Total pages in book: 159
Estimated words: 149470 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 747(@200wpm)___ 598(@250wpm)___ 498(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 149470 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 747(@200wpm)___ 598(@250wpm)___ 498(@300wpm)
But no one came. I was able to slip quietly into the elevator and push the button for the bottom floor without attracting any attention. After a moment, the doors closed and the ice elevator began to descend.
Since the elevator was made of see-through ice, I could see what was happening as I descended. The floors below the Baron’s living quarters seemed to be devoted to businesses. On my way up with Sir, there had been a bee-hive of activity on every floor we had passed. But it must be getting near the end of the workday because I saw hardly anyone as the lift went slowly down.
At last I reached the bottom floor and found myself in the central area that led to the various tunnels. I stepped out and looked around, noting that there were far fewer people down here than there had been earlier as well.
To my disappointment, the merchant selling the bacon on a stick had apparently closed up shop, because his stall was vacant. But the stand with the multicolored pies was still open and so was the one selling the hot, steaming drink that smelled like mocha.
I was trying to decide which one I ought to approach first, when I saw her again—the human girl with warm brown skin and big, brown eyes. She was talking with a Naggian man—possibly a potential customer—and I saw her shaking her head adamantly.
Drifting closer, I caught their conversation.
“No—I only sell my blood—that’s it,” the girl was saying. “Talk to R’xs if you want a girl who’ll give you a fuck and suck—I only do the suck part.”
“It was R’xs who sent me here!” the Naggian man protested. “He said I could get a bit of hsh’frux pussy in front of the love tunnel from one of his girls. Now, I don’t see any other hsh’frux girls here, so he must be talking about you.”
“You’re mistaken,” the girl insisted, backing away, an uneasy look on her face. “R’xs knows I only offer exotic blood.” She extended her arm and pulled back the sleeve of her ratty, bright green fur coat. “If you want some blood, I’m your girl. But I can’t do anything else for you—I only sell blood and only from the wrist—not the neck or the thigh or anywhere else.”
“That’s not true!” The Naggian man was getting angry now. He came at her and grabbed her extended wrist—which was covered in old bite marks and bruises, I now saw. “You’re a Blood Whore, so act like one!” he shouted in her face. “I want the hsh’frux pussy I was promised!”
She was in trouble—I had to do something, but I wasn’t sure what to do! I ran forward anyway, coming to a stop beside the startled girl and the would-be customer.
“Oh my God, girl—I haven’t seen you in so long!” I exclaimed, putting an arm around her. “What are you doing here? We need to catch up!”
“I…uh…” The girl looked at me uncertainly.
“Can you let my friend go, please?” I asked the Naggian man politely. “We haven’t seen each other in ages and I have so much to tell her.”
But the Naggian man refused to let go of her wrist. He looked down at me, an angry frown twisting his pale face.
“I don’t know who you are, hsh’frux, but I’m a paying customer so get the hell out of my way,” he growled.
“Well, I’m a friend of Baron Vik’tor,” I snapped, glaring up at him. “So you’d better let her go—now!”
“You’re lying,” the Naggian man said, but I thought I saw some doubt on his face.
I reached in my pocket and pulled out the Baron’s sigil. The wire felt cool against my fingers but the end of it was still emitting bright red sparks like a sparkler on the fourth of July.
“Would I have this if I didn’t also have the Baron’s favor and protection?” I demanded. “You’d better leave my friend alone now or you’re going to wind up sleeping with the fishes tonight!”
I was betting on my hunch that Baron Vik’tor was more like a Mafia Don than a business man and, to my relief, I seemed to be right.
The man who had been harassing the girl dropped her arm abruptly and backed away.
“I don’t want any trouble,” he muttered, holding his hands up in front of him. “Please—don’t tell the Baron!”
“I’ll tell him everything…unless you swear to never bother my friend again!” I snapped. “And spread the word—nobody else better bother her either!”
But to my surprise, the girl shook her head.
“No—don’t tell him that,” she exclaimed in a low voice. “If you scare away all my customers, I won’t be able to make a living! I’ll starve.”
“Okay, uh…spread the word that she’s only selling blood, not her, um, booty,” I called at the man, but he had already turned and was walking swiftly in the other direction with his shoulders hunched up around his ears.