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1
Jasmine
The ballroom’s crimson light danced along the sleek bars of the enormous cage surrounding me.With a roughclunk,I was deposited into the center of the room, the force of it almost causing me to fall to my knees. The silver bangles adorning my wrists rang like angry windchimes against the metal as I steadied myself against the cold beams.
“Sorry ’bout that.” The forklift operator said as he shot me an apologetic grimace for his muddled delivery. “At least you look nice.”
“Yeah, the cage complements my dress perfectly.” I gave him a dry smile and curtsied. The scarlet silk swirled around my legs, revealing a tantalizing slit that exposed my upper thigh, almost reaching my hip bone.
He grinned toothily before unhooking the cage from his machine and disappearing from the opulent ballroom.
I took a moment to survey my new surroundings. Six massive tables encircled the cages in the grand hall as torches filled with rare stones bathed the room in a gentle red glow. A soothing scent, reminiscent of lavender and sandalwood, wafted through the air. This exotic ambiance owed its popularity to the trade agreements with the Nova Dominion. The aroma was so loved on Earth that it was now being sold in practically every smoke shop across the globe.
I gripped the bars with one hand and brushed my long hair back with the other. The rich caramel strands cascaded over the V-neck of my snug dress, leaving little to the imagination.
But thatwasthe point.
I was, after all, here to be auctioned off to the highest bidder—and those bidders wanted to see my “goods” in the best light.
Waiters bustled about, ignoring the cages as they meticulously prepared the table settings with overly lavish décor and elegant brochures.I hadn’t the faintest clue what this event cost, but from the smallest of details, it was clear they spared no expense.
A door across the room whooshed open, and the rush of air caused a pamphlet on a nearby table to flutter to the floor not far from me. It slid to a rest between my cage and the neighboring one.
“Welcome to the Most Elite Auction in the Nova Dominion. These beautiful human females are choosing new lives. Will you be the lucky one to win?”
I raised my eyebrows at the woman in the neighboring cage, and she quickly glanced away, straightening the rouching on her exceedingly short emerald cocktail dress.
We both knew exactly what was inside those pages: disclaimers about slave trading. Slavery, after all, was illegal on Earth. But as for other planets within the ND?
Not so much.
Unsurprisingly, the two other women seemed nervous, one even shedding tears.
We were considered the “fortunate” ones who had been spared the capriciousness of the Lottery, only to face the scrutiny of alien bidders—with the promise of a supposedly better life.
Not that any of us truly believed we’d end up happier. We simply knew that when it came to odds, some chances were better than others.
Technically,theywere the fortunate ones. On the other hand, I had rigged the Earthling Lottery to be part of this auction, and hopefully, no one would ever find that out.
Especially the otherworldly beasts who would be bidding tonight.
Because I wasn’t here to start a new life.
I was here to end one.
Heavy footfalls echoed in the distance, drawing my attention upward. The velvet curtains blocking the entryway began to separate, and I caught my first glimpse of them. My hands tensed on the bars, and my mouth went dry. I tried to calm my heart as it skipped a beat, but I couldn’t help but be slightly excited.
The warlords swaggered into the ballroom with an air of arrogance. I recognized most of them from the Resistance Files. Their profile photos and information flashed before my memory as I recalled the worlds they’d conquered, the wars they’d waged, and the rights they’d trampled.
I wasn’t sure who would end up bidding on me from the six warlords that had paid to be part of the auction. Still, I was confident that the Resistance’s plan would be able to make a dent in the Nova Dominion’s constant oppression of humanity.
At least, that was the hope.
They were all from different species and had various degrees of rugged attractiveness and raw power. I had been around enough aliens by this point that I was able to gauge some amount of age and skillset, and this group didn’t disappoint me.
I smoothed out my dress as the Lottery Assistant, Dahlia, approached the cage. She was the reason I had been able to tweak the Lottery in my favor. She never even realized she was more than a friend to me, but a well-worked mark. Earning her trust had granted me a spot in the Elite Auction instead of the general roll lottery in order, she thought, to help me out with my placement off-planet. She thought she was helping a friend secure a spot with one of the most influential people in the Nova Dominion: a young warlord.
In reality, she was unintentionally aiding a Resistance plot.
