Eight

EVE

My shift.

I wasn't a stranger to hard work, but I was afraid of what duties got assigned in a pleasure house. No blushing virgin, I had a fair idea. If any of these fae thought they could have their way with me and that I'd submissively take it, they'd have another thing coming.

The dress was silky and smooth underneath my fingertips. Hopefully, I could figure out how to put it on—

"What is going on here?"

I froze. I knew that voice. It couldn't be.

"Changing. She—" Alihandro's voice cut off as the door to the bathroom wrenched open, shearing the lock and sending bits of wood flying. "Is that really necessary?" Alihandro said lightly, but there was an edge to his voice.

My mouth went dry as Cassus himself stood in the doorway, glaring at me. The world around me tunneled and I was again a silly girl in a dead princess's dress, bumping into this fae male in the hallway.

Cassus grabbed my wrist in a vice grip and yanked me out of the bathroom after him.

"She isn't prepared—" Alihandro protested.

"Get out of my room. Haven't you done enough?"

I flinched at the venom in Cassus's voice. He had clearly bathed and changed since the throne room, his clothing once again impeccable, but there were lines and a tightness in his face that hadn't been there before. His eyes were colder.

What had happened? Shouldn't seeing his wife and new baby have given him relief?

"My apologies, Lord Cassus. I'll just …" Alihandro moved toward the door with a tone that sounded anything but apologetic.

"Where are you going? Get her out of my sight before I flay her belly like a fish and watch her entrails spill out onto the carpet! Let's see the girls get the stains out of that!"

My heart stopped beating at the visceral threat and I'm sure I went as white as a sheet.

Alihandro grabbed my wrist and yanked me out of the Cassus's rooms, slamming the door behind us. I tried to focus on breathing again. "Sorry about him. He's been a bit tense since returning."

I ripped my wrist out of his grasp, Ferar's head bouncing to the ground over and over in my mind's eye. "Yeah, seeing your best friend murdered in your place has a tendency to do that," I commented wryly.

Alihandro tilted his head to the side, studying me. "I see."

"See what?" I bit back.

"Why are they all obsessed with you," he teased, eyes lingering on my bare midriff. I resisted the urge to cover myself with my arms. I hadn't had a mirror in the room to glance at myself, but I didn't need one to know I probably looked ridiculous. Clothes like this were for dainty, pretty girls. And what had Shyllon called me? Oh yes.

Horse girl.

"Your heart is pounding. Are you all right? Cassus said you were brave."

I blinked at him, then realized he was right. I was breathing heavily. It was like I'd just run a race with Gregory. A dull ache bloomed in my heart, thinking of him.

"Ah, there she is. We'll take over from here." The blonde human woman I'd seen when I arrived reached for me. I leaned back into Alihandro's broad chest, unwilling to leave one of the few people who'd been kind to me.

"I was told she was to be kept in Cassus's parlor this evening," Alihandro grit out, not yet releasing me.

She laughed, throwing her head back. "Look how she hides behind her protector. He can't save you, you little idiot! He's one of our most frequent customers!" She tossed a blonde lock over her shoulder. "Besides, if Cassus wants her, no one has talked to me yet. I already have gold from the males downstairs. And a few females," she added with a nasty gleam in her eyes.

Hands pried me away from Alihandro, who did nothing to stop it. For a petite woman, the blonde was deceptively strong. But I was bigger than her and she was only a human. I dug my heels in.

"Assist me," she called out, glaring at me.

Guards stepped forward and took over as I struggled and bucked.

"Yes, keep it up. I know a few who will pay double for a girl who still has her spirit," commented the woman airily.

I twisted in the guard's arms, desperately turning back to Alihandro. His face was a careful, blank mask as they carried me down the stairs. Voices were all around me. The ‘customers' had already arrived.

Holy gods, there were so many people gathered.

Fae, human, male, female … How had a hundred people crowded into the downstairs parlor in such a short amount of time? Music played lightly from somewhere in the room, at odds with the frenzied excitement of the crowd.

