Total pages in book: 103
Estimated words: 99201 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 496(@200wpm)___ 397(@250wpm)___ 331(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 99201 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 496(@200wpm)___ 397(@250wpm)___ 331(@300wpm)
Which she is, I guess.
“I think there’s a clasp somewhere on my back. The dip near my waist, maybe? I can’t feel it, but it must be there somewhere.”
“What?” I ask.
She opens her eyes and looks at me. Then swirls her fingers around her body. “For the dress thing?”
“Oh, the chains. Get up. I’ll look.”
She gets up and turns around.
Ah, fuck. I let out a sigh.
“What? What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” She’s right about the clasp. But it’s in the middle of her back, not the small of it. I walk over to her and reach for the clasp that holds the chains together. Except it’s not a clasp. It’s a lock.
Callistina peeks over her shoulder. “I can’t see it.” Then she reaches around, fingertips trying to touch it. “How am I supposed to take it off if I can’t reach it or see it? Did you put this on me?”
She’s teasing. I mean, maybe I did, but it wasn’t me. It was whoever inhabits this body I’m currently wearing.
I blow out a long breath, weighing my options. Because the memory, and the name of this device, suddenly comes back to me.
“OK, that’s a weird sigh. What is going on, Eros?”
“It’s just… it’s… it’s not a dress or a piece of jewelry, Callistina.”
“What do you mean?” She turns all the way around to face me now. “What is it, then?”
“It’s a collar. A livery collar. Except it’s not to denote… membership in an order. It’s a slave collar. A very nice one, for sure. But that’s not a clasp behind your back, my queen. It’s a lock.”
Her eyes fly up to meet mine, her mouth open, aghast. “What?”
“You’re a slave. To whoever this guy is.” I point to myself. “But if it makes you feel any better, he must like you. Her. You know what I mean. Because this livery is”—I nod and look it over, seeing it in a new light—“very grand.”
Callistina lets out a breath and blinks. “I’m a slave?”
“Not you. Her.” I point to her body.
“But I’m her!”
“It’s only temporary. Until we find the next set of doors. Just… think about how beautiful it is.”
“Whatever. Why am I even surprised?” She looks at me when she asks this question, but I know she isn’t actually looking for an answer even before she continues to speak. “I mean, this is the story of my life, right?”
“I dunno. You were a queen for a pretty long time. You don’t have much to complain about, Callistina.”
She scoffs. “And you were a god once upon a time, so why are you bitter? You don’t have anything to complain about, Eros.” Her voice and tone are mocking me when that last part comes out.
“Whatever. Are you ready? I’m anxious to see where this road ends.”
She doesn’t say anything. And when I offer her a leg up, she shakes her head, lifting her little pawed foot up until she catches the stirrup, then swinging her body up and leg over.
She scoots back, giving me room, and I do the same. A moment later, we’re traveling again. But today feels different than yesterday. More somber. Less exciting. And the morning passes slowly.
It’s not until the sun is high above us that we get a glimpse of a new road ahead. And people.
“Look!” Callistina, who has not said a single word since we left until now, points her finger at the new road.
“I see it.”
“It looks kind of busy. It must go somewhere.”
“Let’s hope.”
It takes all afternoon to travel the distance on the switchbacks and arrive at the end where it merges with the new road. There are a lot of people. Mostly walking, but some have wagons. And this is when I finally understand when we are.
Because the wagons are being pulled by chimera.
“Ho-lee Mother,” Callistina says. “What in the name of the gods is going on here?”
“We are not in Vinca.”
“No shit, we’re not. I mean, I would not say Vinca treats their chimera with respect, per se. But we don’t harness them to wagons and treat them like beasts.”
Ire gives off a long snort. Like he’s got an opinion about this, just not a way to express it.
I turn him into the flow of people and carts. Not all of them are being pulled by chimera. Most of them are being pulled by the people who own the carts, actually. Peasants. The carts are full, too. Like they are heading into a town to sell their wares.
About ten minutes into the new leg of our journey, Callistina leans into my neck and whispers, “I’m the only chimera who is not walking.”
“I’ve noticed.”
“And they’re all naked.”
“Yes. I can see that.”
“They’re looking at me funny, Eros.”
“No, they’re not.”
“Yes. They are. Even the chimera are looking at me funny. But the owners, they… might want to hurt me.”
“They’re not going to hurt you.”