Mary blinked in surprise as the roof caved in. She'd smelled fire from up above, making her nervous, and then heard the distinctive sound of slaughter.

She hadn't thought much of it as she expected this. Instead of worrying, she just focused on her search. What she didn't expect, however, was for the platform used to bring merchandise to the auction's stage to be blown open. 

There was now a gaping hole from which a stream of light rushed in. 

Damien's voice could be heard. 

"Alright, hurry the fuck up!" He yelled. Then a host of men, and a couple of women, were thrown down. They were, every one, restrained by what looked to be....iron bars?...wrapped around their bodies so that only their legs were free.

 Meanwhile Damien he asked, "You sure?"

Hannah nodded, her hand toying with one of the buttons of his shirt. Her body cozied up to him. "I'm sure," She replied easily. "Our fathers told us of these exits themselves before they sent us. It's definitely down there."

Hannah felt a thrill as Damien graced her with a kiss. "Good girl. Keep it up." He then pulled away, leaving her feeling empty. 

Instead, he moved closer to a young green-haired girl and took a small kitten from her arms before climbing down the hole he'd made on the stage. Hannah walked over to the hole and watched as Damien raised his arms. 

The girl, Vera, jumped down and he caught her like it was nothing. 

"You can let me down now," She spoke sourly.

"Not on your life," He replied, putting her on his shoulder. The kitten took up his other. 

The entire exchange caused a fit of burning jealousy in Hannah's heart. But it vanished as his kiss lingered on her lips. He tasted...divine. 

For the first time in her life, Hannah salivated over a man. How can there be anyone so perfect?

He'd always been very handsome judging from the portraits she'd seen in the past, but those were still the looks of a youth. Now, however, he had the body of a man. Was he not human? Some races, she'd heard, matured faster. 

Whatever. It didn't matter. 

All she cared about what how good it felt leaning against him, how breathing in that thick, masculine scent made her womanhood cry. 

Hannah would do anything for more. To lick and suck at every inch of him. Since the moment he'd stood in front of her, it was all she could think of. 

It's what made her reveal herself to him. She told him both who she was and of the various secret exits her father had told her of. She did not tell him the exact reason she had come, or with who, but he didn't need to know and he wouldn't suspect anything strange either. She, a rather logical and calculative person by nature, merely told enough to prove her usefulness to him. 

And then, maybe....

Maybe he'd keep his word. A fuck doll, he'd said....the thought excited her. It shouldn't. She, the noble daughter of Duke Carstairs, being talked down to with such vulgarity? It was preposterous.  

And yet, he made her crave more. 

Damien didn't know what was going through her head, but he could guess from her expression. I suppose I can play with her for a while, he thought.

His gaze moved to the right where Vera had hopped off his shoulder.

Do you see this, Vee? I'm about to be stolen away.

He hid a smile. If she didn't get jealous over random women, perhaps she would over a Duke's daughter. 

As his eyes adjusted to the dark, Damien noticed Mary walking towards them. "You find it?"

She shook her head. "It's proving elusive." She turned to the moaning men and women who'd been thrown down. "You took prisoners?"

"Slaves." His mouth was set at a hard line. "I'm going to give them a taste of their own medicine. Besides, we could use some laborers to work the fields once we settle down."

Mary tilted her head a bit at that. Well, he was probably right about that? But...

Look at these people. They all wore extravagant clothes and expensive jewelry. They hadn't worked a day in their lives, she'd bet. "You think they'd be of use in that area?"

"They'll get used to it." He shrugged, causing Rex, who slept on his shoulder, to mewl in discontent. "Anyway, forget it. Should've known I wasn't that lucky."

Mary began, "If you had waited until it was brought out--"

"I'm very short on patience these days, pet." He teased, patting her head. 

Mary swatted at his arm. "I used to change your diapers and you have the nerve to treat me like this," She grumbled. " I'm not Vera."

"I'll stop if you give me a kiss." He tapped his chin. 

The woman looked at him balefully. "This is abuse of power."

"i never commanded you to, now did I?"

