It didn’t take long for Starlex to realize she had been sold to a brothel. She knew those places existed near Oran’s harbors, but she had never gotten close enough to smell the cheap perfume. But here, it permeated the air with thick, pungent clouds that did little to mask the other bodily smells that turned Starlex’s stomach. The brothel was filthy.

  On her first day in her new captivity, she was acclimated to her new role by being forced to bathe in the slimy, green pool. Then the older woman, whom Starlex had learned was Wallana, the younger one Jem, tossed Starlex a sheer gown of garish purple, the fabric cheap and scratchy. After Starlex pulled the gown over her head to cover her nakedness, Jem combed Starlex’s long, white-blond hair, wove it into two tight braids, and then used a bit of rouge from a tiny jade pot to color Starlex’s lips and cheeks.

  “Jem, please listen,” Starlex said, resting a hand on the young woman’s arm. “I am an Illymium princess from Ardelym. I come from a family of great wealth and esteem. I…”

  The young woman’s dark eyes narrowed. Of course, Jem didn’t understand. She brushed Starlex’s hand away and left the dreary room.

  Starlex’s heart sank as she confronted her fate. She cupped her growing belly beneath the gown’s scratchy fabric and felt her baby stir as if her child understood the danger.

  Through the window located high on the wall in her cell, she watched the sun’s progress across the sky, racking her brain for some way to escape. She couldn’t bear the thought of having a strange man using her to sate his lust, perhaps harm her child. And what would happen to her when her pregnancy was discovered? Like the brothels in Oran, she had also heard about places women could go to resolve unwanted pregnancies. Sometimes the mistresses of powerful men were forced to abort their children, and the women often didn’t survive. The thought of losing her last possible connection to Bonn was unspeakable.

  “No!” she thought, pacing her tiny cell. There has to be a way out.

  As if reading her mind, the bald whoremonger called Krego kicked open her door. He smiled at her lasciviously, eyeing her up and down. She backed up to escape his foul odor and horrible looks, but he stomped quickly toward her and roughly grabbed her by the arm. Knowing it would be futile, Starlex did not resist. She would have to use cunning to escape this situation, not might.

  Krego led her from the cell through the silk-draped corridor to a large room with walls painted with fading murals of debauchery. Fading sunlight streamed in through ceiling skylights. The smoking censers in each corner did little to mask the foul odor. Five women were seated on worn tapestried floor pillows, including Jem, ranging in ages from nearly a child to one older woman with hennaed hair making a bright cloud around a round face marred by heavy jowls and garish make-up. Her tired eyes scanned Starlex and then she laughed with a huff.

  So this is the routine, thought Starlex. We all sit on these woven pillows and wait for the men to come and choose…

  Fear gripped her as Krego plopped her down on a tapestried cushion next to Jem.

  Jem, whom Starlex guessed was supposed to be her guide, stroked Starlex arm as if to calm her.

  Krego left, and the women erupted in animated conversation. Starlex did not understand their words, but she could tell from their lingering, suspicious gazes that they were talking about her. The women exploded with derisive laughter when Jem lifted Starlex’s braid to reveal her pointed ears.

  Starlex bristled at their ridicule but kept calm, praying her so-called “deformities” would keep any customers away.

  The older woman with the bright red hair, perhaps feeling pity for Starlex, offered her a cup of wine. Starlex thanked her in the Ardelymian common tongue, for she knew no other. The wine tasted bitter, but she drank it down slowly. When the light within the chamber dimmed, Jem and one of the younger girls stood and began lighting candles. Starlex knew the men would be coming soon. She fought against a wave of nausea brought on by the wine and her frazzled nerves. There had to be some way out.

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  Think! she commanded her muddled brain. Use your Illymium powers the way Flenn had always advised you.

  She would give anything for the wise sage’s instruction now, but Flenn Illymium was far away, a star with the Oran galaxy that could not be observed through the small window pointed at an indifferent sky.

  Jem walked by her to offer her more wine. Starlex declined but made a gesture toward her belly. Jem chuckled as if she understood and pointed toward a bright lavender curtain. Starlex expected to find a coarse privy pot behind it, but she was surprised to discover a narrow hallway. Quietly, she padded away from the women’s low chatter. She recognized with a growing horror the small rooms, three on each side, curtained off with low cushions on the floor, where the women would serve their customers.

  Her ears pricked up at the sounds coming from the chamber. She heard a man’s gruff voice. The customers were arriving. She would have to act quickly. She found the privy at the end of the hall and went inside. The door closed but didn’t lock. She picked up the one flickering candle and looked around. There were nothing but four filthy walls and a terrible stench that forced her out. With no route for escape, she dragged herself back to the chamber to greet her grim fate.

  A man in leather brushed past her, dragging the youngest girl behind him. They disappeared behind a curtain. Starlex heard the man’s belt drop to the floor, followed by the girl’s muffled groans. She moved away quickly, not wanting to listen to anymore. When she returned to the chamber, she saw two more men lounging on pillows on either side of Jem. Jem’s gown was loosened front so that her small were exposed as she leaned over to pour wine for them. One man reached out with dirty fingers to fondle them.

  Starlex winced. She tried to hide behind a column, but Krego spotted her and grabbed her arm. He showed her to the men proudly, leading her a wide circle. While Krego babbled, all the time holding Starlex’s forearm in a punishing grip, the men looked Starlex up and down with mounting confusion until both of them shook their heads in disgust and turned their attention back to Jem.

  Krego shoved Starlex away, and she sank with relief onto a pillow. Men came and went throughout the night. Starlex endured their crude gazes running up and down her body like she was a piece of meat hanging in the market, but none chose her.

  The brothel stayed open until the first light of dawn pressed through the skylights. By then, the women were exhausted, especially the flame-hair woman, whom Starlex overheard was called Charlet. She lay back on the cushion, snoring loudly, her painted face melted to a garish mask. Starlex noticed how the youngest girl gripped her knees tightly to her chest. Her light hair hung limply over her face, and her dull blue eyes stared at the wall. Starlex wondered sadly if this was her first night. She counted herself lucky to be so hideous that no man had desired her.

  Krego came in at dawn and loudly woke them by banging a wine goblet against the door frame. The women gathered their disheveled and soiled gowns around them, climbed unsteadily to their feet, and filed past Krego, producing any tip they had received into his open palm.

  Starlex was last in line, and when she tried to move past him quickly, he shoved her back in the chamber and kicked the door closed.

  Starlex stepped back in horror as Krego removed his belt.

  He means to make me his whore.

  Her eyes cast desperately around the room. She picked up a discarded wine goblet. It felt heavy in her hand. Her attempt to defend herself appeared only to enflame the whoremonger’s lust. He moved toward her, and the goblet released from her grip as if her thoughts alone gave it trajectory and aim.

  It struck Krego square in his forehead, and he tripped over his britches pooling around his ankles. He fell forward with a groan, hitting his forehead on the floor with a heavy thud. Starlex bent over Krego and retrieved the ring of keys from his belt with trembling fingers. Krego’s eyes rolled as he regained consciousness. He made a weak grab for her as she bolted toward the door.

  Desperately following splashes of early sunlight spilling through ceiling windows, Starlex ran through the maze of fluttering silks until she reached a solid wood door. The keys clanged from her unsteady hand to the floor. She picked them up and tried one large key in the lock. It fit, but wouldn’t turn. She heard shouts followed by approaching footsteps as she tried the last key. It slid easily into the lock, and the metal latch turned.

  Starlex flung open the door and fled into the morning sunlight.