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It wasn’t as if sex was forced upon the concubines. It was always a choice, but the pay was better for those who worked harder. They were lavished with coin and gifts by those they served and treated like queens and kings. If she wanted to live a life of dull servitude below a manor with the help, then that was her choice, but it would be a waste.
“Perhaps we should let our new pet get cleaned up,” Erix said, amusement in his voice. Laying a heavy hand on my shoulder, he snapped me out of my trance, making me realize I’d been locked in a battle of wills with this infuriating female. My eyes left hers as I sheathed my dagger. He grinned, and then winked at her. “A bath must sound more tempting than another night in that filth.”
She arched a brow and then looked down at herself, as if just now remembering the state she was in. It had been a few days since her capture, and to be fair, she still appeared good enough to feast on. The dress we'd given her before locking her up was rumpled and ill-fitting for her curves. Her hair was bedraggled and frizzy, but not necessarily in a bad way. She looked like she might have just tumbled right out of my bed after a night of heavy fucking. My cock hardened at the mental image.
Kyre peered into the steam-filled room warily. “So, you’re going to pretty me up so you can sell me to the highest bidder?” Her voice was tight. Erix and I exchanged a glance—my nonverbal request for him to take the reins on this one. He was the one who was good with words. I was good with my cock and with my weapons, both of which had gotten me into some predicaments in the past.
Erix reached out, cupping her cheek. She didn’t even flinch, as if it was only my touch that repulsed her. “Not yet. We have weeks before bidding night, and so much to do until then. It’s better not to focus on what’s to come and instead, focus on what you can control right now, don’t you agree?”
She blinked at him, letting his words sink in. Her shoulders rose and fell with every heavy breath she took, and I watched with a still-hard cock as she swallowed thickly. She seemed to be fighting some internal battle with herself, and for a moment, I wished I had Erix’s gift to delve into another’s mind. For a moment, I craved to know what she was thinking.
But Erix, having mage blood inside of him, could delve into the minds of anyone or anything that wasn’t strong enough to guard themselves. It’s why he was so valuable to The Hunt.
She seemed to come to some kind of decision, her body losing most of its tension as she breathed out a long, tired breath. She avoided my eyes, but met Erix’s dead on. “Fine. Dress me up and paint me all you want. I’m the one who made this bargain.”
Erix shot me a look that I couldn’t decipher. Did she mean what she said? Was she giving in that easily? Only time would tell, I supposed, but for now, we got what we needed from her. My brothers wanted her cleaned up, and fed, so that’s exactly what we would do, even if we had to drag her kicking and screaming to her fate.
Kyre
Cadoc and Erix stepped over the threshold of my room again hours later, each taking up a spot on either side of the door, Cadoc’s heavy wings loose behind him and Erix with his palm on his weapon. Sweat beaded on the prince’s brow and soaked his long black hair, which was coming loose from the leather band that held it in place. Below his left eye was a smear of dried blood.
I spent the last few hours being cleaned, plucked, fed, and painted, and all I wanted to do now was sleep. The lilac dress I wore was transparent and flowy, and dipped down between my breasts and exposed both of my upper thighs. White flowers decorated my copper curls, and my skin was dusted with a pearlescent powder. I’d never looked more like a faerie in my life.
“Come, pet.” Cadoc's voice was brisk and almost tired. When I made no move to do as he commanded, he sighed heavily, holding out his palm face up. A black swirling mass of smoke began to build there, and my whole body went taut. “When I tell you to come, you come,” he bit out, threats twisting around every word.
“Where are we going?” I asked, stalling as I attempted to weigh my options. There weren’t many. Erix smirked at my defiance, and I met it with a sneer of my own.
The coiled smoke began to take shape, creating a long rope that wrapped up half of his arm. I stared at it, and then into his eyes, bouncing between the two as fear clawed at my insides. “If you ask me one more question that keeps me from a long soak after the hunt I’ve had, then my shadows won’t hesitate to drag you behind me.” He stepped into the room, crowding me against the wall. “Don’t tempt me, because I will enjoy it far too much.”
