Eden laughed as they drove past these men, wondering why anyone even bothered fighting this threat on the ground level. For every one demon you killed, for every spirit you banished, there were ten more ready to take its place. Instead of trying to build better weapons to kill them, efforts should be focused on trying to cut them off at the source. That was Eden’s dream. Was being the key word there. Now, the only thing she could dream for, hope for, was that she was purchased by someone who wasn’t cruel to her.
She thought about the rich girl who was taken. Did she have a dream? She tried not to think too much about who might’ve purchased her and for what purpose as the truck pulled into the large parking lot where a bustling outdoor market was in full swing. What did that girl have that Eden didn’t? Why were people willing to turn the whole town upside down just to find her, and yet nobody would even blink an eye come tomorrow morning when it appeared she wasn’t around to open up shop?
She had money, that was obvious, but there was something else she had that Eden was painfully aware she lacked; she had people who cared about her. With Isaac gone, Eden had nobody.
The truck parked in a spot near the entrance to the market and as the viper woman clambered out and barked for someone to come help her get the hostage, Eden smiled sadly and wondered what would happen to Cricket when she never came home.
Chapter Four
A Trip to the Market
Leo walked with his eyes glued to the pavement and his shoulders hunched. He hated being at these markets and he resented his cousin, Christopher, for forcing him to come along on this little excursion. Chis was much better equipped to handle situations such as the one Leo was currently, accidentally, about to walk into. A man walked around from behind his booth and put a hand out in front of Leo’s path.
“Hello, good sir,” he said. “You look like a man who has excellent taste. A man of refinement, who makes purchases with things things design and luxury in mind.”
“I, uh, am actually just here with my cousin.” Leo scanned the crowd in front of him, searching for a glimpse of Christopher’s white button-down shirt. He figured that would be his cousin’s most distinguishing feature in this sea of leather wearing gangsters. “I’m not looking to buy anything.”
The man smiled at him. If Leo had to guess he would say the man was a dragon shifter. His skin seemed to be so light it looked almost translucent and Leo thought he could spot two stubby horns poking out from underneath the guy’s thick, braided locks.
“Just browsing,” said the man. “I understand. But I must insist you come take a look at what I have.” He motioned to his booth on the right. There was a table set up under a tent, upon which various pairs of women’s underwear, bras, and pieces of lingerie were carefully laid out. “It’s such a shame, to purchase a beautiful, sensual little morsel, only to realize once you get back home that you have absolutely nothing for her to wear.”
“Seriously,” Leo repeated. “I’m not here to buy anything like this.” The man was using the hand he had on Leo’s shoulder to steer him towards the booth, if only because he wasn’t interested in making a scene. “I’m sure you have the best bras at the market, and if I ever find myself in need of such items, you will be my first stop, but today is not that day, my friend.”
This was what Chris was very good at; saying no. Not that Chris would ever find himself in a position of having to say no. He carried himself so confidently and with such poise, people never approached him. He approached them, and only if he was absolutely sure that the person was exactly whom he wanted or needed to speak with.
“I have other clothing as well,” said the man. He pointed to the other, slightly smaller table, in the corner where he had on display men’s underwear and some straps of leather that Leo was too afraid to ask about.
“No, it’s not… uh...” Leo said, his face feeling hot. “It’s just that I don’t have any money.” He snapped his fingers and his face lit up. The perfect excuse! “I don’t have any money, yeah, uh, sorry.” The guy frowned, and he looked Leo up and down, examining Leo’s obviously expensive clothes and perfectly polished loafers. “My cousin is in charge of holding the money,” Leo quickly explained. “He knows I have a tendency to spend it all on stuff I don’t need like...” He picked up a men’s leather thong. “These. I totally would have bought these and then gotten home and had no idea where to wear them.”
“I see,” said the man.
“Yeah, so like I said, sorry. I better go find my cousin now.” Leo waved to the guy and before he slipped once again into the crowd he shouted, “Maybe he’ll let me have a few dollars and I’ll come back!” He didn’t know why he said that last part, why he would give the guy false hope. He just didn’t like letting people down.
Christopher wasn’t aware he had lost Leo until he was already at the front of the crowd gathering near the auction block and he turned to say something to his cousin. “What do you think about this spot?” he asked.
Turning to look over his shoulder, he saw a tall shifter man looking down at him. “I think it’s a fine spot,” the shifter said. “Best spot you could get.”
“Right, uh.” Chris cleared his throat. “Thanks.” His eyes floated over the faces of the crowd but he didn’t see Leo. Oh well. Leo was a grown man. He could take care of himself. Besides, Chris was there on very important business and he couldn’t afford to lose focus.
Late last night Christopher’s “inside man”, more accurately his “inside woman”, Audrey, had heard from one of her sources that there was going to be a witch up for sale in the Twin Glades market that day. She didn’t have much information regarding the sellers, nor did she know what time the witch might be going up on the auction stage, so Christopher decided to be at the market as early as possible. He would stand there, in the hot sun, with this big brute breathing down his neck all day if he had to. He was not going to lose that witch.
