Ch.10 Glass Palace

Chapter 10

"What is your name?"

Elijah, the collector, was a man of few words. Whenever he wasn't performing to sell his unique beings, he did not see the purpose in speaking. He found socializing to be an absolute horrendous affair. If the high lords of Xaiba ever saw the collector with his collections, they would never believe he was the same man that entertained them at their parties.

"I asked for your name," Elijah said as he slowly removed the white gloves one finger at a time.

Birdie gripped the long sleeves of her shirt and pressed her lips into a thin line. Her body trembled as if she was left out in the cold. Her eyes were wide open, making the silver in them appear brighter in the dim light of the carriage.

Elijah looked up through his lashes when Birdie did not answer. He had put aside his brass cane but it wasn't out of reach. His wispy white hair blew with each bump on the road.

"Do you have a name?" He asked. "Or should I give you a name?"

Do as they say.

Birdie heard Lady Ebony's advice in her ear.

"I...I have a name," she said, her words shivering out of her.

"Well....what is it?"

"Birdie."

The corner of Elijah's mouth lifted, "Birdie....like bird."

Birdie slowly nodded her head.

"What a fitting name," Elijah laughed. "You are a rare bird."

Birdie did not know what to say. She stayed silent as the carriage rode on down the empty streets. Elijah hummed to himself, his eyes passing over the sleepy houses and shops. When they came to a stone house much like the Generals, Elijah let out a deep sigh and climbed out, leaving Birdie inside.

"Take her in through the back," he told the driver. "I'll go wake mother."

Birdie tried to grab the door handle of the carriage but the built driver who was three feet taller than Birdie and Elijah appeared in the window and grunted. His dark eyes seemed to glow like bulls as he warned Birdie not to test him.

Birdie curried to the farthest corner of the carriage. She sat still with her pounding heart as the carriage lunged forward. They turned a corner before driving through a gateway and into the stable behind the collector's home.

The driver jumped down and marched over to the carriage. He yanked the door open and grabbed Birdie's arm before hurling her out. The man acted as if Birdie had any shot in putting up a fight. She silently stumbled along as the brass cuffs and the man's death grip burned her wrist.

"Bring her in, Lucas," Elijah called from inside.

With another grunt, the driver, Lucas, pushed Birdie forward. She had half a mind to turn around and tell him to fuck off. Did he not see that her feet were moving?

"We already have one just like this one," someone said as soon as Lucas led Birdie through a doorway and into a well lit lavish living room.

"This one is different," Elijah said.

Birdie looked around the room to find an old woman with a tightly pinched face and a short silver bob. Her eyes were narrow and her lips painted red. She sat with one of her legs over the other and her hands resting over her knees.

"I don't see it," she said, her eyes moving over Birdie. "Why does she look like a drowned cat?"

"So she needs some work," Elijah sighed. "But this one is very valuable."

"Better be," the woman muttered.

Elijah turned towards Birdie and stepped forward. He pulled a silver blade out from his pocket and without hesitation, cut off a small lock of Birdie's hair. She hardly had time to recognize what had happened before Elijah turned and headed back towards the woman.

"What do you want me to do with it?" The woman eyed the lock of hair.

"Smell it," Elijah smiled.

Birdie reached up and touched the long strand of hair the man had just butchered. She wrapped her hand tightly around it and watched the old woman cautiously sniff the hair.

"Oh my," the woman looked up at Elijah. "Is this....is she..."

"A moor?" Elijah pulled the hair back and began to tie it with a long black ribbon. "Yes."

The woman slowly rose from her seat and marched over to Birdie. Her eyes were suddenly curious and full of questions.

"Her face is bruised," she said, noticing the red mark against Birdie's cheek.

"The general," Elijah said.

"The old fat bastard," the woman shook her head before taking hold of Birdie's face and turning it to look at all sides. "Where did you come from?"

Birdie did not know who the woman spoke to. She kept her lips tightly sealed as she peered at the woman.

"She doesn't talk much," Elijah announced. "Her name is just as special as she is. Birdie."

"Birdie?" The woman laughed. "Like the creatures that used to fly around in the sky?"

"Told you this one was rare."

"Hmm," the man turned her attention back to Birdie. "I know just the person to introduce her too."

"I have already sent words to Xaiba," Elijah said. "Always one step ahead of you, mother."

"Before you take her to Xaiba, make sure you clean her up," the old woman wrinkled her nose. "Put some color on her face and put her in some decent clothes. She'll be the main attraction of the night."