A tiny girl with mousy brown hair gaped at me, an appetizer tray in her hands from serving the patrons. Hungrily, I eyed the small morsels of tightly rolled fish and sauce, trying to remember the last time I'd eaten. It smelled kind of bad, but I was hungry.

"Don't you dare; you'll get whipped," she cautioned me, her brown eyes widening as she turned away. The blonde woman glared at her, then clasped her hands together with relish at the awaiting crowd.

"Sit and wait for the show to start," she commanded me.

I thought about telling her where to shove it, when the brown haired girl was back, but this time without the tray.

"Smile stupidly and keep your eyes on the floor," she whispered fiercely, voice hard for someone of such small stature. She spoke with an air of authority and experience that I'd be foolish to ignore, so I did as she said, stretching the corners of my mouth out into what I hoped was a smile and not a grimace.

"Yikes. OK, well, just keep your eyes downcast."

The girl adjusted the gauzy fabric around me, fretting here and there until making a noise of satisfaction. She sat herself down on the armrest of my chair, crossing her legs and putting her arms over her chest to push her breasts up. Not that she needed to—the bright red, low-cut top already practically pointed to them. "My name is Thazel. We'll get you through this. The first week is the hardest."

Keeping my eyes down was hard when I wanted to take in everything going on around me. A few glanced my way, but Thazel was magnificent, drawing attention to herself and always redirecting the ‘customer' to another girl across the way. Hopefully not Annie or anyone else I knew.

"I heard the princess was due to arrive soon. This her?" The fae male in front of me reminded me of Ferar, but was twice his size. His flaming red hair was long. Several hoop earrings glinted from his ears and nose.

I glanced at Thazel, but she was still busy with the last male who'd come at me.

"Barthos! There you are! I haven't seen you in weeks!" I started as I recognized Shyllon, gliding across the room like my personal savior, a keen gleam in his eyes. Barthos gave a bow of his head, hand tucked into his chest. He allowed Shyllon to lead him away, giving me a longing glance.

Shyllon ignored me, the bastard.

The blonde woman kept me there for at least an hour. I was sick with anxiety and fear. Dread and guilt filled my empty stomach as I watched Thazel disappear upstairs with a fae male.

From somewhere in the depths of the house, a bell tinged lightly. The blonde woman glided to the middle of the room, throwing out her arms dramatically. "You all know what this means! If you are not staying the night, it's time to go! But before you do, we have a little show for you all!"

All around the room there was a slight mad dash as fae grabbed at males and females alike in a last-minute, desperate bid to snag someone for the night.

I stood from my little makeshift throne on shaky legs, unwilling to believe I'd made it through unscathed. I should run. I should hide. I—

"Put on a show another time. I'm paying to keep her to myself tonight. Gotcha!" Shyllon's friend Barthos was back, wrapping a massive arm around my waist and grinning down at me as he tossed the blonde women a bag of coins. He was large enough that next to him, for the first time in my life, I felt like a dainty woman. His eyes were glazed over with drink. "Come on, sweetheart. I got a present for you! I won the bidding war!"

Barthos sniggered uncontrollably at his own joke, gesturing crudely to the bulge in his pants. He gestured wildly over to a group of fae males including Shyllon, who all wore grumpy, pissed off expressions. Alihandro was at Shyllon's shoulder, listening intently as Shyllon whispered into his ear. I blinked and Alihandro was gone.

The blonde sniffed but walked off, weighing the pouch of money in her hand.

What did I do? Surely I wasn't expected to … you know.

"Barthos! One last drink for good luck!"

Shyllon clapped Barthos on the back like they were old friends, shoving a goblet under his chin. Barthos grinned and downed it in one go.

I tried to beg Shyllon with my eyes to intercede, but his gaze was glued to watching Barthos down the drink.

