Chapter 7
1380 Words
"Yeah, the Reaped Auction tonight. Has no one caught you up on everything yet?"
"No. Josie was going to go over stuff with me after lunch." I reply. Really she was supposed to explain things this morning but I took off on my walk with Luke.
"Oh well they auction off dates with the girls tonight. Just normal dates like dinner and a movie nothing salacious." I'm glad he added on that last part. I was worried for a second.
"Where does the money go?" I ask.
"Oh, the girls get to keep it. Alot of the girls send it back home to help their family or pack or whatever. Do you have family back home?" He asks. It's nice that the girls get to keep the money. They'll have something if they don't stay.
"Um, no not really. My parents died when I was a baby. I've been on my own since." I replied.
"I'm sorry to hear that. If you don't mind me asking, how did they die?" Set asks. It was a question I always got.
"They died during an earthquake in Haiti. They were there with the Red Cross" He gives me a confused look. "Oh you might not know what that is. They were there to help after a previous earthquake."
"That's awful. I am sorry for your loss, Larissa." The tone in his voice actually seemed to be one of truth. Like he actually was sorry. It made me relax a bit and connect with him a bit. Maybe the arrogance was just a front?
The rest of dinner was uneventful. Lunch came and was yummy. Not what I would've ordered but still delicious. Some more small talk. His arrogance seemed to slowly fade during the meal. Maybe he wasn't as awful as I thought.
After dinner we walked around the town square and then he escorted me back to the reaping house. We arrive at the front gate and I turn to say goodbye before heading inside.
"Larissa." Set calls for me as I open the door.
"Yes." I turn to look at him.
"I'll see you tonight." Set says with a smirk.
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Josie is jumping up and down when I get to my bed.
"Look, look, look. Alec sent me this." She holds up a beautiful floor length black dress. It was beautiful and would look amazing on her.
" He picked a beautiful dress. Wait, Alec?" I ask.
"Yeah. It's my nickname for him. Asclepius is just such a hard name." I smile because Luke had told me he was excited to meet her. Must be the real bond. She points to a package on my bed. "You got something too."
"Who's it from?" Josie asks, while i sit on the bed and then placed it on my lap. I look at the note on it.
I thought you'd look beautiful in this.
"Don't know. No Name."
I open the box to see the most beautiful dark green dress. It was a satin fabric with a very simple design. It was my dream prom dress back in highschool but I could never afford a dress so I never went. I wonder if Set sent it. If he did then maybe there's hope for him.
"Girls. You guys need to start getting ready for the Auction tonight." Anaya appears at our door. "Larissa before you get ready could I talk to you?" She gestures for me to follow her into the hallway.
"Did I do something wrong?" I ask as soon as I get into the hallway.
"Oh gods no. I just wanted to ask about your walk this morning with....." She trails off I'm assuming because she forgot his name.
"Luke."
"Yes, Luke. I know you don't know the rules so this is not your fault but it is against the rules for a suitor to come asking for you without an official invitation sent. It's a way to keep things civil. Gods get possessive very fast. These rules are to make sure everyone stays safe during the reaping. Do you understand?"
"I think so. Have Gods fought over a girl before?" I ask.
"They used to all the time. That's why we have the rules. I have to ask that you don't go on another walk with him unless he sends an invitation. okay?" Anaya rubs my arm in a grandmotherly way. I nod. "Perfect. You should go get ready."
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After all of us are ready. We are whisked downstairs to get put in carriages to head to the venue. I thought all the events took place in the reaping house but apparently some events are hosted by one of the Big 9. Tonight the Auction was being hosted by Anubis, the Egyptian God of the Afterlife. We pull up in front of his mansion and there were gods coming and going from the front door but as soon as we pull up everyone stops and stares at us getting out.
Then the front doors swing open and there stands Anubis. He was tall, dark and handsome in a scary way. I mean he is the god of the afterlife.
"Welcome Ladies. We have a full house in there tonight. Should be a great night. Now if you will follow me I will take you to the ballroom for some food before we start."
We all fall in line and follow him into his house. Josie was wearing the black dress Alec gave her and she looks amazing. I catch her throwing a small wave towards someone standing in the hallway on our way in. He waves back with a huge smile. That must be Alec. They were adorable and I haven't even seen them together.
We stop outside of a pair of double doors. I notice some hushed whispers as we walk by. I look and notice the waitress from the restaurant was whispering something to Anubis and then both of them looked at me. s**t. I didn't like this.
Anubis opens the doors and ushers us into the room where we see everyone eating and mingling.
"Go mingle and enjoy some food." He says before turning around and leaving.
Josie immediately rushes over to where Alec is. I go and grab some food and sit down at a table with a couple other girls. Slowly they get preoccupied mingling with gods and such and I'm left there alone. I've never been good with social situations.
"Is this seat taken?" I hear a female voice from beside me. I turn and see a woman pulling out the chair beside me. She was wearing sunglass and a scarf over her head like a hollywood movie starlet from back in the day.
"No it's all yours." I wonder who she is. God, wife or something else?
"What's your name sweetheart?" She asks.
"Larissa. And yours?"
"Medusa." She holds out her hand to shake mine.
I slowly shake her hand. Uneasy at the thought of being so close to someone rumored to turn people to stone.
"So you must be the human?"
"Is it that obvious?" I swear everyone seems to know who I am before asking my name.
"I've spent alot of time among the humans. I could tell. Excited to be Auctioned off like cattle?" She asks with a wicked smile.
"It does kind of feel that way. Has anyone ever been not purchased? Like could I get up there and be embarrassed because no one wants to buy a date with me?"
She laughs hysterically. "Oh hunny, you'll be fine. You are gorgeous and from what I hear you already have an admirer or two." She looks over at a different table and waves. I look and see Set waving back at her. I meet his eyes and he winks. "Set has made it clear he's into you. Told several people that he sees himself choosing you. It's the biggest news at the moment. The possibility of a Big 9 wedding. People would congratulate you on catching the eye of such a powerful god."
"But not you?"
She stands up from the table and fixes her dress. " No, not me. I can spot a snake from a mile away." She walks away with a small giggle.
- Writer
