Chapter 4: The Deal

Casey’s eyes stung from being in the dark for so long, but she never let her eyes drift from the focus of her confusion. Lavinia, the strange girl Casey had matched with, stood, hand over mouth, at…whatever this was that Casey found herself in.

She had been trying to reason out what this was for days but every time they spoke or made too much noise, someone would hit them. Not just her, but all of the people in the line.

They had been kept in a back room for days, or perhaps weeks, Casey couldn’t tell, before finally being hooded and led here.

Casey opened her mouth to speak but the merchant spoke first.

“I thought I told you no talkin!” The merchant raised a hand to hit her and Casey prepared for the strike to land, bracing herself and shutting her eyes.

“No.” Lavinia didn’t speak quickly. It didn’t sound like a plea. It sounded like a demand. Casey opened her eyes and looked at her.

She was standing, straight-backed. She wore a face shrouded in confidence.

The merchant hesitated and turned to Lavinia. “I take it y’all are acquainted?” He looked from Lavinia to Casey. He was visibly beginning to sweat, Casey saw.

Why? She looked at Lavinia.

Who is she? Why does he seem nervous around her?

“No,” Lavinia’s words stung a little. “But I want that one.”

Casey looked at the merchant, who lowered his hand slowly. He was studying Lavinia. He cleared his throat.

“Well, this’n is a fine specimen, miss.” He gripped Casey’s chin.

“It’s ‘my lady’ actually,” Lavinia cut him off, sighing.

Casey could only see a portion of the man’s face, but she could see his brow glistening.

“Beggin yer pardon, my lady.” He nodded. “I’d be willin to sell ‘er fer…” he looked at Casey, who hadn’t moved from his grip, “three mi-”

“Done.” Lavinia didn’t let him finish. Casey was incredibly confused. Was she being auctioned to a woman she hadn’t even known three…yes, three weeks ago?

The merchant’s smile was slimy, from what Casey could see. “Well…” he drew it out, “how will you be payin'?”

Casey watched Lavinia rummage in her pocket, draw her phone out, and peck the screen with one finger. Even in her captive state, Casey had to wonder, who taught her how to use a phone? She used it like Casey’s mother.

Lavinia turned the phone toward the man. “Put in whatever you need. It’s a bank transfer.”

The man crossed the room at incredible speed, leaving Casey. He tapped something into the phone and then handed it back to Lavinia, who looked at it and hummed.

She then looked up at Casey. “Come along, Casey, we’re leaving.” She turned and began walking toward the door.

Casey scrambled to gather the black robe up a bit so she could catch up with the taller woman. As she passed the man, he winked at her and smiled.

A shiver laced with fear ran down her spine. She didn’t catch up with Lavinia until she reached the doorway that the woman had passed through and found her waiting. Her coat was off.

“Lavinia,” Casey took in the sights around her, as if for the first time. Most of it was new to her. “What’s going on? Where are we?” Lavinia draped her coat over Casey’s shoulders.

“Let’s go to my car. We can talk there.” Lavinia straightened and began guiding Casey into the throng of people. Lavinia never took her hand from Casey’s shoulder.

Everything they passed was so odd. The entire place was odd. It was underground and there were tons of people.

Casey felt sore, her nose hurt, and her eye throbbed. They had only given her strips of cloth to wrap her feet and act as shoes. And Lavinia was here.

Why was she here? That thought kept cutting through the fear and pain she felt.

Eventually, after Lavinia ushered her through winding and confusing passages and up a flight of stairs, did they reach a sort of parking garage attached to a building.

Lavinia guided her to a black four-door car, Casey was terrible with car names and opened the door to the passenger seat.

Casey scrambled in, wanting to be off her feet and wanting to get far away from everything that had happened in the days or weeks she had been down there. Lavinia got into the driver's seat and, starting the engine, began driving.

To where Casey had no knowledge.

Casey was quiet for a time, letting the heat from the car warm her before she spoke. “Is…Is now a good time? To talk, I mean.”

Lavinia glanced at her. “I suppose.” She did not offer any further conversation.

Casey took a chance and began speaking. “What was all that?”

“The Night Market.” Lavinia kept tapping the steering wheel.

Is she nervous?

“You say that like I’m supposed to understand.” Casey was beginning to feel frustrated.

“It’s a…market. For things.” She glanced at Casey and tapped a little faster on the steering wheel. “Things that you can’t find anywhere else. Spells, ancient books, and strange items. Valuable items. Illicit items.”

Casey nodded, taking the information in. Was Lavinia crazy? Magic items? Was this some sort of cult thing? She decided to play along.

“And what were you buying there?” Casey asked hesitantly. It was slowly dawning on her that Lavinia had been at this place where people were sold and now Casey was in Lavinia’s car and at her mercy.

The finger tapping on the wheel stopped abruptly at Casey’s question. There was silence where neither of them spoke. Finally, Lavinia sighed through her nose. “I was buying a servant.”

A servant? Is that what I’m going to be?

“Like a slave?” Casey watched Lavinia, lit by street lamps as they passed beneath them, look at her. Not glance at her. Look at her. Before returning to looking at the road.

“No…not exactly, at least,” Lavinia spoke in almost a whisper.

Fear was spreading through Casey, cold and vile. “Am…I your servant?”

Lavinia shifted in her seat. “Yes.”

Casey looked down at her lap, she could feel tears beginning to well inside of her. “Lavinia, this isn’t funny,” she almost whispered it. “Please, take me home.”

Lavinia, for her part, sounded shaky when she spoke. “I spent a lot of money on you. I can’t do that.”

Casey began to feel tears slide down her face. Silence permeated the car. Casey shuddered. Lavinia tapped the steering wheel.

“What about working it off?” Lavinia asked. Casey looked up at her.

“Work it off?” she sniffed.

“What if you were my servant, and when your debt is clear, you’re free to go?” she looked at Casey before looking back at the road. “I could even pay for your education if you wanted.”

“I’d work for you and you’d pay for my college?” Casey looked off into space, thinking.

Lavinia merely nodded, confirming that she would. “I’d be paying you, and most of my servants had strange benefits in the past. So I suppose I could pay for your school.”

She paused. “You wouldn’t have to work for pennies at a grocery store.” She glanced at Casey. “I don’t want you to think I’m keeping you hostage.”

“You literally just bought me.” Casey shot a glare at Lavinia. It wasn’t a bad deal. Work for this woman and she’d get college? It wasn’t bad at all.

“I’d live with you, serve you, and be fed?”

“Yes.”

“Would I get days off? Vacation? Healthcare?” Casey rattled off.

“We can work all that out.” Lavinia patted the air.

Casey thought for close to a minute.

“I could do that.” She wiped the tears that were still crawling down her face and clouded her eyes. A thought struck her. “Is this a sex thing?”

“Absolutely not,” Lavinia said quickly. “I’m not a…well, I’m not that kind of monster.”

Casey furrowed her brow. “But there’s a catch.”

Lavinia was silent and didn’t answer.

The fear was back but with it came frustration. Lavinia owned her, even though she said she didn’t. It was barbaric and it was monstrous. What more could she want?

“What’s the catch?” Casey almost whispered.

Lavinia sighed but when she spoke there was no hesitation. “You will have to let me drink your blood. In addition to your other duties.”

Casey laughed weakly. When Lavinia didn’t, Casey realized how serious she was. “Why? Are you like a vampire or is this some psychopath thing?”

Lavinia opened her mouth wide while driving, and for the first time, Casey could see fangs.