Chapter 6

Three days later, the atmosphere in the dormitory was suffocating. The air was thick with the smell of cheap perfumes and nervous sweat. It was the afternoon of the mating ceremony.

Carin was hidden in the deepest shadows of her corner. In her hands, she was carefully folding a piece of black fabric. It was a modern lace bra, the only piece of her old life she had managed to save from the crash. She had washed it and kept it hidden under the straw.

Suddenly, a head popped over the partition. It was Sadie. Her eyes were glued to the black lace in Carin's hands.

"What is that?" Sadie breathed, her voice full of longing. "Some kind of magical chest-pelt?"

Carin immediately covered the bra with a piece of animal hide, her eyes wary. She didn't answer.

Sadie swallowed hard, her usual arrogance gone. "Lend it to me," she pleaded. "Just for tonight. I want to catch the eye of a strong tiger warrior, but he thinks I'm too flat. I need... help."

Carin's mind raced. She hadn't planned to wear the bra herself. It would draw too much attention, the wrong kind of attention. She needed to be invisible tonight.

"I'll lend it to you," Carin said, her voice cold. "But you owe me. Tonight, you keep the heat off me. You block anyone who tries to look my way."

"Deal!" Sadie nodded eagerly. She snatched the bra and ran to a corner to put it on.

A few minutes later, Sadie emerged, her face flushed. The push-up effect of the modern underwire was dramatic, giving her a figure that defied nature. The other females in the dormitory gasped and whispered in jealousy. Sadie puffed out her chest, looking smug.

Once Sadie was distracted showing off, Carin finally had a moment to herself. She picked up a basin of water and a rough cloth. She scrubbed her face and neck, wiping away the layers of mud and grime.

The water reflected a face that didn't belong in this world. Deep-set eyes, a delicate nose, and skin so pale it seemed to glow. It was a face that would start a war in this clan of beasts.

Carin stared at her reflection for a single second. Then, she picked up a pot of dark green plant dye she had prepared. With a steady hand, she painted ugly, mottled patches across her cheekbones and forehead. She rubbed gray dust into her neck and arms until her skin was rough and dirty once more.

She pulled out a large, frayed gray hooded cloak. It was several sizes too big, swallowing her slender frame and hiding her curves. She pulled the hood deep over her head, casting her face in shadow.

Outside, the guards shouted, ordering all single females to the ceremony square.

Sadie came running over, grabbing Carin's arm. "Come on! Don't miss the best warriors!"

Carin quietly pulled her arm free. As she did, she slipped a sharpened bone dagger into her sleeve, the handle snug against her wrist.

She followed Sadie out into the cold, dry autumn wind. The path to the square was crowded with females in their best clothes, the air thick with the pungent smell of aphrodisiac herbs.

Carin walked at the very edge of the crowd, a ghost in a gray cloak. Her eyes looked past the noise and the lights, focusing on the central platform in the distance.

Her heart began to pound. This wasn't a party. This was a gamble, and her life was the stake.

She gripped the dagger in her sleeve, silently repeating Brannon's name. Then, she stepped into the fire-lit square.