He would enjoy bending me to his will and watching me squirm. He was probably hoping for it. Even though everything inside me rebelled, I managed to peel myself away from the wall, keeping my eyes on the smoke in his palm, remembering what it felt like tightening around my ribs.
“I’m not leaving this room without a weapon again.” The thought, alone, had my body locking up in fear. Not that I had any chance of overpowering these warriors. “I’m allowed to defend myself, right? If you want me to go with you willingly, then I’m going to need something to—”
He reached a hand into a leather satchel that was strung across his shoulder and threw a piece of leather my way. It hit me in the thigh before falling to the ground. Plucking it up, I snapped it open, revealing the tiniest knife I’d ever seen. It was laughable how small it was. But it was something. “There. You can pick your teeth with it after we feed you your scraps.”
Erix snorted, clearly enjoying my torment as well. But I tucked that tiny knife into the folds of my dress where a belt tightened the fabric against my abdomen. “You look ridiculous,” he said.
I sneered at the blue-eyed prince. “Better tolooklike an idiot than to actually be one and go into any room with you unarmed.”
“Do you even know how to use a weapon?” he asked. “Do you just…swing it around and hope you hit flesh?”
“Why don’t we find out?” I placed my hand over the knife. In reality, he was probably more right than he knew. I didn’t know much about weapons and fighting since it wasn’t proper for princesses to learn how to fight like a man in court, but I was fairly sure that I could keep myself alive if I had to, tiny blade or so. Drystan had taught me some things at least. It worked in the slums when I’d gotten myself into sticky situations with drunken men stumbling out of the tavern at night.
Cadoc just grunted as he looked me over, ignoring his friend. Then without another word, and thankfully, without the use of the smoke rope, he beckoned me to follow him out of the room. I trailed after him without question, deciding I was better off seeing this through. Besides, I should probably get to know more about my strange surroundings and the faeries who dwelt here.
Erix followed behind us, making sure I didn’t attempt to make a break for it. Idly, I wondered how many slaves had actually tried, perhaps throwing themselves off of these high bridges and plunging to their deaths.
I meant what I’d said.Imade this fool's bargain, andIwas going to see it through. I wouldn’t roll over and allow them to treat me like a dog, and I definitely wouldn’t let them mistreat me if I could help it, but I knew there was no actual way out of this. I’d signed my life away and made an oath in blood. Sooner or later, I would become exactly what they told me I would…a concubine.
I would do it, because Drystan’s life might depend on it. I couldn’t take the chance that these faeries might take back their half of the bargain should I default on mine.
Faeries were everywhere, roaming the halls doing who knows what and going who knew where. It seemed this auction house, or whore house, or whatever it was, was open to the public to come and go. There were servants holding platters of rich foods and goblets of all kinds of wine and ale. Each one of them had a collar around their throat, just like mine, reminding me that running would only mean more pain.
A few of the servants were nearly naked, draped in gossamer fabrics that showed every curve of their lush bodies. A few of them looked me up and down as I passed by, but nobody bothered saying a word to me or my escorts. I did, however, notice the wary stares that Cadoc received, and the way everyone seemed to skirt around him, making sure to leave an open pathway for us. Erix received…different kinds of stares. A smirk here. A wink there. I shook my head, damn concubines.
There was music filtering in from the perpetually open windows. A soft, melodic lute that I had to admire. I was surprised at how different this place was to the dungeons I’d imagined for the last year. When I laid awake at night contemplating the future the princes had in store for me, it definitely wasn’t anything like this. I supposed I should be more grateful. Instead of rotting in some grimy dungeon cell, I was being escorted through a palace in the trees, wearing silk and flowers in my hair. Things could have been worse.
We reached a room at the end of a long corridor with doors so tall that they spanned several levels. There were two guards stationed on either side who opened them as soon as they spotted Cadoc and Erix. They bowed slightly as we passed.
