The following days, visitors became more common. The first servant girl never really went back and the one called Edith took over her duties. She was quite lively, always giving Alice a happy greeting when she went into the room. She mopped the floor, changed the bedsheets, refilled the water and brought Alice most of her meals, always small-talking or singing a song. She had a good energy, Alice thought, energy of a girl who dreamed much higher than being a maid in a brothel. She liked to say that there was nothing she loved more than going to the theater.

— Almost all of my money goes to it. Whenever I get the day off… I put on my best clothes and walk all the way down to the Ritz Theater. For a coin, you get to watch an entire show — Edith said. — Moira Witzenhall, Edmund Falkner, Lisa Hart… The best of the best. No good show goes without one of them.

— Right now, they’re presenting a musical named The Words of My Mother. It’s so beautiful… I cry everytime.

— So you’ve seen it more than once? — Alice asked.

— Of course! I think I’ve seen it four times. And I plan on seeing it at least two more times before it closes!

Alice couldn’t help but smile. The sort of juvenile joy that Edith possessed wasn’t common in the world that she had been living in. When you’re the last of your kind, playing an eternal, unwinnable game of cat and mouse, dreams don’t carry much meaning. They don’t offer relief when, deep in your gut, you know that not even a miracle could make them happen. To see someone, unfazed by the dark reality surrounding them, looking up with bright eyes and thinking of a better life than the one given to her, it reminded Alice of the good that remained.

Lady Maria became a frequent visitor too. Almost every morning, she would arrive with a tray with all sorts of breakfast goodies and share it with her guest. Buttered toast with cinnamon was Alice’s favorite, especially when followed by a glass of cold, sweet orange juice. Cakes, fresh apricots and white cheese were also served. Sometimes the meals would last for more than an hour, as they patiently enjoyed the food and exchanged pleasant words. Those moments were a pleasant respite, the madam admitted. She also insisted on being the one to change Alice’s bandages.

— Life here at the Siren’s Song is probably different than what most people envision — she said, slowly removing Alice’s dirty bandages.

— So, that’s what it’s called — Alice interrupted.

— Excuse me?

— This place. It’s called The Siren’s… Song? — Alice stuttered. Maria was halfway done with unwrapping the white cloth. The wound was exposed.

— Oh, right. Yes — Maria chuckled. — Had I not told you?

— I guess it never came up — Alice said.

— It’s a rather generic name, isn’t it? — Maria said. — There’s probably a brothel with the same name at every harbor of the realm. But I do think it’s quite beautiful. This idea of an allure so powerful that it takes over your senses, makes you do things you wouldn’t consider with a sane mind. It’s something a brothel would like to replicate, don’t you think?

Alice nodded, with a smile on the corner of her lips. There was certainly something about that woman. The old bandages, dirty and bloodied, laid on the floor. The madam opened a small suitcase that contained alcohol and more gauze.

— Going back to it, it can get lonely around here. The girls work all night, and I stay up to keep the chaos under control. They go to sleep right after sunrise and I spend a mostly uneventful morning by myself, running the business. Breakfast is actually my last meal before going to bed for the day and I usually eat it alone, be it in my office or in the hall downstairs. It’s a delight to share this moment with someone else, I’ve got to say.

With her teeth clenched, Alice listened. Even with Lady Maria’s careful handling and the cicatrization’s progress, it still hurt like hell when the alcohol rubbed on the sensitive, damaged skin. When the cleansing ended, Maria asked her to hold her breath, filling her chest and putting her on a straight posture. Her hands danced around Alice, fingers touching her skin like feathers, wrapping her nudity in white cloth. At the end of it, Alice released the air and Maria pulled the bandage, leaving it tight around the body of her guest.

Although there was no more breakfast and the bandages were changed, most of the time they kept talking, either continuing a topic or just discussing whatever came up. Alice laid down to rest and the madam sat beside her, looking from above. Lady Maria was a fine, polite woman. Well-versed in the subjects of politics, philosophy, foreign trade and business, she was the kind of person to have an opinion on any matter brought to her. She usually leveled down the conversation based on the other person, however, in Alice, she had found someone to match her wits.

— You’d be surprised if you knew how much the words of whores impact the realm — Maria said. — The big guys come for the sex, and stay for someone who feeds their ego, comments on their problems and give solutions better than anything their little brain could weave. Making it look like it was their idea, of course. They get home to their wives, sad, stupid women forged to think that their most important thing within them is their womb, and long for us. Before you realize it, you’ve already got a new regular.

