Number Thirteen (11 page)

I rub my temples, unable to ease the throbbing behind my eyes. She saw me. She knew who I was. That girl is toying with my mind. She’s challenging me. I set tasks out, expecting her to react and she doesn’t; she deals with it all so gracefully. She let Number Eleven go. She didn’t dig deep for that cruelty inside; she just let her go.

She surprised me.

A strange feeling of pride swells in my chest.

She’s shocking me with each day that goes by. There are moments I feel like she’s not g s#82ectletting what I’m trying to teach, and then as if she suddenly understands, she’s doing heartfelt, warm things, like she did today with Number Eleven. I’m not let down by her decisions, but I am torn over them. A great part of me needed Number Eleven to learn her lesson, yet at the same time, I think—surprisingly—she did.

“Master, the guests have arrived.”

I turn to my door and nod at George. He’s wearing a full mask that only leaves his mouth on view. He’s standing straight and tall, his arms settled by his sides.

I nod at him. “I’ll be right there.”

I’m putting every ounce of my trust in those girls tonight. It’s their chance to let me see that my lessons are beginning to pay off.

I only hope I’ve made the right choice.

“W
e need to make sure this is done to perfection,” I say to the girls in my group.

We’re all dressed in dark polos and black slacks. Our hair is tied back and we’re wearing comfy, black shoes. We’re ready to serve. Ready to show him we can do as he asks. Ready to earn some trust. Ready to get ourselves ahead enough to find a way out of this place.

“What if we fall, or slip?” Number Seven murmurs, rubbing her hands nervously together.

“It’s going to be okay,” I soothe. “Just pay attention to what you’re doing, and don’t worry about anyone or anything else. We’re going to get this done efficiently.”

“There’s so many people,” Number Twelve says, her face is pale.

“You’ll be fine,” I try to reassure her, but the truth is I feel just as ill as she does.

I look over to Number Three who is just staring out the window. She’s been off today, and barely saying anything. Her eyes are empty, and her shoulders are slumped. Like the effort to lift them is just too hard.

“Number Three?” I say softly. “Are you okay?”

She nods briskly. “Let’s just get this done.”

Something is going on in her mind, something deep and dark. I don’t have time to help her now, but I hope that maybe tonight, after all this is finished, I might get to talk to her.

We all straighten our clothes and head out to the kitchen. Number Eleven took charge, and has everything laid out on nice platters. We all take one, breathing in a steadying breath before entering the massive ballroom in the middle of the house.

I gasp as I step into the well-decorated space. The floor is polished, and so shiny it squeaks as we walk over it. There are massive chandeliers hanging from the roof, and tables are beautifully presented throughout the space, all decorated with white tablecloths and sparkling-light table pieces.

There are people mingling everywhere, all of them wearing masks. The women look elegant, with long beautiful dresses and dainty masks. The men look masculine and mysterious, all suited up.

“Would you like some?” I say, approaching the first group.

“Oh, thank you.” A red-haired woman smiles, and picks up a canapé with her bright-red fingernails.

I take the platter around the group, and then continue walking through the room. This isn’t so bad. I’m doing well, and I haven’t screwed up. As far as I can see, neither have the other girls.

I step into the next group, and when the people turn and move, I see that familiar shator is polimask. My heart stammers, and I struggle to catch my breath as once more I lay my eyes on William.

So perfect.

He lifts his gaze when he notices me, and the eye I can see connects with mine, causing little shivers to run over my skin. He doesn’t smile, but the look he’s giving me is...
intense
. I keep my shoulders straight as I offer everyone something from the tray. William leans forward, his lips coming down to graze my ear. He murmurs, “You’re doing a impeccable job, Beauty.”

He didn’t say Beauty in Romanian. My face heats up.

He stands up straight and reaches out, plucking a prawn piece off the tray. Still feeling my cheeks flaming, I turn, and continue taking the trays around. When they’re empty, I take them back to the kitchen for the next course. By the time we make it back out, everyone is seated. We all take a few tables each, and start serving the entrée.

