I hoped with all my heart that it was true, even as I realized that Ashgate was not a place wheregoodmen lived.
A pause followed Xavix’s question. The auctioneer, who had named everyone before, didn’t appear to know what to call the newest bidder.
“Timur,” the men by the entrance replied in the quiet voice that carried hidden power.
Xavix tilted his head, raising his eyebrows in anticipation for the person to continue with an adjective, a title, or whatever honorifics were used in this place. But the bidder, Timur, said nothing more. The silence stretched for too long, leaving Xavix no choice but to break it.
“A hundred gold coins from…um, well…Timur.”
Ray winced in annoyance, clearly unused to not getting his way.
“One fifty,” he snapped.
“Two hundred,” Mazra countered promptly.
Not sparing a glance at the shrouded figure by the entrance, she glared at Ray, clearly considering him her main competitor.
“Three hundred.” The bidder behind her raised his hand.
“Four hundred!” another woman shouted, stepping forward.
Xavix wielded his scroll, pointing it at every bidder while parroting the amounts of gold coins offered for me. The bidding accelerated, too fast for me to keep up as the numbers were shouted into the humid, stuffy air with the speed of bullets. The fae raised their hands, shoving each other out of the way.
Someone punched the bidder behind Mazra. The auction guards rushed the area, dragging the two men out amidst the noise and scuffle.
“Five hundred!”
“Six!”
The bids continued as fights broke out in the crowd.
“One thousand gold coins,” Mazra said loud and clear.
She tossed her braids over her shoulders, hiking her chin up, as if daring anyone to challenge the huge amount she offered. Silence suddenly spread through the tent. Even Xavix delayed to repeat the number.
Whispers fluttered through the crowd.
“It’s insane…”
“Well, we all know she has gold…”
“But that much? For one puny human?” someone scoffed.
“For a Joy Vessel,” another corrected. “There won’t be many more of them coming here.”
There were just six of us in Ashgate. A few more might come later, including Ciana. But that was it. There were no morehumans arriving here any time soon. Not to this city. Not to this world. That must be what drove the price up. The price forme.
Ray grunted. Cupping his chin, he came closer, then walked around me, circling my crate. I looked straight ahead, paying him no attention, but his scrutinizing stare proved inescapable. I felt it with my skin, like a touch of probing fingers.
“Does she haveleilathas?”he inquired.
“Yes.” Piara yanked my sweater off my shoulder, exposing the side of my neck and my upper arm. The black ribbons of theleilathaharness circled them both, merged with my skin.
“See?” Piara murmured. “She’s ready to share her pleasure with you.”
I jerked my shoulder, trying to shake her hands off me.
Dark tendrils of shadows emerged from Ray’s arms, curving and stretching my way.
