“Any suggestions, Mr. Fane? I trust a warlock’s opinion when it comes to satiating guests like these.”
Dominic’s eyes left Natalya for the first time since she’d entered the parlor, moving to the lineup of humans at one end of the room. His eyes stopped on Evie. He smiled, making Evie lower her head even more than she already was.
“For such esteemed guests, King, I suggest showing off your most delectable treasure,” Dominic said. His voice was weaselly, matching his demeanor. A coveting man. He’d requested Evieseveral times since he arrived at the estate a few weeks before. So far, Varro had always refused him.
“Excellent suggestion.” Varro gestured Evie over. “Evelyn! Come here, girl.”
Pushing down her fear and putting on the mask of Evelyn, the doting slave, Evie approached Varro.
“My King,” she said, kneeling by going on all fours and touching the floor with her forehead.
“Evelyn is a truly unique part of our collection. And she’s something to look at.” Varro gave Natalya as lethal a smile as she’d sent him earlier. Natalya stared at the King, completely ignoring Evie. She didn’t look pleased.
“Really, I don’t need—”
“Mr. Fane told me about yourtype,” Varro said. Natalya’s hands clenched into fists at the interruption. “Sexual energy is the thing, yes? Evelyn is an expert at that. Dance, girl.”
Varro snapped his fingers, and Evie dutifully got to her feet. She went to the pole that had been set up for the entertainment as Widor’s Piano Quartet started playing. A favorite of Varro’s. She’d danced to it many times.
Slowly and sensually, as she knew Varro liked, she moved around the pole. She pressed against it, her skin clinging to the cold metal. She wore almost nothing, just a red thong and matching see-through bra.
She had been dressed to look as good as possible. Evie was lean with round hips, a slim waist, and full breasts, and since Varro enjoyed seeing her dance so much, she was more toned than when she was procured for him a year ago. Her pale skin was covered in freckles, and her face had been done up with makeup to accentuate her green eyes and long, wavy red hair. It was really strawberry blonde, but she had to dye it.
Had it been a shift at the Love Light, she might have felt good about the performance. In front of Varro and these strangers, she felt nothing at all.
“Evelyn is one of my most prized possessions,” Varro said. “Tastes like a dream, though I suspect none of your company would need a sample.”
“You’re quite right,” Natalya said tightly.
She was still looking straight at Varro, ignoring the performance, even as Evie transitioned into some of her more impressive maneuvers. Climbing up the pole, spinning to the music, and making her legs go into a split. Natalya’s companions certainly weren’t too shy to stare.
“She’s a Seraphic.” Varro spoke as though Evie was an item on display, which she might as well be. “There’s supposedly angelic blood in her, introduced two or three generations back, I would guess. Makes her taste truly exquisite. Gives the blood a kick, so to speak. It also makes her less susceptible to enthralling, though Stefano and I have practiced with her enough that we can do it with ease. Read her information for yourself. Evelyn, show her.”
Evie obeyed, lowering herself to stand on the floor. She raised her arm over her head so they could see the tattoo on her ribs. She knew what it read. Four lines of black text listing her purpose and value.
EVELYNA.-O-NEGSERAPHIC-LANGUAGES:ENGLISH-SPECIALSKILLS:DANCING
For the past year, those words were all she’d been. All she was allowed to be. She’d seen what happened if you tried to fight the fate written on your skin. If you stepped out of line, disobeyed, or fought back, they took you away, and you either returned with fresh scars or not at all.
“A Seraphic? How unusual.” Natalya read over the information. As she finished, she looked up, and her partially scarlet eyes found Evie’s.
A strange surge of pure sensation rushed through Evie’s body as their eyes met, producing gooseflesh on her arms and legs. Her emotions heightened, and her senses grew more alert. The effect flowed through her in a breath, starting in her chest and stomach before rushing into her limbs like flames under her skin.
Shocked, Evie stepped back, grabbing the pole to steady herself. She looked away from Natalya, daring only a glance back when she turned away from Evie. The vampires laughed.
“I think she likes you, Natalya,” Varro said. Evie lowered her head.
“Most do.” Natalya put on a forced smile. Her eyes were redder than they’d been a moment ago. Maybe a response to whatever horrible thing she had just done.
Evie’s body had become a doll over the past twelve months. An unfeeling plaything that was passed around, to be used whichever way her owners saw fit. Not feeling anything was how she survived it. With a glance, Natalya had pulled her out of that state.
The thought of feeling all the terror and pain she had in the beginning was beyond horrifying. What kind of vicious being was this woman?
“Evelyn,” Varro said sternly, his black eyes narrowed. “Get back to it.”
Evie returned to her routine, but she was distracted. She kept glancing at Natalya, who was engaged in conversation with Varro. Evie forced herself to look away, finding Natalya’s companions still staring at her. Evie had assumed they did so with want at first, but looking at them now, they were far from happy.
The siblings—Diana and Cassius—looked outright angry while Flea was doing a strange mimicry of her movements, though it looked like he was doing it to annoy Stefano, not to mock her.