I hear a loud crash just as I’m placing the last plate onto one of my tables. Snapping my head up, I see Number Three on her knees with a tall man leaning down to help her. She’s quickly picking up a few broken dishes off the floor, muttering something. I swallow, turning my eyes to Master William. He’s watching her, but he doesn’t look angry.

I turn my attention back to Number Three as she stands and backs up. Just as I’m about to turn around and take my tray back into the kitchen, I hear a deep, throaty male voice laugh loudly. I stare at the man who was helping Number Three, and I see he’s got a napkin in his hand, and he’s waving it around. “Is this a joke, William?”

My body tingles all over.

What has she done?

William looks over to him, and says, “A joke?”

The man, who is in his early thirties, with cropped brown hair and warm brown eyes, waves the napkin around, and then looks back to Number Three. Then he reads the words that are clearly written on the white piece. Oh God. She didn’t...she
didn’t.

“It says
Help me, I’m being kept here against my will. Call the police.
”

My entire body feels like it turns to liquid. No. Oh God, what is wrong with her? Why would she write that on a napkin and hand it to a stranger? I rush over quickly because Number Three starts to cry. This isn’t good. William will punish us for this, because she was careless enough to hand just anyone a desperate note. Don’t get me wrong, I understand why she did it, but I also know it was a stupid move.

“I don’t know what she’s talking about,” William says, his voice gruff.

It’s then I catch sight of Ben. He lifts his mask, and stares over at me. God, if William looks like him...

“Why is the girl crying?” he says, his gaze curious.

I have to think fast. If I don’t get William out of this, we’re in big trouble, and it’s a trouble I don’t want. If we lose our privileges, how will we ever find a way to escape? That is not an option for me, and I certainly won’t be letting this ruin every bit of determination I’ve built up.

“It was a joke,” I say, though my voice sounds like no more than a squeak. William jerks his gaze over to me, and everyone in the room stops and looks at me. I place my hand on Number Three’s arm, squeezing it to warn her to stop crying. “She is a bit of a trickster, and likes to play with people. I’m very sorry, sir, sometimes she takes it too far. We’re just servers here. William only hired us for the night. I apologize.”

William is staring. I can feel his gaze burning into me. I tug Number Three s Nud us, muttering an
excuse me
and taking her out into the kitchen. The minute we get out, I spin to her. “Why would you do that?”

“Because he’s holding us here against our will,” she cries, waving her hands around. “I don’t want to be here. All of you have stopped fighting; already you’re just doing as he asks. He’s sick; do you hear me? No one keeps girls against their will if they’re not sick.”

“I haven’t stopped fighting,” I hiss, leaning in close. “I’m just doing the right thing so I don’t get locked down in that basement. How do you think we’re going to find a way out of this place if we keep making mistakes?”

“You’re not going to find a way out,” she snarls, reaching out to shove me lightly. “There is no way out.”

I grind my teeth together, desperately trying to keep my anger at bay. “You don’t know that.”

Before she can say anything else, Bill comes charging in. His face is tight with rage as he stops in front of Number Three, and his hand lashes out, curling around her arm. She cries, and tugs, but it’s no use. He’s not letting her go.

“That was a foolish thing to do. Come with me.”

“Please,” I say, as he begins to drag her off. I don’t know why I’m about to defend Number Three when she won’t listen to me, but I know I have to. No one else is going to speak up. They’re all so afraid. “She didn’t know.”

He spins around, glaring at me. “You all know,” he snaps. “You’ve all been told the rules; they’ve all been made very clear to you. Now get back to work, or you can join her.”

I close my mouth, but my eyes burn with unshed tears. Number Three is too weak to take punishment. There is something missing in her eyes, I can see it. She’s stopped fighting. She believes there really isn’t anything left for her. She can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel, and that scares me. When you give up, you stop fighting, and when you stop fighting, there is nowhere to go.

“What happened?” Number Twelve asks, her voice frantic.

“She tried to out Master William in the middle of all those people,” I whisper, knowing my voice is too shaky to use.

“Oh no.”

I swallow, and stare at the empty door.

What is going to happen now?

