I gripped my knees to keep them from bouncing with nervous energy as we rode to Saberus in tense silence. Tallis sat in a perpetual state of mild amusement. His eyes kept flashing to mine, the fire of what happened between us flashing in his cool blue eyes. I fidgeted in my seat as he smirked. Soon, neon lights illuminated the sky and we drove into Saberus.

Unlike other Providences, Saberus had no main gate, no security. It was a continuous random stream of Transports coming and going through the neon red city.

Our Transport glided effortlessly down the brightly lit strip. Buildings on each side of the road flashed sensual advertisements for alcohol and gambling. Women wearing all black with bright makeup and high heels strolled the sidewalk as men leered at them.

“This place is so different,” I said in awe as we pulled up to a larger building. The Transport came to a full stop, and I peered outside at the red sign that read ‘Pure Pleasure.’ The outline of a neon-lit voluptuous woman cuddling the name, took up most of the front of the building.

“Don’t let the bright lights confuse you, Jules. There's a lot of darkness in Saberus,” Tallis said in a sad voice, adjusting his hat. He pulled a plum tube from his pocket then began applying bright red lipstick to his lips. My eyes widened at the look. Normally I found makeup on men to be an unattractive trend. But the red brought out Tallis' plump lips, reminding me how they tingled when they touched his.

“What’s with the makeup?” I asked. My eyes locked onto his skilled, steady hand as he applied it.

“It’s common here for Walkers used for personal needs to wear it. It signifies their place in a household.” He smiled sadly.

“That's actually a thing?!” I asked in a shocked tone. My eyes shifted to look outside again, scanning the crowd for red lips, and I was shocked to see that nearly every Walker wore varying shades of crimson. “Bu-but why are you wearing it?”

“Because tonight, Jules,” he began mischievously while leaning forward and tracing the tip of his index finger on my knee. “I’m your plaything.” Tallis winked at me before opening the transport door and crawling out. “Be sure to play the part.” He whispered to me, the ghost of his words tracing over my skin.

I took a moment to compose myself and slip into the role required of me. Tallis held out a strong hand to me, and I shimmied out, exposing my leg through the slit of my dress. Tallis bit his fist as I placed a soft hand on his chest.

Two men wearing black suits stood skeptically at the door of the club, and I gracefully clung to Tallis’ arm as we walked towards them.

“We should probably make this believable,” I whispered with a sly grin, a vengeful idea already forming. He deserved payback for the little stunt he pulled in the transport.

“And how do you suppose we do that?”

I didn’t answer. Instead, I stopped and grabbed his chin, the very same act of dominance he pulled back in the transport. His eyes flashed with lust before slipping into a look of resigned indifference. I placed a hand on the waistband of his pants and smiled.

“Kiss my neck,” I ordered loud enough for the men in suits to hear. I saw his flash of red lipstick illuminated by the glow of the neon lights and I craved it. At this moment, I pretended to be a reckless, assured, deviant. I didn't want to worry about status. I wanted to wear his kiss like a badge of honor.

Tallis’ eyes turned dark with lust, as all the things we explored in the Transport came to the surface. He leaned forward and placed a controlled, delicate kiss just above my collarbone. As he pulled away, he whispered “Yes, Mistress,” and I reveled in the way his muscles flexed. I knew this wasn’t it. He could joke all he wanted, but my little display of power would hopefully have consequences. And I didn’t mind the kind of punishing Tallis would likely display—as long as we kept it our little secret, of course.

We slowly walked to the door, and the men let us inside without question. One handed me a preloaded Tablet with photos of all the Walkers available for auction. With a wink, he said, "Enjoy Pure Pleasure."

Inside the club, men and women danced on the dark, smoky stage, some of them wearing nothing but thin straps of fabric. The bright red room full of black candles smelled of alcohol. The wooden floor clacked as I stepped towards a table, my heels becoming lost in the deep bass of the music playing.

Men and women, dressed in fine attire similar to my own, sipped drinks and eyed the performers with hot, gnawing hunger. I watched as the women crossed and uncrossed their legs under their table. Men rubbed their thighs. Couples gripped each other.