"Would you be a doll and take care of all that?" Elijah asked, tucking the strand of Birdie's hair into his pocket.

"I thought you would never ask," the woman laughed. "But I will charge you ten percent."

"Done," Elijah smiled. "With the amount I will be making with her, you can have whatever you want."

________________________

Elijah's mother was not a kind woman. Then again everyone Birdie has met so far with the exception of Lady Ebony have not been kind either.

Bellania was a special type of cruel. She took Birdie upstairs and drew her a bath with water so hot it could have cooked Birdie alive.

"You reek of the fish in the glass sea," Bellania said as she threw the sponge at Birdie and told her to scrub herself clean.

Birdie did as she was told. She did not mind the scorching hot water. Sitting in the tub meant her teeth would stop chattering. She drew her knees up to her chest and buried her face in them, allowing herself just a second to catch her breath.

"Did your parents sell you to the general?" Bellania asked, from where she sat watching Birdie in the corner.

Birdie shook her head and pulled her hair over her chest to cover herself.

"You hardly have anything to cover up," Bellania scuffed. "Stand up and let me get a good look at you."

Birdie felt her heart drop to her toes once more. She looked over at the pile of clothes she had stripped out of and then back at Bellania. The woman's wrinkled face and hooded eyes did not show any ounce of sympathy or compassion. She waited for Birdie to rise.

"Stand up or I will make you stand up," Bellania said, reaching for a brass staff.

In the silence of the bathroom, the water in the tub stirred as Birdie moved her long legs. She slowly stood up, spreading her hair to cover as much of her chest as she possibly could. Her knees shook and her stomach tightened as she pushed down the nausea inside of her and straightened up.

"All bones," Bellania shook her head. "All bones and no curves."

Birdie shifted uncomfortably. Her skin shivered as the cold draft in the room seemed to only be attached to her. The water droplets began to slide down her body as the old woman continued to examine her.

"What will they buy?" she huffed. "Just legs and arms? No hips, no bosoms? And what is this hair? Dull. And so are those eyes. Empty. Empty."

Feeling extremely small and exposed, Birdie plopped back down into the water. She pulled the sponge and washcloth to herself and lowered her eyes to avoid looking at the nasty old woman.

"Wash that hair," Bellania said. "Don't get too comfortable in that warm bath."

Taking the small pail, Birdie scooped up the water and let it pour over her head. She shut her eyes, letting her tears run down along with the water. Using the small jar of soap Bellania had provided, Birdie lathered up her hair and scrubbed it clean until it was squeaky.

"Now let's go see if we have anything that might fit a stick," Bellania said as she motioned Birdie to follow her out of the bathroom.

With a towel wrapped around herself, Birdie followed the old woman into a large dressing room across the hall. She froze in the doorway when she realized the room was filled with other fey girls and boys, all doing their makeup in the long wall mirror under the exposed lightbulbs.

Some of them had silver hair just like Birdie. Others had hair the color of cotton candy. Some wore their locks in braids while others stuffed baby's breath into each strand. No one paid any attention to Birdie as Bellania dragged her to the back where the racks of clothes were resting.

"Meera," Bellania called a girl nearby. "Get this one something to wear for tonight's show. Doll her up a bit, will you? She's going to be the last act."

Meera, a slender fey with pistachio green eyes and matching hair, looked up and smiled at Birdie. She jumped to her feet and began to bounce over when suddenly Birdie's jinn scent caught her attention. Meera halted and scrunched up her nose.

"Yes," Bellania nodded. "Nasty little thing."

"It's...." Meera's face twisted with disgust. "It's a moor."

"Whatever it is, dress it," Bellania said. "We are expected at court by noon."

And with that, the old woman rushed off, leaving Birdie standing in the middle of the dressing room with all the feys. Their eyes were veiled with disgust as they peered at her and carried on with their makeup. Meera tapped her foot impatiently as she looked Birdie up and down, trying to figure out what to put her in.

"Anyone got any clothes they don't want to wear anymore?" she looked over her shoulder.

No one answered.

"Just my luck," Meera muttered under her breath before walking over to a trunk and throwing it open.

Birdie watched as the girl pulled out a lavender dress. She placed herself against the wall to stay out of everybody's way as the feys ran around getting ready to leave. Her eyes were dry and red from all the tears she had shed, but no one gave a damn. They didn't even bother looking at her long enough to notice the blood stains on her lips.

"Here," Meera shoved the dress in her arms. "Put this on."

Birdie took the dress and carefully walked behind one of the racks. She pulled the dress over herself, letting the silk slide down her legs before slipping the towel off. Her wet hair immediately stuck to her back, soaking up the dress and creating dark stains.