— When I was adopted into my first house of pleasure, the afternoons were for learning. Madam Therese hired merchants to teach us the numbers and the trades, professors to teach us the words and the thoughts of those who came before. She even managed to get a priest to go there every week to teach us about the faith. Some of us could be at a college, tearing down the ancient thoughts of the walking corpses that walk around there, believing they’re the smartest people alive. We could be at courts, saving the lives of women and their babies instead of just accepting that you may die when giving birth.

— In this sad little world, however, our path to power is to sell what should be our most sacred. Here, we have our own little realm. They come to us, filled with lust, and we enslave them using the weapons that we possess. We whisper in their ears and make them obey. And the best part is that they want it. All of it.

She’s teasing me, Alice thought. Even though she had downplayed it, Alice’s knowledge had catched Lady Maria’s attention. Educated, probably literate. You don’t get that when you’re just a girl trying to survive in the streets. Every time Alice asked about the offer she had made, Maria told her she was mulling over it and offered little insight about her own thoughts. Now, it was clear that Alice’s hand was played too early, and all chips were on the other player’s side, who was ready to flaunt and hold them as long as she could.

The woman, even if she didn’t know what she was really doing, had a good grasp of how Desire worked. Better than some of the Maidens.

The pair’s meetings usually ended when Lady Maria remembered a pending chore or some other task to be done before bed. That morning was no different.

— I must go — Maria said. — We’ll be getting a new batch of wine casks today and I need to wrap up the payment’s details.

— Seems boring — Alice answered.

— Can’t say it isn’t — Maria chuckled.

— Can’t be worse than staying in this bed the whole day — Alice said. — Before you go, can you do me a favor?

— What is it?

— I need something to occupy my mind. A book, perhaps. You don’t imagine how mind-numbingly boring it can get in here — Alice said.

— I’ll see what I can do — Maria said. — Any preferences? Romance, history, poetry?

— Get me a favorite of yours. I’m sure I’ll like it — Alice answered with a smile on her face.

— I’ll think of something good — Maria said.

The madam left, once more leaving Alice by herself.

And if it was before, she would’ve appreciated the time alone, however, there, behind closed curtains and in the shadows of the afternoon, there was no curtain to cover the darkness that loomed within her. Powerless, weakened of mind and body, she had no way to face it. There was no point in facing away, she would soon discover. The void called and, without anyone to muffle it, its voice only became higher and higher. At first, she tried venturing through it, to find the whispers that once lived there. The presence of Lylael, a succubus, could not be felt there anymore. She was Alice’s contracted demon, bound to her in an ancient blood ritual of the Maidens of Desire. Despite their mission to rid the world of such fiends, the Maidens relied on pacts with the creatures to wield powers beyond the domains of man and to strengthen their own fire. In the battle against both their mundane and otherworldly foes, the contracts were one of their greatest weapons.

As a succubus, Lylael gave Alice strong Glamour powers, which included a Glamour Veil that even on death would not come off. Alice knew something was wrong the moment she looked at the mirror and her old self looked back, unveiled. While daylight was still out and quietness ruled the Siren’s Song, she tried using her old meditation techniques to reach out to the door to the Otherworld that lies within each of our minds. It was the closest she had got to the source of the darkness, and it was enough for her to decide to only go back in full strength, with a good ritual in hand.

Edith appeared around noon, with a refilled jar of water and a hardcover book. She found Alice laying in a puddle of sweat, eyes gazing at the ceiling.

— Lady Anne? Are you alright? — the little servant asked, approaching the bed.

Alice came out of the trance and answered with a smile.

— I’m fine.

— I’ve brought you water — Edith said. — We have chicken sandwiches for lunch. Do you want me to fetch you one?

— Hmm, not really. Maybe later. I’m still full from breakfast — Alice said. — What have you got there?

As Edith switched the empty jar of water for the refilled one, Alice gestured towards the book held by her left arm.

— Oh, right — Edith answered. — Lady Maria asked me to bring you this.

She handed Alice the hardback, an ocean blue volume, with golden embossed letters spelling the title. All the Stars in the Sky. The title touched something within her, but Alice couldn’t quite put her finger on it. Quickly flipping through the pages, she could see it was a children’s book, full of drawings of starry night skies and nymphs bathed by moonlight. Written by hand, the black letters popped out from the tan paper in smooth curves and hard edges. They danced as eyes passed over them.

A bit of sunlight came through the curtains, although not enough for a good read, Alice observed. She could turn on the gaslamp, but the orangey, dim light was not of her pleasure. When she noticed Edith had left, Alice left the book on the bed.

