Page 73 of Devour
“You don’t know?” she says slowly. “We’re at the Crimson Dawn Auction House.”
She keeps talking, but her voice starts to fade as panic settles in. I can barely hear anything after that.
“You were brought in early this morning…”
My brain stalls atCrimson Dawn. I close my eyes, trying to remember where I’ve heard that name before. Yes—I remember now. That bastard who kidnapped me—the older one, the one whose name I never caught—he said something about selling me to theCrimson Dawn.
“Are you sure you’re okay?”
My eyes snap open, realizing I’d closed them again. I don’t want her thinking I need a nurse. “Yes, I’m fine.” That’s when I noticed the room, no windows—rows of single beds lined up across from each other.
My brain’s still foggy, but I count roughly twenty, maybe more. Each one is occupied by a different girl, all ranging from their early to mid-twenties. Some are already up, moving around, getting ready… for who knows what. I turned back to her, realizing I never asked her name. She catches on.
“Lucia.”
“Lucia,” I repeat. “I’m Ariel. Can you tell me what the heck is going on here?”
She looks taken aback by my language, and I immediately feel the need to apologize. Before she can answer, an alarm blares through the room.
“We’ve got an hour to get ready, or we’ll miss breakfast,” she says, already moving.
My stomach growls at the mention of food. The last thing I ate was yesterday morning.
“What…” She sees I haven’t moved and turns back toward me.
“Hurry, we have to bathe before the hot water runs out.”
I throw back the covers, not because I care about hot water, but because I want answers. When I stand, I sway slightly, and she rushes over to steady me. Once I’m sure I won’t collapse again, I give her a small nod.
“I can walk by myself.”
“You sure?”
“I’m sure. Lana… thank you.” She blushes, like she’s not used to being praised.
“We have to hurry now.”
Most of the girls who were in the room are gone, probably in the bathroom. The bathroom is a shared one. It’s white and spotless, just like the dorm.
I hesitate to take off my clothes and shower butt naked in front of strangers. Lana, on the other hand, has already shrugged off her clothes and is about to step under the shower. When she sees I’m still fully clothed.
“You have to get in now, before the hot water runs out.”
Trying to distract myself from the fact that I’m about to be naked in front of strangers, I ask, “How long have you been here?” while undressing.
“About a week now. Same as everyone else.”
“And what have you all been doing this week?”
“Nothing really. Just classes,” she replies, lathering soap over her body.
“We’re given a week to adjust to the reality of being here.”
She gives me a pitying look as I step under the shower head beside her and turn it on.
“You won’t have that privilege. Training starts today.”
She finishes first and wraps a towel around herself just as I begin rinsing. Without warning, the water turns freezing cold, sending a jolt through my system. I gasp and shut it off quickly.
