Free Aveline by Lizzy Ford

your place among the
slaves.”
    “What?” she asked, shifting her attention
back to him. “Slaves are slaves, aren’t they?”
    “There’s a hierarchy. You must adapt to our
way of life quickly.” He looked around then pulled out an elegantly
wrapped bundle from the depths of his cloak. “My master bade me
give you this along with a warning. You must only act in defense,
and only use what force is necessary.”
    “I can do that.” Aveline accepted the long
bundle wrapped in soft, high quality leather. It was heavy and tied
closed by a matching piece of leather. Sensing he did not want
anyone else seeing it, she tucked it into her waistband.
    “The slave quarters are below the main
floor. The stairs are in each corner.” George indicated the
stairwell beside the doors in front of which they stood. “The
kitchens and offices belonging to other members of the staff are
also in the basement. This is the slaves’ lift. Do not use the
other lifts or entrances not marked for slaves.”
    As the said the words, the door before
opened to reveal a small compartment lit by a light bulb.
    Aveline frowned, not understanding the
importance of the space. George stepped into it, and she followed.
Before she could ask what they were doing, the box lurched and then
began to climb swiftly.
    Her breath caught and her stomach dropped as
she realized they were being carried upwards, towards the top of
the pyramid. Her attention went from admiring the fist-sized bulb
that managed to light up every corner of the lift to the scene
below them. She leaned against the front of the wooden box and
stared down at the village at the center of the structure. It was
filled with people, and the murmur of their talking echoed off the
walls of the pyramid.
    When the lift stopped, the people below were
the size of insects.
    “This way.” George said from behind her.
    She turned and trailed him past four Shield
members and into a hallway whose floors and walls were made of
polished marble. The ceilings soared, and stately paintings in
heavy frames lined the walls, some taller than her. Glittering
crystal chandeliers blazing with brilliant, white light hung from
the ceilings.
    The hallway opened up into an elegant,
circular shaped gathering area with antique furniture, sculptures,
more paintings and even larger chandeliers. George led her around
the area to another hallway and then onward to a dining chamber
featuring a table at least forty feet long. Aveline’s eyes fell to
the silver cutlery and delicate, porcelain place settings, and she
automatically calculated how much she could sell just one for, if
she managed to steal it without being caught.
    Every room he led her into was more opulent
than the last, until she was certain she was walking into a dream.
They passed only one other slave wearing a green sash and none of
the apartment’s residents.
    After seeing more spectacular chambers,
their path dead ended in a cul de sac flanked by four gilded doors.
George paused before the one on their right and turned to face
her.
    “You must not, under any circumstances,
allow anyone to know why you are here, or that someone hired you
for a position other than as a slave.” His features were unusually
grim. “Especially not her.” He lifted his chin towards the door
before him. “She will monitor your activities closely, and you must
convince her you are nothing other than a dumb, mute slave. Can you
do that?”
    “Yes,” Aveline said readily. Role playing
was yet another skill children living in the streets mastered at a
young age in order to manipulate passersby into giving them money.
“Did you say mute?”
    “Mute.”
    She sighed and nodded.
    “Finally, do not lift your eyes from the
floor.”
    George opened the door and entered an
antechamber with a gilded fireplace, more chandeliers and statues.
He went to the door on the right and tapped on it.
    It was opened seconds later by a female
slave, who bowed her head and stepped aside. The