"Go grab your clothes from the bathroom," Meera said when Birdie stepped out from behind the rack.

Birdie slowly walked over to the bathroom and gathered her clothes. She held them tightly to her chest as if they were the only thing connecting her to a home she was missing with all her heart and soul.

When she walked back into the room, Meera had disappeared. There was no sign of the girl anywhere in the room. No one bothered to tell her anything as Birdie stood around staring at everyone. They shot her dirty glares and whispered amongst themselves as they went about their business.

Wishing the walls would swallow her, Birdie slid down to the floor and sat quietly in a corner, out of everyone's way. She opened her mind-link and called out to her father and mother, hoping by some luck they would hear her and come to take her home.

But that didn't happen. The mind-link remained silent, breaking Birdie's heart as if she had any more pieces to break.

Breath, breath, She told herself. You can get through this. You got this.

As she sat in the corner with her knees drawn to her chest, Birdie's mind began to replay the last few hours of her life before it all went downhill. She thought about Zuri in her closet, Noor's laughing face, Adan....and that damn seventh floor.

Suddenly, as memories from the seventh floor came crawling back into her mind, Birdie remembered the golden key she had stuffed into her pocket. Unraveling her clothes from the pile they were in, she began to search her jeans pocket for the key.

"Come on, come on," Birdie muttered.

Her cold shivering hands found the broken ballerina and a chocolate wrapper, but no key. Birdie searched through the pockets once more to make sure she hadn't missed it by accident. She knew the possibilities of her losing the key in the river was greater than the possibilities of her finding the key tucked into her pocket. But she had to try. She had to hold on to all of the things she had brought along with her from home.

"What are you doing sitting there?" Bellania's angry voice suddenly shouted.

Birdie flinched as the woman marched over and loomed over her. Her thin lips were freshly painted red and her wrinkles were powered to make them appear softer.

"Don't waste my time, moor!" Bellania said as she grabbed Birdie's arm and hurled her to her feet. "Look at yourself. Look at that face. How can you show that face to anyone?"

Like hot sticky tar, Birdie felt everyone's gaze on her as Bellania shoved her into a chair and dragged a comb through her hair. They snickered and giggled behind fluffy brushes as Birdie's eyes filled with tears and her throat closed up. She sat as straight as a rod, letting Bellania yank the knots out of her hair. With each pull of the comb, Birdie thought of her grandmother and her gentle hands. Gemma would never hurt her like this. She would take her time working through each knot with love and patience. But Bellania wasn't Gemma. Bellania did not have patience. She yanked through Birdie's silver hair, ripping out any knot without hesitation. She took a handful of locks and braided them into a crown around Birdie's head while hitting her every time she moved.

"Stay still," Bellania warned.

Birdie bit down on her bottom lip as tears rolled down her eyes. She could still feel everyone watching her through the mirror. Their mocking gaze made her feel incredibly small and unwanted.

"Look here," Bellania demanded when she finished with Birdie's hair.

Birdie looked up as the woman grabbed a small red bottle and tilted it back to pour out some rouge onto her fingertips. She quickly applied it to Birdie's cheeks as if her fingers might fall off if she touched her for too long.

"Here," the man said, holding out the bottle. "Put some on your lip."

Birdie held out a finger and let the woman spill some of the rouge onto her hand. When she lifted her lashes and turned towards the mirror, her heart almost stopped.

Who was that girl?

That was not the daughter of the Sultan.

That was not the daughter of the witch supreme.

Who was that being with big doe eyes staring back at her hopelessly? Who was that girl with the angry red mark across her cheeks and cut lip?

Birdie could not recognize herself. She was astonished by how just a few hours had turned her into someone she never dreamed she would be.

"Go on," Bellania snapped. "We don't have all the time in the world."

Holding her breath, Birdie applied the red stain to her lips. She instantly hated how pale it made her skin look in comparison.

"Now, let's go," Bellania clapped her hands and everyone in the room began to rush.

Birdie slowly rose from her seat and stared. She had no clue what to do and no one wanted to speak to her. She was left at the mercy of Bellania, who marched her downstairs as if she was a cattle.

Within minutes, Birdie was pushed into yet another carriage with Bellania and Elijah, riding down the paths of the busy streets. The mother and son ignored her as they conversed amongst themselves, leaving Birdie to hold together the broken pieces of her heart and spirit.

"That's that she's holding?" Elijah asked after a while.

Bellania looked over as Birdie looked down at the pile of clothes in her arms.