“Master William wishes to see you, Number Thirteen.”

I’m just in my bed that night, finally beginning to settle when Bill comes in. I don’t want to see William. He’s hurting my friend, and because of that, I don’t want anything to do with him. He’s a monster, albeit a beautiful one, but a monster is a monster, all the same.

“Of course,” I whisper, getting to my feet.

They’re aching, because I worked well into the night. Now William wants to see me. I don’t understand why. Is he going to punish me, and the other girls too? Isn’t that the rule? I’ve been waiting for him to call on me, but when bedtime came around, I figured we were okay.

I guess not.

Bill takes my arm, and leads me out and directly to William’s door. He knocks a few times, and a second later the door swings open to reveal William, still wearing his mask. I guess he just finished up. I lower my head, staring at my f sarid aeet, not wanting to look into his eyes and feel that pull towards him. Not when he’s punishing a broken girl.

“Enter, Number Thirteen.”

He’s calling me that, which means he must be angry.

“I’ll wait outside, sir,” Bill says, closing the door after I step in.

I still don’t look at Master William. I just continue to stare at my feet.

“Look at me,” he orders.

Clenching my jaw, I lift my head and stare into that one mesmerizing eye.

“Why am I here?”

He tilts his head to the side, studying me, and then he speaks. “You’re here because I want to discuss tonight.”

“There’s nothing to discuss,” I say in an empty voice.

His brows scrunch together. “And why is that?”

“You took my friend, you’re likely hurting her. She doesn’t deserve to be hurt. She’s broken, she’s damaged, she’s weak. She doesn’t need someone to break more inside her. She was desperate. Wouldn’t you be? If you got taken from all you knew and had your memories wiped, wouldn’t you feel like there was no escape? She was taking a chance, and you’re punishing her for that. So, unless you’re here to tell me you’re not, then there is nothing to discuss.”

He’s silent long enough for me to hesitantly lift my gaze and stare at him. He’s glaring at me, and boy, does he look angry.

“Your friend made a mistake tonight.”

“She’s scared,” I scream, losing the lid on my anger. “She’s scared, and you’re making it worse!”

He sighs, running his hand over his hair. “What are the rules?”

“Excuse me?” I whisper, shaking my head in confusion.

“What. Are. The. Rules?”

I blink, and feel my lip beginning to tremble. “She made a mistake.”

“What are the rules?” he roars, slamming his fist down onto a table.

“If you’re bad, you’re punished,” I say, almost as if I’m a robot. “If you’re good, you’re rewarded.”

“It’s a simple rule,” he growls, his voice low and throaty. “It’s not hard. I give you girls the best if you behave, and if you don’t, then you’re punished. It’s been made very clear. Your friend knew this; she still made the choice to do what she did. That is her decision. It isn’t mine. She made the choice, she put herself there. Do you think I enjoy carrying out punishments?”

“Yes,” I say, without hesitation.

His head snaps up, and he glares at me again. “You’ll never get it, will you? You just can’t see what I’m trying to do here.”

“What you’re trying to do,” I hiss, “is take away our freedom!”

“You never had any freedom!” he barks, clenching his fists.

“We wouldn’t know. You don’t let us remember.”

“Goddammit,” he mutters under his breath, before lifting his head and barking, “Bill!”

Bill is in the room in a second. “Yes sir?”

“Get her out. Don’t give her the reward.”

“What?” I cry. “You were going to reward me?”

He doesn’t look at me when he speaks. “Goodnight, Number Thirteen.”

“You can’t do it, can you? You just can’t look at me a s lo he nd answer my questions! You can’t man up and be honest about what’s really going down here. This isn’t even about us; this is about
you
. You’re the fucked up one here, William.”

He doesn’t say anything, just disappears into the darkness. Bill takes my arm and pulls me out, shoving me down the halls until we reach our room.

The other girls are in bed when I get in, but I don’t want to talk to them anyway. I don’t
want to talk to anyone. I just want to be left alone. I feel worn and broken down, like fighting this is pointless. I crawl into my bed and roll, facing the wall, not looking at any of them.