Total pages in book: 137
Estimated words: 130081 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 650(@200wpm)___ 520(@250wpm)___ 434(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 130081 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 650(@200wpm)___ 520(@250wpm)___ 434(@300wpm)
No, he decided, he couldn’t tell her about the other Sonya. Later, after he’d gained her trust he would be able to explain. But for now, he needed to approach this situation as though she was a whole different woman he was trying to woo—because essentially, she was.
I’ll just pretend to be a wealthy male interested in a beautiful woman, he told himself. Though of course he intended to buy her from the pleasure house as soon as possible, he wouldn’t let her know why he was buying her until much later.
The luxury hovercoach finally hummed to a stop in front of a soaring skyscraper with a golden awning over the large, double doors. The House of a Thousand Flowers! read a holo sign in glowing, florid lettering which floated above the awning.
Davrik climbed out and squared his shoulders. He had taken the time to change into his best clothing—a suit of heavy black sateen with a crisp white shirt and a deep blue Frizian silk cravat at his throat. Sonya had helped him pick it out to wear to her cousin’s wedding, what felt like a lifetime ago—she’d liked the cravat because she said it brought out his eyes. Davrik hadn’t worn it since, but he was glad he’d thought to bring it with him—it would help him play the part of a wealthy playboy interested only in pursuing pleasure.
The cred chips he had brought would also help with that illusion. They had been regular currency in his own universe, but in this one, they had turned into rare gold-edged chips that were worth ten times as much. He was grateful that Commander Sylvan had explained about the currency conversion between the two universes—apparently Commander Nox, the Dark Kindred who had first visited this reality—was the one who had discovered it.
So Davrik had a small fortune to bargain with and he was sure it would come in handy. He was willing to spend every last cent of it to get Sonya back. Or to get this version of Sonya, he reminded himself. He had to stop thinking of this as a way to get his old mate back—his Sonya was gone forever. Instead, he would be courting a new version of her, who was an entirely different person even if she looked the same as his mate. He had to remember that and be mindful of it.
The doorman, who was a short, squat Gordian dressed in golden livery, let him in at once. It was proof that his best suit and the attitude of wealth and privilege he had adopted were working, Davrik thought. He didn’t even acknowledge the male as he walked past him, keeping his chin high and a haughty look fixed on his face.
Inside, The House of a Thousand Flowers was ostentatious to say the least. The flooring was shiny black Barithian marble, polished until he could see his reflection if he looked down. Hovering over his head were expensive floating glows which hummed musically and tinkled against each other when they knocked gently together. The walls were covered in short, dense scarlet flowers which let off a subtle scent that smelled like sex and money put together, Davrik thought. At least Sonya had been taken to a nice place—he just prayed to the Goddess she hadn’t been mistreated here.
He walked briskly up to the front desk, which was made of pale blue Zrethian teakwood, and rapped his knuckles on it sharply. At once an attendant wearing the same golden livery as the doorman came out from behind the hanging curtains behind the desk and made an obsequious bow. He wasn’t from any species Davrik knew but he was short and slender and had springy green curls growing in a single line down the center of his scalp. It looked a little like the hairstyle he had heard humans call a “Mohawk.”
“Hello, my good Sir! How may I be of assistance to you, today?” the clerk asked, looking up at Davrik. “Are you interested in tasting the delicious and rare liquors of our collection or listening to the beautiful music in our lounge? Or perhaps you’d like to spend some personal one-on-one time with one of our incomparable ‘flowers.’”
He made a gesture in the air and a holo illumination suddenly appeared. It looked like a poster you might hang on a wall, except it was made of light and hovered in front of Davrik’s face. And it showed at least a thousand women.
“Here we have our Zenthian blossom—she goes by the name of Treela,” the clerk said, highlighting one of the small squares and causing it to grow large so that it took up the entire holo. It showed a slender female with green skin and three large yellow eyes. She was wearing a slinky black dress that showed the curving tops of her three breasts and her long blue hair was waved over one slim shoulder.