He’d made Leo come with him this time, despite his cousin’s constant and annoying requests to stay home. Leo was younger by a few years, though sometimes Chris liked to joke that he was the adult and Leo was basically his whiney, bratty kid. They weren’t actually blood related, but they did grow up together. They started using the term “cousin” when they were little kids and eventually it just sort of stuck. Chris lost his parents when he was ten years old and Leo’s family took him in. They’d been living together in Leo’s parents castle at the base of Mount Olympia, just a forty-minute drive from the market, ever since.
A skinny, well dressed human walked on stage and approached the podium set up at the front. He tapped the microphone a few times and then spoke.
“Hello, everyone. My name is Randle Thomas. I will be your auctioneer today. We have a lot of fine beauties up for sale so without further introduction, let’s get this show on the road. First up, we have a female, late twenties, fit, fertile, and she has all her teeth. Shall we start the bidding at five hundred?”
Unlike the more dignified auctions Leo’s parents sometimes held in their castle, the buyers did not have paddles to hold up quietly nor did they have plush, velvet chairs to lounge in while they waited for the items they actually wanted to be auctioned. Here, people were just expected to yell over the crowd if they wanted to place an offer, and if their offer went unheard, there was nothing that could be done about it. That’s why Chris was so anxious to get close to the stage. He didn’t want to miss out because he couldn’t scream as loud as some rage-fueled, sex-crazed dragon shifter.
Leo showed up as Randle announced the third woman on stage as being sold to a muscular, Viper woman with tattoos and a shaved head. The next item for sale was a young man. His captors were advertizing him as strong and able-bodied, perfect for doing labor around the house or if one was in need of a body guard. This item received a few offers, though not nearly as many as the females. He was sold for a meager three hundred and ten dollars and the auction continued.
Two hours later, the witch still hadn’t been brought on sta
ge and Leo was complaining of hunger and heat-exhaustion. An hour in, he had opted to sit down, in the middle of the crowd, right there on the concrete. Now, Randle was announcing that they would take a twenty-minute break from the auction.
“But don’t wander too far,” he warned the folks who started to walk towards the food trucks. “We’ve got a hot ticket item that will be the first sold in the second round of auctions. Trust me, you don’t want to be late.”
“That’s gotta’ be her,” said Chris. He reached a hand down and helped Leo to his feet. “The witch. She’s coming up next.”
“Great.” Leo kicked his legs out a few times and stretched his arms above his head. “Can you give me some coin to go get lunch?”
Chris looked over Leo’s shoulder at the lines forming in front of the food vendors. “Fine,” he said. “But if you don’t have your food before they announce the break over, you have to come back. We cannot afford to lose this witch, and I need you here to help drive up the price so that we have a better chance of getting her.”
“Yeah, yeah, I know.” Leo held his palm out and Chris handed him a five dollar bill and two one dollar coins. “That’s not enough!”
“It’s plenty,” Chris said, giving his cousin a look.
“Not this food,” said Leo.
“You mean not dipped in a tub of batter and fried?”
“Exactly.” Leo grinned and started to make his way towards the food.
“You’ll spoil your dinner!” Chris yelled with a smile.
Leo turned around and yelled back, “Buzzkill!” then disappeared into the crowd.
Eden stared at the man who introduced himself as Randle, saying nothing, daring him with her eyes to touch her.
“Don’t look at me like that,” he said, holding up a yellow dress against her body and frowning. They were in the area behind the auction stage and Randle was trying to pick out an outfit for Eden to wear. Apparently, her sweatpants and hoodie simply “would not do.” Randle wanted his star attraction, his “hot ticket item” to look the part. “You think you’re the first woman to come in here and give me the dagger eyes?”
“You’re a swine,” she said. “If this rope wasn’t suppressing my magic, I’d—”
“You’d make my internal organs melt and you’d drink them like a smoothie,” Randle suggested. “Or maybe you’d put a spell on my lungs to keep them from getting enough oxygen so my death is slow and painful. Trust me, I’ve heard it all. From witches and non-witches. People get desperate when they are about to go on the block and they think I’m the weak link in this fucked up system. They think because I’m a human and I’m slight that I will be the one who buckles and shows them the mercy they are convinced someone here has to possess.” He took another look at the yellow he had draped over Eden’s shoulder. “Well, save your breath. I’m not interested in your threats.” He smiled at her and then at the dress. “Yes,” he said. “This is the one. It looks fantastic with your skin tone.”
He touched Eden’s shoulder and asked her to spin around. She didn’t budge at first. He sighed. “Seriously, this will all go much faster if you just cooperate. The sooner you spin, the sooner I can get you ready and we can send you on your way to a new life!”
“A new life as a sex slave or some live-in maid,” Eden grumbled. “Oh goodie, I can’t wait.”
Randle’s mouth became a straight line. He pushed on Eden’s shoulder again and this time she did spin around. “Hmm,” he said. “I don’t know how exactly we are going to get you out of those clothes and into this dress with your arms and legs tied up.” The ties went around her wrists and around her lower calf, giving her just enough wiggle room to walk, or rather, waddle, slowly from destination to destination. Running was out of the question. “Hang on.” He called over his shoulder to one of the market staff. “Who brought this one in? Is the guy still around?”
