The Outskirts: The Sky Raiders (Jace x OC) BOOK 1

The Sky Raiders: 11

I swallowed my nervousness and tried to sound confident as I said. "Let me guess, we become slaves."
"My vote was to take away your hands and feet as an example. Slavers can't have people swiping their merchandise. Bad for business. But . . . princess . . . you caught me in a good mood. How often do that happen, fellas?" Ansel said.
All the men found somewhere else to look.
Ansel took a step closer to me. "Notice how they don't answer? Well that's your answer. But we made a final haul tonight, best we've had in a while. So I'm going to grant your wish and take you as slaves." He raised his voice to a yell.
"Sécha? Tag them! They'll walk behind the rear wagon tomorrow. No food or water. We'll let them keep their extremities, but that don't mean we got to coddle them. Shows over. Now let's get settled again. We start our march in the morning."
Ansel retreated several paces, boots shuffling on the dry earth. The women who had eaten the cockroach approached them with a lantern of her own. She held it out to me. "Your the one that swung your bag at the lantern."
I nodded. She gave me a penetrating stare. I looked away.
"Look me in the eye, young lady."
I looked back at her, feeling uncomfortable. She leaned in close. Never breaking eye contact. Her fingers contorted into weird positions. Then she examined my hands front and back.
"You have shaping ability, it's weak but there. You wont be much use to the High King."
She then moved onto Cole. Her finger contorting before she examined his hands.
"Worst of the lot," she said. "No shaping potential at all. The High King wouldn't pay a lead ringer for this one."
Ansel shook his head. "Had I known that, I would have made and example out of them."
"Still could." said Secha.
"Nah, I already passed judgement. Following the wagon will suffice." Ansel walked off.
"Be glad I'm not in charge," Secha said. "I would have fed you to Carnag."
"What's Carnag?" I asked.
The men guarding us laughed at our ignorance.
Secha frowned. "Depends on who you ask. The reports are mixed. But consensus is that Carnag is a monster like we've never seen in all of the five kingdoms. People are scared. We're not to far from Sambria, where the monster has been prowling."
"Your right," Cole said. "I'm glad your not in charge."
"Let's get this bond mark on so you can turn in." Secha said. "Hold out your hand."
I went first and extended my left hand. Secha produced a drawstring bag and dipped her middle finger, which had a longer nail than the rest of her fingers, in the bag.
"Hold still," she told me. "Help her." She ordered the men. One slaver grabbed my arm just below the elbow, the other braced himself behind me.
When her finger nail touched my wrist, it felt extremely hot and cold at the same time. I clenched my jaw and gritted my teeth to avoid crying out. I wanted to yank my hand away, but the slaver held my arm in place. Secha moved her lips as she traced a simple pattern with her fingernail. Then she backed away. The bondmark she had drawn glowed an angry red. It still felt hot and cold, though not as intense.
"Try not to touch it," Secha advised. "You'll slow down the healing."
She moved onto Cole, who cried out in pain. When she was done, the redhead marched us over to the rear of one of the cages.
"Not a sound." He threatened. "We will reorganize slaves by value in the morning. The best go up front. You'll walk behind the last wagon."
He chained us with a tight manicle on our unmarked wrists, then walked away. I didn't know any of the kids in this wagon. They were pretending to be asleep, but I saw a few peek at us.
"I suppose we should try to get some sleep." Cole said. I nodded. The got down in the ground. The earth was hard and lumpy. The chains weren't long enough to let our hands rest in the ground, so they hung a few inches up off the ground. I couldn't see Dalton or Jenna. Their wagons were covered but shadows. The night grew quiet, and I listened to the pops and crackles of the campfire as I drifted into sleep.