Page 1 of A Song in the Night

Chapter One

The sound of the gavel reverberates through the cold air, stealing my breath.

“Sold... to Sylvia Travesty!”

My ears ring and spots of color fill the scene before me. The clash of dizziness and confusion threatens to pull me into the darkness. I narrow my eyes at Noah, hoping for answers. Sylvia is a royal? Why haven’t I heard of her before? And are they buying me to save my ass… or have I traded one terrible master for another?

Noah’s expression is dark, his jaw clenched and shadowed in stubble. I search his gaze for any hint of whatever plan he has but come away with nothing. My focus shifts to Sylvia, but she’s already storming toward the auctioneer’s office to handle the paperwork.Mypaperwork.

One of the shapeshifters guides me off the stage. Before we’ve even reached the crowd, the auctioneer moves on to the next item up for bid, a pale-haired girl who can’t be older than twelve. I shiver deeply, chilled to the bone.There’s nothing you can do, I remind myself.

It doesn’t ease the guilt.

As we make our way through the square, dirt and leaves crunch underfoot and my nose burns with the combination of blood and sweat—the type of sweat that comes from being so scared your pores leak a pungent odor impossible to mask. I try to hold my breath as much as I can, but I’m already lightheaded.

The shapeshifter leads me behind the auction hall. Fluorescent lights beam on the ground like spotlights. There are rusted hooks embedded in the brick wall, and along the building’s length, other slaves hang off those hooks. Apparently the Madocs don’t really care what happens to the wares once they’ve been sold.

Without a word, the shapeshifter raises my arms, sets my plastic zip ties onto one of the empty hooks, and leaves. The ties cut into my skin, and I wince, already trying to break them apart. In less than a minute, my fingers are freezing from the cold and tingling from lack of blood flow. Assholes.

“Nowthisis tempting.”

My head snaps up. Noah stands in front of me, his eyes overly bright in the fluorescent light spilling down on him.

I’m so drained from everything that happened tonight that I don’t have the will to acknowledge his innuendo. “Careful. They drench them in milk thistle,” I mutter.

“Kinky.”

My nostrils flare, and suddenly I feel less exhausted and more like myself. “On second thought, go ahead. Put your hands all over them.”

Noah licks his lips as they curl into a smirk. “That’s no way to speak to your—”

“Say ‘master’, and I swear, Noah Forrest, I will remove your favorite appendage,” I say through my teeth.

He lets out a whistle, amusement making his eyes twinkle. “Easy, baby vampire.” Stepping toward me, he reaches into the pocket of his black slacks and pulls out a blade. With one swift motion, he frees me from the bindings.

I exhale a shaky breath and rub my wrists. The skin there is still an angry red; I’ll need to feed soon to heal. I meet Noah’s gaze again, and my stomach feels as if it’s in my throat as I ask, “What just happened?”

“We saved your ass,” Sylvia says as she walks around the building, pocketing a piece of paper. Her proof of purchase, I’m sure. “You’re welcome.”

The adrenaline hasn’t left my veins yet. “You’re right—thank you. But what aboutyou? How did I not know you were a Travesty? I mean, how are we related?”

“Technically we’re not, right? Look, I’m not proud of my name, Charlie. Surely you can understand that.” She shrugs, then tosses her hair over her shoulder. “Oh, and we’re cousins, I guess. That’s really all you need to know.”

My gaze shifts between her and Noah. “I don’t understand.”

“Well, catch up fast. We have work to do. Congratulations, Charlie. You’re the newest employee of Skye Investigations.” She flashes a brilliant smile. “You better make us a ton of money, because I just spent our last quarter’s earnings on you.”

“You can’t be serious.” My eyes go wide. I look to Noah, who’s grinning as if this whole thing is a game to him. “Wait. Skye Investigations? I thought you guys were bounty hunters.”

“The bounty shit pulls less than half of what we need to survive,” Sylvia counters. She doesn’t go on, as if that handful of words should resolve my confusion.

By some unspoken signal, both of the vampires walk away. Just as I start to go after them, I hesitate. I look over my shoulder, back at the doorway that leads to the square. “That girl. The young one—”

“She sold within seconds,” Noah says, his voice toneless. “And even if we had any desire to raise a kid, which we don’t, Sylvia spent everything we brought on you.”

Knowing an argument would be futile, I swallow the furious response rising in my throat. Noah has already turned his back to me again, anyway.

The three of us cross a gravel parking lot, where the vehicles are sleek, gleaming, and new. Only the wealthy can afford to buy slaves, after all. Just as Sylvia unlocks a black SUV, my gums throb painfully, and I stop. The smell of blood overwhelms me, and I look around frantically, searching for the source. There’s only a homeless vampire, panhandling with a sign that reads,We don’t all suck.

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