"This sack of garbage," Bellania hissed as she leaned forward and yanked the clothes out of Birdie's hands.

"No!" Birdie somehow found her voice.

"Sit down!" Bellania commanded.

"I want my clothes back," Birdie tried to reach for her sweater and jeans.

"I said sit down," Bellania's voice was as hard as rock.

Birdie watched the old woman draw back the curtains on the window as the carriage rolled over one of the many wooden bridges in the city. Her heart began to beat like a wild bird in a cage as she realized Bellania was about to throw them out into the river.

"No! Stop!" Birdie lunged forward but only to be hit in the head by Elijah's brass staff.

The pain that shot through her whole body was like nothing Birdie had ever felt before. She felt her whole body vibrate as the pain repeated itself over and over until her vision blurred and her lips felt numb.

"Sit down," Elijah said as he pulled his staff back.

Birdie fell back against the side of the carriage as she watched Bellania throw her clothes out the window. Her tongue felt funny and her insides rolled as if they all wanted to slip out of her body. The rocking of the carriage made the throbbing pain in her head ten times worse.

Bellania drew the curtains back and leaned back in her seat. She took the handkerchief Elijah offered her and whipped her hands, one finger at a time.

Birdie felt the tears run down her face as her head began to spin. The rouge tasted bitter upon her lips, but Birdie still bit down on the torn flesh to keep her sobs from filling the silence in the carriage.

After a long agonizing ride, the carriage began to pull through the iron gates of Xaiba. The collector's three carriages were escorted by the palace guards to the back entrance where they were instructed to stay together while the guards searched them.

Birdie slowly stepped off the carriage behind Bellania, feeling oozy and lightheaded. She looked up as the glaring sunlight beamed off the glass palace like a beacon of hope in a dark dark world. The sky was a clear blue, the colors vibrant and lively. Birdie's ears picked up the distant sound of water gushing down somewhere but she couldn't be sure if it was actually water or if it was her own blood running past her ear.

"Come along," Bellania pushed her forward.

"I need the names of everyone," one of the guards said. "You will each be given a visitor tag that you must wear at all ti-"

"Yes," Elijah sighed. "We know the rules, Hearth. This isn't our first rodeo."

The guard narrowed his eyes but chose not to comment. He began to collect the names of everyone who had accompanied the collector and issued them a badge.

"Name?" the man asked as he came to a stop in front of Birdie. "Woah! That is this?"

"It's called a Birdie," Elijah said.

"Is it...." the guard tilted his head. "What is it?"

"A grand mystery for King Darrian," Elijah snatched the slip from the guard and shoved it into Birdie's hand. "Are we all down here?"

"Yeah," the guard nodded. "You know where you're going?"

"Yes," Bellania answered. She clapped her hands and the fey all rushed into the palace. The old woman looked over to Birdie and narrowed her eyes. "Keep up."

Birdie did not reply as she stepped forward. She could hear the guards whispering behind her as she began to follow Bellania and Elijah into the building.

The inside of the grand Xaiba place was just as extraordinary as the outside. Water silently ran down the walls and disappeared beneath the marble floors while the crystal clear glass windows let in an abundance of sunlight. At every entrance, fey women in flower crowns and feathery light dresses played the harp to welcome guests with drinks and fruits.

Birdie's eyes swept over the splendors. She felt breathless and stunned by the unearthly beauty of the place and the people. But she knew none of it was skin deep.

No matter how pretty the faces were, they all twisted with disgust as they looked at her and realized she wasn't a fey. Their eyes would turn cold and their lips would twitch as if to curse her.

Birdie dragged her feet with great difficulty. Her vision danced around in front of her making her feel sick to her stomach. From the way the ground beneath her swayed, she wasn't even sure she was standing up straight. The long lavender dress rolled underneath her feet many times, making her stumble and earn a curse from Bellania. To save herself from being hit with the brass once more, Birdie decided to pick up her dress and keep her eyes glued to the ground.

She followed the group through the halls and garden. To her the ground was forever moving. Her lips still felt numb and her whole body buzzed as if she had been electrocuted. Each breath caught in her chest, failing to do anything for her lungs.

After a few minutes, when she suddenly realized Bellania had not spoken a word in a while, Birdie looked up and halted in alarm.

Her head began to spin and her heart stumbled as she realized she was separated from the group.

"No..." she whispered, but the word never actually made it out of her lips. "No."

Birdie turned in her spot, wondering which way they all could have gone. Her chest tightened as she gripped her dress and began to cry.