She made the effort to raise her upper body and sit on the mattress’ border. Her legs felt much stronger, pretty much already as good as they were. The problem was still the recovering wound. It had made a lot of progress, but as soon as she started to support herself with her feet, a wave traveled through her body until it reached her chest and made it feel like it was bursting open. Calmly, she controlled her breath. A deep inhale. A soft exhale. She touched her own source, away from the shadows. It was getting stronger each day, but she had no need for raw power. Like barely opening a sink to let a trickle through, she drew from the source just enough to cast a weaker version of Heartfire Armor. If she let the heat irradiate, it would have no effect. Projecting her body into her mind’s eye, Alice visualized how energy flowed through it and, like a sculptor, shaped it until it concentrated around her chest.

The pain had gone away almost in its entirety. Alice waltzed around the room, enjoying the touch of the warm floorboards on her feet. Her sky blue camisole flowed alongside her movements and, as she approached the window, the sunlight made it see-through, exposing the bandages underneath. She raised her arms, which made a sharp pain pop up on the wound, even through the armor, and made the curtains run all the way through their silver rod. The early afternoon light took over the room and made it shine in bright wood color. She considered leaving a tiny gap open in the window, but making actual effort with arms did not seem like a good idea. She just left her hands on the stool and closed her eyes, letting the sun bathe her.

It was in that very short window of time that footsteps quickly approached. Before Alice could even understand the sound, the approaching turned into a knock on the door. It was that kind of rhetoric knock, where the person at the door doesn’t really care about the consent of who’s in the room, they are just announcing their arrival.

Two girls appeared from behind the door. They were dressed similarly to the two peeking women from the other day. One, a blonde girl whose wavy hair went all the way to her elbows, wore an open green robe, decorated with golden serpents, over a black bodysuit. The other looked a bit tomboyish at first, with her jet black pixie haircut and stern expression, but her black nightdress, under a translucent gray dressing gown, accented her generous curves.

— Oh my, you’re walking already! — The blonde said.

Quickly, Alice went to sit on the bed, toning down her Heartfire Armor at each step. She landed on the mattress right as she felt her legs shaking. It was better to avoid another touching incident.

— I was just… opening the windows. The madam got me a book and I didn’t want to turn on the lamp or call someone for something so meager — Alice said. A drip of sweat ran down her cheek.

— Hey, it’s no problem! I’d come here myself if I could. Maybe I can get you a ringing bell just for me… — the blonde said. She had already barged into the room and sat right beside Alice.

— Your name’s Anne, right? — The brunette, still standing in front of the door. — Sorry about her. She’s been a bit happier than usual now that you’re feeling better, and the madam finally let her visit.

— I was the one that found you! — the other girl was happy to declare with a smile on her face and swinging her legs.

— Oh! — Alice tried to match her excitement. — That would make you… Flora, right?

— Yes! — Flora squeaked. — You know me!

Without a warning, Flora jumped on Alice with her arms open, squeezing her in a tight hug.

— I’m so happy you’re doing well! Ohmygods I was so afraid you’d die, you know, I couldn’t sleep since finding you that way, you are so pretty, ohgods, how can anyone do something like that, I can never forgive them, you’re so beautiful, how would anyone have the courage to hurt you…

Tears poured down her face right into Alice, who, imprisoned in the bear hug, felt like a hammer had dropped in her wound and was about to gasp for air. Her senses went numb from pain and only a stutter came out when she tried to call for help.

— Flora! — The third girl intervened. — She’s still wounded, you’re gonna kill her!

— Ohmygods! — As quick as she had leaned into Alice, Flora released her. The acute pain toned down, but the wound went back to burning like hell. Alice stood still, holding her chest and catching her breath.

— I’m so sorry, so sorry, so sorry! — Flora said.

— It’s okay… — Struggling, Alice opened her eyes and tried to reassure the girl. Such words didn’t have much effect when its deliverer was nearly passing out.

While Flora went down on her knees, the black-haired girl was quick to react. She went to the bedside table and picked up the bottle with the viscous liquid. She took it to Alice alongside a cup of water.

— Here. Drink it — she said.

Alice was quick to gulp it down. The medicine was bitter and acidic, making her insides burn as it ran down her throat. It was always followed by an impulse to vomit, which she treated by downing the entire glass of cold water in one go. The analgesic effect was fast, and while the bitter taste still settled in her mouth, she started to feel a relief coming from within. At least she was able to breathe.

