Free Aveline by Lizzy Ford Page A

parlor beyond the
door was large. Aveline was starting to become numb to the displays
of grandeur and wealth, but this room lit a spark of anger inside
her. Cups and goblets were inlaid with gems. Silk drapes were edged
with pearls, and items made of gold and silver were everywhere.
    She had always known the outer city citizens
lived better than those of the inner city, but the divide between
those who could barely find food and this sparkling, golden, bright
world left her vowing she would steal as much as she could carry
when she left. What could anyone living in such a place ever fear
from anyone? Why had she been hired, when one gold plate would pay
for an army of guardians?
    “Forgive my intrusion.” George bowed his
head to someone.
    Aveline focused on a raven-haired woman of
exceptional beauty, dressed in silks and gems, who sat sipping tea
and nibbling a pastry from a table laden with more food than
Aveline had eaten in the past year. Different varieties of meats,
savory pies, bowls of vegetables, pastries, breads and rolls, and
other food covered every inch of a table. It was enough for several
families, but Aveline guessed it had been brought for one person
alone.
    “What is it, George?” the woman asked
crisply.
    “My master purchased a slave for his
sister.”
    The woman tensed, set her saucer down with
great control and then rose, facing them.
    Beautiful – and cold. Something about the
woman made the hair on the back of Aveline’s neck stand up. This
wealthy woman could not possibly pose any sort of danger, and yet,
Aveline’s instincts – molded by the need for self-preservation on
the streets – were never wrong.
    “This?” the brunette asked, lifting an
eyebrow in delicate offence. “This is who my stepson chose to bring
into my home? A mixed slave?”
    Mute, Aveline reminded herself. It took effort to keep her eyes on
the floor when she wanted to slap the woman.
    “Absolutely not. I will not have one of her
kind in my household!”
    Aveline sneaked a glance at George, who
appeared unruffled.
    “He did not believe you would approve of him
spending more than an ounce, and he insisted upon buying a mute,
dumb slave,” George replied calmly. “He believed this would please
you.”
    Aveline held her breath, uncertain what the
woman would say.
    George’s mistress glided towards them and
circled Aveline. Without warning, she reached out and pinched the
soft skin of Aveline’s inner arm – hard.
    Aveline remained silent despite the
pain.
    “Hmm,” the brunette murmured. “So she is
mute. But Tiana has enough slaves.”
    “My master assured me this
mixed girl is meant to become her personal slave,” George persisted in a
low, respectful voice.
    “Interesting timing, when he is not around
for several weeks,” she stated. The woman shifted her cold, intent
gaze to George, and she scrutinized his features long enough for
the tension to become uncomfortable. To his credit, George did not
so much as blink beneath her glare.
    Aveline waited, uncertain what exactly was
causing the dissent between the two. That this Tiana did not need
another slave? The new slave being mixed?
    The identity and importance of this family
was beyond Aveline’s experience to judge. She had been too enamored
by the sensation of flying from the bottom of the pyramid towards
the top to notice on what floor they stopped, except that it had to
be near the top, which meant these people were among the most
powerful and richest in the city.
    She was learning hints about the masked man
who tracked her. But a man who lived in this golden world was not
likely to ever visit the inner city. Had he sent someone to do his
bidding?
    Did it matter? A wealthy brother had hired
her to guard his wealthy sister. Aveline was starting to unravel
the mystery behind her assignment – and becoming more baffled in
the process.
    “My master believed this slave would ease
your burden,” George added when the woman did not speak. “No woman
of