Magnus swept his hand to the first cage, where a stocky dwarven male resided. Built like the world's beefiest child, he stood maybe four feet if he was an inch, shirtless and stacked with more rippling muscle than any human could have managed. Dwarves were built for heavy labor, and it showed.
The bidding started at a hundred gold coins and soon grew to nearly a thousand before being sold to a stoic faced woman with long mahogany hair in a stunning yellow dress.
“Next up, is one for the gentlemen in the crowd,” Magnus spoke, his voice crooked and sharp, like broken piano wire.
The slave that was rolled up was a beautiful elven woman. Even in the thin rags she was dressed in, her beauty could not be denied. Long golden hair covered her ears entirely, but she had the tall, elegant grace of the elves. That was as unmistakable as her thin pointed face and shallow cheekbones, which all too visibly gave away her race. Her blue eyes, while striking, were jaded and bitter. She knew the exact fate in store for her.
The hungry, lustful looks from the men in the crowd made all too obvious the role they had in mind for the elven slave. Her gaze haunted me; it took away her ethereal beauty and made her far too human in my eyes. She looked up for a moment, and her eyes bored into my very soul.
I averted my gaze; I didn’t want to see any more of that bottomless misery. I didn’t want to see the judgment in them, rightfully condemning me.
I had kept my eye on the guards throughout the auction, but it didn’t seem like there was a good opening anywhere. I was about to risk it when a hand slipped through my arm. I looked over in confusion.
A girl had sidled up to me and was leaning heavily on me. She was gorgeous, though something about her nagged at me. Everything about her screamed nobility. From the flowing black dress she wore to her expertly applied makeup and hair—all tailored to perfection. Her scarlet hair was done up atop her head and shimmered in the sunlight, giving the appearance of flames alight, but her emerald eyes sparkled with more compassion and intelligence than I expected to see of a noble.
“Pardon,” she said with a smile, leaning over to whisper in my ear. “Follow me.”
I was a second from jerking my hand back, but something about her stopped me. Everything about her told me she was nothing more than an arrogant noblewoman, but some ineffable quality about her made me hesitant to put her in that category. She was a lovely woman, but she didn’t seem conscious of it. Women who know they’re beautiful usually use their beauty as a weapon, and I’m not getting that from her.
“Who are you?” I asked as she tugged on my arm.
She gave me a knowing look and a smirk, hinting at the mischievous. It wasn’t sexual or evil, more like playfully devious. A smile meant for a partner in crime about to pull a big score, rather than a girl wearing a thousand gold outfit. I didn’t exactly know what to make of it, or her for that matter.
When we were free from the crowd, I swiveled my head to see if anyone was looking, but everyone was staring at the stage. All eyes were on the elven girl, even the guards, such was her beauty.
The stranger pulled me along and toward the back of the warehouse. There was a thin street between the building and the large brick wall. When we were out of sight from the stage. I stopped and pulled my hand back.
“All right, spill. Who the hell are you?”
She absently swiped at her spotless dress, brushing away imaginary dust. Her long, thin fingers sparkled with elegant jewelry and were capped with long black nails, resembling talons. “Angry, are we? Well, I suppose you have reason for it. I’m a friend, Duran.”
“You know my name?”
“I know many things. You may call me Morgan.”
I jabbed a finger towards her, nearly touching the small golden amulet wrapped around her slender throat, a large ruby nestled in the center. The size of the gem alone was impressive, but it sparkled in the sun, casting blood-red light across her chest. “What do you want?”
“I’m here to help you, of course. I’ve a vested interest in you and your bond mate.”
“Eris! Where is she?”
Morgan pointed a finger to the warehouse. “She’s in there, and you better hurry. You don’t have long before he returns.”
With that, she left, walking back to the stage. Before she left my sight, she stopped and turned back to me. “Keep your wits in there, Duran, and keep her safe for me,” Morgan said, walking away with a chuckle.
What the hell? Morgan walked around the corner with a final glance back as she disappeared from view.
“Hey, wait!” I called, running after her, but when I rounded the corner to the square, she was gone. Where the hell did she go?
I shook my head. What the hell am I doing? I could’ve slapped myself for getting so distracted at a time like this. I needed to focus on the task at hand.
There wasn’t a door on this side of the warehouse, just a rugged ladder leading up to the roof. It might get me in faster, but with the added risk of running into someone. The only people on the roof were the guards. I could try and blend in, act as if I belong. But I quickly discounted that idea—way too many unknowns.
In truth, there were too many unknowns for this whole thing. I