"No, but you know very well I can't readily beat you for the impertinence, either." 

"I give you permission to at least bad-mouth me, then."

"You're asking me to commit sacrilege." As a servant of the Okeanos family, it was unthinkable to do something such as that.

He raised a brow at that. "Vera bad-mouths me all the time, though?"

Mary didn't respond. She couldn't argue against it.

"Also, aren't you quite vicious with father?" He remembered she had flayed the man with her tongue not just once or twice. 

Mary coughed and cleared her throat, refusing to answer that one, too.

"Maybe acting mean towards their loved ones runs in your family, hm?" 

Vera snorted. "Please. Its simply that your father is not an Okeanos. As for me, I..." She turned silent. What is her excuse? 

"As for you, what?" Damien pressed on with a grin. 

"...No comment."

"You're pouting. How cute." He poked her cheek. It was soft and squishy, begging to be messed with. 

Without warning, Vera bit him. Hard.

"Shit!" Damien cursed and pulled back. As he did so, he noticed a small streak of blood. 

Vera licked her lips, her small tongue darting in and out. Mary, for her part, stared at his injured finger. 

That bright, inviting red....

Two sets of stomachs began to rumble.

Damien stared at them in amazement. "Are you two vampires or something?!"

Mary had the decency to blush and look away. Vera, however, leaned forward a bit. Damien wagged his finger at her. 

"You want?"

Gulping, the girl swallowed back a rush of saliva and tore her eyes away. "Why would I?"

Hannah saw this entire thing and couldn't help her curiosity.

Hm? Is it tasty?

A cough broke them from their thoughts. With "Ah, that's right." Damien recalled. "The fire."

"We should go." Saying so, Mary sighed. "It's regretful, but we'll have to leave the Hawthorn mask behind."

Damien didn't seem to mind overmuch. "I shouldn't be relying on outside help anyway."

"We're going to keep being bothered this way, though."

"Eh...I'll just keep to myself until I can control my abilities. We'll buy a nice plot of land somewhere quiet."

"That's what we'll have to do," Mary agreed. "Of course, had you practiced even the slightest bit of patience--"

"Fuck patience. I've never claimed to be a virtuous man." He folded her arms. "Let's just go before these guys get off easy by dying from the smoke." Damien jerked a thumb to the coughing group of scum behind him.

"And how, pray tell, do you plan to smuggle us all out of here? We're fine, but those prisoners--"

"Slaves."

"--of yours will stick out like the only dwarf in a group of elves."

Damien chuckled and waved at Hannah, who sashayed over without further prompting. Though she, also, coughed a bit on the way. 

"That, dearest Mary, is where she comes in." Damien lightly smacked the woman's plump rear, saying, "Well go on, lead the way."

"Follow me," Hannah, feeling the smoke getting to her, didn't beat around the bush.

It was starting to get very hot. 

The woman led them further back into the storage room. It was a very large area with several sections connected by a few short halls. Gradually the smell of smoke and heat lessened. Along the way, Damien noticed Mary and Vera both looking back at the flames that had jumped from the stage to the ground below. By the time they got around to leaving a new fire had spread to the storage area and it almost looked like the two walked just a bit faster.

Mary, especially, appeared a touch...disturbed? There was something about her gaze as she glanced over her shoulder at those bright, raging flames that made Damien wonder. 

After a while, "She's still staring," Vera whispered at his side. 

Peering back, Damien caught sight of the elf woman whom he'd freed. She hadn't spoken a word to him at all or even really changed her expression. It wasn't indifferent, like Vee and Mary's, nor was it cold or arrogant.

It was more...enigmatic and calm. It faintly unnerved him. Those eyes of hers burned an almost ghostly blue. With her sclera painted an unnatural and otherworldly black, she gave off a very haunting kind of beauty that only added to his unease around her. 

It wasn't fear, but a sense that something about her was just off somehow.

"Who knows what she's been through? Let her be." He told the girl. 

All of a sudden, Rex raised his head and studied the elf. It then growled low, his fine grey hair rising, before letting forth a hiss.

