“My name is Tala,” she said as the rest gathered. “I’ve been with Captain Rawlings’ company for over a year now. You’ll like it here.”
A musical sigh feathered against my ears. “The captain’s just an amazing lover, isn’t he?” asked a mousy girl I hadn’t noticed, lounging in a pile of pillows and sipping from a ceramic cup.
“He hasn’t touched her yet, Rabbit,” Alicia said, flicking her a coil of hair over her shoulder. “They only brought her in yesterday. She’s to learn the rules first. You remember how he is with the new ones. Pleasure is areward,” she said with a smirk, waggling her brows at the girls.
I felt the blood rush from my cheeks. Felt my skin go white in a slow ooze of dawning horror.“For you,”he’d said,“this will be the worst kind of punishment.”
Breath clogged in my throat, my lips sagged open. A low, rattling whine spilling over. Too quiet an implosion for any of the pleasure slaves to hear.
“Camille, how long did it take you to get her cleaned up?” Alicia asked, hands on hips. She regarded me with eyes that sparkled a warm, enticing green. Oblivious to the effect of her words. That I’d given Captain Asher Rawlings everything he asked for without any fight.
Because I couldn’t help it.
“Three hours, but she didn’t havetheseyesterday,” Camille said from behind me, touching the tender lash marks on my back.
Teeth bared, I spun to face her and found myself in the middle of a loose circle with no way out. The chain keeping me in place growing heavier than I could bear to carry for much longer.
“What did you do to deserve a whipping?” Camille asked with wide eyes.
“Sothisis the wild one,” Alicia whispered, her tone melodic as if connecting dots. “The one who was freeing slaves.” Circling me, she took her turn, peering at my back. Fingers pressed to the spot just beneath her lips, she clapped her hands and said, “Too long spent running from the empire, I think. But we can show her what it’s like to live in comfort, can’t we ladies?”
With a thump, my knees hit the tiles. A sparkle of pain that should have been enough to shake me free of this spiral into darkness, but wasn’t.
Not even close.
“Give her room to breathe,” Alicia said from a blurry distance, shooing them all away. Skirts tucked, she claimed the spot on my right side. Her back pressed to the column, she wriggled close to my side. Draping her arm about my shoulders, she offered the comfort of touch I couldn’t deny on the threat of gang rape and an uglier death. A gift of courage from a pleasure slave, her energy bolstered my tolerance and left me worn thin and ragged. “It’s okay,” she whispered, tucking a lock of sweaty hair behind my ear. “This life is overwhelming, at first, but you’ll come to like it here. We’re a family. The only ones we’ve got left.”
A derisive snort burst from my nostrils, but that was all I could muster.
She squeezed me. “You’ll see.”
10
The rest of the day was spent lurking on the outskirts. Chained in place, watching. Being watched, for Cal had maintained his vigil in the captain’s absence. But after the initial excitement, the pleasure slaves—at least—left me in peace.
Except for Alicia.
Chattering nonstop, she continued to hover, persisted in trying to draw me into meaningless conversation as she plied me with sweet cakes and tea.
I touched nothing. Inspecting the food and drink with a skeptical eye.
With a placid, knowing smile, Alicia brought her latest offering to her own lips. Took a sip, then pressed the warm ceramic into my palms. “Try it,” she said. “It soothes the nerves like nothing else.”
After a moment, I nodded. Took a sip that helped to ease the lump of curdled shame lodged in my throat.
“I’ve been here for…” She laughed, shaking her head, one hand skating over and through her glossy mane. “Years, I think. I stopped counting after a time. And you know,” she said, the glittering green of her gaze pulling me in, “accepting it? This life? Made it aloteasier. I have a certain type of power here. Influence over men like Captain Asher Rawlings.” She grinned, flashing the sharp edge of slightly crooked teeth.
My eyes fell to my lap, to the empty cup. And blinking away a fog of hated moisture, I rolled the ceramic between my palms. Fingers stiff. Outstretched.
“He can be…intense,” she said softly, fishing for something deeper. Something I couldn’t give her. Couldn’t even give myself. “But once you learn the rules—”
“I have to pee,” I said, voice a ragged thing that scraped over my vocal cords.
“Oh!” She stood in a rush, then clapped her hands and offered to help me to my feet. “I’ll take you. You’re going tolovethis. We have private baths. Luxury I never saw before coming here.”
Ignoring her outstretched hand, I stood under my own power. Tinkling chains all I needed to illuminate my inability to leave the spot where the captain had left me.
“Ah, okay. Just… give me a moment. Cal!” she called, and turned in a sweep of swirling silks, but a moment later, the distant rumble of approaching feet could be heard. “Shit,” she breathed, chewing at her lower lip. “Shift change.”
