My breath caught in my throat as the caravan halted by Anorevale’s city gates. The mass of wood and iron groaned and screeched as several sentinels pulled them open. My hands curled around the bars of my cage, feeling I needed to hold onto something as the caravan moved again.
The sentinel riding beside me, whose name, as I now knew, was Theon, must have sensed my rising unease because he turned his horse, moving closer to my wagon again. “Try to ignore the crowd. They might get nasty at times,”
During the last few hours, I found him surprisingly likable. He had even given me water from his flask a few times. I nodded and sucked in a deep breath. “Thanks,” I muttered. “Do you know what will happen now?”
He jerked his chin, pointing to the front of the caravan. “We will stop in the central square. Our boss, Mr. Callidus, loves to gather the crowd and show the goods.”
My stomach churned. “And by goods, you mean…”
“There are ten of you this time.” He gave me a thin–lipped smile. “All women are in separate cages. Callidus wants men to look and pick their favorites. He observes and then sets a price for each… item.”
A bitter laugh formed deep in my throat. I looked at the bars of my cage, and sheer fury saturated my blood. To men like Callidus, we truly were no better than wild animals.
“Just um…” Theon leaned closer and lowered his voice. “If you see a bald man with yellow teeth in the crowd, try to avoid his attention. He’s Baron Ziven Betsaler. Rumor has it that he organizes wild hunts where pretty girls are prey. Those girls were later found by the river or at the foot of the mountain. The bodies…” He trailed off and shook his head. “You don’t want to know what their bodies looked like.”
Icy shivers skidded down my spine. “But… if others know about it, how does this Baron keep his royal title? The King needs to hear-”
“You’re joking, right?” Theon huffed. “The King only cares about the capital and his army, and as long as Ziven Betsaler delivers taxes from the omegas‘ villages in his territory, he can do whatever he wants.”
My jaw clenched. Perhaps I had been sheltered for far too long. Perhaps if Father had allowed me to leave Verendell and travel, I would have seen the injustice. I could have done something…
“There’s one more man you should stay away from,” Theon went on, inching closer. “Alpha Koen Sordes of the Fiery Hill Pack. They say he’s King Zyran’s relative. He often buys slaves, and once that happens, those slaves disappear.”
I nodded, processing his words. “What does he look like? How can I recognize him?”
Theon scratched his chin. “I’m not sure… He meets with Callidus in private. I heard he always sends someone to pick the next victims to the city’s central square, so stay alert when someone looks suspicious.”
I gave him a look. As if that could possibly narrow down those I should avoid. It would have been perfect if I could have become invisible. That would have solved the problem, right?
Suddenly, the caravan stopped, and Theon jumped off his horse. “Showtime,” he murmured, unlocking the
7:59 Mon, Sep 22
Chapter 8
massive latches around my cage.
:
87
55 vouchers
I barely drew another breath as several men gathered around the wagon, lifting my cage and carrying it onto a large, wooden podium. Then, more cages with women inside them were placed beside mine, forming a line. Sucking in a shaky breath, I looked to my right and left through the bars and saw one beautiful woman locked in each. They all wore linen tunics, resembling the way I had. Some of them were cowering in the corner; others were nonchalantly presenting themselves as if the city’s crowd was their audience. A stunning brunette in the cage on my right turned to me and snarled, “What are you looking at, bitch?”
I gave her a nervous smile. “Nothing… I just don’t think you should try to get their attention. I heard that some of the frequent buyers are dangerous.”
She bristled at my warning. “And what is that supposed to mean? You’re trying to get my spot, right?”
“What?” I blinked, realizing her cage was placed in the middle of the podium. “No! I was only trying to help
“Save it,” she hissed. “One of those rich guys will buy me tonight and end my misery. I know how to please a man. It’ll take me a few days, and I’ll wrap the guy around my finger.”
My brows rose. I wished I had an ounce of her confidence. I knew nothing about what life she’d had before she ended up in that cage, but I was certain that what she was currently doing equaled having a death wish.
A moment later, the merchant who had bought me stepped onto the podium and called out to the crowd. “Gather around and see the beauties from all over Lumeria!” He gestured at the cages, his golden teeth flashing in a wide smile. “One of them can be yours! Pick your favorites and come to the auction!”
Commotion arose as men in expensive clothing approached the dais. I avoided their disgusting stares and tried not to hear their degrading comments. I pulled my hair to the front, hoping to hide most of my face. I almost sighed in relief as I realized it worked. No one stopped in front of my cage. They merely spared me a single glance and moved to other cages. Unlike me, the cocky brunette collected their attention like golden
coins.
“Stupid girl,” I muttered under my breath, knowing deep in my gut she would end up badly.
Most of the crowd had already passed, and the tension inside me began to ease, but then I felt someone’s eyes on me. Chills licked the nape of my neck, and my breath hitched as I slowly turned and saw a man in a hooded cloak standing in front of my cage. His face was obscured by the shadow, revealing only the lower part with his full lips and sharp jawline.
“Why is your scent so different now?” he murmured, leaning toward the bars.
My anger flared in an instant. “You,” I hissed, turning toward him. “You framed me!”
One side of his lips twitched, then he inched closer. “Why do you smell differently?” he repeated, ignoring my accusations.
I huffed. “Try to spend some time in a filthy cell and then travel a few days inside a cage. Bet you’ll smell as pretty as I do now.”
Amusement danced on his lips. “I do enjoy your feistiness, little mouse.”
7:59 Mon, Sep 22
Chapter 8
55 vouchers
My eyes narrowed. “Aren’t you afraid that I’ll tell everyone that you’re the Shadow?” I looked around the square, noticing a few imperial mantles. “There are more than a few guards here. I might start screaming, and
“No one will believe you, little mouse.” He breathed out a laugh, and I hated how much I loved the sound of it. “But I dare you to try.”
His damn smile was soaked in the purest seduction, and my annoyance clearly wasn’t enough to crush my urge to kiss him. There had to be something utterly wrong with me. Why would I want to kiss a man who wanted me dead?!
“You left me there,” I strained through my teeth. “They wanted to execute me-‘
“And yet you’re alive.” He smirked and whispered, “You’re welcome.”
“Um… what?” I blinked, my mind racing. “Did you have anything to do with ”
“Now here’s something pretty…” Another man’s hoarse voice made my head snap to my right. I saw a bald man clad in a long burgundy jacket embroidered with golden threads. The man stepped toward my cage and smiled, revealing a row of yellow teeth.
Baron Ziven Betsaler looked exactly as I imagined him after hearing Theon’s description. I jerked away from the bars, but it was too late to hide. He inched closer, licking his lips as his brown eyes devoured me. I looked away, only to notice that the hooded man had already disappeared.
“Eyes here, slave,” the Baron growled, hitting the bars of my cage with a metal cane. Grinding my teeth, I looked at him. He held my gaze for a few heartbeats, then a cruel smile formed across his face. “I will buy you tonight, pretty one,” he crooned, and my stomach dropped to my knees. “I hope you’re a fast runner. I sincerely hate it when my prey dies too quickly…”
田
AD
