due to their poor condition. Is there a counter offer?” Captain Rawlings stood, scanning the room with dark eyes, Elite weapon on full display as he surveyed his competition. “No one? Well,” he continued, turning back to the stage, “I guess that means I win.”
Marco snorted. “I don’t think this Hob creature constitutes as much of a prize, sir. But a man wants what he wants.”
