Page 49 of Heartless Prince

As my mind whirled back through our entire history, something suddenly occurred to me. “Not everyone in your family agrees with your worldview, do they?” I said, glancing up at her. “Your brother Henry. He isn’t like you, is he?”

Mellie rolled her eyes. “No. He left Crown and Dagger after he made it to the third level about a year ago. They thought he could be trusted, but they got it wrong. Happens sometimes, I guess. They’re only human. Anyway, the only way out of the third level is death, but he’s a Davenport, and like I said, my father is one of the highest council members. He didn’t want his son dead, so he reached an agreement with the others to let Henry be exiled instead. Nepotism all the way. It exists everywhere.” She laughed.

“What do you mean, exiled?”

“Cut off from everything. Always followed and monitored to make sure he never tells anyone about what the society really does. If he ever so much as tries to breathe a word to anyone in any way, he’ll be killed immediately. That was the best compromise they could reach.”

“So he lives his life in constant fear.”

She shrugged. “I guess. But that’s his fault. I’ve tried reasoning with him, telling him to come back into the fold, but he won’t listen.”

My mind drifted back to that strange morning outside Mellie’s suite. I thought her brother was just a horrible person, and I thought he was telling me to stay away from his sister because he hated me for some unknown reason. Now I saw the truth. He was trying to warn me away from her, because he knew what the society had planned for me, and he knew Mellie was in on it.

Because he was constantly being followed and he knew anything and everything could be bugged, he couldn’t tell me the whole story, or else he would’ve been killed for finally opening his mouth and revealing the truth to someone. He couldn’t even say my name in case it aroused suspicion in those listening in on his conversations. All he could do was tell me to stay away from Mellie and hope I somehow got the underlying message. Those tailing him would’ve simply assumed he was yelling at someone to stay away from his sister for some other reason. Just being a protective brother.

“They’re only using you, Mellie,” I said softly. “As soon as you don’t have anything to give them anymore, the society will get rid of you. They’ll never let a woman into their ranks.”

She showed me her tattooed wrist. “Wrong. They know something valuable when they see it, and I’ve proved my loyalty again and again. I let them mark me, I let them take over my life, I let them control everything. I belong to them way more than my brother ever could, even though he’s a man. They’ve already let me suggest ideas to them, like I told you, and one day they’re bound to let me have some power too. They might even start kidnapping a few men here and there, so I can have my own sex slaves.” She giggled at that.

“Wow, way to score one for feminism,” I said sarcastically.

“Oh, shut up. It’s not like I’m the only woman helping them, anyway. The nurse who saw you on your first day here is female, and she has no problem doing the job in return for a fat paycheck. Money trumps loyalty to your gender any day.”

My shoulders slumped. She had a point. Just as Tobias once said to me, almost everyone on the planet had a price. Loyalty could be bought.

“Anyway, you need to come with me,” Mellie said, rising to her feet again.

“Why?”

“Well, I didn’t just come here to chat. I need to take you upstairs and get you ready for the ball tonight.”

My brows furrowed. “The ball?”

“When the new girls’ brands are finally healed, they throw a big fancy party here at the Finishing School. Second and third-level members are allowed to attend and bid on the girls in a sort of silent auction.”

I gulped. “For what?”

“To score the chance to take their virginity before training begins. Whoever wins the bidding on a particular girl will also become her master and be given the opportunity to determine exactly how she should be trained. When she gets to the Lodge, she’ll be shared amongst other men, but she’ll always be that particular member’s slave in the end. She’ll always serve him above any other man.”

I felt like I would vomit at the slightest provocation. “I’ve already been given a master, and I’m pretty sure my training has begun,” I said gloomily, thinking back to yesterday with the cattle prod and the notebook. “So why do I have to go?”

“I know you’ve been given to Elias,” she began with an injured sniff, as if that somehow personally offended her. “But you still need to attend the ball. The other members need to get to know you and see that you exist for when you’re sent to the Lodge. Besides, we can’t just have you wasting away in here forever,” she went on, waving one hand around the cell. “You’ll lose your mind.”

“I think I already have,” I muttered.

“Get over it and come with me. Don’t make me slap you,” she said in a warning tone.

With a miserable sigh, I followed her out of my cell and into the elevator. A few minutes later, she led me into an unfamiliar room on the first floor and motioned toward a rack laden with beautiful evening gowns. “I’m not a complete monster,” she said with a smile. “I’ll let you pick a dress.”

I walked down the line of gowns, trailing one finger along the soft, luxurious fabrics. After a few moments of indecision, I pulled out a long dark purple column dress. The silky material sparkled under the chandelier light, and the bodice fell from points at each shoulder before diving into a plunging neckline. The skirt spread out in a flurry of delicate pleats that fell to the floor in breathtaking lines.

“I guess I’ll wear this one,” I mumbled. Purple had always looked nice on me.

Mellie nodded sagely. “That one will look great on you. I was actually hoping you’d pick it.”

She spent the next couple of hours fussing over my hair and makeup, transforming me from a pale, lethargic-looking waif to a living doll with bright red lipstick, thick eyeliner, blush, and lashings of mascara. My hair was in a stylish up-do with a few loose tendrils hanging down to frame my face, and diamond jewelry sparkled on my ears and neck. The final touch was a tall pair of stiletto heels.

“Perfect,” Mellie finally said, looking me up and down. She checked her watch. “Just in time, too. The ball is starting soon...”

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