Her booth is well-positioned near the city center. Trees sway in the wind and the land smells sweet from an overnight rainfall that left everything with a watery sheen under the struggling sun. We walk to Kayla's booth and Daison smiles at us, his cheeks turning red. I do hope one day he will feel more comfortable with me.
"Daison, bring out my best jewelry. Particularly the rubies. We need something special for Ari."
Daison nods and pulls out a small box tied in soft suede. Kayla opens it and exposes white, yellow and rose gold necklaces with different precious stones designed into them. I try on a ruby and diamond necklace that would work well with the fabric and style of dress Asher chose for me. "What do you think—"
"Slave sale! Slave sale!" Two Shade children run past yelling.
Kayla frowns, and we both turn to the city center. It's surrounded by trees with a platform in the middle for public presentations and performances and benches for sitting. Already a large crowd has gathered, and on the stage stand five Fae shackled to each other. They are all women who look young and scared. Except for the middle girl. She doesn't look mad, she looks pissed and ready to spit in the face of anyone who comes close. She's got bruises and scratch marks all over her pale body. My guess is she's already put up a fight at least once.
A tall man dressed in fine red fabrics and meticulously styled stands on the stage. He is a vampire and commanding in his presence. There are guards everywhere, but I don't recognize any of them from Fen's people. They don't wear Fen's colors either.
"Who are the guards?" I ask.
"They belong to a wealthy family in the Time Pool district."
The man begins to speak, and the crowd quiets to listen. "My brother, Lord Tylin, recently died in our constant war against the rebels of the Outlands, the Fae anomalies who would try to claim our world. He leaves behind these five slaves, captured as spoils of war."
Kayla shakes her head. "His brother didn't die in war. He died in a bar fight against a Shade. That Shade was hanged quietly and without a trial even though Tylin initiated the fight. This whole thing is a farce."
"Can't Fen do something?" I ask.
"Fen is a good man, but he is myopic in his focus. He has no idea what's going on in his realm. His sole focus is war."
The bidding begins, and many wealthy looking men and women raise the bid. There is one man, a vampire in the back with white hair and cold eyes, who keeps upping the bid. He makes my skin crawl, though he hasn't noticed me. I have no idea what my plan is, or why I do what I do, but I step forward and offer the highest bid I can think of for the girls.
Kayla stares at me, shocked. Everyone in the crowd looks at me. I want to retreat and hide, but I've made my stance and I can't back down now. "I wish to buy all five girls," I declare to everyone.
The soldiers prowling the crowds walk over to me, menacingly. Kayla pulls her sword out and holds it at her side. I wish I had a sword, but I console myself with the dagger I have at my hip.
Baron bares his teeth at the guards and Kayla pushes herself close to one of them, raising her blade. "Do you dare threaten your future Queen?"
The man at the podium whistles, and they all stand down.
"Why is everyone acting so strange?" I whisper to Kayla.
"Because that man with the white hair is a prince of hell, and you just challenged him," she says quietly. "Likely he had a deal already made with Tylin's brother to buy the slaves at a discount in exchange for a favor."
I look at the man again, and this time he does notice me. His face is hard, and I get the impression he would attack me on the spot if not for everyone around us.
"Which prince is he?"
"Levi, Prince of Envy," she says. "Be careful of him."
Levi outbids me, and I counter. I've been studying Fen's financials and his realm's affairs for a few weeks now, and I feel like I have a good handle on what he can afford. We've got this. I hope.
Levi finally stops bidding, and I am declared the new owner of the girls. I command my own guards, Marco and Roco, to escort the girls back to the castle safely, and to arrange for Kara and Julian to care for them. Marco argues with me, but I insist I'll be fine without him, and Kayla promises she and Baron will keep me safe, so he finally, reluctantly agrees.
The crowd disperses and I take a deep breath, adrenaline still pulsing through me. "Does that happen often?"
"When there are new prisoners of war taken, which happens fairly often, or when someone of nobility dies, which happens much less often," she says. "Vampires aren't easy to kill, but it is possible. Fae aren't too easy to kill either, for that matter."
"And Shade?" I ask.