Standing in front of the house with the two mermaid statues at the entrance, I mentally went over the information Vetus had given me. This was a nobles family. The father was looking for a noble companion for his only child. Noble live-in companions were meant to last together for years, but the daughter went through one every month or so, before something or the other happened. There weren’t many women around left, who were willing to be a companion to her. Adding to that, the family had fallen on hard times. They had been rich in the past, with investments in the Ascended city. Those had been lost with The Separation, since then they had steadily been going down the path to financial ruin. That made my chances of getting hired better, I would be cheap to hire compared to other companions. It was the same event that had influenced Matre’s family and brought them to destitution.

Despite that, there were many things working against me. Nobility with direct roots from the Ascending City were social pariahs, like the offshoot of the la Mandra family I was pretending to be from. Technically Matre had been closer related to the Emperor's family than they were, but because of the background of expulsion, I could be considered of lower standing. Even decades later, everybody wanted to disassociate themselves from that misfortune. Some went so far as to pretend that the expulsion hadn’t happened, even families that had experienced it. I had no formal schooling that would be recognized here, and normally companions were meant to be much older. Women who had already married and brought up children, they were meant to be a source of spiritual and emotional help to the mother as well as a wise and stabilizing influence. A mother that this family didn’t have. She had passed away years ago.

Other than that, Vetus had said that I needed to get the job, and stay there until he said otherwise. I was to visit his house once every two weeks for instructions. There had been no direct mention what would happen if I failed. He had only smiled and wished me the best of luck.

On my way out, Altus, the tall servant, had shown me the feeding room. They were kept in a more brutal prison than my locked up room had been. Here the prison was their body. People that were unable to move from weakness were lying on the floor. Their feet were broken, and bald patches of hair many had were signs of severe ailings. I shuddered, thinking of the depths of desperation that must have led them here. Or perhaps like me, they had been ignorant of the dangers. These people were also technically “free to leave”.

In a display of supernatural speed and strength, Altus had lifted my hand to his mouth and pricked a finger on his fang. It had happened blitz fast, faster than I could react. One hand on my wrist, the other around my finger, squeezing it slightly, until a bright drop of red blood oozed out. I tried to tug my hand away, but his hand holding me was like a manacle was around my wrist. He didn’t even seem to notice it, staring at the drop of blood.

In one of the creepiest actions again I had seen, his eyes cross eyed staring at my finger, he slowly put his mouth around it. I was frantically trying to pull my arm away, and scratched at him. It didn’t even leave a mark on his skin. I felt violated, by the feeling of his tongue against my finger. It was disgustingly wet and soft. He moved it slowly, for him this was a sensual moment. This was against my consent and I wanted out. I fisted my hand to give the best punch I could in this awkward position. Abruptly, he let it go. I fell on my back. The whole thing had been less than a minute.

“Now, I will always be able to find you.”

Dazed, and feeling a vertigo at this sudden attack, unthinkingly I sarcastically retorted in a shaky voice. “Charming, if only it worked the other way too.”

“Your humor endears you to no one here.”

I understood the threat. Death if I failed. A hunt if I ran.

Before I went in, I raised my head arrogantly, trying to get into the character of nobility. The costume I had on helped. I headed to the blue painted door, and knocked. I didn’t have to wait long until a middle-aged man opened the door. He had the militaristically short haircut I had seen on many men. It was his wrinkles that showed his age, his hair a jet black, and his eyes with a sharp attention.

“Hello, Lord Ibis?”

The man glared at me.

“The head butler at your service. How can I help you?”

I blushed at my mistake. His further appraisal of me from head to toe made me feel like an unwanted dirt on his shoe.

“My arrival was prearranged, I am here for luncheon.” Naturally, it wasn’t called anything as crass as an interview.

“Yes of course, domina...?”

“Marin la Mandra, please call me Marin.”

He opened the door, stepping aside to let me through. The entrance to the house was a long hall. All along the walls were paintings, and there was a lush carpet underneath my feet. And yet, I saw the traces of difficulties that Vetus had mentioned. The carpet was old, in some places worn. There were lighter squares on the walls, hinting at paintings that had been taken down and not replaced.

I was led through a beautiful circular room, in the center was a table set for five. It was lit from the ceiling high above, that was translucent. There were four halls leading out of the room, including the one I was standing in.