The elf smiled. Damien knit his brows.

Well that's creepy, he thought. 

"Hush, you." He stroked the animal's fur to calm him. It took a moment, but eventually, he laid back down. 

Not, however, before hitting him with a particularly unreadable leer. He thought that mayhaps it denoted caution. 

They turned their attention back to Hannah's back, which turned a corner, as she scanned the nearby objects in search of something. After a certain amount of time, Damien saw something at her neck flash for just a fraction of a second. Hannah slowed, hoving near an unassuming rack.

"Why did we stop?" A few of the prisoners whispered. 

"I'm...window shopping," Hannah answered absently.

"Now?!" Several choked out in disbelief. 

From one of the lower shelves, she took out a small object that shone with a flash of green before it was spirited away into the woman's purse. 

Damien wouldn't have normally cared about a bit of thievery, but in that moment he felt the silvery ring at his finger vibrate. 

Shocked, he touched it. This was the first time it had ever made any kind of reaction in all the time he'd worn it. 

He quickly sent his thoughts into it. Bea?

But nothing. The ring, which housed his ghostly lover, was silent. Having retreated into the thing shortly after his mother's torture, Bea--the one-time poltergeist that had haunted a friend's home until he'd literally fucked her back into sanity--had never responded to anything up to now.

Seeing her finally seemingly react to whatever it was Hannah had put into her bag, he had to speak up.

"What's that?" 

The woman felt his hot breath at her ear, sending delicious shivers all throughout her body.  Fighting the urge to beg the man to fuck her against the rack that very instant, she replied, "Nothing important." She spoke with a hint of a rasp, clearing her throat. "Just a..."

He brought his lips closer, brushing against the nape of her neck.

Dear Gods...

Her body turned rigid. 

Vera squinted suspiciously.  Their backs were towards the rest of them, but there was something ambiguous about their closeness and positions that she found she didn't like one bit.

"What are those two...?" She started, but her mother shushed her. 

Meanwhile, Damien was busy with his interrogation. "Tell me," He ordered softly.

Hannah couldn't help it. She caved. 

"It's what our fathers sent us here for."

"Us?"

She leaned back with a quiet moan, her body melting against him. She struggled one last time, her shapely mouth opening and closing several times in a valiant show of will that was obliterated the moment Damien's hand slid under her garments and cupped her sex.

"S-Second Prince Greycastle and Fourth Young Master Herondale," She gasped, cheeks flushed.  "And another. Micah. I d-don't know his identity."

His fingers toyed with her. Slowly, torturously. "And what is this thing they wanted you to bring back?" He ignored the eyes looking over at them curiously and circled the woman's clitoris with a thumb.

"I don't know!" Hannah cried. 

"Don't lie." He growled. "You have to know something."

"I..." She breathed hotly. "I really...!" She broke off, her body shuddering.

"Say it." 

Unbeknownst to either of them, Damien's eyes started glowing with a mesmerizing purple light. 

"It's an e...gg!" Hannah forced the words out as her insides convulsed around his fingers, the orgasm coming fast and hard. Her voice echoed out, causing all those nearby to suddenly understand what was happening just a few feet away. Damien didn't care about any of that. 

An egg? He grimaced slightly. Why would the ring react to something like that?

Hannah's legs turned to jelly and she collapsed against him. Her mind blanked momentarily, then she realized what she'd just let out and hid her face behind her hands. 

She couldn't bear the humiliation, feeling the awkward looks like hot pokers to the flesh. Even more than that, she couldn't believe she'd just slip the information her father strictly forbade her from even uttering. 

How could she have...? She'd never been so..so...weak before. And yet...

Damien pawed at her, reaching into her purse and pulling out the prized object. It was a small, crystalline thing that fit comfortably in the palm. Smooth, and a touch warm, with a shadowy figure within whose shape he couldn't identify.

Hannah didn't even notice the loss. 

As soon as he held it in his hand, the ring hummed softly and then turned silent once more. 

