women obeyed. Most still clutched their bodies, even more hung their heads, but Jaeda was no longer the only one who'd given up caring. At the back of the line, someone sobbed softly. Ahead of her, another sniffled, but most of the women clung to their pride like a lifeline. It was the only thing they had left.
When they were correctly spaced - the rich man making a few corrections - he stepped away, relaxing the guards with a wave of his hands only after the entrance thundered closed. As if it had been scripted, the sound signaled another door opening at the back of the room. Through it walked perfection.
The man barely stepped into sight before the women sighed. He was the most beautiful thing Jaeda had ever seen. As if by magic - and probably because of it - heads lifted and shoulders eased. Something in the very air was different, marvelous, and tempting. The sound of his boots filled the room like the beating of their hearts, and all eyes followed, even the guards.
Like a flame calling to a moth, Jaeda felt his pull. Everything about this man had been designed - it had to have been - to seduce. Red silk hung across his chest, tucked into liquid leather pants. The shirt had no buttons. Only the cut of it held it closed at all, and sun-kissed skin gleamed beneath, begging to be touched. Hard muscles cast shadows in the burning light, even through the cloth, and his thighs flexed with each step.
Someone gasped in pleasure, sounding like a hormone-flushed maid. Beside Jaeda, the young girl swayed forward, her lips parted by desire. The man ignored it all as he walked to the heavy golden throne and dropped his beauty into it, letting his eyes take in the view.
"Is this all of them, Treb?"
The rich man spoke up from behind Jaeda. "So far. The Captain assures me his men will find more if you need them. These were just the ones out in the open."
"Mm." The beautiful man shoved a hand across his forehead, into his hair. "And children?"
"You did say bring every captured female, my lord. You sounded rather adamant."
That made the beautiful man smile, tilting his head in acknowledgment. "Right. Sorry, Treb, I was distracted." He tossed a leg over the arm of the throne and leaned back. "If you're less than seventeen years old, go over there." A long, finely-shaped finger pointed to Jaeda's left.
One of the guards walked to the location and crooked his own finger at the girls. The first person to move was a brunette near the end of the line. Jaeda was pretty sure the woman was well over seventeen, but she wasn't about to say a thing. After her, another woman spoke to the child beside her, sending her toward the guard. Then the rest of the girls followed, forming a cluster around the Adevian. The adult women just waited. On the throne, Perfection smiled at them.
Jaeda leaned toward the kind girl beside her. "Go with them."
"I'm fine, thank you," she answered as if she was in a trance.
A soft chuckle sounded behind her. Glancing back, Jaeda saw the rich man, Treb, watching. He leaned against the wall, his arms folded over his muscular chest, looking very amused. For a split second, their eyes met. The sparkle in his dared her to complain.
Then Perfection moved. His leg slipped back to the floor, and he leaned forward, surveying the women before him. His eyes were hot and severe, weighing each of them as they hit. When he reached the third woman in line, he scratched at his jaw.
"Treb, send the grandmother to watch the children? She does nothing for me. Unless you've gained a new interest I should know about?"
"Not yet," Treb replied.
His steps were soft and, from the corner of her eye, Jaeda saw Treb gently touch the old woman's arm. Turning her slightly, it was as if some spell was broken. The matron gasped, blinking hard, then looked at their captor. Fear returned, but when Treb pointed toward the children, it faded. She didn't need a second invitation. Scampering after them, her wrinkled skin exposed for all to see, she gathered the girls around her like a mothering hen, and the guard moved them toward those massive doors. Slowly, they opened, letting the group escape to the other side.
The crash of them closing echoed throughout the room, making a few women flinch. Without a word, the beautiful