Page 43 of The Arbiter

I school my blank face into something darker. “No. I’m not going to just sit down and let you do whatever the fuck you’re planning, old man. You have no idea who you people are messing with!” I flash my eyes and a bit of my second form at him in warning. I don’t care how old this human is; I won’t pretend I’m just a helpless little captive. Not anymore. They’ve seen my power now and have my door guarded, so it’s not likely the sweet, powerless act will work anyway.

He never backs down, though. His creepy, pleasant smile stays in place.

“We know very well who you are. You are what they call the Arbiter, correct?”

I stare at him, disappointed my ruse didn’t last long. Oh well, they’d have found out sooner or later after they were informed their men had someone they’ve been looking for captured.

“Things will be much easier if you just comply, dear,” he continues, his tone edged with a bit of aggravation. “It won’t take but a few minutes.”

I growl at him. “I don’t give two shits how long it takes!” I begin to advance on him, not having the patience for whatever bullshit these people have planned.

The two guards come in fast and throw a silver chain around me, wrapping my arms tightly to my body. I feel a bit of strength return to me as my adrenaline kicks in and begin to struggle against them. I manage to yank one of the chains from the guards’ hands. Unfortunately, I don’t get much done as three other men come into the room, each with assault rifles.

The bigger guard in the group aims his right at my face. “Sit the fuck down. These are loaded with silver bullets doused in Divine water, and I will not refrain from loading your fucking head with all of them.”

It’s then that something strikes me like a hammer to my heart. These guards aren’t humans. I can’t believe I hadn’t noticed it before. They’re Lupin.

My eyes widen in shock. “Why?” I don’t have to elaborate on what I’m asking the Lupin. He can see it in my eyes.

The guard sneers with hatred burning within his expression. “We’ve been promised something pretty special for our service, and that’s all you get to know.”

“From who? Surely humans can’t give you anything you can’t take for yourself! What could they possibly offer a Damned besides their life to fuel our hunger?”

The Lupin laughs. “We don’t serve them, you little bitch. Who we do serve is none of your concern. You won’t live long enough to be able to do anything with the information anyway.”

“Can we please end this conversation?” the old man pipes up. “I need to get her ready.”

I glare at the Lupin when he says no more and shoves me toward the vanity.

Since it’s looking like I have no other choice and my burst of energy is already fading from my shock, I grit my teeth and sit at the stupid vanity. The Lupin guard I yanked the chain from grabs his end again. They all surround me as the old man, Mr. Grady, as he calls himself, turns the light on and sits down in a chair one of the guards brought in for him.

I think of this betrayal and what it means as I’m subjected to pounds of makeup for the next thirty minutes. Who promised them something, and what was promised? What could be that valuable to them that they’d turn their backs on their own kind? Saul is the first to come to mind. He rules the Lupin, after all, and has been acting twitchy and secretive. It wouldn’t be too farfetched of a possibility since he pretty much hates everyone except other Lupin. However, he may be an asshole, but is he really smart enough to mastermind something like this? He hates humans and would never work with them. Then again, an enemy of my enemy is my friend, or something of that nature. Fuck. It’s all so confusing and far more complex than I thought possible.

When the old man finishes making me look like an overly made-up doll with too pink cheeks, bright red lips, and heavy eyeliner and mascara, he begins working on my hair. I take advantage of the silence I’m given as he works to reach out and feel around for Monroe in this place. I’d been too enraged by the Damned in the cells earlier and finding out Lupin are working with the humans to look for him.

I try to hide my elation when I feel his energy somewhere on this floor. It’s muffled, but it’s there.

I school my face as the old man finishes twisting my hair up into some kind of French braid, bun atop my head. It’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve seen.

“There. That wasn’t so bad. The crowd will love you. It’s not every day we get such a powerful being in these walls,” Mr. Grady says cheerfully. He packs his stuff back into the clear bag and walks over to the armoire. “Now, just to get you dressed and you’re all set.” He fumbles around through the dresses before finally saying, “Ah! Perfect!”

He walks over to me and shows me a black dress. It’s strapless with a sweetheart neckline, and the bodice is satin with lace overlapping it. The skirt, however, is awful. It’s made of nothing but black feathers. There’s a V-shape cut out in the front to show off the legs of the wearer, and the feathers go back into a train.

I take that back. This tops the hair in the ridiculous category.Gah! Who the hell thinks feathers belong on a dress?

“This will make you look like a dark angel. I think they’ll quite enjoy it.”

Again, I hold back a snort. He has no idea how right he is by that comparison. Just wait until I have my moment, they’ll see just how much of a dark angel I can be.

Since this auction will most likely bring me to a room with several exits because of a crowd, there’s a good chance I can escape from there. Unless the place is heavily guarded. Which it most likely will be.

I’m optimistic, though. There has to be a way to get away from these people and get to Monroe. I know Enoch and Larkan had to have noticed I’m gone by now, and they’ll most definitely be looking for me. At least, I know Larkan will. I have every bit of faith we can take these fuckers down together.

I’m quickly shuffled from the room. This corridor is a bit cleaner and much better lit than those disgusting cells the Damned were placed in. As we walk down the hall, I feel Monroe getting closer to me. The hall has several doors like the one I was held behind, so odds are this is where all their prisoners go before being auctioned then brought down to the cells below.

We come around a corner, and I see another door that’s secured with six more Lupin guards, all wearing heavy, black combat gear like the others, three on either side of the door. It’s easy to feel Monroe behind the door.

Sure enough, as we go to pass it, I see his handsome face peer through the small window. I go to move toward him, but he shakes his head at me and winks. He mouths‘just keep walking’and nods. I subtly nod back, hoping none of the guards saw that exchange. If they did, they don’t seem to care. After all, they feel safe with him behind a locked door and me in chains. Why should they care?

---