It’s stunning. It’s perfect. And it makes me want to cry, because I know exactly why they’re dressing me up like this. I’m not a girl going to a ball. I’m a product being packaged for sale.
“Do you like it?” Axelina asks, mistaking my silence for awe as the crushing weight of everything settles on my shoulders and into the pit of my stomach.
“Yes, it’s incredible,” I manage to say, wishing I was wearing this dress for literally any other reason.
“Green brings out your eyes,” she explains, gesturing for her assistant to touch up my lipstick. “The beading adds just enough sparkle without being too ostentatious. You want to look valuable, not gaudy. Elegant. Refined. Like something worth investing in.”
And there it is again. Another reminder that I won’t be a person tonight when I walk out on that stage. I’m not just a product, I’m aninvestment.
Axelina inspects me again after her assistant is done. She circles me several times, adjusting my hair, pointing out another spot on my lips that needs a dab, and tugging my dress into place so that it hugs my curves to her satisfaction. I’m grateful I’m wearing flat shoes, instead of heels like Axelina and her assistants are wearing. I think I would fall over if I tried to walk in those.
“You’re perfect,” she says, smiling cheerfully. “Your concierge should be here soon to take you to the auction. Don’t sit down. That will just wrinkle your dress. Just stand here and wait for them.”
“Okay. Umm, thank you,” I say, nodding in agreement.
Axelina nods, then she and her assistants leave, and I’m all alone for what feels like another thirty minutes or so before I hear a knock on my door. When it opens, I see Janice. She looks like she’s spent the afternoon with a stylist too, except she’s wearing a tailored skirt suit, like she was the last time I saw her.
“Ready?” Janice asks, smiling from ear to ear.
“I guess so,” I whisper, walking closer to her.
“Follow me,” she says, leaving the door open when she walks out of my room.
I do as she asks, trailing behind her to the elevator. I haven’t seen much of the hotel other than the lobby and the train station below us. This time, the elevator stops on a level that is labeled with a star, and Janice has to use her keycard to open the doors.
“Is everyone else already here?” I ask, curious about Rose.
“President Highton is on the stage and the buyers are waiting,” she answers. “Everyone is auctioned individually, though, so you’ll be taken back to your room once you’re done. The transfer will take place after the final auction is over.”
“Oh, okay,” I sigh, realizing it’s even more likely that I’ll never see my best friend again.
Janice takes me to a set of black curtains. I can hear people talking on the other side of it, but I can’t make out what they’re saying. She pulls the curtains to the side, and there’s a dimly lit walkway that’s blocked off by another set of curtains ahead of me.
“Wait behind the curtain,” she says, gesturing ahead. “Once you’re in place, I’ll let the president know you’re ready, and he’ll introduce you. Any questions?”
I think for a moment, and I have plenty, but I don’t think Janice will be able to answer any of them. “No. No questions.”
“Okay, I’ll see you after the bidding is over.” She smiles and steps to the side.
I walk to my assigned spot and wait. The curtains are separated enough for me to see a little of what is on the other side. There’s a stage. President Highton is standing on the left, holding amicrophone in one hand, and a tablet in the other. The lights are too bright for me to make out the buyers.
“Okay, ladies and gentlemen, it’s time for our next auction!” President Highton says with excitement in his voice. “Her name is Clover. Such a pretty name. But not as pretty as she is. Clover, come on out here and let them see what they’re bidding on!”
That’s my cue. I take a deep breath and step through the curtains. There’s a roar of approval. Laughter. Clapping. President Highton points to a spot on the stage, indicating that’s where I should stand, so I walk over.
I can finally see the buyers, so I look around the room, ready to avoid contact with any orcs and demons. Except I don’t see any. I see men and women, dressed in formal attire, all staring at me. Could some of them be wolf shifters? I wouldn’t be able to tell if they are, but there definitely aren’t any orcs and demons here.
“We’ll start the bidding off at a thousand gold,” President Highton croons.
“She’s too pretty for me to put to work in one of my factories, so I’ll let the rest of you waste your money,” a woman says, wrinkling her nose like she’s displeased with what she sees.
“I’m in,” a man says, raising a white paddle.
“We’ve got one thousand, do I hear two?” President Highton asks.
“Are you a virgin, sweetheart?” a man asks crudely, leaning forward, a hungry grin on his face.
I glance at President Highton, who laughs at my concern, or maybe at the blush that colors my neck. “Clover, you don’t haveto be shy. You can answer the question. But be honest. If you lie, your new owner has every right to whip you for your deception.”
