East

"You cheat!" one of the men shouted and smashed his fists into the table.

His outburst pulled me out of my mind, and I took in what had happened during the moments I was indisposed. I was being held by the man named Broghun. His back was to one wall and his arm around my throat while he watched the bidding war. The rag wrapped around my head for a gag tasted foul.

"I am not a cheat," another man said calmly. "I only say I think this one is poison. This" he held up my crown "is not a trifle given to a man's favorite concubine. Someone will be seeking for her, and any man caught with her will likely be punished."

All of them fell silent and looked at me. Rather than desire for a new toy, they regarded me with wariness.

"Her body turning up in the morning in the stable will keep her from identifying us."

I strained against Broghun. The man with the phone seemed on board with this, and I reached for the gag to scream for Batu.

Broghun shoved my arms down.

"Then I will sell the right to kill her," the hotel owner reasoned. "Or you can take your chances with her master."

"I'll kill her for free!" one said and approached me.

"And I will tell her master who did it. One of you will pay me for the privilege, or all of you will face his wrath. Whoever kills her, keeps this." He held up the tiara.

What a jackass. I'd never heard of people paying to off a witness. The old man was crafty - and doggedly opportunistic.

"Five silvers!" one spat and threw the coins down.

"This pearl alone is worth five times that," the old man said with a frown. "Look at it. Look at the woman that's yours for the night. As long as she ends up dead in the morning, what does it matter what happens to her?"

What kind of logic was this?

They began passing the tiara and its teardrop shaped pearl around so everyone could debate its quality. Just like that, I seemed to be forgotten. At least, for now. I twisted my wrists to test the bonds and tried once again to yank the gag out of my mouth with no luck. Broghun was keeping a tight watch on me.

Starting to panic, I silently swore never to leave the spot Batu sentenced me to again, if I found some way to escape this time. My heart was pounding, and I looked once more in the direction of the man with the phone.