Shatter

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"Excuse me!"

"Come now, don't act stupid. Auctioning is where you bid on something. The person with the highest bid gets the prize...or rather, you." She smiled.

"Um....I thought human trafficking was illegal. Besides, I refuse to be put up for sale like an antique, or something." I retorted. "Come one Pazzi, be serious. Stop messing around; let's go home."

The smile on her face vanished, leaving a fierce look.

"You have no home, you worthless, pathetic --" She was advancing towards me.

"That's enough." Tristan said quietly, stepping between us.

This situation was getting weirder and weirder by the minute.

Now Tristan, the Vampire, who is fascinated by my blood, the one who I fought earlier, wants to defend/protect me?

I think I'm just having a weird dream.

Yup, this is just an extremely vivid, detailed dream.

I should wake up any minute now.

... Yeah, any second now.

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... Crap.

I pinched myself.

Nope, not a dream.

Maybe I'm just going crazy, or something.

God, I hope I am.

Wow, that sounds weird. To hope that you go crazy, or are crazy.

Anyway, back to reality.

"What do you think you're doing?" Pazzi hissed.

Oh crap.

She's peeved.

I slunk as close to the wall as I could.

Tristan evaded the question and said: "Lady Topaz, we cannot harm the merchandise."

I laughed, because:

One, he called her a lady. Clearly, he hasn't been around her when she eats.

Her burps are noxious.

Two, he called me merchandise.

As if I'm going to agree with Pazzi's little scheme.

"Rafael, help her. She's suffering." Tristan suddenly directed the guy holding the red-haired bundle.

Nobody moved, however, until Topaz left the room.

"Goodbye, Peri. "She called behind her.

Tristan relaxed a little bit.

"I'll take her to the medical wing. You should do the same for Ember."

That's when I caught a glimpse of the bundle.

It was a girl, a little older than me, with pale skin. Her fiery red hair spilled out of the blanket she'd been wrapped in.

I thought she was pretty, but Tristan was more concerned with me than her, which was surprising.

I wasn't as pretty as her, so why?

Why was he concentrated on me?

As I was immersed in my thoughts, Tristan approached me cautiously.