Page 62 of Evil Hearts

Sati knelt beside me, keeping her gown tucked underneath to block the chill. “I’m so sorry.”

“It’s fine,” I said, wincing when I pressed the wrong spot. “Thought you said they wouldn’t hurt us.”

Jenny shrugged, leaning against the wall beside us. “I saidseriouslyhurt. Your face looks like ass, but you’re not dead, right?” Half of us had lash marks on our faces. The ones who had taken a whip to the back were worse. Only a few were bleeding, but the wounds looked mostly superficial, like my face.

“You look fine,” Sati reassured me. I knew she was lying, but it was nice to hear.

We waited just long enough that my bladder felt like it was about to burst. I was two seconds away from saying fuck it and peeing in front of total strangers when the curtains opened and a dark shadow creature emerged, billowing black smoke as he walked. His red eyes sent a shiver up my spine. Brass rings decorated his short devil horns. He wore a long black cape and a black suit, one only a shade lighter than his onyx skin.

This shadow man looked around the room, his mouth pinching when he saw the injured girls. “I said minimal harm. Gods above, I can’t trust the lot of you with anything.” He tugged on his cuffs, adjusting one of his brass cufflinks. “These the normal ones?”

The Minotaur stepped forward with a grunt. “Yes, my lord. Not virgins. No children.”

“Mmm,” the shadow lord said, raising his eyebrows at us. “Let’s hope they still fetch a good price.”

Price.

“We’re being auctioned,” I whispered, the words slipping out without thinking.

He heard me, his mouth twisting in a cruel grin. “Yes. Glad to see some of you are smart. That will earn us more money.” Shaking his wrists, he cracked his back and faced us, the shadows billowing around his feet. “Continue to behave, and you will not be harmed. Once you are on stage, feel free to fight asmuch as you like. The clientsloveit.” He snapped his fingers, and the monsters led us through the curtains, pushing and shoving anyone who resisted.

The bright stage lights blinded me for a moment, and I stumbled forward, almost running into someone. The other groups of women were waiting for us on the stage. Someone had written numbers on their right legs in black paint. A gnarly looking swamp monster started doing the same to us. He wrote the number 67 on my thigh, and went on to the next girl.

My eyes slowly adjusted to the lights, and the audience came into view. Monsters sat in the bleachers, waiting to bid on us. There were creatures from legends, from nightmares, ranging from small to three times my size. They watched the stage with sickening glee, ready for the show to begin.

With our numbers all marked, the shadow lord quieted the room. “My friends,” he said, fluffing his jacket with a grin. His voice echoed across the auditorium, so loud my ears hurt. “Welcome to our annual human female auction. I see several recurring faces this year. Wore your toys out too quickly?” The audience chuckled along with him. “Remember to note on your devices if there’s a number you like. The girl with the most likes is first. These women to my right are the regulars. Virgins are to my left. And our fertile girls are behind them. Then we have the ones that required healing, our discounted humans for anyone who’s on a budget.” That earned another group laugh. “Remember, our male auction is next month for anyone who is holding out for those.”

It began.

The first girl was from the virgins, with sixty likes from the audience. I couldn’t look at her tears, at the silent pleas she made as the shadow lord auctioned her off. Another went, then another, until all the virgins were sold. I hated it. I hated all of this.

When the shadow lord moved onto the next girl, one from my group, the beasts guarding us pushed me forward, making me more exposed to everyone watching.

“Look. He’s back,” a guard said under his breath. I looked up, subtly trying to see who they were talking about. “Surprised he didn’t get one of the virgins this time.”

“More trouble than they’re worth,” the other argued. “I like a woman who’s broken in. I bet he feels the same.”

The Minotaur chuckled, stroking the handle of his whip. “Can’t imagine a demon like Asif wants someone who can’t handle him. A big fucker like that probably has a cock who will split those tiny humans in two.”

“No wonder he always comes back every year,” the other muttered with a laugh. “If he doesn’t break them with his dick, he probably kills them for being disobedient whores.”

Which monster were they talking about? Whoever it was, I hoped I didn’t end up with him. He sounded…terrifying.

The Minotaur caught me staring and jabbed me with his whip handle again. “That ifrit has a fetish for slaves, girl. He was enslaved once. A genie. He obeyed his masters for centuries, and nowhe’sthe master.”

My legs trembled against my will. I would be auctioned off to one of these creatures. Even if it wasn’t Asif, it would be someone, and I would be taken away. They could beat me. Rape me. And I might never escape.

The shadow lord called the next number, and I didn’t realize it was mine until the Minotaur jabbed me again, almost knocking me over as he shoved me forward.

“Number 67,” the shadow lord called out again. Numb, I walked up to him, on center stage in front of everyone. My bare legs, my hard nipples, and the short skirt of my gown were suddenly so obvious, I almost tried to fight him when he grabbed my arm. “This one has a little fight in her, as you can see.” Hepressed the bruise on my cheek and I whimpered, quickly biting my lip so I wouldn’t scream. “Lovely honey blonde hair. Very nice body. And smart, too. She’ll be a perfect slave once you tame her. Let’s start the bidding at… eight thousand.”

The virgins had sold for five times that much. I wasn’t worth much, it seemed.

Someone immediately lifted their bidder paddle. “Eight.”

The fact that someone wanted me so quickly seemed to set the others off.

“Ten.”

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