flop somewhere and not move for a few months. A few months might help.
My ribs throbbed, and my every breath stabbed through my chest.
Two younger men dressed in suits waited with an older woman in a doctor’s coat, who clucked her tongue the instant she spotted me. “Typical. Next time, leave a wheelchair in the upstairs office when we know we’ve got a hurt one coming in. The poor thing looks ready to fall over.” She snapped her fingers, which the men took as a demand to go fetch; they scattered as though she’d lit their asses on fire—or doused them with poison.
Toxin witches scared sensible people. Toxin witches often became doctors or nurses once exposed, as their powers made dealing with infections easier and safer.
It also made them less likely to be targeted and more likely to be respected.
I wanted to test her to see what she was, but I maintained control over the urge.
If I tried to wake my witchcraft, I’d probably get a good look at my condition, which likely involved an infection or three. Once I locked onto an infection, I automatically began purging it, which would leave me in a world of suffering and expose my best-kept secret.
No, it was better for me to sit tight, wait, and play nice with the potential toxin witch who might be able to catch me in the act.
Anna stepped out into the hallway, and I joined her, wondering how far I would have made it if I’d opted to test the auctioneers rather than play their game. In my current condition, I estimated they’d catch me before I made it back into the elevator.
“How was she on the train, Miss Greene?”
“She became ill crossing the boundary, but she was otherwise fine. When she did wake up, she did so without complication, and she has been alert for two hours. She is in pain, but she’s alert.”
The two men returned, and one pushed a wheelchair, a much nicer one compared to what the hospital in Asylum had loaned me. As complaining, arguing, or protesting wouldn’t do any good, I sat.
Sitting helped. Sitting changed the pressure against my ribs, but the duller ache beat the more persistent stab. Sitting up straight and keeping my breathing shallow worked the best.
If I had the opportunity, I wanted to pop the bastard who’d shot me in the nose before stabbing him in the right arm before tearing a hole through his left side to see how he liked it.
“Handle her payment and accommodations. I will attend to Miss Tamrin, decide what treatments should be administered, and determine when she will become available.”
I could only assume the woman meant available to be auctioned off. Anna went with the two men, and I regarded the doctor with open suspicion, keeping a firm grip on Peace.
“Do you know how to use that or is it a family heirloom?”
“I was learning how to use it, and it’s not an heirloom, but I will do my best to sever the spine of anyone who tries to take Peace from me.”
I hoped the weapon appreciated my protectiveness, but unless I returned to the Alley, her opinion on the matter would forever remain a mystery unless she decided to get rid of me.
She might.
I’d seen enough of her past to realize that.
“The sword’s name is Peace?”
“Yes.”
“Interesting.”
I remembered not to shrug. “I just want to make it clear I’m not here because I want to be here. I realize I don’t get jack shit to say about becoming a slave, so stop trying to be friendly and nice. You’re in league with slavers, and that, by definition, makes you neither friendly nor nice. I’d rather you be honest.”
The woman blinked. “Well, that was rather direct.”
“If you were friendly or nice, you’d put me down and call it an accident during treatments, but that’s not how this is going to work out, is it?”
“No, it’s not.”
“I’m glad we’re on the same page, then. I’m not stupid, and I’m sure you’re not, either. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be a doctor. I’m much more likely to cooperate with you if you just give it to me straight without trying to sugarcoat my enslavement. Because that’s what this is. Enslavement for breeding purposes.”
“That is essentially what it is, yes,” she conceded.
“What’s in it for me?”
“Miss Greene didn’t give you a full disclosure?”
“Can Anna give me full disclosure?”
The woman smiled, but her eyes remained cold and calculating. “No, she can’t. You’re clever. Good. You’ll need to be