Page 17 of Royal Captive
“Here she is. No one is the wiser.” Shyllon glared at me, pushing me toward Alm.
Alm rolled his eyes. “Wonderful. Now leave. You’re a troublemaker.”
Shyllon spat something out at Alm in the fae language, and an ache grew in my chest as Shyllon did just that, disappearing back down the corridor without another glance in my direction.
As if I didn’t matter at all.
Get it together, Eve. He’s a fae noble of some kind. You’re a slave. Just because he was making sure you weren’t damaged doesn’t mean he’s friendly, nice, or even gives a shit. Focus on you. Focus on getting home.
Alm sighed dramatically and looked me up and down. “Well, it wasn’t like he asked for something I wasn’t already ordered to do. Not that he has to know that, right?”
I had no idea what to say to that, so I kept quiet.
“Come on. The others have been sorted already, so now I get to escort you personally.” He grumbled out something else in the fae language that was likely an insult to Shyllon. I meekly followed, unable to reconcile that odd feeling of loss I felt.
Ellis was gone.
Shyllon was gone.
I was alone.
Don’t. Fucking. Cry.
I stuffed my feelings deep down inside until the bright sun overhead brought me out of my inner musings. I blinked rapidly, barely registered the ornate carriage before the door opened and they stuffed me into it. Royal blue velvet met my hands and knees, and a small, gentle hand helped me up.
“Annie!” I cried out, so relieved to see someone familiar, I threw my arms around her. The door slammed shut behind me.
The carriage lurched forward, throwing us back onto the floor in a tangle of limbs. There were five of us total, all younger women ranging from Annie and my age to two others who looked middle-aged. The fifth was a handsome man, older than me, but younger than the other two women. His face screwed up in confusion.
Uncertainty filled me. “Where are we going? Did they—”
“You don’t know?” Annie breathed out, her eyes wide with terror. She clutched to me as we sat on the plush bench, too nervous to take in our lush surroundings or even wonder what it meant.
Unless what she was about to tell me would explain it all.
“They said … They said …” Annie broke off, tears in her eyes, overcome.
One of the older women with blonde hair falling loosely in waves over her shoulders crossed her arms over her chest, her lips in a tight, straight line. “They said we’re going to a pleasure house.” She nonchalantly looked at her nails and fluffed her hair a bit, eyeing the man invitingly. He frowned and scooted over. The red-head sitting next to him tried to become part of the carriage wall, making herself as small as possible in the tiny space we had.
My jaw dropped. Wait. Hadn’t Shyllon mentioned something about a pleasure house? That had been a joke, though. Surely, there weren’t actual—
Except there were. Humans had their brothels and whore houses. Why would fae be any different, especially if they had an entire class of living beings who lived as slaves?
“It’s better than a labor camp. I’d rather be on my back all day than my feet,” quipped the same blonde.
“Speak for yourself,” bit back the redhead, glaring.
The carriage ride continued as we fell into an uneasy, anxious silence as dusk settled around us like an extra traveling cloak. I couldn’t wrap my head around what my brain was telling me was happening.
Little did I know my nightmare was only beginning.
Six
ELLIS
“Kianna tau. Lista?”
My head pounded as my eyes slit open, but there was only soft, dim candlelight around me. My tunic was gone, but a bandage wrapped around my head and another around my shoulder. I hadn’t even realized I’d injured my shoulder; unless it had happened after the guard punched me out.