This thing is an egg? To what, though?

He put it away, intending to ask Mary about it later.  He then wiped his wet fingers with a handkerchief and helped Hannah to her feet, saying, "The smoke is here again." He prodded. 

She looked away. "I-I can't stand." 

He chuckled. "Of course." And lifted her into his arms. Just like that, with her head buried in his chest to avoid the eyes of the others, she gave him directions until they reached a wall with a sigil inscribed upon it

Reaching up her hand, she pressed. The wall rumbled, then rose to reveal another, even more monolithic room.

As soon as the wall opened, a host of cries could be heard. 

Vera paused. "Is that...?"

"Yeah. Shit."

 Damien was looking at a goddamn zoo. Creatures of all kinds, caged and howling, bashing against their prison cells. Sensing the impending danger. 

"The fire isn't far behind," Mary reminded. "Don't you feel it getting hotter again? We don't have the time," She warned. 

Damien didn't listen. He put the woman in his arms down and drew his sword. "Hannah." 

"Yes?" She answered unhesitatingly. 

"Is the exit close?"

"...It is." She was quiet a moment. "Are you thinking of--?"

"Burning alive is a pretty fucked up way to die."

Mary was silent. 

"The hell?" Vera spoke with an edge to her voice. "What happened to, ' I'm going to burn this fucking place to the ground. Whether you're in it or not when I do so depends entirely upon your answer to my next question '? You seemed pretty okay with burnings then. " 

Damien cut a glance to the auction lady, who had a pale face as she heard those words once again, and shrugged. "She and the rest of these people are slave traders. Burning them would simply be a way of cleansing their dark, sinful souls." He explained. Then revealed the real difference. "And I like animals way more than most people."

Except insects. Fuck those guys. 

"You...!" The girl shook her head in exasperation. Then flinched as she heard a crackle. The fire was getting closer. "We don't have time to argue!" She grabbed his arm. "Come on!" She pulled at him urgently. 

He refused to budge. "Take them," He focused back on Hannah. "I'll catch up soon.

"Young Master!" Vera shouted. Damien didn't even pretend to pay attention, moving towards the first cage. 

"Some of these beasts are dangerous!" Hannah spoke quickly. "They could escape the market and hurt someone innocent."

"Maybe," He struck out, his sword making fast work of the metal bars holding giant bear-like creature with a swollen belly. "I'm willing to accept the resulting guilt that might bring."

But he can't worry about every poor soul that could suffer from his action. He was no bleeding heart. He could only do what he wanted, what he felt right. Whether that led to people getting injured or dying...losing someone...

Well, he'd just have to nut up and live with it. 

"They could hurt one of us." The woman pressed, backing up as the massive bear-thing ran past her and his newfound slaved towards the back.

"A quick meal over survival? Doubt it." He was already on the third cage. "Now go!" 

Hannah cursed and moved swiftly, no longer bothering to try and persuade him.

"Young Master, the fire," Mary's voice tightened. 

"You two can get out at any time. Don't wait up for me."

The fifth cage. A wolf this time, black with patches of white. 

"There's dozens of cells!" Vera protested sharply 

"So let me concentrate!" He shot back. 

Mary watched the distant flames encroach ever closer upon them. Her chest tightened painfully. She stood there, motionless. Then, without a word, she vanished. 

Damien nodded in approval, only frowning when he saw Vera still at his side.

"You go, too." He said curtly. 

The tenth cage...twelfth...

I'm really gonna cut it close, aren't I? Ah well. A bit of burnt skin isn't anything to fuss over. 

It'll heal. Probably.

By the time Damien was on the twenty-first cell, nearly half way down and approaching the secret exit, he heard arguing. 

"You bitch, where the fuck were you?" An angry male voice growled. Looking over, he saw three men, all wearing masks, surrounding Hannah. 

One of them, a tall fellow in a tiger mask, was shouting. "Did you let these goddamn beasts out?"  He demanded. "Are you out of your ever-loving mind?" He shook his head. "Women!" He spat. "So sympathetic." He sounded absolutely disgusted.

