Chapter 5 #2
“You’re perfect,” she says, smiling cheerfully. “Your concierge should be here soon to take you to the auction. Don’t sit down. That will just wrinkle your dress. Just stand here and wait for them.”
“Okay. Umm, thank you,” I say, nodding in agreement.
Axelina nods, then she and her assistants leave, and I’m all alone for what feels like another thirty minutes or so before I hear a knock on my door.
When it opens, I see Janice. She looks like she’s spent the afternoon with a stylist too, except she’s wearing a tailored skirt suit, like she was the last time I saw her.
“Ready?” Janice asks, smiling from ear to ear.
“I guess so,” I whisper, walking closer to her.
“Follow me,” she says, leaving the door open when she walks out of my room.
I do as she asks, trailing behind her to the elevator. I haven’t seen much of the hotel other than the lobby and the train station below us. This time, the elevator stops on a level that is labeled with a star, and Janice has to use her keycard to open the doors.
“Is everyone else already here?” I ask, curious about Rose.
“President Highton is on the stage and the buyers are waiting,” she answers. “Everyone is auctioned individually, though, so you’ll be taken back to your room once you’re done. The transfer will take place after the final auction is over.”
“Oh, okay,” I sigh, realizing it’s even more likely that I’ll never see my best friend again.
Janice takes me to a set of black curtains. I can hear people talking on the other side of it, but I can’t make out what they’re saying. She pulls the curtains to the side, and there’s a dimly lit walkway that’s blocked off by another set of curtains ahead of me.
“Wait behind the curtain,” she says, gesturing ahead. “Once you’re in place, I’ll let the president know you’re ready, and he’ll introduce you. Any questions?”
I think for a moment, and I have plenty, but I don’t think Janice will be able to answer any of them. “No. No questions.”
“Okay, I’ll see you after the bidding is over.” She smiles and steps to the side.
I walk to my assigned spot and wait. The curtains are separated enough for me to see a little of what is on the other side.
There’s a stage. President Highton is standing on the left, holding a microphone in one hand, and a tablet in the other.
The lights are too bright for me to make out the buyers.
“Okay, ladies and gentlemen, it’s time for our next auction!” President Highton says with excitement in his voice. “Her name is Clover. Such a pretty name. But not as pretty as she is. Clover, come on out here and let them see what they’re bidding on!”
That’s my cue. I take a deep breath and step through the curtains. There’s a roar of approval. Laughter. Clapping. President Highton points to a spot on the stage, indicating that’s where I should stand, so I walk over.
I can finally see the buyers, so I look around the room, ready to avoid contact with any orcs and demons.
Except I don’t see any. I see men and women, dressed in formal attire, all staring at me.
Could some of them be wolf shifters? I wouldn’t be able to tell if they are, but there definitely aren’t any orcs and demons here.
“We’ll start the bidding off at a thousand gold,” President Highton croons.
“She’s too pretty for me to put to work in one of my factories, so I’ll let the rest of you waste your money,” a woman says, wrinkling her nose like she’s displeased with what she sees.
“I’m in,” a man says, raising a white paddle.
“We’ve got one thousand, do I hear two?” President Highton asks.
“Are you a virgin, sweetheart?” a man asks crudely, leaning forward, a hungry grin on his face.
I glance at President Highton, who laughs at my concern, or maybe at the blush that colors my neck. “Clover, you don’t have to be shy. You can answer the question. But be honest. If you lie, your new owner has every right to whip you for your deception.”
I swallow a lump in my throat. If he’s asking if I’m a virgin, he definitely plans on having sex with me.
I knew that was a possibility, but I’m still confused.
Where are the orcs? Where are the demons?
If there are no wolf shifters here, then the only ones bidding on me are humans.
This doesn’t seem like Reparations. This is just… slavery.
“Yes, sir, I’m a virgin,” I say apprehensively.
“Two thousand, right here!” the man yells, immediately raising a paddle.
“Three!” another man calls out. “I love a sweet submissive virgin.”
“Four!” the previous man yells. “She’s coming home with me.”
Five. Six. Seven. They’re literally bidding on my virginity. That seems to be raising my price more than anything else. This isn’t right. Sure, I knew there was a possibility I could get sold to a wealthy man or woman, but they’re not supposed to be the only ones bidding on me.
“Ten thousand!” a man says.
“Twenty-five thousand,” a gentle womanly voice says, but I can’t see who it is. She’s not with the rest of the group and mostly concealed by the shadows.
“I’m sorry, who said that?” President Highton asks, and all the buyers start looking around.
The woman emerges from the shadows, and my breath catches in my throat.
She’s an orc.
She’s not a hulking savage like the orcs from old books.
She’s tall for a woman, by human standards, nearly as broad through the shoulders as some of the men in the audience, with deep olive-green skin that seems almost radiant beneath the stage lights.
Her features are strong and striking. High cheekbones.
A straight, pointed nose. Full lips curved in the faintest hint of a smile, just enough to show the elegant curve of the ivory tusks protruding from her lower jaw.
Her dark hair is thick and glossy, braided intricately away from her face and threaded with gold and polished stones that catch the light when she moves.
She’s dressed in a gown that looks as expensive as anything I’ve seen in Concord City, though it’s cut differently than the dresses I’ve seen human women wear.
It drapes across one shoulder and clings to her frame in a way that emphasizes strength, rather than softness.
Gold bands circle her wrists and upper arms.
“L-Lady Frax’mo!” President Highton gasps. “My apologies, I didn’t realize King Lix’tuk was sending a representative to the auction this month! It’s… it’s been years.”
The rest of the bidders look as surprised as President Highton. Some are actually trembling in their chairs, like they’d rather be anywhere but here. I guess they’re as terrified of orcs as I am, but right now, I’m not sure which option is more terrifying.
“I’m not here on King Lix’tuk’s authority. This is a personal matter,” she says. “Shall we continue the bidding, or is nobody going to bid against me?”
None of the other bidders speak up. President Highton scans the room for a few seconds, then raises his microphone. “Twenty-five thousand. Going once. Going twice. SOLD to Lady Frax’mo!”
“Excellent,” Lady Frax’mo says, removing a tablet from her purse. She taps on it a few times, then looks up at President Highton. “The money has been transferred.” She immediately turns to me. “Clover, you can follow me.”
“It’s been a while, so maybe you’ve forgotten, but we normally wait until the final auction to make the transfers…” President Highton trails off, then backpedals when Lady Frax’mo raises a brow. “Forget what I said. The money has been transferred, so you’re free to take her with you.”
“Thank you, President Highton,” the orc says respectfully, then she turns to the other bidders. “Ladies. Gentlemen. Enjoy the rest of your evening.”
President Highton gestures stiffly toward the steps at the side of the stage. I walk down them on unsteady legs, and Lady Frax’mo waits until I reach her before turning toward a door near the curtains.
I’ve been sold. To an orc.
At least it’s a woman. A small miracle, perhaps, even if I’m going to spend the rest of my life in a foreign country. Maybe she’ll be kinder to me than most of the men in the room would have been.
Still, I don’t know if I’ve been saved or doomed. Maybe both.
And I’m still terrified, because I have no idea what to expect from here.