and she held her breath, hoping that his gluttony might work in her favor but he slowly shook his head.
“A shame to waste them, but I must remember my overall goal. Come along, girl.”
“Your goal, Master?” she asked, reluctantly following him along the corridor in the direction of the mines. When he glared at her and raised his fist, she hurried on. “I mean, is there anything I can do to help?”
He slapped her anyway but it was only a casual gesture, meant to reprimand rather than punish.
“Just hope that your limited attractions are enough to convince my visitor to invest.” He shrugged. “If he does, I’ll recommend you as a cook to my replacement. If he doesn’t, you can stay down here until I send for you. A few weeks servicing the miners should make you more appreciative of the generosity I have shown you.”
He stepped into the lift, tugging her impatiently after him when she froze in horror. She could no longer hide her trembling as she realized that he was taking her to join the other female slaves.
The temperature increased the further they descended, but it was nothing compared to the wave of heat that greeted her when the doors opened. She knew the mines were beneath the heated side of the transition zone, but she hadn’t realized how greatly the temperature differed. The cold dampness of her small bedroom suddenly seemed a lot more appealing.
A guard greeted Ukhaan as they emerged, eyeing her curiously. “Greetings, Overseer Ukhaan. I didn’t realize we had received a new shipment of females.”
“We haven’t. She is my cook, but I have a special assignment for her today. Is the first cell available?”
“Yes, sir. I would be happy to install her there and show her what is expected.”
The guard leered at her, and she shuddered, grateful once again for Ukhaan’s lack of interest.
“You will do nothing of the kind,” Ukhaan said forbiddingly. “I have plans for the slave, and I require her to be untouched. For now.”
The guard bowed his head in acknowledgment, and Ukhaan turned back to Joan. “Note that my forbearance only continues if you are successful in convincing Varga to invest.” He shrugged. “Otherwise, I will have no hesitation about letting Piaam—or any of the other guards—use you as they will.”
She did her best not to show her horror, but from the satisfied smirk that crossed Ukhaan’s face, she didn’t think she was entirely successful.
“I see you understand.” Without waiting for a response, he turned back to the guard. “Take us to the cell.”
As the two males started down the corridor, she snuck a quick look back over her shoulder. Could she make it back to the lift and up to the surface? But even if she did, what then? She had no weapons and barely any clothing, but more importantly, she had no way of finding Varga. No matter what he had promised her, this new twist would put a kink in his plans.
And the thought of Ukhaan using her against him made her stomach roil. She suspected he wouldn’t hesitate to agree to Ukhaan’s plans in order to protect her. What were they going to do?
The sharp crack of an electric whip barely missing her hip made her flinch and forced her attention back to Ukhaan and Piaam. Piaam raised the whip again, but Ukhaan shook his head.
“I don’t believe that will be necessary. Will it, girl?”
“No, sir. I’m sorry, sir.” She hurried towards him. “I was just thinking about those lorca steaks. I had planned to serve them with creamed grains for lunch today.”
It was one of his favorite meals and he licked his lips, one hand rubbing his huge paunch thoughtfully. “Perhaps there’s time—, no I must consider the long game. If everything goes well, you will be back in time to prepare them. If not…” He gave a cruel laugh. “I’m sure you will be even more anxious to please me once I release you.”
She forced herself to nod submissively and hurry after them. How ironic that her miserable life as his cook now seemed almost idyllic in comparison to her present circumstances. And the thought of a future with Varga seemed like an impossible dream.
“This one’s empty,” Piaam said, breaking her out of her abstraction.
She followed his gaze to the waiting cell. It contained nothing but a large metal bed clamped to the floor and topped with a thin plastic mattress. An open doorway on one side revealed a basic bathroom. There was