— I thought… I thought I had killed you — Flora immediately started to bawl.

— Come on, Flora. Despite your best effort, she’ll be fine. You just pressed her wound a bit.

— I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to — Flora said between sobs.

— Sorry for disturbing your rest. When the madam told us we could see you, Flora jumped from her seat. She didn’t mean any harm. Considering the way she found you, she’s just really happy about your recovery— the brunette said. — We all are, although our enthusiasm can’t really compare to hers.

— Haha, can’t say I was expecting it — Alice said under her weak breath. She went up the bed, letting her legs rest straight as she supported herself with her arms. The brunette picked up the wooden chair from near the basin and placed it right in front of the bedside table, where she sat.

— I’m Miranda, by the way — she said while sitting down. — One of the house’s mistresses, as you’ve probably guessed.

This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

— I’m a mistress too! — Flora exclaimed. — We were together the night we found you, working in front of the house. Some guy tried dragging me to the alley… but Mira here arrived with Fletcher and sent him flying! That was when I saw you…

— Fletcher’s our security guy — Miranda complemented.

— Heard about him. The madam told me the story — Alice said.

The girls exchanged looks. Miranda had a more stern face and her expression didn’t let much out, but Alice could see the dance of Flora’s facelines. Her eyes widened, her lips trembled and retreated. In silence, they talked about something.

— You want me to tell you about it but the madam has forbidden you from asking, right? — Alice said.

— Well… — Miranda stuttered.

— Yeah! — Flora answered.

Alice laughed at her honesty. With those girls in her room, she couldn’t help but remember her time at the abbey, surrounded by girls her age. At nights, they would sneak into each other’s rooms and drink stolen wine until dawn, gossiping about their tutors and whoever wasn’t there. All hidden from the Mistress.

— She’s not here, is she? You can ask me all you want.

Miranda gave her an awkward smile.

— I’m not sure we should — she said.

— Do you want to? — Alice asked. — If you do, then who cares about should or shouldn’t?

Miranda bit her lip and looked down. She was obviously enticed, but it seemed that the madam had a good grasp on them. It was a good strategy of hers, cultivating honesty and confidence in her girls. Alice could just keep talking and force them to listen, it’s just that there would be no fun in that. She had to win.

Flora eyes kept switching targets. Although she appeared to possess the same sense of obedience towards Lady Maria, she was definitely easier to bend. All that she needed was Miranda’s validation.

— Tell us, then — Miranda said. — Who did this to you, Anne?

Alice faced down and sighed. She had been a little too manipulative and felt she needed a way to tone herself down. The story was already in her head. It was no hard task to come up with one: she imagined the sort of theories that were whispered around. A girl, naked and bloodied on an alley didn’t leave much room for doubt. Not in the Windies. Some of them were lucky, had their own little room in a house like Maria’s. Had their own Fletcher. But most were on their own, walking alone under the cold night and accepting whatever coin came their way, didn’t matter from who. Sometimes the guy didn’t have the money he said had, or maybe just felt like being an asshole. With no protection, that’s how the girls awoke in the gutter, alive only if they were lucky. Alice’s lie was already halfway told, even without her speaking a word.

— I had a customer. I had seen him before. In the warehouse, where I got most of my clients. It’s always the same guys approaching me, but more than once I saw him looking at me. Then, that night, he finally got the courage to come and talk to me. Showed me the coin without me even asking — Alice said.

— He was clearly nervous. Said he had a family. Most of them do, as you probably know. He genuinely seemed to feel guilty, though, so I wasn’t really intimidated by him. He said he wanted a private place and that there was a nice, cheap inn a few streets down. I just went along with it. Yet another night of work.

— We never reached that inn. I doubt it even existed. We went deep into the streets, walked along a path of abandoned warehouses and all the sorts of forsaken places you can find here. Was I scared? Not really. When you’re at the low end of our line of work, you get used to being taken to that kind of place. Empty houses where they can do anything to you. We got into a dark corner, where I could barely see anything. I don’t remember every detail, but he got violent very quickly. Grabbed my wrist, slapped me around. I was going to just close my eyes and let him have his way of me, until I saw the fucking knife in his hand. I didn’t see the moment he grabbed it. It sent a chill down my spine and I started to struggle, trying to get away from his grasp. But he already held a tight grip on me. I couldn’t do anything. No one would care about my screams. He used the knife to rip off my clothes, all of it. I knew he wouldn’t stop there.

