Project Servile : Defect [Book #1] ✔ Complete!

➽ O n e : Auction

"Don't tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass."
- Anton Chekhov

I am Servile. That is who I am. That is my job, life, and identity. I was born into it. I will one day serve the Master who bids highest.

The mantra of thoughts cycled in my mind as I huddled on a thin mattress with five other women as roommates. A deep voice interrupted the silence and echoed around the tiny stone walled room. "Happy Birthday Two Eighty-One, tomorrow will start your life."

The man charged into the room and grabbed me off of my mat. He yanked me up to his angular face. The breath of his words warmed my cheeks and assaulted my nostrils. "You should fetch a very nice price. Let's get you ready for auction."

I knew that the reaction expected of me was fear, but I'd been conditioned all my life to submit and obey. The other women had it easier in a way. Never subjugated to stay here long before they were sold off. I knew what the auction was, what would happen to me to prepare for it. What the start of my life was. I was going to be sold to the highest bidder.

Those bidding were not normal humans of course. They were all different sorts of creatures that a normal person would deem nightmares. Wickeds, Werewolves, Succubi, and the most common; Vampires. They were all real and all equally horrifying to merit the title of nightmare.

The man dragged me out of the small, dark room into a hallway that was just as absent of light. I kept my head down as he half walked and half dragged me. I had been around these hallways before, all of my life. I was born and grew up here. I knew every door in this place and what they led to. We passed by three other housing wings and took a left into a hallway I was never taken to. The Auction prep wing, where the most screaming came from. My heart skipped a beat.

I recalled past conversations with the other thralls as they discussed auction day, trying to compare the creatures who would one day be our masters until death or rejection. They all had different opinions on who would be the worst.

Two Eighty-Eight always claimed that Wickeds were, since their servants only existed to take their body parts from for their arcane curses. They never survived more than a month. I'm not afraid of death, I was conditioned to accept death as a work hazard.

Two Eighty-Four was terrified of the Werewolves; their servants were used for breeding purposes. Females became infertile during their transformation, so to carry on the blood lines they needed human mates. I'm not afraid of breeding, I've been conditioned to accept and submit to all commands of my Master.

Two Eighty-Seven wouldn't say much to anyone except during these discussions. She would take anything, but not a Succubi. Succubi used their chattel as bait, to lure their prey into a trap. The servant had to sit in the shadows and watch their Master seduce every ounce of soul until there was nothing left. I'm not afraid of seeing horrible things, I've been conditioned to all horrible situations one could imagine and others never thought of.