"Birdie," came a deep voice from behind.

With a loud gasp, Birdie whirled around.

Navy blue.

That was the first thing Birdie noticed about the pair of eyes that were staring back at her. They were the richest shade of navy blue she had ever seen. Her head swayed and her blood began to rush past her ears once more as she took a step back and peered at the guard standing before her in his white uniform.

"Birdie?" He said once more, balancing his helmet against his side and arching a dark brow.

"How..." Birdie stared at the fey with the midnight black hair. "How do you know my name?"

"You dropped this," the fey held out the tag she had been given at the door.

Birdie stared at the piece of paper, not knowing what she was supposed to do. Her mind was hardly working. She wasn't even sure if the man before her was real.

The guard peered at Birdie with curiosity. He couldn't tell if she was in shock or in desperate need of medical attention. Her silver eyes were puffy and ringed with red. Her bottom lip was torn and stained red. She swayed back and forth slightly as if she was drunk.

"You..." the guard took a small step forward and sniffed the air.

Oh here we go again, Birdie wanted to roll her eyes but she feared she might throw up if she did.

"You're a jinn," the guard said, his eyes skeptic.

"You didn't call me a moor," the words slipped out of Birdie's lips without her permission.

Suddenly, the guard gave a small laugh, "No....my mother would not approve of that word."

"Oh..." Birdie felt as if she was floating outside of her body.

"Are you...are you alright?" The guards asked.

"Brass," Birdie said.

"What?"

"Elijah...." Birdie managed to mutter. "Brass....my head..."

Just then, Bellania came rushing forward.

"You imbecile," she hissed, grabbing Birdie's arm and pulling her back. "What did I say about staying with me?"

"I.....lost....." Birdie looked at the woman who danced in front of her vision.

"Enough of this," Bellania said, digging her nails into Birdie's arm. "Come. The king is waiting."

"She needs this," the guard, who had put his helmet back on and lowered the glass panel, held out the small tag. "Keep her with you. We don't want moors roaming the halls."

"My apologies," Bellania said, her tone clipped. She turned to Birdie and tugged, "Let's go."

Birdie looked at the guard as he began to turn. She let Bellania pull her away in the opposite direction as she called out to the guard.

"Hey," she said, causing the guard to halt and look over. "Your mother wouldn't be so happy with you using that word."

"Do you want to get hit with the brass again?" Bellania asked as she dragged her away.

"No," Birdie's eyes watered. "I want to go home."

"Of course, my dear," Bellania mocked. "Of course you can go home. Just as long as you slum rats can pay back my son."

"Baba..." Birdie's feet stumbled. "My baba can pay."

"Tell him to buy you off of us then," Bellania said as she pushed Birdie through the heavy dark curtains and onto the stage.

"The enigma!" Elijah's loud voice declared as the spotlight fell on Birdie. "My king, my lords. I present to you...the rarest of species...the magnificent, the extraordinary, the wondrous.....Birdie!"

There was a collective gasp as Birdie stared back at them all with her wide silver eyes. She could barely hold herself up as Elijah lifted her hands to show off the brass cuffs. He spoke some more words that Birdie could not comprehend.

She stared at the old man sitting on the throne beside a beautiful young queen with long white hair and gray eyes. The man peered right back at her with something sinister and viel in his gaze. Birdie felt her stomach roll as he rubbed his jaw and raked his eyes over her body.

"8 thousand denarii," someone in the crowd shouted.

"9 thousand denarii," another man hollered.

Birdie could not look away from the man on the throne. She watched as someone from the crowd climbed up the steps to stand beside him and whispered something in his ears. The queen looked over and listened attentively before turning her gaze to Birdie.

"Ten thousand denarii," came another voice.

"Fifteen thousand denarii," a woman shouted.

Slowly, with no sense of urgency, the man on the throne began to rise. Birdie felt her lungs give out as he stopped forward to let his silver hair shimmer in the light. Everyone in the room fell silent and turned to look at the man.

"Hundred thousand denarii," the man declared, his voice loud and clear and thundering.

Elijah grinned and rushed forward, holding up his fingers.

"Hundred thousand going once!"

No, Birdie began to cry.

"Hundred thousand going twice!"

Baba! Hayden! Birdie screamed through her mind-link

"Sold!" Elijah announced, his voice ringing out over the ballroom. "To King Darrian."

At that very instant, Birdie felt the ground disappear from beneath her feet as her eyes rolled to the back of her eyes and she collapsed in the middle of the stage.

Any ideas :P any new direction your ship is sailing?