“Nine,” he states, testing my name on the tip of his tongue.
I look up at him, trying my hardest to fight back the anxiety that has my chest feeling like it’s ready to explode. Slowly, he reaches for me and flicks my hair over my shoulder before running his hands over my skin. My body jolts to fearful attention at the feel of his smooth skin on mine. I hate it. He pokes and prods me, touching and gripping parts of me that have remained untouched by any other hands besides my own. I’m shaken with a gasp as he turns my back to him. ‘An Unfortunate must never have their back to their Fortunate.’ I attempt to turn around, but his hands grip my shoulders, preventing me from moving.
“Stay,” he demands, dropping his hands to my wrists and pulling my own hands apart, forcing them to rest idly at my sides.
I comply as the tips of his fingers run down my spine before he grasps my hips and squeezes briefly. I feel his fingers twitch in hesitation, before his hands slide over my backside and down the back of my thighs.
“Do you eat?” he inquires, his voice husky and gruff.
I gulp, trembling at the hands that glide up my calves and onto my inner thighs. “Yes, sir.”
“When?”
“Once in the morning and once before bed.”
The food we’re given as Unfortunates is the same thing it’s always been since day one, a small bowl of weird grey porridge, a slice of stale bread and a cup of water. I’ve never had the pleasure of tasting something different—something of varying colours.
He steps away and I turn around, clasping my hands behind my back again. He inches forward, this time with purpose. I keep my body steady as he reaches out and pulls at the knot on the shoulder of my dress. My stomach drops into my intestines as my dress falls from my body and pools in a mess of fabric at my feet. Instinctively, I reach up to cover my breasts but he abruptly smacks my hands away, making the surface of the back of my hand prickle.
“Ouc—”
His fingers catch my lips, forcing them closed and he tsks at me. I take note of the way his irises darken like the earth does when a large cloud blocks the moon.
“You’re not very good at this, are you?”
My chest rises and falls rapidly and I fight the urge to gather the fabric and run. So much for confidence. He releases my lips but the way he stares at them doesn’t pass me by. Maybe I should be worrying about my virtue a hell of a lot sooner than I originally planned. I swallow hard. “I can do better.”
I take in his beautiful dark eyes, framed by thick, dark lashes. “I know you can, and you will. My Unfortunate needs to be perfect to appropriately represent my house.”
Electricity jolts through me as he trails an index finger under my breast, heating my flesh. I don’t know why my body is acting this way. I’m not aroused… I feel panicked and yet my nipple strains hard against the tip of his thumb as he flicks it over my sensitive tip. Biology. My body reacts the way nature intended it to. It knows there’s a man touching me and it knows what’s supposed to happen when a man gently strokes all of its sensitive spots. It doesn’t know this man doesn’t see me as his equal. It doesn’t know this man only wants one thing from my body. If it did, I’m sure my nipples would miraculously grow teeth and defend themselves. I’d rather die than willingly let a Fortunate have sex with me, and if Kade forces himself on me, I want my body to reject him, not embrace him. I subtly grit my teeth against his caress.
“In my house you will eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner. If you have any hope of keeping up with me”—his eyes flare when I visibly flinch—“you’ll need to be healthy and well nourished. You are a gift and I intend to keep you as long as possible.”
I intend to keep you as long as possible. My chest constricts.
“You’re scared?” he bites out, seemingly frustrated.
“No, sir.”
“Why are you scared?”
I wait in the silence. He asked me a direct question and I don’t know how to respond appropriately—or if I should at all. I swallow hard for the one millionth time today.
“Unfortunates aren’t allowed to eat foods other than our daily rations.”
“This is my house, I run it, and anything I say, goes.”
I nod.
“If I tell you to eat, you will eat. If I tell you to drink, you will drink. If I make any request of you, you will obey me without hesitation, do you understand?”
I try my hardest not to mumble, and fail. “Yes, sir.”
His ash gaze locks me in place and I can’t look away, even if I wanted to. There’s a warning there, like he wants to punish me for mumbling, but he lets it slide. Beginner’s luck?