"Up you get." Barthos swatted my backside hard enough to jolt me, and my feet moved forward of their own volition as I was forced to leave Shyllon behind. We joined the line of girls and others ascending the stairs for the night. Most of us paired off with fae partners. The ones that didn't peeled off to the right. All those with partners went to the left.

I tried to look for Annie through the crowd, but didn't see her.

"This one." Barthos pounded a massive fist on the second door on the left, despite the key sticking between his fingers. "Open! Why won't it open?"

He was loud and getting more irate, so I pried the key from his fingers and opened it myself, turning the doorknob. Barthos fell into the room as the door opened, nearly smashing his face on the floor. I shut the door behind us and put my back to it, watching him warily.

"Ooooh," he groaned, flopping down onto the bed so hard that something cracked. The bed held, though. It wouldn't surprise me to learn magick was involved. Nothing would surprise me anymore.

"C'mere." He patted the bed space next to him.

The request was innocuous enough, so, cautiously, I perched myself on the edge of the bed next to him. Hands snatched out and grabbed me, pulling me down into him hard against the planes of his chest. My nose squashed against the fabric of his tunic, rougher than Shyllon's. He smelled strongly of drink, but not like Ellis. This man smelled of rotting fruit and greed.

"Mmm. It's been so long since I've held a female." His smell overwhelmed me as he wrapped his arms around me and squeezed. An odd sound left my throat, but then he tucked me into his side and went limp.

And started snoring loudly.

Shocked, I didn't dare move a muscle. Had I gotten lucky or was this his plan all along? If so, it was a little sad. Part of my heart cracked open as I relaxed.

He must have felt me subconsciously loosen because he lifted his head and nuzzled my neck, then fell back against the bed again. I tensed all over again.

You got fucking lucky. Quit complaining.

I didn't know the rules or what I was supposed to do next. Was I supposed to stay? Could I leave?

Figuring I could at least beg ignorance if I wasn't supposed to go, I carefully slid out from under his arms and stood at the side of the bed, watching to see if he noticed.

He kept snoring.

I left the key on the wardrobe next to the door and tiptoed out of the room, easing the door quietly shut behind me.

Out in the hallway, I exhaled a heavy breath. The house was quiet now, though muffled sounds of love-making were heard here and there, mingled with feminine cries and male groans.

I crossed above the stairs and went to the other side, where all the ‘workers' without partners had gone. A snort left me at the thought. Workers indeed.

The first door on the right opened, and Annie stuck her head out. "Eve!"

"Annie! What—"

"Get in here!" She pulled me into a large, dark room lined with double bunk beds on both sides—enough for ten people. "Are you OK? I was so worried when that brute grabbed you—"

"I was worried about you!" I protested back.

A pillow hit me in the side of the head and I whirled around. "Will you shut it? One night this week I get a fucking break, and of course, the fresh meat comes in. Fucking hate newbies."

Oh.

"Sorry," I mumbled.

Annie led me over to the corner of the room where an empty set of bunk beds waited, rough, scratchy sheets lying over a small lump that was supposed to be a pillow.

"I spent the evening running around and learning. By not staying in one place, I don't think anyone could get a hold of me." Annie grinned devilishly, and I couldn't help but return the infectious gesture.

"What did you learn?" I pressed.

"There are thirty women and a dozen men who live here," she began quickly and quietly. "Cassus has his own suite on the top floor and owns this house. He owns a bunch, I guess."

I nodded, knowing that already.

"Cassus is rarely here, I guess, but will stay a few nights. It has Giselle in an uproar. That's the blonde woman in charge," Annie added, seeing my confusion. "Apparently, he used to have a thing with her and is the reason she got to be in charge, but since he mated, he's left her alone."

The gossip was interesting; I couldn't help but be invested.

"Think she loves him?" I wondered out loud.

"For fuck's sake!" sneered a voice.

I gave Annie a weak smile and climbed up onto the top bunk. She slid into the bottom one and we both tried to get some sleep.

BOOM.

"Fucking storms," I grumbled.

Annie murmured an agreement, and we tried to ignore it.