Taken by Jennifer Blackstream

Author:Jennifer Blackstream [Blackstream, Jennifer]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Urban Fantasy
Amazon: B07GW7C113
Goodreads: 40055607
Publisher: Skeleton Key Publishing
Published: 2018-08-27T07:00:00+00:00

Chapter 12

“Auction off…the kids?”

I gripped the door handle, needing something to hold on to. Beside me, Andy stared up the long, winding driveway toward the main house as if he could see inside, somehow find the hostess and arrest her from here.

The muscle in Andy’s jaw tightened until I feared it would snap. “They can’t do that. You can’t sell human beings.”

Morgan blinked at him, then grazed a long, sharp fingernail over her lip. I swallowed hard and squeezed Andy’s shoulder.

“Different culture,” I managed. “Different laws.”

“Different culture?” Andy echoed. He dropped his hand toward his belt, then forced it down to his thigh, away from his weapon. “They’re on American soil. They have to obey American laws.”

Panic surged inside me, exploding out of my mouth in a nervous laugh. “Let’s not argue about laws, soil, and who owns what land. All that matters is reaching those kids.”

Kids. There were two from last year, three from this year… My stomach rolled, and I composed my face to hide the fear bubbling in my thoughts. “Morgan, how many years has this…auction taken place?”

The dark-eyed fey kept her attention on Andy, her black gaze glittering with too much interest for my comfort. “This is only the second year.”

My shoulders fell with relief. “Good. All right, good. And the children from last year’s auction? Are they here?”

“One boy’s master resold him yesterday. The girl will present pieces for sale at the private auction on the final day.”

“Resold?” Andy demanded.

“Please explain.” I kept my tone polite, despite my rising panic. This had been bad enough when I’d thought we were dealing with the sidhe. But red caps and centaurs? Well, the possible range of festivities going on inside had grown considerably darker.

Morgan folded her hands in front of her and lifted her chin. “As I said, I disagree with what’s going on. I’ll have no part of buying those children. But like it or not, it is a social event, and as the leader of my house, I’m expected to attend.”

“Duly noted,” I said.

“Oisean collects the artists, choosing three children who show the most promise. He presents them with a contract and explains the terms. If they sign, they agree to join our society and abide by our laws. They are no longer a part of human society—they belong to the sidhe.”

Andy opened his mouth, then closed it and pressed his lips together. I said a small prayer of thanks for his self-control and hoped it would hold out.

“Once everything is legal, Oisean escorts the children to special quarters, where they’re provided supplies for creating more art. Any pieces they create then, or those they brought with them from their old life, are displayed in a gallery on the second day for auction attendees to view. The main auction takes place after sunset on the second day, and the attendees bid on the artists based on the pieces they’ve displayed. If they win, they own the artist for a year.”

“You said the second day. How many days are there?” I asked.

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