'Then the box on the left buys you, and you spend whatever remains of your life in the harem of a demon who grinds souls to summon monsters. Your choice. I am not a patient man, so choose while they are still pretending the auction is alive.'
Her mind raced along the channels of the thought, fast and furious, and through it all, one plan gleamed like a knife. 'One night. One night, and I accept, I go with him, and in the dark, when he sleeps, when his guard is down, I tear his throat out and run. Even collared, even marked, there is always a gap, always a moment, the night is long...'
'You know,' the voice said lazily, 'there are barriers over this hall. Some of the finest ward lattice work in the western zone. The auctioneers fear assassins, spells, theft. All magic is smothered under this dome. All of it.'
'...And?'
