Chapter 21
How long has it been? Three days or four? Surely it has not been five.
I rest my head on the back of the steel wall and feel every bump of the road. My short time being a pampered princess is now over. Seems like Fate really wants me to be a slave.
My hands are tied behind my back and my mouth is gagged because I would not stop yelling at the top of my lungs like a lunatic. I now regret that. I feel like choking on this dirty cloth; God only knows where it’s been.
I am sweaty and exhausted. I glance around my metal jail and curse my bad luck. I can tell we are somewhere tropical. The humidity is like being wrapped in a wet, muggy blanket.
I am numb mentally and have been since I was taken. I feel defeated.
I don’t know what kind of transportation these people have, but apparently, we are not in Kansas anymore. It took three days of air flight to get to this God- forsaken place.
Their technology is quite bizarre—fantastical, actually. But I am in no mood to admire anything, my brain rejecting anything that might make me somewhat happy.
I really do not know what’s keeping me here. The anticipation that Apollo will pull out of his coma?
It’s been four days with little recovery. Apollo’s brain activity is in full decline, according to Ivy’s update at the castle. He will soon be in ~veggie status~ .
Mort is out scouting, trying to find out all of the information she can, hatching an escape plan with help from Pierce. Apparently, Laura is in the same state as I am.
Two Galleon princesses are up for auction on the black market. It’s the golden goose, apparently.
Meanwhile, Fairy Godmother Inc. is having a little freakout. Apollo’s sudden fall is not only messing up my dreams, but theirs.
I squeeze my eyes shut and will away the tears. We have three weeks left, and Apollo is in a freaking coma! He might not even remember me if he wakes up.
I stomp my feet and give a muffled moan while trying not to activate my gag reflex. I can’t wait to get back and expose that bitch Irena.
I feel my body jump and jilt as I am pulled to the left. We are turning and slowing down, most likely arriving at our destination of doom.
The main commander, named Baulk Sel, informs me that I will take part in beauty rituals to boost my value. The large auction takes place in three days and much is to be done.
My black eye is healing nicely, and my broken collarbone will mend. Mort says that this auction is a very big deal, like the Olympics of sex trafficking. Makes me sick to my stomach just thinking about it.
Where is Liam Neeson when you need him because mine’s in a coma .
The door to my little jail on wheels opens and I hear men shouting, making me flinch. I’m dragged out, and as the blinding sunlight hits me, I quickly take in my surroundings.
Men with obnoxious looking weapons are everywhere, but what I am not expecting to see is the most stunning beachside compound. This is like a drug lord’s dream, owning a palace fit for a king.
My heart is pounding. This will be a nightmare to escape from.
There is a lot of wealth and money here, and something tells me that this is all under the radar, or tainted blood in high places, if you know what I mean.
I wonder if this planet has its own version of the dark, tainted souls of the Illuminati.
The cloth is yanked out of my mouth and tossed aside by one of the men in black. I swallow and cough, my mouth feeling like a desert.
I glance to my left and see Laura being hauled out of a similar-looking compartment looking exactly how I feel.
My eyes widen when I spot a long line of women who are chained together and being led into the compound. The guards appear to be abnormally large with creepy looking black masks on.
I shiver, fear taking over my body. I am normally not a nervous person, but these guys are quite disturbing. One walks up to me, and the skin under the mask appears burned. Red and angry.
I have my lifelines, I remind myself and take a deep breath.
“Move, Princess!” a man shouts behind me, making me jump.
I am walking now, following the long line of women, when sadness overtakes me. Some of these women are young, too young. They do not have the luxury of having lifelines—this is their real life.
Maybe, if nothing else, Pierce can score me a grenade that I can throw into a room full of the rich, evil bastards.
We are taken into the grand marble entrance and led down multiple towering hallways. It’s not until we get about six flights of stairs down that I get really scared.
Everywhere I look is either marble or golden accents, giving this exotic place a feeling of immense wealth.
I swallow as I am thrown into a surprisingly lovely room with Laura of all people. But hey, misery loves the company, and I would rather be with her than by myself.
I think I throw up a bit in my mouth at that horrid thought. Laura will take getting used to.
I quickly survey the room, which has several different, very spa-like beauty stations. A large hot tub-like bath is to the far right of the room, taking up a lot of space.
There are several weird beds with creams, muds, masks, and a massive station for hair and makeup. I take a breath. Like show ponies, they will make us nice for the picking.
I hear Laura make a sobbing noise and glance at her. She is also surveying the room, her arms crossed over her body like she is holding herself.
“We will get out of here,” I say quietly.
She looks at me. “What for?”
“Well, I, for one, do not want to get sold to a crusty old man with a fetish for whips and chains.
“ ~50 Shades~ is only hot because he is an attractive billionaire. Otherwise, it would be a top story for ~Dateline Tonight~ titled, ‘Nasty Pervert on the Loose.’”
I see her mouth twitch before her RBF sets in.
She grunts. “We can just use our lifelines. This is not real life, you know.”
“Maybe not, but there are women here for whom this is very real. If anything, maybe we can help them,” I say, and plop down on a cream sofa, trying to stay as positive as possible.
She rolls her eyes and wipes a tear. “So much for a happily-ever-after. Apollo is going to die, and we can do nothing about it. Yay, Fairy Godmother Inc.” She waves her hands mockingly.
I look down and don’t say anything, pain twisting in my chest. Right then, Mort and Leenie shapeshift in front of us. I jump up and wait for them to speak, heart pounding.
