Prologue

 

The woman knelt before him on the soft pillow, her head bowed in total submission. Three months in training and she'd shown herself to be one of the quickest and most graceful he'd ever had the privilege to teach. Her short hair, growing out from its initial shaving, curled around her head in tight curls to frame a pixie-like face. A face now bent towards the floor, her arms resting behind her back, her knees spread wide to show her master her offerings. Yes, indeed. This one would bring a high price at auction tomorrow.

Her trainer smiled and stood. "Good, little one. You are ready." He took a step towards the door, pausing beside her one second too long. A fast movement and pain shot through his arm as her teeth sank in, breaking the skin. He hollered in surprise and grabbed her hair, pulling her head back.

But she didn't let go. Her teeth sank deeper, blood spattering her face as she attempted to wrest a large chunk of skin from his arm. She gnawed like a dog, shaking her head, intending to damage him.

So docile, so obedient she'd been after the first week, he wasn't prepared for her attack. With an oath he pushed her to the floor, wrestling to get his free hand around her throat. Instinctively he understood that trying to pry open her teeth would only get his fingers bitten off. He went for her throat instead, wrapping his hand around her slender neck. Squeezing tight, he noted the panic in her eyes as her air remained cut off. She could neither get rid of what air she'd sucked into her lungs nor pull in fresh. After several long seconds, her jaw relaxed as her eyes rolled back in her head.

Prying her teeth out of his arm, he let her fall onto the pillow, staggering up and jabbing at the intercom. The blood flowed in spurts, which meant she'd gotten an artery.

"Traitor," he managed to croak into the intercom before he slid down along the wall, the world going dark.