The Underworld, #1
When Inara opened her eyes, she didn't see the cold, dank cell she was expecting. Instead, she was standing on a platform in the front of the room, dressed in her best, with her hands tied behind her.
In front of her was a smoky room full of men, most of them filthy and poorly dressed, in rough fabrics and torn clothing. She felt a pain as something sharp poked her in the side, and she stumbled forward.
"What'm I bid?" A tall, robust woman with bright red hair called out to the room, "I know she ain't much to look at, but it's not like you need to see anythin' to get yer jollies."
There were chuckles around the room, but no one offered any money.
"C'mon now," the woman chided, hitting Inara when she felt the girl start to struggle at the end of the rope that bound her. "She's been trained all right and proper, found her alone on some moon, so there's no one lookin' out fer her and no one who cares she's gone."
"Too scrawny!" One man shouted from the back of the room. "She won't stand up to hard use!"
Another added, "Not worth a plugged nickel! Leave 'er for the crows!"
"Crows don't even want her!"
"Can you blame 'em? No fire, no spirit! Who wants a gal like that?"
Gavin, Inara thought desperately as she tried to untie the rope and wished she'd brought a knife along. Aly would have been so disappointed in her. As if the thought had made him materialize, he stood up in the back of the room, strong and tall, and Inara relaxed.
Until he turned, gave her a once-over, and walked out without saying a word.
"Anyone? I'll throw in some nutrition packs and let you take her for a test drive before buying!" The woman's voice was starting to sound desperate.
This time the voice came from an unwashed behemoth with three teeth, which she saw when he sneered at her and shook his head. "Awwww, Peach, no one wants a used up whore, no how. Just kill 'er and stop wastin' our time. Some of us got stuff to do an' places ta be."
The woman sighed and gave Inara a shove to the floor. "Useless. Plain useless. Even a chamber pot has a point. Not you, though. You should've been killed in the womb, saved everybody the trouble." She approached Inara, knife drawn, and then grinned back at the room over her shoulder. "Anyone wanna pay to watch her bleed, instead?"
As the first drops fell to the floor, Inara couldn't hear the laughter of the men over her screams.
In front of her was a smoky room full of men, most of them filthy and poorly dressed, in rough fabrics and torn clothing. She felt a pain as something sharp poked her in the side, and she stumbled forward.
"What'm I bid?" A tall, robust woman with bright red hair called out to the room, "I know she ain't much to look at, but it's not like you need to see anythin' to get yer jollies."
There were chuckles around the room, but no one offered any money.
"C'mon now," the woman chided, hitting Inara when she felt the girl start to struggle at the end of the rope that bound her. "She's been trained all right and proper, found her alone on some moon, so there's no one lookin' out fer her and no one who cares she's gone."
"Too scrawny!" One man shouted from the back of the room. "She won't stand up to hard use!"
Another added, "Not worth a plugged nickel! Leave 'er for the crows!"
"Crows don't even want her!"
"Can you blame 'em? No fire, no spirit! Who wants a gal like that?"
Gavin, Inara thought desperately as she tried to untie the rope and wished she'd brought a knife along. Aly would have been so disappointed in her. As if the thought had made him materialize, he stood up in the back of the room, strong and tall, and Inara relaxed.
Until he turned, gave her a once-over, and walked out without saying a word.
"Anyone? I'll throw in some nutrition packs and let you take her for a test drive before buying!" The woman's voice was starting to sound desperate.
This time the voice came from an unwashed behemoth with three teeth, which she saw when he sneered at her and shook his head. "Awwww, Peach, no one wants a used up whore, no how. Just kill 'er and stop wastin' our time. Some of us got stuff to do an' places ta be."
The woman sighed and gave Inara a shove to the floor. "Useless. Plain useless. Even a chamber pot has a point. Not you, though. You should've been killed in the womb, saved everybody the trouble." She approached Inara, knife drawn, and then grinned back at the room over her shoulder. "Anyone wanna pay to watch her bleed, instead?"
As the first drops fell to the floor, Inara couldn't hear the laughter of the men over her screams.