14. Amaya

Ido not dare to look up. Terror and discomfort travel up my spine in waves, not ending the tension in my hands for even a second. They are shaking more than I am trembling. My heart is attempting to escape my chest, pounding harder with every minute that passes. A hand is clutching my lungs, squeezing all the air out as my breath becomes shallower and shallower.

A part of me almost relinquishes the role Siderus has given to me. Almost. Giving up is not a choice at this stage. I either have to survive or I will die trying. I do not have a choice. I have been given the most dangerous thing a human can have. Hope.

I hope to see my family, my brother mostly.

"Remember the rules," Siderus says. He hands me a red cloth and signals for me to put it on. "Don't wear anything under it."

Before I can ask why I have to wear something so revealing, the rules reiterate themselves in my head. "Never question him." That is the number one rule, and I almost broke it with my forgetfulness.

I pull the cloth over my head, taking extra time to reevaluate the circumstances I have come to find myself in. The material is smooth, gracing my skin with a softness that lets me know the dress is not cheap. Not only is the material thin, but it is also tight, leaving nothing to the imagination. Still, one thought continues to run circles in my mind as Siderus watches me.

Why does he have this? Was this the plan all along? A part of me, one that trusts him to keep me safe and maintain his promise of seeing my brother, gives him the benefit of the doubt.

My thoughts disappear as quickly as they appeared as Siderus clips the matching blood-red collar onto my neck. I hear the clinking of a chain attaching soon after.

Then, as if to comfort me, he strokes one hand gently down the side of my cheek. The juxtaposition is truly bizarre, to be chained to a leash one moment and then soothed the next. A part of me is tempted to scream at him, but a bigger part of me finds it comforting despite myself.

I hate how he still seems forgivable no matter what he does. I want to muster up all my energy to hate his guts, but it always feels half-hearted.

"Remember the rules," Siderus reminds me one last time before leading me out of the room and to his uncle. I don't respond.

I don't know what response would be appropriate in this situation.

I feel his uncle's eyes look me up and down when we finally arrive, as if he is trying to burn a hole through my skin. His eyes settle on the collar.

I keep my head down and my brown curls covering my face as we follow Siderus's uncle out of his mansion. Siderus leads me with the leash.

I notice they are leading me to a carriage when I decide to take a peek at my surroundings. Ricks stab my feet as we walk but I dare not to wince. I'm more afraid of the reaction of Siderus's uncle. I fear he'll find what he thinks to be a suitable punishment for me if Siderus doesn't serve one up to his standards.

Siderus and I sit opposite the older Duke. The drive seems never-ending as polite conversations quickly turn into a silence full of tension. Siderus's hold on my leash only tightens as time passes. His shoulders remain rigid and tense as the two men stare each other down.

We arrive at another mansion, vines covering the outer walls. For the first time since meeting his uncle, I look up. Stepping inside, his uncle starts guiding us up a marble staircase. While ascending the stairs, I make a point to look around, tripping slightly as I fall out of pace with Siderus.

We reach a room where an elf with white hair draws my attention. Her hair cascades down to her waist. A viridian green dress hugs her figure and gold jewelry lines her ears and hands. Expensive. Maybe she's one of the nobles. There's more like her, wearing expensive clothing and shiny jewelry.

"Don't stare." Siderus bends down and corrects my behavior quickly.

However, before he does, I notice humans on their hands and knees in the middle of the circle that the elves have created. They're all chained together at the throat, looking down at the floor. I notice a young girl shaking, unclothed.

This isn't what scares me the most. As Siderus tugs on my collar, she looks up at me. Her eyes are empty and hopeless as if she has simply accepted her fate.

"Don't stare." This reprimand is more commanding and forceful. I redirect my gaze to the floor as I'm being led out of the room.

Her eyes sear themself into my memory. Is this what I am to become? My fate is no longer in my hands.

I am slowly beginning to understand my father's protection was not to be overbearing nor was it due to embarrassment. Rather, his protection was a method of survival, not for himself but for me.

Many doors are open in this corridor, and it seems to go on forever. A part of me wishes that only moans filled my ears. It would be less painful than the wails that are joining them. Some of the wails come from the room that we just left, accompanied by the sound of cracking.

I wonder if they come from the girl with the empty eyes. My mind wanders. What has she endured for all of the fight to be taken out of her? How has she been beaten into submission? Will I ever be in that predicament? Am I?

I glance into a room and notice another human on her hands and knees. She isn't stationed at one spot like the others. Instead, she is crawling around with her tongue out, panting like a batlaz. Her ribs show slightly and a large bruise showcases itself across her back. I don't ignore her collar having a paw print on it or her leash made of fabric rather than a chain.

She dips her head down quickly, and I take note that she is chewing something that she found on the floor. She looks frail.

In the same room, a girl is sitting on a man's lap. It takes a moment for my mind to register that she's bouncing up and down as she moans loudly. The lust doesn't quite reach her eyes, regardless of her actions.

Did the same person own them both? They have similar builds, similar collars, and similar leashes. They don't have the same empty eyes as the girl I'd seen before. Their eyes show acceptance.

I remember Siderus's newest command and glance down at the floor. With a light tug on my leash, I continue walking.

I"m curious if my brother is here. If not, why did they bring me here? Why did I have to come to this place?

We reach a medium-sized room with a platform. The older Duke takes the stage as nobles fill the room. The elven woman with white hair stands beside me in the front. Glancing around, I notice that some of the nobles have their humans with them, pets.

Is this all that I have been reduced to? A pet? Are the humans who marry elves or orcs considered more or are they simply considered glorified pets, too?

The stage lights are blinding as I take in my surroundings. I decide to use this time to take in the sight of the older Duke. He carries himself with certainty and a whiff of arrogance.

He wears a black robe and a complementary navy blue sash. In his hand is a glass of alcohol that I can only assume is whiskey as I smell it in the glasses around me.

I don't glance any further than his hands. I don't want to risk making eye contact. I don't need to look any closer to know that he and Siderus have some resemblance. While I may be biased, Siderus does seem more approachable.

I stare at the floor. Someone turns on a sultry sound in the background, nearly inaudible to my ears. Jazz or maybe the blues? I'll settle on the blues.

"As you know I have invited you all here today for a very special occasion," the older Duke starts his speech, joy filling his tone.

I find some comfort in Siderus"s hand on my back, the chained leash balled up within it. The older Duke drones on about how he sponsored the party and hopes that everyone is enjoying themselves. He briefly talks about how the nobility will continue their reign.

I wonder how long this speech is. I don't want to be here, and I don't really want to listen, but I don't have a choice.

The older Duke's voice booms through the room with the use of the microphone. It's deep and full of power. It draws the attention of all who hear it. It also catches their respect. His voice, in a way, fits him.

He has a voice that you want to listen to, not because of actual desire but because you are too afraid of what will happen if you don't.

"This party is a celebration!" The aura of the room changes with those words. The only tension that could possibly be felt in the room is my discomfort.

"We have caught the Marquis! Imprisoned! One of our enemies has been destroyed!" The room erupts in cheers, and my head flies up. My heart speeds up and my chest tightens. What?

Siderus yanks my collar, just enough to grab my attention but not enough to hurt me.

"Keep it together," Siderus whispers forcefully in my ear.

Gritting my teeth, I stare back down at the floor. I can survive this. I just have to survive tonight and then I can see my brother.