Total pages in book: 105
Estimated words: 99485 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 497(@200wpm)___ 398(@250wpm)___ 332(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 99485 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 497(@200wpm)___ 398(@250wpm)___ 332(@300wpm)
“Well, I’m so glad you like it!” Lyrah said to me. “And your bathroom is through here.”
She ushered me through the vast bedroom and down a small hallway. Just as we were about to enter the bathroom, a door to the right of us opened and one of the maids wearing a gold and green uniform came out.
“Ah, Ulala, there you are,” Lyrah said to her. “Have you finished unpacking all of my new daughter’s clothes and belongings?”
“Yes, Ma’am.” Ulala, who had beady eyes that were set too close together and a cap of short black hair, bobbed a kind of curtsy. “May I talk to you, Ma’am?” she asked, as she came back up. “It’s a matter of some urgency.”
“Oh, well of course. Just let me say goodbye to my darling new daughter.” She turned to me. “So that room Ulala just came out of is your walk-in closet. And that door up ahead is the bathroom. Do freshen up and relax for just a moment—dinner is at half past seven.”
Then she bustled out of the room with the maid right behind her, whispering in her ear. I caught both of them looking back at me and had the strangest sensation they were gossiping about me—but why? Maybe because I had brought so few clothes, I thought. After all, Slade and I were supposed to be moving in here, yet I had only brought a handful of outfits.
I really didn’t like the idea of the maid going through my luggage and unpacking everything. I had brought the stretchers with me, just in case, and it made me writhe inside with embarrassment to think of her seeing them and guessing what they were for.
Still, what was done was done. I was just going to have to suck it up and hope the maid hadn’t told on me. Though by the way she and Lyrah had been whispering, I didn’t have much hope of that.
Sighing, I decided to put it out of my mind and choose which of the dresses I had brought to wear to dinner. I was just about to duck into the walk-in closet to pick something when I heard Slade’s voice coming from the bedroom.
“What the fucking fuck is this?” he demanded.
I came out of the hallway and saw him standing in the middle of the room, looking around with a grimace on his face.
I couldn’t say that I blamed him. The walls and ceiling were still projecting neon yellow and pink respectively and the odd drum and flute music was still playing. Nothing could have been further from his own style, which was modern and minimalist and above all, quiet.
“She doesn’t expect us to stay in here, does she?” Slade asked, looking around. “I mean, Goddess of the Four Faces, it’s fucking unlivable in here!”
“Here—maybe I can help.”
Lyrah had put the silver remote back on “Mr. Dingus’s” tray. I picked it up and pressed several buttons, trying to get a better mixture. Finally I settled on a gentle aquamarine blue and turned off the music altogether.
“There—is that better?” I asked Slade.
“A little,” he grumbled. “But why didn’t you just turn the lights all the way off?”
“Er, well, I’m afraid your stepmother says they can’t be turned off,” I told him. “The best thing we can do is just try to choose dark colors when we want to sleep.”
“What?” he growled as he looked at the naked statue. “This is fucking ridiculous! We can’t sleep in here—we need to move to another room.”
“Actually, your stepmother said that she had this room redecorated just for us,” I told him. “So she’s probably going to be offended if we ask to switch rooms.”
“So we won’t ask,” Slade said, frowning. “There are plenty of unused rooms in this place. We’ll just go sleep next door. But we shouldn’t have to,” he added darkly. “I swear Lyrah did this on purpose just to grind my fucking gears.”
“Maybe she did but I don’t think fighting about it is going to help,” I said. “I would like to move to another room, though. And can we ask that the maids not go through our things? One of them was in here unpacking my luggage and I brought the spreaders with me. I’m, uh, pretty sure she saw them,” I ended, my cheeks getting hot.
“You brought them, did you?” Slade cupped my cheek in his big, warm hand. “What’s the matter, baby? Are you still afraid of getting Bred?”
Actually, I wasn’t. In fact, my body was longing for his right now.
“No,” I whispered. “I just thought…thought they might come in handy. But if you’re going to Breed me tonight…”
“Mmm…” Slade pulled me closer. “Do you want me to Breed you, baby?”
“I am feeling awfully empty inside,” I admitted, snuggling close to him and laying my head on his broad chest. “Do we really have to go to dinner?”