Strength in Numbers Read Free

Eterin said, his tone
warning.
    Sempia stared at Eterin ,
her chin beginning to wobble as her chest tightened. She’d been raised with the
knowledge she would do nothing more than please audiences who came to watch a
sex show before going off to be a personal sex slave for someone, but the
moment Eterin revealed himself to her she wanted no
one other than him.
    Pataryio winked as he leaned in close and
pressed his mouth to her ear. “Worry not, beauty. I am merely here to assure it
looks real.”
    The owner of
the arena and the man currently in charge of her slip came forth. They talked
amongst themselves, seeming to argue at first before nodding. The owner of the
arena neared the microphone. “Ownership of slave number 763-A has been
transferred in accordance to policy 2190.”
    Eterin neared her and swept her up and off
her feet. “Then she is mine.”
    “She is,” the
owner of the arena said, giving the man with her slip a shove. “Give him the
slip.”
    Reluctantly,
the man did.
    Eterin seized hold of the slip and
motioned with his head to Pataryio . “Now, we go.”
    “Of course, my
lord.” Pataryio bowed to the women and the Mantovian . “It was certainly a pleasure.”
    “ Pataryio ,” Eterin scolded, whisking
her out of the arena in the direction of the exit.

Chapter Three

 
    “Remain here,” Eterin instructed. “Do not move. We must ensure the vessel
is ready for takeoff and that we have not been
discovered.”
    He and Pataryio ran off, leaving her in the dimly lit corner of
the hall. She backed up, reaching for a piece of tapestry upon the wall.
Anything she could use to cover herself. So much had happened so fast that she
could scarcely wrap her mind around it. She eyed the preparation room, knowing
clothing resided within. Quickly, she crossed the hall to the room and pushed
the door open. Varying lengths of material of all colors were thrown about. She selected red silk and wrapped it around her body,
fastening it with golden cord under her breasts and around her waist. She
stepped before the mirror and did her best to tame her wild tresses.
    As she turned
to exit the room and return to the hall, she spotted the man who had been
reluctant to hand over her note of ownership. His dark gaze locked on her.
Anger flashed over his face. “What a pretty little whore,” he said.
    She took a tiny
step back, bumping the mirror. “I should go. My master awaits me.”
    “Your master?”
he mocked, moving toward her. His hand went to his side, just under his toga. A
glint of sliver flashed and she knew he was armed. “Because he fucked you, that
makes him your master?”
    She pressed
herself to the mirror. “Because he owns my note, sir.”
    He snickered,
still coming toward her, crowding her space. She thought of calling out for
help, but fear that something would happen to Eterin as a result of her foolishness kept her lips sealed tight. She would take
whatever punishment was laid out before her if it kept Eterin safe.
    The man lifted
the dagger, putting it close to her face. “You were to be mine. I’d been
planning for months to purchase you. What will he say to his goods being
damaged, huh? What will he think of his pretty little whore bearing scars upon
her face?” He pressed the tip of the dagger to her cheek, his eyes holding
madness. “Will he still want you then?”
    “Yes,” Eterin said, his voice booming through the room. “I will.”
    “I’d step away
from her if I were you,” Pataryio added, sounding
almost amused with the ordeal, as if it happened on a regular basis. Perhaps it
did. “I’ve watched the man kill for less reason than you’re giving him now.
Harm that beauty before you and your end will come in the form of long,
drawn-out torture at the hands of a skilled warrior and assassin. Oh, and I’ll
lend a hand too, because where is the fun in not?”
    The man stayed
close to her, still pressing the dagger to her face. “She was to be mine. You
had no right to