A tear came running down Alice’s face. Both the girls had been listening carefully, with serious looks on their faces.

— I think the panic just took over my body — Alice continued. — I don’t even remember how it went. I just… somehow broke free from him, without getting cut. I think I may have hit him hard enough to stun him for a few seconds. It was enough for me to start running. I didn’t care about anything, I just wanted to escape. I tried knocking on doors, but the bastard had really taken me to a place where everything was abandoned. Or maybe people just didn’t care…

— And I didn’t even scream… My mind just didn’t think of it, I guess. I was focused on running and getting somewhere. But… it can get messy with all the alleys, stairs, thin streets, whatever. I didn’t really know where I was and he probably was way more used to it than me, if he chose it as his spot. Despite getting a good head start, he had found me, and he was going to get me.

— I had already seen the lights of this street. Heard the voices. If I had just found my way here earlier… or, I don’t know, screamed. He managed to grab me right as I entered the alley. From the look on his face, he probably was in a panic too, having let his victim escape. I don’t know what he was trying to do, handle me in some way or another, but as his left hand grabbed my fist, his right one held the knife that pierced me right here — Alice placed her hand below her chest.

— Have you ever wondered how trash feels when we throw it around? I hadn’t either, but, after what happened, I thought about it. It’s probably something like what I felt then. He immediately realized that he had fucked up. The knife came out and my blood started to pour out. I was in shock. No reaction. He watched me tremble, trying to place my hand on the wound. He didn’t even say anything before running away. Or maybe he did. All I know is that my mind was focused on survival. I fell to the ground, scratching my knees. I must have blacked out not much long after. The last thing I remember is just… wanting to survive, you know? I think that’s how I ended up closer to the other end of the alley. I don’t remember it, but with my last strength, perhaps, I dragged myself towards the light and the voices.

— And that was where I found you… — Flora whispered. She rested her left hand over Alice’s and looked at her with reddened eyes. — I’m so sorry… how could I have not noticed it? I was so close to you…

Alice smiled and, with a single finger, dried off the second tear she had managed to produce.

— It’s not your fault. Trust me — Alice reassured her.

While Flora had gotten emotional and closer to the girl she knew as Anne, Miranda had listened in silence. She remained taciturn, not showing any particular reaction to the story. A good time after the room went quiet and her distancing stood out, she phased back in, stuttering words of assurance.

— Uh… Thank the gods we were quick to rescue you — she said. — It was certainly a close call. We could almost thank the guy that was bothering Flora.

The three shared an awkward chuckle. To lighten up the mood a bit, Alice started to ask the pair, with questions mostly directed at Flora, who she had seen as more amiable and open to talking, about their lives in The Siren’s Song. The blonde girl's easy-goingness matched her enthusiasm for the job. Most women ended up in that life due to necessity, but Alice doubted that, if Flora had the choice, she’d pick anything else. She viewed the work as an excuse to always get dressed and try her best to look good, wear the best clothing and perfumery, buy potions, ointments and creams to keep the youth in her face. The actual service done was nothing more than a small nuisance. It could even be good, sometimes.

Miranda hardly shared the same excitement. She put in the effort, and her natural good looks helped her get ahead of the competition, but you could never say that she enjoyed it. Like many others, she had probably gotten into it for the easy coin. Someone must have told her that men pay a lot for a beauty like her. If she had any other plans within her, they must have been washed away long ago. The sound of broken dreams was clear when she muttered about life as a mistress.

They left around three o’clock. Something about philosophy lessons. Lady Maria was not lying about the education, Alice observed.

Not much later, Edith arrived with the chicken sandwich and a glass of fresh grape juice. During the remainder of the afternoon, which proved to be peaceful, Alice slowly ate her meal while reading the book that was lent to her.

It was a child’s tale, of a girl that was told by her father that her deceased mother had turned into a star. During one night, the girl escaped to the lake near her house, where a reflection of the sky’s image lived. A nymph that inhabited the waters felt sorry for the girl and told her that the path towards the stars did not begin there, but she would help her find it. The pair ended up encountering a great hollow tree with a magic bridge inside. The bridge went all the way up towards the sky and spiraled among the stars, letting a wanderer reach all of them if they had the will to. The girl and the nymph started to visit the shining spots, meeting the souls of dead people. They met kings, prophets, sages and a great miscellaneous of people, each with a lesson to give, but there was no sign of the girl’s mother. They kept walking along the bridge and at each step the light from the stars became scarcer. At the end of it, when all that remained was the darkness of the night, they found a man living in what he called a “dark star”.