After guiding us to an empty table in the corner, Tallis ordered us drinks.

I began flipping through the Tablet with disdain. Normal Walker auctions displaced typical things: skills, age, pedigree. The one at Pure Pleasure took things a step further: sexual preference, breast size, penis length. You could narrow down your search based on age, history, and body type.

“Tallis…” I began in disbelief. “This is....” My fingers nervously clicked the younger aged Walker folder, and tears threatened to spill over and down my cheeks. "...this is terrible." There, a young girl with brown hair and haunting green eyes peered at me. She couldn’t be more than ten years old.

“Keep it together, we have a part to play,” Tallis urged while sipping his water. I nodded while pretending to flip through the Tablet. Each person listed wore a Walker tag and bright red lipstick. I tried to remember if Ashleigh wore lipstick when I met her. Shame filled me. What if Josiah forced her into something like this? Once I was sure that I looked over every picture in the file, I shut off my Tablet and watched the dancers on the stage.

At first, their crude dance movements disgusted me. I wanted to escape the filth of this place. I wanted to flee. But eventually, I saw the grace in it—men and women grinding on one another with slack mouths and hooded eyes… I knew that these people were forced into this life. It was all so... sensual. So heartbreaking. I felt sick to my stomach but couldn’t tear my eyes away.

Finally, a bald man with a round stomach fumbled on stage, pulling me out of my trance. Tallis dipped his chin lower as if hiding his face.

“Masters and Mistresses.” His boisterous voice echoed throughout the shrouded room. He dabbed his cheeks with a handkerchief, and a screen illuminated overhead. “We’re changing things up, here at Pure Pleasure. We’ve integrated the most advanced bidding technology in the entire Empire." Polite claps filled the room, and Tallis bumped my shoulder, reminding me to take part. I sat straighter and clapped with them.

“Instead of calling out your bids, you'll place live bids on your Tablet. We'll take payment once the auction is over via a direct link to your accounts. Also, due to some recent thefts, Walkers are now held in a safe location while we bid. We hope you like this easier method of procuring property. Let the games begin!”

I frantically fumbled for my Tablet and flipped to the page where the young girl was. Three separate bids for her already filled the screen. “This wasn’t in the plan, we can’t pay outright,” I whispered to Tallis who looked murderous.

“Do you have any money to front?” he asked while gritting his teeth and scouting the room. He pounded his fist on the table, causing a few of the other bidders to stare. “I don’t know where they’re keeping the Walkers now. This could be our only shot.”

I made mental calculations of the current state of my accounts and cursed my brothers. Cyler and Maverick put a freeze on my part of the mines when I went to Galla. I had nothing. We lived in a literal goldmine, and yet I didn’t have enough to save this poor little Walker girl. My hand drifted to the ruby necklace around my neck and I froze. The realization of what I had to do washed over me in silent sadness. Mother’s necklace. That, paired with what was left of my savings, just might save her.

As tears pricked the edges of my eyes, I waved over an attendant and a thin woman fluttered towards me with a grin.

“May I help you, Mistress?” she asked in a chipper tone. She wore a leather one-piece dress that stopped mid-thigh and hugged her curves.

I took in a deep breath before responding. “I would like the worth of this ruby necklace added to my bidding account,” I said in a strong voice. My confident tone didn’t match the depressed emotions I felt inside. Her eyes widened at my jewelry, and she nodded in eager anticipation while rubbing her hands together. She then paged the auctioneer, who scanned the jewelry and appraised it on the spot.

Tallis seemed happy with the money deposited into my account. His wide grin felt out of place in the dark place. My heart broke as they carried it away my mother’s necklace. And as Tallis gave me bidding tips, I silently mourned the lost memories.

Getting my mind back to the matter at hand, I made quick work of bidding on the girl. Sweat dripped down my neck as I navigated the fast-paced auction. Within seconds of placing a bid, someone would counter with a higher one. There was no time to consider. You had to play and play fast.

