Total pages in book: 77
Estimated words: 72065 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 360(@200wpm)___ 288(@250wpm)___ 240(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 72065 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 360(@200wpm)___ 288(@250wpm)___ 240(@300wpm)
She took the bag and hurried out to the waiting hovercoach before she could change her mind. This was certainly going to get her into trouble with her new Kindred husband, but it was worth it to save the life of her beloved mother. And at least it should be a quick and easy transaction—she hadn’t even worn the breast shield once and it was still in its original bag. She ought to be able to get the credit for it and go straight to the Healing House so her mother could get her treatment.
At least that was what she thought. But the minute she tried to return the breast shield, there was a problem.
“I’m sorry,” the manager of the shop said, looking disdainfully at the bag containing the golden breast shield. “But we cannot possibly take this back.”
“What? But I only bought it last night!” Aleena protested. “It’s never been worn once—look, it’s still in the same bag from your shop and here’s the receipt.”
“So you bought it?” he asked, raising an eyebrow. “Or did your husband buy it for you?”
“Well, he…I mean, he let me pick it out,” Aleena faltered.
“Exactly. It was your husband who bought it and only he can return it,” the manager said. “If we let you return it you might take the credit and use it to run from him. Believe me, we’ve had that happen more than once and I refuse to let it happen again.”
“I’m not trying to run from my husband—I just want…something different. Something else that’s not this,” Aleena protested.
“Well then, if you’d like to make an exchange—”
“No, never mind.” She took the bag back, feeling both frustrated and worried. What was she going to do now?
The only answer that came to mind was trying to pawn the golden breast shield. Of course, she probably wouldn’t get nearly what it was worth, but even if she could get half, she was sure she could convince the Healing House to give her mother another treatment.
With a resigned sigh, she took the bag with the breast shield in it and got back into the waiting hovercoach. She gave it directions for the pawn shop she and her mother had used in the past, when they gradually sold everything and anything of value in their tiny, cramped living area to pay for food and heat. It wasn’t in a very good part of the city, but she didn’t know of anywhere else that would deal with a woman who had no man at her side.
She felt nervous as she descended from the hovercoach in front of the shop and her anxiety wasn’t helped any when the mechanical voice of the coach announced that it was leaving.
“This area is suboptimal for my safety standards,” it said. “I must go.”
“But this errand will only take a few minutes!” Aleena protested. “Please don’t go—I need you to take me to the Healing House.”
“I will return if you call for me, but I cannot stay in this area,” the hovercoach said in its mechanical voice. “Goodbye.”
“All right—I’ll call you later,” Aleena said but it was already whizzing off down the street, leaving her alone in an extremely shady neighborhood.
Aleena had never liked going to the Lucky Leaf pawn shop by herself. Usually her mother was with her, which helped—two women together, especially if one was older, didn’t draw too much attention. But as a young woman alone, she would no doubt get more male eyes on her than she wanted.
She felt especially alone and vulnerable as she walked down the street, clutching the bag with the breast shield to her chest. She tried to tell herself that at least she had on new clothes and she wasn’t wearing the old shield which had allowed her nipples to poke through but still she—
A sudden thought nearly stopped her in her tracks. Bear had forgotten to replace the nipple bands that he’d taken off her last night. Which meant that she had no way to prove that she was married and had male protection!
That realization made her feel even more anxious and alone. She almost called for a hovercoach immediately but the thought of her mother’s plight stopped her. She couldn’t just give up—she had to get the credit for her mother’s treatment!
Walking quickly, she finally got to the front door of the Lucky Leaf—it had a golden frizla leaf with five points painted in faded gold on the front—and let herself in.
Inside the shop was crowded with all kinds of junk—used multi-dusters and dented fast-cookers along with other second and third-hand appliances took up one whole wall. Another was filled with scratched and dented entertainment cubes and gaming headbands. Yet another held miscellaneous items—antiques and furniture that had been pawned after their owners died, no doubt Aleena thought with a shiver.