"Doesn't matter," A man wearing a puma mask interrupted. "You've got the egg?" 

"It's in my bag, but--"

"Good." Puma-mask cut her off. " Let's get out of here." He marched over and dragged her. 

"Wait, I--!" She resisted, her eyes searching until they found Damien coming down the hall.f She raised her voice at him, reaching out as the other men walked towards an empty cell nearby.  

As one, the men looked over.

"Son of a bitch. Why's this bastard here?!" A younger-sounded man in a heron mask exclaimed 

Lucas peered down suspiciously at Hannah. He'd of course heard the woman's cry a moment earlier. 

Did she bring him, he pondered. Why? 

Meanwhile Damien gave that same disarming smile that they'd seen upon him back at the auction room. 

But while his face showed kindness, his words were anything but. "You'd best put some respect on that sentence, kid." 

As the air between them grew tense, Vera broke in with a, "Young Master, please!" 

Damien snapped out of his annoyance with the heron-masked brat and turned his attention back to the cages as the flame behind them continued to grow. The howls from the animals had become almost deafening.

His gaze lingered on the opposite group. Hannah struggled against puma-mask's grip, her eyes begging pitifully as she looked at Damien. 

He debated. On one hand, she was a good piece to use against Vera and make her jealous. On the other, he knew these people had to be her companions, the Second Prince Greycastle and Fourth Young Master Herondale whom she spoke of a while ago. 

They wouldn't hurt her.

Also, though she obviously didn't seem to want to go with them he knew it was just because she wanted to stay with Damien and keep receiving his touch. 

But it's not like he actually cared about her? So yeah. 

He resumed freeing the animals. "Ah, whatever. Just get your asses out of here. I'm busy," And turned his head away

Hannah felt something in her break at that. "Lord?" She called out softly, almost desperate 

It was as if he hadn't even heard her.

"...Lord?" Her voice cracked. Nothing. "Damien?"

Her companions stared at her with confusion. "What's wrong with her?" Micah was the first to ask.

"I...I'm not sure." Lucas shook his head. 

Did that Devil do something?

A wave of heat pelted his face. "Forget it," He barked out commandingly. "We'll figure it out later. We have to leave." And continued to pull her towards the exit. 

"No!" Hannah snarled, the word sounding like it had been ripped from her throat. "Let me go! I need him!"

The woman turned and clawed at Lucas' face, leaving several trails of blood that stung painfully. 

"Fuck!" He roared angrily. 

Alec glared hatefully at Damien. "That bastard!" He snapped. "This isn't like her...he did something to her! He had to of!" The young man hissed, mirroring Lucas' previous thoughts.

Micah tore off his mask. "Screw this," He said, grabbing Hannah's chin and forcing her to look up at him. "Sleep!" 

The woman froze for an instant. Then nearly fell to the ground, unconscious, had Lucas not caught her. Though after what she'd done, he almost didn't want to.

"You shouldn't have--" He began.

"Don't speak of what I should or shouldn't do, Greycastle." Micah simmered quietly, his eyes suddenly bleeding. He returned the mask to his face. It was the only one amongst them which had no holes to see through. "Now let's go!" 

Without further commentary, they were gone. Damien was on the thirtieth cell. At his shoulder, Rex saw the approaching fire and meowed, hopping down and making his escape. He didn't notice.

Only nineteen left--

"Young Master!" Vera, the only one to remain with him through the sweltering heat, cried out desperately in a way that was entirely outside her usual character. 

"I said go!" He snapped, the pommel of his sword biting into his flesh it was so hot. 

He moved to the next cell. A red-coated doe with tiny golden horns and its small fawn thrashed violently against the searing metal bars even though it burned mean-looking marks onto their hide.

"We can't stay here!" 

He knew that, but--

They bleated at his appearance, staring into his soul with wide, fearful eyes. The sweat on his brow started to boil and evaporate.  

Alright, he thought. These two....fuck me, I can at least save just these two m--

Vera grabbed his arm. 

And they were gone.