Going through one of them, we entered a sitting room. There was a middle-aged man, who I assumed was Lord Ibis, and three other older women sitting there. I guessed by their hostile smiles, that they were my competition. I was confused by this, Vetus had led me to believe that this was a difficult and unwanted job. Squaring my shoulders, I prepared to enter the battle.

***

I had apparently been the last one they were waiting for, because it hadn’t been long before we were invited to the circular room and sat at the table. I had a chance then to study Lord Ibis, he was an older man but tall and fit, with a commanding presence. He had the Lascan skin color, a light brown, and his hair was in a practical cut, shorn shortly, with tight curls around his head peppered with white. His face was grim, and was unfailingly polite to us all.

First course was a light soup. I didn’t recognize what kind of vegetable it was made from. It had a fresh taste, like fennel. Little did I know that it would be the most palatable dish of the meal. The table conversation was small talk, of issues I didn’t recognize. I kept quiet and the Lord Ibis mostly too, silently observing. I understood that a part of the conversation was talking about the previous companion, the poor Domina Higgard with her delicate disposition who had to take a leave of absence. The main course was fish. Never again, I repeated my mantra and didn’t eat a bite out of it. A favorite topic they spoke long of was the deterioration of Lascus, how it was past the glory of its days. It was only with the coming of dessert, a lumpy berry pudding, that the questioning began. From the inquiries they made of each other’s journeys, I understood that they had gathered from outside the city. By some unspoken agreement that I had missed, it was Domina Vole, sitting across from me, who was the first to break the aura of silence around me.

“Where did you say you came from Domina Marlene?”

“Domina Marin.”

“Oh, please excuse me, Domina Marin. What a bitter name for one so young.” She was trying to discredit me, by pointing out my age.

“I understand, memory in the golden age isn’t always as it used to earlier.” I smiled widely. I wasn’t above jabbing back.

She laughed. “The golden age, what a lovely way to call old age. Truly, there are many things that become more valuable with the ripening of age.”

“Indeed, when I lived in the outlands-”

“The hilled outlands?” Another of the domina blurted out. “Whyever would you live there?”

All of the dominas glared at her. Interrupting anybody, even someone unwanted like me, was a faux pax. Lord Ibis smoothly interjected.

“Domina Saaten. Perhaps you and I can retire shortly for a cigar.” Domina Saaten, who had interrupted me paled, and murmured her acquiescence. Now we were three.

“Let us speak frankly child. From one woman to the next. You are out of your depth here. Leave now, and we won’t hold your coming against you.” It was Domina Vole.

“If I am out of my depth, why not let things run their course?” There was an undercurrent of pressure from Domina Vole that I didn’t understand. Vetus had led me to believe that this was an unwanted daughter to be a companion to.

“Don’t be impudent. You embarrass yourself and all of us by being here. Lord Ibis would never accept a country bumpkin like you.”

My eyes flashed. “I am Domina Marin, from the la Mandra family. I have as much right to be here as you do.”

Surprisingly, she seemed pleased by my answer. But before she could retort back, Domina Saaten and the head butler passed through the room.

“I bid you all well my friends.” She spoke stiffely.

“Have a safe journey home.” Domina Vole answered her.

Following the head butler out, she left. Another servant in similar uniform as the butler came into the room.

“Domina Hylen, Lord Ibis would like to see you now.”

She left, and then we were two.

“Domina Marin, now that we are alone, let me be frank with you. I admire your ambition in coming here. It has been a while since I met someone of your age with drive and backbone. But you have no chance here. Leave now, and you will be thirty leeras richer.”

I shook my head.

“Fifty leeras then. Go and let us separate as friends.”

“No Domina Vole, I am not leaving.”

Her hand on the table clenched.

“Then we will not be friends.”

Domina Hylen entered the room again. Her head hung low. She made no pretense of not ignoring me.

“Goodbye Domina Vole.”

I sat alone at the table, until it was my turn to be called.

The room I was brought to was a windowless study. Lord Ibis must have a secret flair for the dramatic, the whole room was full of dark tones. I would have expected a study to be full of books, but the glimpses I caught as I walked in showed that the shelves were full of curiosities, strange objects and even a skull of something.

He was sitting in an armchair a bit away from a worktable that was clearly used, a mess of papers was on it. Next to him and opposite were two more armchairs. I sat across him.

“Cigar?” He offered me, gesturing to a small table between us, with a pile of cigars built as a pyramid. Three were missing, each of the dominas must have smoked one prior to me.

“No thank you.”

We lapsed into a short but intense silence. Our eyes on each other.

“So, Domina Marin. Why are you here?”