Page 12 of Given to the Fae
‘She’ll pay for it later,’ I reply.
‘We’ll pay the same as her,’ she hisses, ‘but neither of us has meat.’
‘Did you think it would be fair?’ I ask, turning my hair toward the fire so that it dries at least a little before I start getting cold.
Ila huffs. ‘Actually, you won’t pay, will you, Kismet?’
‘The coins may look different,’ I murmur, ‘but I’ll pay in the end just like every other slave.’
I ignore her answering snort, and finish my bread, focusing on warming up after the freezing cold river. It won’t do to get ill.
I glance at the bulls who I can just see inside a small tent. They’re staring at us. No, not us, I realize as I follow Smy’s eyes. They’re watching Ila hungrily. Smy’s gaze locks onto mine for a second and he looks away immediately. At least I won’t have to worry about them.
But the others here don’t know, and I see more than one male’s eyes on me as well as Ila.
‘Have you taken a bull or a fae before?’ I ask.
She does a remarkable job of pretending my question doesn’t upset her, but I see the brief crack in her façade for the merest second before she hides it again.
‘Which was it?’
Her lips curl into almost a snarl as she glances at me. ‘What’s it to you?’
‘You already said,’ I whisper. ‘I don’t have to worry, and Bell... Well, let’s just say she always ate well in The Barrack. She knows how to get what she wants. But I don’t know you.’
‘You don’t need to worry,’ she snaps. ‘I was put in the block the first time. Five bulls were let loose on me. Each took his turn more than once.’
I hold in my wince. ‘Well, hopefully it won’t be as bad as that. They won’t want us badly injured before they sell us.’
‘What would you know?’ she hisses, calming down as soon as she notices heads turning our way.
‘I was in The Barrack for a long time. I know enough.’
She turns away from me, and I see that Bell is speaking to Bere in a low voice. I frown. Nothing good will come of that either.
As if the leader hears my thoughts, he stands and walks forward, forcing Bell to either skitter away or be trodden on by one of his large boots.
‘Let’s see what our new humans can do, shall we?’
Perhaps he means the bulls.
But my hope is a hollow one as he approaches the tiny fire where Ila and I cower.
‘You,’ he snarls, pointing at Ila. ‘Get up.’
I peer around Bere’s great form to see Bell looking annoyed. Whatever’s happening now isn’t what she wanted at all.
Ila stands meekly and Bere pulls her roughly toward a circle the slavers are scuffing into the loose dirt with their boots. She goes willingly, looking resigned to whatever she’ll be ordered to do.
‘And you,’ Bere says, turning to Bell.
She stands, bowing her head. ‘But, milord, I thought?—’
‘Silence!’ Bere roars and she pales, taking a step backward with a whimper. ‘You and this one will fight. Then, the one who triumphs and the third,’ he gestures at me. ‘The winner will get a healing fae potion. The losers will keep their injuries until we get to market two days hence.’
He darts forward and grabs Bell, hauling her into the circle as well. She looks shocked for a moment, until her eyes find a clearly fearful Ila and her expression morphs into a smirk.
‘Of course, I’ll fight for your pleasure, milord,’ she purrs.