“Gather your dress and go to your quarters. There’s a party in the yard in two hours and you’ll receive your brand.”
I dip low, gathering the purple fabric and pulling it up to cover my naked body. With a bow of my head, I flee from the room.
I neglected to tell Master Kade that I have no idea where my quarters are. I just needed to get out of there and away from his smoke-coloured eyes as fast as I could. Outside his bedroom, I slip back into my dress and fasten it over my shoulder. I was barely in his presence for five minutes and he’d already stripped me of my clothes—who knows what’s going to happen by lunch time?
Two hours. I have two hours to waste until my initiation into the Sario household. I have nothing to do until then and it’s not like I’m permitted to stroll about. I follow the grand staircase down to the lower level and turn down a hallway. Truth be told, I have no idea where I’m going. In the distance, I hear rattling and clashing of dishes so I follow the noise, knowing very well that it’ll lead me to more Unfortunates. Surely, they’ll help me.
∞
I stand on a pedestal, the one with the same lion from the door carved into the front of the marble. I try to ignore the large wooden table in front of me as I stand first in a line of four Unfortunates. To my left, Thirteen, the snarky redhead, and another blonde line the elegant stage. I keep my head straight, staring off into the midday sun. Master Kade’s mansion looks just as extravagant and intimidating from behind as it did from the front. Even off in the distance it strikes fear in me. Beautiful? Sure, but it’s still my prison.
Outside, I feel a little better. I look at the lush grass, perfectly trimmed hedges, and intricate sculptures made from flawless stone and I can breathe a little easier. For the few seconds I look at them, I feel free… and then my gaze settles back on the hundreds of Fortunates sitting at classy white clothed tables and the dread returns. They sit in their immaculate dresses, sipping on little thin glasses of golden liquid just watching and waiting for us to fall under their thumb.
The distinct sound of metal clanging against metal demands my attention and I risk a look over my shoulder. A rather large man sticks four metal poles into bright, red hot flames. He waits for a few minutes, scratching his bald head to kill time. Finally, his chubby knuckle-less hand grasps a pole and retrieves it from the fire. I gasp when I see the glowing red Sario lion and instinctively grab fistfuls of my dress. Beside me, Thirteen whimpers and I snap my head in her direction. She’s looking over her shoulder, too, and she’s not happy with what she sees. Her blue eyes flick to mine and I give her a small nod of reassurance. I unclench my dress in an attempt to make her feel more comfortable. It doesn’t work, and if she hasn’t got a grip on herself before Master Kade gets here, I’m worried they’ll put her out of her misery. Bang. A bullet to the head will solve the problem.
Silence and mock strength is the only way to get through this… or at least I hope it is. It’s the only tactic I’ve got. Trumpets sound off an interesting tune—I know the rest of the Unfortunates at the camp heard it. I remember all of the times I heard the trumpets when I was growing up. In the beginning, they excited me and I imagined all of the food and pretty dresses and dancing… now? Now they’re too close for comfort. The crowd of Fortunates turn in their chairs. I know I should drop my eyes to the ground, but I don’t. I scan ahead and wat
ch as huge double doors pull open and four men in stylish suits stroll out. The crowd claps as the men make their way down the pretty path lined with green bushes that are sprouting pretty cream flowers. I’m more transfixed on the flora than what was really happening, and if it wasn’t for the nagging voice in my head telling me to look at them, I wouldn’t have noticed Master Kade watching me. I freeze and air from my lungs catches in my throat. He wraps his long, thick fingers around his tie and tightens it slightly. There’s no expression on his face, but I see the warning clearly in his eyes. I drop my gaze to the floor in front of me like I’m supposed to. I don’t dare look up again, not until Kade’s hand slips under my chin and he grips my jaw. I try not to pull away or wince as he tilts my head up. He turns it from side to side for the crowd to acknowledge. They ‘ooh and ahh’ at me like I’m some kind of possession. I hate it. I’ve never felt so worthless in my entire life, and coming from an Unfortunate, that’s saying something.