The woman pointed to the food trucks. “He’s over there. The big Viper in the leather vest.”
“Can you fetch him for me?” Randle asked. “I was told not to let this one out of my sight.”
The woman nodded and walked away. A few minutes later she was back with Vince, who was chowing down on what looked like fried balls of dough. His chin was slick and shiny with grease.
“Thank you,” Randle said to the woman, who took this as a dismissal and left.
“What is it?” he said, his mouth full.
“I cannot change her clothes with these restraints. I need you to take them off.”
Eden perked up at the mention of untying her, but she tried not to make her sudden interest noticeable.
“No can do,” said Vince. “She’s a tricky little witch.”
“Can’t we leave a little bit of rope on her feet and just untie her hands? That way I can at least get the dress on?” Randle held up the yellow garment, as if Vince would be convinced once he saw how perfectly the color went with Eden’s skin tone. “Then we can re-tie her wrists and take the ones off her ankles to get these hideous pants off.”
Eden had to admit, it was a perfect solution. She didn’t, however, admit it out loud. Even if they took some of the rope off, as long as her ankles were still tied, she wouldn’t be able to do any real magic and she wouldn’t be able to run away. If there was no chance of escape, she figured she might as well do her best to avoid being shoved into that skin-tight, silk dress. It would make her look too attractive, and that was the last thing she wanted to be while being auctioned off against her will.
Vince eyed Randle and put the piece of fried dough he was about to eat back in the small, paper container in which it came. “I don’t think it’s such a good idea. I hate to pay this disgusting creature any compliments, but hell, here it goes; she’s powerful. I’ve seen it first hand. I wouldn’t take any chances if I were you.” Suddenly it dawned on Eden that maybe Vince’s overkill with the magic rope was not a product of his ignorance, but rather, it was an indication of just how strong he thought she was. He was afraid of her, even. That didn’t really help Eden in her current situation, but it was nice, in a sick, twisted way. He believed in her. Vince believed in her ability to kick his sorry ass into next week.
“But hey.” Vince shrugged. “Maybe you’re braver than I am. If you want to accept responsibility for whatever she may do, go right ahead. In the meantime, I’m going to get me another order of these little dumplings. They are absolutely delicious.” He smiled at both Randle and Eden and then stalked away.
Randle threw the dress over his arm and wrapped a spindly hand around Eden’s upper arm. His grip wasn’t tight but it was firm. “I guess you’ll just have to go up as you are.” He didn’t even try to keep the distaste out of his voice. “I don’t know what kind of price we can expect to get with you looking like a complete slob. Hell, I don’t know if people will even believe you’re a witch.”
“Good,” said Eden. “Whatever makes you the least amount of money.”
They were approaching the back stairs of the stage. Randle stopped a few feet short of the first step and lowered his voice. “Don’t you get it?” he said. “You want to be seen as expensive. As worth something. The women who go up there in cheap clothes and bad hair, they go to the cheap bastards who are just looking for a consistent, complacent lay. You understand?”
Eden nodded, taken aback by Randle’s anxious tone of voice.
“The women who appear to be worth more are sold for more. And the people who can afford to buy expensive items typically have an important role in mind for said item. I know you hate me, and I don’t blame you. But I don’t make money off of your sale. I was for sale once too, and the proprietor of this market is the man who purchased me.” He let go of Eden’s arm. “I was lucky enough to end up with a job like this, and now I do my part to help others end up in the hands of kinder, affluent owners.”
Eden was quiet for a moment. Shame swelled up inside her, making her neck hot and her cheeks flushed. She felt bad for pre-judging Randle, and for assuming the worst.
After a few moments of somber silence, she smirked. “So that little speech you gave before, about you not having any mercy…” She raised one of her eyebrows.
Randle smiled a small, almost invisible smile. “Well,” he said. “I have to keep up appearances, don’t I?” He checked his watch. “Two minutes before we start up again. Are you sure you don’t want to wear this dress?”
“Randle,” she said. “Since you were honest with me, I will be honest with you. If you take these ropes off, I will not hesitate to burn this market to the ground.”
Randle gave her a curt nod and said, “Okay then. Sweatpants it is. Let’s go!”
“Everyone gather around,” Randle said into the microphone. “The break is now over and we will once again commence the bidding. The first item up for sale in our second round is a very valuable piece.” He motioned for Eden to step forward to the front of the stage, into the afternoon sunlight. “Female, in her mid-thirties, healthy and beautiful, with smooth skin and a fierce stare. We will start the bidding at one thousand.”
Nobody said anything for a moment. There were a few muffled coughs from the crowd and someone laughing. Randle walked over to her, bringing the microphone with him, and pulled the hood off of her head. “Contrary to what you may think based on her outfit, this woman is actually quite stunning. I mean, c’mon, look at those cheekbones and those chocolate and caramel swirl eyes.” He looked out into the crowd. He was putting on a show, building up to the dramatic reveal. “Anyone? No?”
Auctioned to the Werewolf Princes Page 4
