Page 16 of Anorthic Anarchy

It’s almost medieval, with gold and red threads creating intricate patterns on the capped shoulders and down the front bodice. A long cape forms from the sleeves and pools like a waterfall at the base. Around the neck of the dummy lies a red circlet with an onyx stone carved to look like a bull’s head.

Moving to a window, I gaze out over the entire city below. “Oh my god! You can see everything from here!” If I jump on the green velvet covered bed, I can see even more. The only limit to the distance is the clouds coating the gray sky.

“Mrs. Strauss, please get down.” The way she says it, so exasperated, makes me feel like I’m an unruly child. Embarrassed, I step off the bed, but continue my journey around the room. “Nari here will care for you. She’ll help you bathe and tend to your needs.” As if she cannot stand being in the same room with me another moment longer, she spins on a heel and hastens from the room, and the distinct sound of the lock being slotted makes my pulse raise once again. I bet Wyatt can kick it down.

Once she leaves, I turn to face the woman with long black hair and almond eyes, who stares at me as if willing me to cooperate with her. She doesn’t say a word, so I venture over to atall window. Digging my fingers around the edges, I tug, but they don’t open. The seams are sealed and leaded. There’s no way out.

The other woman glares as I wander around, but continues to hold the towel out as a peace offering. Surely, none of these other, um, slaves, want to be here either. I could find solidarity with them. Maybe we could form a team and bust out together. Swallowing, I try my hand at making another ally. “Nari? Will you help me leave? I don’t want to marry that old man.”

Her mouth forms a solid line as her brown eyes narrow at me. “You ungrateful bitch. Master deserves better.” The shock of her words makes me gasp.

Has everyone drunk some weird potion that makes them unable to see what a monster he is? Although, when I remember our meetings, I recall the trance-like state he put me under and wonder how long I can resist him. There’s something magical…and horrifying about him. He’s like a giant spider you trapped under a blanket. If you lift it, it may jump and bite you. But if you don’t, you won’t know where it crawls to.

Maybe he’s poisoned everyone here.

Giving in, I walk to the tub and pull off my dress. I hate being naked in front of these women. I’m pretty sick of it, actually. But it’s also making me feel like the skin I’m showing doesn’t matter anymore.

Perhaps I should have asked Nari about escaping after she helped me, because for the next half hour, she scrubs my skin so hard it turns pink. Rips through my stringy hair with her nails until I think my scalp is bleeding. Then she tosses the towel in my face for me to dry off.

Fortunately, then she leaves in a huff just as Chloe walks in with a tray, eyeing Nari like she’s done something shocking. “What’s going on?” she asks as soon as Nari slams the door.

I dry off and wrap the towel around me as Chloe sets the food down and hurries to help me out of the bath. She picks up acomb and spins me around to face the small mirror over the sink basin and strokes through my long blonde locks. My skin is now paler than before, puffy cheeks sunken in from lack of sunlight. But my blue eyes are still shining.

“Oh, I don’t think people like me around here.”

She chuckles and untangles a knot. “Just ignore them. They’re jealous.”

My brow furrows. “Of me? What for?”

As she finishes with my hair, she hands me a fresh dress, and I toss it over my towel, then remove it modestly from underneath. Setting up the lunch tray, she continues. “Because you’re Mrs. Strauss. You’re married to the master.”

Shaking my head, I try to figure out why anyone would envy my position. “It doesn’t make any sense. I’m the one who has to have a child with him. It must be this room, or perhaps the books that they want.”

With a wave of her fingers, she points to my food on the side table near the window seat and sits next to me with her knees up. A little snorted laugh escapes her nose. “Neither. It’shimthey want. They love the master, and you get to have something special with him.”

Choking on a piece of bread, I spit out, “Love him? But-butwhy? He’s a slave owner. He keeps us captive. I still haven’t gotten my outside time like Dilan said I would.”

She eyes my sandwich for a moment and says, “There’s a lot to learn living here. And I can ask Dilan about going outside. The master wants you to, so it should have happened.” Lowering her voice, she leans forward. “But my offer still stands. I hold the keys to the door and will let you out if I can sneak away.”

Not even speaking, so I don’t get caught, I just nod slightly at her. Maybe if I can slip out, I could find Wyatt down in the city somewhere. He’s my hero. He’ll be waiting to rescue me.

“Besides. We have a large library on the first floor. I’m not really a reader. Yasmina pretends to be because she idolizes the master.”

As I chew slowly, I try to figure out how these women are so desperate for him. I mean, he’s incredibly handsome, yes, but obviously not a good person. “How many of you are there?”

Brushing off some invisible crumbs from her dress, she stands and wanders around the room. “Oh, I think we’re down to about thirty now.”

Once more, I nearly choke on my bread. “Thirty? Thirtyslaves in his harem?”

She laughs and shrugs. “I mean, at one time, there were about a hundred. When I first arrived at fourteen, there were.”

The bite I had falls out of my mouth as my jaw drops open. “You werefourteen?”

“Yeah. I was an orphan and ran away… Anyway, the master didn’t touch me until I was eighteen. I worked in the kitchen, mainly.”

Blinking, I try to think about myself at fourteen and avoiding Tom’s paws under the table. It could have been worse. “Did-did hesleepwith all hundred?”

As I finish the food, she gathers it up for me and smiles. “It’s a privilege to get to. We’re trained. He likes the best of the best to satisfy him. I’m not sure how many he’s had.” She walks toward the door. “At least it beats kitchen work.”

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