Each time I submitted my bid, my eyes drifted to her sad gaze in the digital photograph.

The last ten minutes of the timed auction were brutal. Tallis made quiet suggestions and gripped my knee while scanning the room. Just as the clock buzzed, indicating that the auction was over, I reached the threshold of my savings. As the computer calculated the winner, I sighed in relief. She was mine. She was safe.

The auctioneer looked at me with a sinister gaze as he walked over and handed me my claiming ticket. “You know, I can usually guess what a person’s tastes are," he said while licking his lips. "I’m surprised to see that the proud Mistress Black has a fascination with young girls.” His tone turned crude, and I blanched when he used my name. “I guess having a conscience can get expensive.”

Tallis flexed then and took a step forward as if preparing to punch the auctioneer. Two men wearing black suits grabbed him and removed his hat.

“Ahhh, I’ve heard whispers that a Scavenger is responsible for my missing Walker girls,” the auctioneer said. He stepped closer to Tallis, and I tensed in fear. His movements were sloppy but forceful as he slapped Tallis across the face. The point on his gold ring nicked Tallis' skin, causing droplets of blood to flow down his cheek.

“Let him go and give me my property,” I said in a steady voice through gritted teeth.

“But what about the property I’ve lost? Who's going to reimburse me for that?” He Slapped Tallis again, and another scratch marred Tallis’ pale cheeks, making me flinch.

“What's your name, sir?” I asked in a calm tone that felt eerie. He turned to face me with narrowed eyes.

“You may call me Mr. Branish,” he replied, puffing out his chest in an absurd display of pride.

“Well…Branish, as you are well aware, I’m Mistress Jules Black. Baby sister to the infamous Cyler Black, now one of the richest men in the Empire. It wouldn’t take much for him to shut down your little establishment. Hell, it wouldn’t take much for him to shut down this entire Providence," I began with a cold smile. "My brother has some of the most lucrative trade deals in the Empire. One click of his Tablet would ensure that no one comes to Saberus again. You’ll turn into one of those abandoned towns you see on the late night report.” I brushed a fingertip against the mahogany bar top and threw him a sinister grin.

“You have no authority here, Mistress,” he hissed. His red cheeks puffed out in fury, and he flexed his fist. But I felt no fear.

“Branish, I have all the authority here. Let my friend go. Let my Walker go. I’ve paid my portion,” I said, raising an eyebrow. The entire club was watching now. Eyes followed me, and despite the music, the hissing of whispers surrounded us.

Branish appraised me, his depthless eyes observing me for signs of weakness or bluffing. After a moment, he waved a hand to his guard, and a tall man drug out the young girl.

The sight of her made me freeze and little zaps of concern made my stern expression falter. The fear that filled her features broke me. Her eyes were hazy with the pain of someone that had seen too much. Her dull, pale skin lacked the glow and warmth of sunshine. Her bones stuck out of her too-tight clothes.

“Thank you for your cooperation, Mr. Branish. If I hear of any young girls filtering through your establishment, I’ll burn it to the ground.”

"Bitch," he muttered to our retreating forms.

We made our way back to the Transport, but I still felt the remnants of Pure Pleasure stuck to my skin. I felt dirty. Like the sins of Mr. Branish was stuck to me, and no amount of washing could get rid of it.

Tallis wiped the blood off his cheek and smeared the red lipstick across his chin. Once in the transport, the quiet girl laid in my lap, and I stroked her hair the entire ride home.

“What will happen to her?” I asked Tallis as she snoozed. Her face lacked the burden of the world in her dreamy state.

“Now? We care for her. Make a home for her in our Camp. Give her back what little of her childhood we can,” Tallis replied. I nodded, feeling somewhat placated with his answer.

“What will happen to the rest of them?” I asked while thinking of the other men and women being auctioned off.

Tallis thought for a moment. His blue eyes looked bright against his bloody face.

“They’ll gain the vaccine but they’ll lose their humanity.”

Celebrating the victory of rescuing her was bittersweet. I wanted to revel in doing something good for once in my life. And yet? It didn’t feel like enough.