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One
YULENNA
“I’ll do it.”
I say the words before I even know what I’m thinking. It’s partially to stop Faith from arguing with the terrifying Fates—the Spidae—and partially because I see a path to safety ahead of me.
As a bed-slave, you learn to judge the world a little differently than most. You gauge every action by whether or not it will further your need for safety and protection. I’ve served in brothels and I’ve served fancy lords in the past, and I definitely know which one I prefer. Aron of the Cleaver, the Butcher God of Storms, was my protector for a time, but now he has Faith, and anyone can see that he’ll never have use for someone like me again. I need a new master, one with enough power so that I’ll never have to be on my knees in a brothel ever again.
And even though the Spidae terrify me, it’s the perfect solution.
The two Spidae in the room arguing with Faith fix their gazes on me. It’s like they’re seeing me for the first time. I get that a lot around Faith. I’ve always been considered a very beautiful, desirable slave, but Faith has a brash, magnetic sort of personality that draws everyone in and makes them like her despite her crude words. Maybe it’s that she’s Aron’s anchor, but there’s an otherworldly sort of appeal to her that makes me invisible at her side.
Now that I’ve spoken up, though, I am invisible no longer.
The Spidae with pale eyes narrows his gaze at me, not moving, but I feel…dissected from the inside out. “An interesting thread,” he murmurs.
“I see it now,” his brother says, the one with vivid blue eyes. “Very interesting.”
I don’t know if this is good or bad, but they’re looking at me now instead of Faith. They’re judging whether or not I’d be a good toy for them. And if it’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s how to be the best kind of toy. So I lift my chin and give them both my best smile, one that gives just a hint of sultry teasing. I stand up straighter, knowing that my breasts will be prominent, and when I shift my hands on my skirts, I deliberately smooth the fabric so it emphasizes my small waist. “I will serve the gods.”
“Wait, Yulenna, no. You don’t have to do this.” Faith frowns at me, stepping in front of me and grabbing me by the shoulders. She pulls me away from the two Spidae, who are watching me now with avaricious expressions that tell me I’d be serving in their beds before dark if they agree to take me on. I can handle it.
But Faith looks miserable at the thought, as if it’s somehow her being roped into servitude.
It’s both awfully sweet of her, and awfully frustrating. She truly has no idea what kind of position I’m in. “I know.”
“You…you really want to serve them? An anchor has to go willingly,” she asks, her voice frantic.
There’s a movement behind her. A third Spidae enters the room, standing near his brothers. It’s like they’ve all come to look at me and decide if they want me or not. He’s got the same blank eyes his brothers do, maybe even more so. His eyes are shockingly dark in his pale face, like two pits, and it’s jarring to look at, just like the hungry expression he wears. They’re terrifying all together, all three of them, and I wonder if I’m going to have to bed them all three at the same time, or if they’ll simply take turns.
I decide it doesn’t matter. Serving a god—a trio of gods—would be the safest, most prestigious sort of servitude I could ask for. Even if they send me away, I’ll be a woman who servedgods. I’ll never see a whorehouse again. It’s absolutely a gamble I’m willing to make.
Faith notices the third Spidae enter, and I could swear she shudders. “You want to stay here? Really?”
Do I? She still doesn’t get it. I’m bargaining for my future. But Faith has always been privileged with being Aron’s anchor. I smile bravely at her, confessing the truth.“Not really. I’m kind of scared, actually. But if you can learn a new world, so can I.”
“Yulenna, no, this is different—”
One of the Spidae is suddenly at my side. It’s the one with pale eyes, the one who watches me with such fierce intensity it’s as if he’s trying to read my thoughts. He reaches out with one pale, long-fingered hand and touches my braid, stroking my hair. He’s so close that he smells like cobwebs and dust, and I don’t know what to make of that. “You would serve us in all ways?” he asks. “The three of us?”
I nod.
“Time out,” Faith bellows, gesturing with her hands. “No. Absolutely not. Yulenna, you’re not a whore any longer, okay? You don’t have to do anything like this.”
I shake my head, trying to look over at Faith even as the god plays with my hair, his fingers tracing over the ribbon I laced into my dark hair this morning. I always look as good as I can, because my value is in my appearance. I dress each morning knowing that Aron has forgotten about me, so I have to charm Solat, or Markos, or even the quiet Kerren into falling for me. If I’m married, after all, I don’t have to return to the slave-yards. I deliberately wove that ribbon into my hair this morning because Solat said red looked good on me.
I wonder if the Spidae knows the meaning behind it as he fiddles with my dark braid. He leans in, and I could swear he sniffs my hair. Goosebumps prickle over my skin, but I’m resolute. This is the best path for me. Like Faith, if I’m an anchor to a god (even a terrifying trio of gods), I’m safe from a life of drudgery.
And best of all, if I’m serving Fate, I won’t meet the same terrible end that most anchors do.
“I want to do this, Faith,” I tell her. She needs to understand. I meet her gaze, trying my best to ignore the god that hovers over me and strokes my hair so unnervingly. “Here, I have a purpose. I can serve the gods. Once we leave this tower, I’m just an unnecessary whore for a god who is in love with his anchor. I cannot fight in Aron’s army. How long do you think he will keep me around?”
From the look of despair in Faith’s eyes, I can tell she’s starting to get it. She looks ready to cry.“You’re my friend. Aron would keep you as long as I want. You’ve been good to me, and to him.”
That’s sweet of her, but friendship can only carry someone so far. I reach out and squeeze her hand, comforting her. “You have been my friend, too. Thank you for making me feel like your equal in all ways. But now I must find my own path.”
She looks stricken, and I find it ironic that I’m comforting her even as I’m making the biggest decision of my life. Even now, my purpose seems to be to serve others. I bite back the stab of resentment that shoots through me, because Faithhasbeen kind. She could have ordered me killed or sold off, but instead she’s befriended me. It’s not her fault that Aron fell in love with her. It’s not her fault that I’m simply looking to secure my future. So I give her hand a little shake. “I can see the guilt on your face. Don’t. I’m choosing this, just as you choose to be with Aron.”
