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Maybe if the vines were given enough time to sink in, that’s what would become of us—just an extension of Reyna.
Her eyes lit up, delighted with the way I’d been decorated like a prize possession. My powers rumbled inside me, begging to be released, begging to strip the air out of her lungs. But I kept them in check. I couldn’t handle the blinding headache that would accompany any attempt at using my magic. Instead, I had to deal with the burning rage inside me.
More than anything, I wanted to cover up. It was humiliating standing before her almost entirely nude. The body jewelry was a poor excuse for attire. But hiding felt like admitting defeat. I held my head high instead.
I was only vaguely aware of my surroundings as I followed Reyna through the dark halls. The dainty chains around my body chimed like bells, like one of her fucking pets.
The sound of chatter in the next room caught my attention. We were standing outside of her drawing room that we’d cleaned that first day. I hadn’t been back since. It hadn’t occurred to me that she actually used it to entertain guests. Who in the right mind would want to visit with Reyna?
I paused and her twisted smirk only grew more sinister.
“What’s the matter, Emilie? I thought you might like some company this evening. It must get rather dull with only Ladon to talk to. Or maybe you prefer him over dear Cyrus.”
Her laugh was reminiscent of a hyena.
“Don’t speak about him,” I snarled.
“Which one?”
She laughed again and opened the door. “Welcome, everyone! I’ve returned with our entertainment for the evening.”
She waved a hand at me and those treacherous vines pushed me forward into the drawing room. I held my breath as a small crowd stared me down. Heat washed over my chest and cheeks. My eyes burned as well. I wanted to run. To scream. But I couldn’t move.
Reyna paraded me through the crowd of onlookers. Two women sat on the chaise lounge I recognized from the hours I’d spent scrubbing stains. Their faces were shaped in a scowl as they gaped at my bejeweled torso.
Behind the couch, a triad of women swirled their glasses, filled to the brim with dark red wine. One with long bluish-black hair and a pierced brow took a sip. I tried not to meet her gaze over the top of her glass.
To my left, a group of gentlemen appeared to have just ceased their conversation. They now gawked at me with slack jaws. One raised a cigarette to his lips and took a hit. An illicit substance, if I had to guess. Smoke filled the room, hovering like a cloud above us.
So this is what Reyna did with her spare time? Alcohol and drugs and parties with a group of…truth be told, I wasn’t sure what to call them.
From their elegant attire—embroidered gowns and fitted jackets—I could’ve sworn they were upper class socialites.
But that couldn’t be. Murvort was as poor as Dreslen. Even more so if the stories were true. How could they afford luxurious evening parties? It didn’t make sense.
Yet even their posture reeked of wealth. The men were plump, like they’d never starved a day in their lives. And the women had jewels hanging from their earlobes and necklines.
And now every single one of their eyes were on me. Like I was a rare new jewel to be collected.
I swallowed, wanting more than anything to cross my arms and cover my bare skin. But the vines on my wrists kept them pressed to my sides.
“Well, Reyna. Please introduce us to your newest pet,” a man said. His voice was seductive as he took a step forward. He had dark, wavy hair and soulless brown eyes. There was a harsh angle in his nose, like it’d been broken one too many times. His eyes raked my body as he waited for Reyna’s response.
“Her name doesn’t matter. She’s yours to play with.”
She shoved me in the back, right between my shoulder blades. I fell forward a few steps, into the crooked-nose man who’d been eyeing me with desire.
He twisted me around, one arm crushed against my breasts while the other hand made lazy movements across the gold chains dangling above my groin.
“Just remember the rules,” Reyna said. She didn’t clarify, and I was left to wonder what rules she’d set in place.
It was as though she’d unleashed a pack of hounds. In an instant, I was dragged across the floor. The man who held me flopped against a plush chair and I fell on top of him.
I squirmed and panted. “Stop. Let me go.”
His hold was exceptionally strong. “We’ve got a fighter,” he said, and the entire room laughed.
“What will you do with her?” one woman with dirty blonde hair asked. I stared deep into her eyes, begging her to do something. To step in and stop this. But I realized she wasn’t asking out of concern. She was brimming with excitement and curiosity.