When he releases me, I drop my gaze to the varnished stage floor. Choked sobs leave Thirteen and I ignore them—not because I don’t care—I ignore them out of fear… I can feel the warmth from Kade’s body enveloping me and I’m sure if I push back, I’ll feel him against me. I take a deep inhale and release it slowly, then I hear a slap on the wood. I whip my head to Thirteen, but she’s no longer on her pedestal. She’s a tangle of limbs and mustard fabric on the floor. The spectators chuckle and the sound twists my stomach. Instinctively, I step forward to help her, but Kade’s large hand snatches my wrist and he holds me in place. My pulse thrums hard against the veins in my wrist; I know he can feel it.
“Leave her,” he orders under his breath, squeezing me to the point of physical pain.
“I can’t just leave—”
He grabs a fistful of my hair and subtly squeezes until my scalp burns. I wince, inhaling sharply. Thankfully, nobody is looking at us. They eagerly watch Thirteen as the Fortunate that stood behind her slaps her hard across the face. The sound reverberates around my skull and makes my chest ache.
“You can do better?” Kade whispers, using my words. “Prove it.”
My throat becomes thick with sobs, but I grit my teeth and prevent them from spilling out. I can’t fight this. Not today. “Okay.”
He releases me as Thirteen pulls herself to her feet. I keep my head down and avoid eye contact with her. I don’t need to look at her to feel how distressed she is, though. Shut up. I beg her. Don’t make it harder on yourself. Not only do I not want her to make it harder for herself, but I don’t want her to make it harder for me, either. I know I’m not going to be able to sit here and do nothing forever. One day, I’ll step in to help her and take the punishment myself.
After a few more minutes, and a few more ‘oohs’ and ‘ahhs,’ I hear the sound of metal biting together again. I hold my hands in fists behind my back. I’m first up… the first to be branded.
“Turn,” Master Kade orders. I turn on my tiny pedestal, careful not to fall. The branding man hands Kade an iron stick and I watch Kade casually weigh it in his large hand before he lifts his intense gaze to mine.
“Walk to the table and lower your dress.”
I ponder his demand for a few seconds. He wouldn’t hurt me unnecessarily… would he?
∞ Kade ∞
Clive the brander handed Kade his iron branding pole. It was long, thin, and heavy, bearing his family’s lion symbol on the bottom. Nine peered up through long dark lashes for a second too long. He knew it, the crowd knew it, and they murmured their excitement, hoping she’d disobey him. Kade didn’t know why he gave her an extra second to contemplate what she was going to do… maybe he was hoping she’d disobey him, too. After a quick exhale of air, Nine pulled the fabric knot on her shoulder and lowered it, exposing her entire left shoulder and the top of her full breast. She looked at Kade for reassurance, but Kade had never comforted anyone in his life and he’d never been one to lie, so he smirked at her instead. Colour drained from her face as she stepped off her pedestal.
“Bend over the table.”
Kade’s insides twisted over the words and he watched as she stepped forward and braced herself over the table, digging her fingers into the wood. He came up behind her, desperately fighting the urge to press himself into her backside. She looked quite alluring from this angle and his insides twitched in agreement.
Kade had dragged this on long enough, and without a second thought, he lowered the glowing metal towards her flesh, watching her face as she squeezed her eyes shut. Before the metal had a chance to cool down, he pressed it into her skin. She gritted her teeth. It sizzled and burnt her flesh. Nine began to cry, despite how hard she tried to fight it, and Kade was intrigued by her response to the pain. She didn’t scream like he thought she would and he was sure he was the only one who could hear her. It bothered him as much as it aroused him, and as her clear tears rolled off the sharp edges of her face onto the table, they made him feel odd, but he refused to acknowledge the alien feeling of guilt swirling in his stomach. He pulled the metal back and the smell of her melted and blistered flesh did nothing to deter him from his ongoing arousal—the same arousal that had been pulsing inside him since he saw her.
