Vampire Romance: My Heart has Lost Direction

Chapter 15 -- Slaves

From the siding that wasn't covered with snow, I could see that it was blue with chipping paint that made it look a little rundown. The sidewalk was shoveled from the driveway up to the house. The porch itself was free of snow almost as if there was a barrier around the porch that kept snow out or whatever was inside melted any snow that landed on the porch. It made me think that I was heading toward an establishment owned by Amaranthine. Though, I was unsure of any Amaranthine that would have an ability like that.

Quinn parked the vehicle and paused before he opened the door. I waited a moment, wondering what his hesitation was about. Then he turned and looked at me.

"I know this will be different for you. It's probably the first time you've been around people since everything." I couldn't hide my curiosity toward his words. Did that mean there were humans working at the salon? I thought it odd that an Amaranthine would get their hair done by a human, but I knew the Slave Trades had created blinders for my eyes. Still, it was hard to think differently.

"They work under an Amaranthine, and no they are not slaves. They don't know anything of this world, and we need to keep it that way. Do you understand?"

His eyes were telling me more than just that question. I understood that I needed to use discretion, but there was a thrill that shot through me. Could I get away from him if I asked them to help me? I had a sinking suspicion that things would not turn out how I would hope they would. The fact that Quinn brought me here knowing the risks meant that he trusted me. I didn't very much care to have the trust of an Amaranthine. Still, I knew nothing of this world as far as interactions between Amaranthine and humans so until I felt the odds were in my favor, I wasn't going to bring attention to myself.

After I nodded my head and gave him my best impression of a don't-worry-smile, we headed outside the warm vehicle. I stuck behind Quinn. As we walked up the porch, it didn't creak. The wooden door with a blue welcome sign next to it made the place seem more like a house rather than a place of business. Quinn opened the door and a robotic chime announced our presence.

Stepping inside was like stepping into a kitchen where the stove had been used all day – inviting, but almost a little too stuffy. The spearmint candle burning next to the door acted as a relaxer that loosened my stiff muscles from battling the chill of the outdoors.

"Took you long enough." A voice called from near the back of the shop. What looked like a house from the outside turned into a full blown working operation on the inside. There were at least ten cubicles set up against the walls for people to get their hair done. They had hair drying and washing stations toward the back of the large open room along with a small spa set up next to a floor to ceiling window that overlooked a sea of trees outside. The floor was a light wood that gleamed with polish and the pink walls were vibrant and almost too bright for my eyes.

There was an older human woman sitting at one of the cubicles getting her short gray hair curled. Her appearance was so normal—human. She looked so forlorn there with a small newspaper in her lap, surrounded by Amaranthine. There was a tightness in my chest. She must have been naïve to the world of the Amaranthine. All of them were. It made me envious.

"I never told you a time." Quinn complained as he offered to help me out of my coat. I was more than willing to relinquish the hot material. He put it on a rack next to the door before he worked on getting his own off.

"Seven-ish means seven." Finally, the speaking woman walked out from a closed off room in the back with two females following her. Even with her short stature and scarred face, I knew she was an Amaranthine. The large gash on her face reaching from her left temple to her right clavicle did nothing to diminish her beauty. The two behind her were shades compared to her. She had small doe brown eyes and her hair was the same shade. Her confidence showed in the way her hair was cut short into a pixie cut so it didn't hide her disfigurement. As she walked toward us, her size became more apparent. At full height she came to my ribcage to where I had to look down at her. Even so, her presence made up for her height.