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I groaned at the thought of those robbers, getting away with their crime. Gideon couldn’t stop them with me trapped at the Ranch. This whole mission had been a mistake. I should’ve listened to him.
“You girls gonna stay in here all day?” Patty purred from her bed. She’d already donned a purple sheer dress that left little to the imagination. “If you don’t get downstairs for lunch soon, you’ll be starving during your lessons with Livy in an hour.”
My stomach growled in response to Patty’s warnings. It seemed like days since I’d had my last real meal. Going down to the dining room would be a great chance to refuel and explore more of this place. Surely, the storage room was nearby.
“Come on, Tala,” I said, jumping off the top bunk.
She was lying with her arm over her eyes, a scowl on her full lips.
“Don’t tell me you’re not starving,” I said.
With a groan, she pushed herself out of bed, and shook down her long dark hair. Remnants of gold paint still clung to the strands, showering the oak wooden floorboards with tiny little flakes. She’d been lucky enough to escape the notice of any clients last night. After the ball, we huddled in her bed, whispering comforts back and forth until our need for sleep overcame our overwhelming fear.
Tala and I left the boarding room and made our way down to the dining room. It sat in a corner next to the ballroom, with a long wooden table covered in a lace tablecloth. Three women I hadn’t met shuffled in and out of the dining room carrying trays of food. They held their heads down, their gaze plastered to the floor. Nothing spectacular about them attracted my attention. From the looks of their mundane skin and movements, they were human. Human slaves.
“I thought I’d never see another waffle in my life,” Tala squealed, sitting down at a platter and digging in.
The humans glanced at us, but didn’t say anything. They wore shapeless linen shifts that buttoned high on their necks. Compared to the outfits of the girls upstairs, they looked like nuns.
Days without proper food had taken a toll on me, so I wasted no time in filling a plate full of waffles, sausage, bacon, fruit salad, and scrambled eggs. If there was one thing I could say about Wesley, he didn’t skimp on the good food. The eggs were real – not that powdered crap they served at fast food joints. The bacon was thick and the waffles fluffy. My stomach nearly bulged by the time I was done, and Tala and I leaned back in our chairs to digest the delicious meal.
“Wesley believes that healthy women attract better paying customers.” My mother came in through the door, forcing us to turn in our chairs to face her. “Hence, the grand buffet he serves every day.”
Tala grumbled something incoherent nex
t to me, as I studied my mother’s face. Her blonde hair was pulled back into a tight low bun that seemed to stretch the skin on her forehead into a taut mask. Makeup didn’t quite cover the dark circles that rimmed her eyes, or the blotchy red that peppered her neck and chest under the plunging neckline of her blouse. Her gaze wavered over my face, but didn’t stay for long.
“I serve as the matron of the house,” she continued. “As such, it is my job to teach you the art of your new position as hostesses at the Ranch. We have precious few days together, so listen carefully.”
“You make it sound like we applied for some job.” Tala crossed her arms over her chest and clenched her jaw. “Like we had a choice.”
“We’re all here because we didn’t have a choice,” mother replied, her gaze meeting mine. “But what I teach you will help you survive.”
As she rounded the dining table, I thought about her words. What did she mean she didn’t have a choice? Maybe she meant she was a prisoner in this system. That she was no different from the human slaves clearing away the last crumbs of breakfast from the table.
“The truth of the matter is that we are all stuck here.” She pulled out a chair and sat across from us. “You can’t see it but this building is surrounded by impenetrable forces. Wesley Blake is a skilled mage – one of the strongest in the world. He keeps us in and the authorities out. Don’t get any ideas about escaping.”
I knew she was talking to me. Our eyes met again and I pursed my lips, struggling against my desire to protest.
“If you take one step outside the Ranch, he will know. I’ve had girls killed trying to escape. I beg you, give up those notions now.”
Tala sank lower in her chair until I was afraid she’d faint and fall beneath the table. The bit of hope that we’d kindled last night, while huddled in her bed, was fast extinguishing.
“But what if we had a way to contact someone on the outside?” I asked, slamming my palm on the table. “What if they could rescue us? Take down Wesley Blake and his magic once and for all?”
“Impossible.” My mother gently pressed her fingertips together in a praying motion. “No one can.”
“What about the SI?”
“They don’t care about a bunch of missing women,” my mother sneered.
“Okay, what about the HQ?”
She slammed her fist on the table, making Tala jump in fright. “No one is coming. Not the SI, not some mythical mob, not your family. They don’t care about you out there. I’m telling you, Aya, do not try to run or you will regret it.”
Frustration stung my eyes with angry tears. Either my mother wanted me to give in to a life of whoring, or she had given up hope long ago. Neither of those options worked for me. I’d have to get out on my own.
“Fine,” I grumbled. “I won’t run.”