Mort and Leenie start talking at once, then they both shoot the other a murderous glance. Leenie holds up her hand and speaks, making Mort roll her eyes.
“We don’t have much time, so we need to go over some very crucial things—”
“We might have a way of escape and,” Mort pauses with a smile, “a way to save Apollo!”
I gasp. “For real?!”
Laura’s eyes go wide.
Leenie fixes her black hair into a low pony. “We have three main powerhouses at the bidding in three days.
“You need to catch the eye of one in particular, for he has major ties to one of the most famous healers in the realm. A healer who can cleanse Apollo’s blood of the poison and save his life.
“Pierce will provide payment for this, for the sake of the company. He just received clearance.”
Mort looks relieved and says, “Thank goodness for that. Pierce had to pull some serious strings. This man is older but filthy rich and has a castle in the north next to Mont Gallow.
“His name is Lord Eltson of Oria. The great healer lives in his castle by the name Merva the Great.” She pauses.
“He loves a woman who can put on an act, like dancing. He’s a major pervert, unfortunately. Viola, you worked at a strip joint right?”
Laura raises a brow and gives me a look.
“Hey,” I hold up my hand, “I was never a stripper, Mort!” I shoot her a look for her bad choice in words.
“But I have watched them and maybe tried a few little moves. Only for the sake of working out, though. It’s kinda a thing now.” Why is my face reddening? I have done nothing wrong!
“Right,” Laura says.
I frown at her—the prude.
“I will try and find out what he likes in more detail, but for now focus on being a sexy dancer,” Leenie says very seriously.
Laura and I giggle at her choice of words— ~sexy dancer—~ with her weird accent. Laura stops suddenly as if realizing we both thought the same thing was funny.
“Just because I’m not a ~ stripper~ does not mean I can’t dance,” Laura says as if mildly offended, looking at her nails.
Is she serious?
“I will gladly let you dance for the old fart.” I laugh.
“You both will, it will increase our odds,” Leenie says, and walks over to the window.
Mort shifts weight on her feet and starts blinking. “Okay, next subject, the man we must avoid. Well, we must avoid them all, but this one in particular is Lord Eltson’s biggest competition.
“Not to mention they do not get along with each other. He is dangerous and controls most of the underground market. He goes by the name Black Siron—a horrible human, from what I’m reading.
“So we have to get Eltson to outbid Black Siron. It will be tricky, but not impossible. I am hoping at least one of you will get Eltson because Black Siron usually only buys one female in that price range.”
“Can’t I just offer myself for free to Eltson?” I ask, feeling hopeful that we can bypass this whole auction thing.
Mort shakes her head. “You’re being sold for money.”
“Oh, right.” I take a shaky breath.
~Here we go again.~ Not a dull moment.
“You’re positive this healer will help Apollo?” I ask.
Mort sighs. “It’s our only hope.”
***
My hair is pulled, washed, oiled, painted, steamed, and I lose track of whatever else after the two-hour mud bath. Now I must make my way to sector 3 to get my body and my ~hoo-ha~ waxed.
I’m super excited about this one. I feel like a cat with its ears back.
I want to hiss at the big fat lady who keeps knocking me upside the head every chance she gets. Saying I am not dancing correctly and tilting my head enough, which is a lie. She just wants a reason to beat me.
I will have to talk to Pierce about how we can uncover this horrid place. I’ve already seen one girl get hauled off because she would not expose her breasts to the commander.
I walk past a large window that overlooks the ocean and gasp, Laura coming to stand beside me with the same expression of concern. There is a massive black ship docked, and when I say huge, I mean it.
It looks like a possessed pirate ship on steroids that would have Freddy Krueger nervous to board. Freddy would say, ~ “Fuck that shit~ .” That’s how intimidating the vessel is.
I shiver.
“You think this is Black Siron? Mort said he is arriving today with a few others.”
She nods. “Leenie showed me his sign, which is a black raven or something.”
The large flag on the ship is definitely a black bird of some sort. “I think that is a safe bet,” I whisper.
“Eltson had already arrived.”
I take a deep breath. “Dance class tonight again, makes me want to barf.”
“Me too,” Laura agrees.
“Is that him?” I point.
Laura looks behind her then back out the window with a squint. “Oh, dear Lord,” she moans.
She is right. I see Black Siron being greeted by a whole fleet of people as if he is king. He is tall and muscular, broad shoulders dwarfing most men—save for Apollo.
Shit. He does not look like a man to cross; his black attire gives him a daunting appearance.
I would even go as far as to say the man is exceptionally handsome save for his face, which is half covered by a black Zorro-looking mask. I can see his black hair and bronzed skin due to his shirt's open neck.
I instantly feel sick. This man is all that is power. I just pray he does not fancy me—I can see him being ruthless. An evil man with the devil’s own looks is beyond bad news.
I just wished I had a shotgun. I’d bust out of here like Rambo.
“I just got really nervous,” Laura whispers .
“Lifelines.”
She shakes her head and huffs. “Apollo is in love with you.”
I look at her in shock.
She sighs and rolls her eyes. “Everyone can see it, even me.” She looks at me and shrugs. “It is what it is.” Laura is defeated, her prime ego deflated.
I still have nothing to say to her.
Laura faintly smiles and walks away.
What just happened?
I feel a pang of sadness for Laura, seeing the vulnerability in her blue eyes.
I glance out the window again and see Siren being led inside the complex with the stride of a man who gets what he wants.
A shiver slides down my spine.
This mission is just getting harder and harder by the minute.