He handed the man his stick and waited as Nine pushed herself up off the table, trembling with the aftershocks of the branding. Kade swiped his hand through a jar of black sludge and pressed it into Nine’s blister. The black sludge would make the scar black and prominent, making his mark visible for all to see. She turned to Kade, her face red from the pain, and bowed her head. Good.
“Thank you, Master Kade,” she said, but the hint of disgust he heard in her tone didn’t pass him by.
Her violet eyes were trained on his. If anyone else witnessed the death stare she was giving him, they’d beat her within an inch of her life, but Kade enjoyed the display of courage. It would only make it more fun to strip it from her, as easily as he stripped her from her dress.
“Keep glaring at me, Unfortunate,” he whispered. “You’re only making me harder.”
Her eyes widened a fraction, the angry glare softening into fear. She stepped past Kade, and the cherry smell that emanated from her auburn hair as she brushed past him seeped in through his nostrils and set fire to his blood. Nine strolled back to her pedestal and stood still. She kept her head up and confident, so confident you’d never think she was just branded with a hot iron.
She was tough… he’d give her that.
∞
Kade sat at the table, ignoring the other Fortunates who boasted about their new slaves. His sights were focused on his Unfortunate, Nine. She stood straight, her hands behind her back. Her face betrayed no sign of what she might be feeling deep down. Her chin was angled slightly, like she refused to cave to the pressure. Next to her, the other Unfortunates sobbed, feeling sorry for themselves… but not her, why? What made her stronger than the others? They were raised in the same place and yet Nine refused to cave to the same distress. It infuriated Kade. He wanted Nine to feel distressed, he wanted to make it worse and then better. He wanted her entire existence to revolve around him. Kade wanted her to despise him, to crave him—to even love him. He wanted to control the strings to her limbs like a puppet master. It was only to prove his own control to himself. It would piss his father off, too. To turn a gift he was certain was supposed to sabotage him into a fiercely loyal slave. Kade was complex and insecure. Inside, he never denied it, but on the outside he always had to put on a hard front. It was a hard world he was living in and he couldn’t afford to be seen as weak. Power balances were shifting. The Knowles were growing rapidly, dabbling in all kinds of trades—mining, weaponry, and farming, and Michael did nothing about it. He did nothing to increase the Sarios’ profit and power. Michael refused to see that the Sario name was crumbling, and in due time, Kade knew other houses would soon swoop in and take what belonged to Kade. Kade wouldn’t let that happen. When his father died and he took over, the Sario household would claim all of its rightful powe
r back and strike fear in the hearts of all of the other houses once again. But first, he had to deal with the mine. He had to take control of the situation before news spread to the other houses.
“You’ve got a good slave there,” Henry said, strolling up to Kade with his hand extended.
Henry was a friend of Kade’s father, one he had known since he was a small boy. Henry was a sly man and tended to over-indulge in his alcohol. He claimed his large belly had to be filled regularly or he’d simply fail to move. Kade stood up and shook Henry’s hand, taking note of his excited grip.
“Courtesy of my father,” Kade replied, smiling a little.
“Twenty five already? Gone are the boy years.”
Kade nodded. “I’ll be twenty five in a few days.”
“Ah, I trust there’ll be a large party in your honour?”
Master Kade knew exactly what Henry was fishing for. Free alcohol. The thought made his lips twitch.
“Bigger than large,” he replied. “I’ll have to make extra room for your stomach.”
Henry stepped forward and playfully jabbed Kade in the stomach. “You’re still funny, boy. It’s good to see that hasn’t disappeared with age.”
“It has only increased, I assure you.”
Henry laughed, his neck fat jiggling along with his stomach. When he recovered, Henry asked, “Well, are you going to show her off?”
Kade’s jaw clenched. He’d never been one to flaunt his possessions. That was more his brother’s forte. Besides, Henry had hands that liked to wander and Kade couldn’t formulate the sentence ‘touch her again and I’ll fucking kill you’ politer than that.
“You know me better than that, Henry. Vince is the show off.”