Page 7 of Buried in Blood
I advert my attention, but not without him catching me.
“Did I make you uncomfortable, my queen?” He asks in a condescending tone.
“No.”
“Hmm… Interesting.”
He switches the view on the cameras to one of the rooms. A girl lies on the floor. She is thin and looks delirious.
“172 days,” he says quietly.
A shiver crawls up my spine, making me shudder.
“She isn’t worth anything, is she?” He asks.
I shake my head “no”. Holding down the rising bile.
“I’ll give you a choice, Harmony.”
I fucking hate these games that he plays.
“You have two choices: Sacrifice her next week…” He takes a long pause as he stands from his desk. “Or she can be your little project.”
I pinch my brows together. Unsure of what that’s supposed to mean.
“W-what?” I ask.
“Kill her. Or you get to help her get ready for the next auction.”
The bile rises further. I have to kill her. Or groom her. Fucking Hell. No.
“Neither,” I say quickly. Instantly regretting my decision. He throws a glass pyramid trinket across the room. Shattering it above my head. I flinch.
“God fucking dammit!” He screams.
I tense in response.
“I SAID FUCKING PICK ONE!”
“I’ll help her,” I state quietly.
“What was that?” He asks as he walks towards me. Prowling like a lion about to capture its prey.
“I-I said I will help her.”
“That wasn’t so hard, was it?” He pushes my chin up with his index finger, staring into my eyes. My eyes that are full of life, full of happiness. He will never steal that from me.
“No.” Lie. I don’t want to condemn anyone to a life like this. But at the end of the day, if you’re dead, you don’t even have a chance.
* * *
Death rots in the air around me. I know there is a dead body somewhere. There has to be.
He walks me up the corridor to the cell, containing my newest project. He told me I could do whatever is necessary to make sure she sells. The next auction is two months away. I have two months to get her ready. Otherwise… she will become an offering.
I probably should have just killed her. That way, I wouldn’t have to kill someone else this week. But the girl on the screen looked lost. Helpless. Like she was once someone like me. Someone hopeful. Someone positive.
I had to save her.