He said that he didn’t know who he was. The world had forgotten him, all he once knew had long gone away, so why should he keep remembering it?

He did not know where the girl’s mother had gone to. All that he knew, said himself, was that not all of them decided to leave their souls burning atop a star. Once in a while, someone had a thought which they saw as original and leaped to the bridge, looking for a new path in their afterlives. Lots of them ended up there, in the dark star, and when they saw it, they decided to get back to their own stars and shut up about everything forever. However, he said, it was fabled that not all paths end up there. Maybe, in an even rarer event, someone actually found a road with meaning and would not be seen among the stars ever again.

The girl and the nymph went back and descended to the great hollow tree, defeated. All that he wished, the girl said, was that the nymph walked her back to bed and sang a lullaby to her. The nymph, with tears in her eyes, agreed. She picked up the girl and laid her in her arms. Her soft, beautiful voice soared through the quiet night, and it was said that her chant echoed in the dreams of every man alive. The girl had seen too much of a world that was not hers, and to let her return would be to risk the fragile balance of the two sides of a mirror. Together, they submerged into the lake, where, every night, the stars went to visit.

The madam did not appear for breakfast the next day. Edith brought the tray with all the goodies and, when she returned to pick up the dishes, changed the bandages. There was no note or message delivered, like there usually was when Lady Maria missed their little morning meet-up. The day didn’t bring any other news, either. Alice imagined that she would at least appear to pick up the book.

Another day broke and, again, Edith was the one that took the breakfast to her. No message. Something was wrong.

Alice waited until after her bandages were changed. She listened to the servant girl’s footsteps closely as she moved away from the room. She would need some freedom. In a rush, Alice poised herself up and stood in a sitting position. The Heartfire Armor, focused on her chest, was easy to put up. She had practiced it well. Carefully, Alice went to the door and slowly turned the knob, reducing the noise as much as she could. There was a trick or two to make it silent, but she didn’t have the energy to spare. Like a sore thumb, her head popped up into the corridor from the slightly opened door. She had picked a good time: no one was there to stop her. Barefooted, she stepped into the hallway. It had the same woodworks as the room, floorboards of darkened, royal wood that became alive when sunlight hit it. The decoration was modest, but of good-taste. The plants provided a good color contrast, while all sorts of paintings were hung on the walls. Both sides of the corridor had four doors. Each one of them was a room, Alice imagined. To the left, the path ended in a staircase to the lower floor, which probably was the main hall. To the right, the corridor ended in a curve, leading to more rooms.

She went towards the staircase. It would be a sure way to get to know more about the place. In light footsteps she walked, wary about waking up any of the girls. When she arrived at the top of the stairs, Alice saw that the floor continued in front of her. A mezzanine, about ten feet over the floor, had been built overseeing the main hall and it covered an entire wall. It had a short breadth, so the tables were spread in a single line, with a small bar at the left end. That extension was probably the reason that the chatter, during some nights, seemed to be happening on the same floor. Standing by the railing, she could look downwards and see the whole extension of the hall downstairs. Tables of the same kind as upstairs, made of walnut, were organized in a uniform pattern around four pillars and populated most of the view. Right where the staircase ended, a counter began, much bigger than the one above. Behind it, there was what could only be an entrance to the kitchen, guarded behind a double door that never seemed to stay closed. Even then, hours before service started, the Song was effervescent.

What truly captured the eye though, was the hanging chandelier, fully in view from the second floor. Alice had some experience with ballrooms, lavish religious buildings and lord’s houses, still, the brothel’s stood out even amongst those. It was a intertwinement of gold and silver, with candles where the metals joined. Even on the modest afternoon illumination, without the candlelight, it had a glamorous shine to it.

From above, the servants looked like ants, going about their day in fast, synchronized fashion. They never bumped into each other nor stayed idle for long. Alice looked for a boss, someone that kept the orchestra running by shouting orders here and there. There was no one. It was like watching a well-oiled machine running on full power.

— Looking good.

Too absorbed by the movement, Alice didn’t notice the approaching steps. She turned and crossed eyes with Lady Maria, who was leaning on the door frame that separated the mezzanine from the corridor. She wore the same flowered black garb as in the first time Alice saw her. The stems were drawn in bright silver, which complemented the color of the madam’s hair.

— Madam… Didn’t see you coming — Alice said, flustered. What’s happening to me? She thought.

— I imagined I’d find you lurking around as soon as you could — Lady Maria said as she approached Alice. — What did you think about the book?

The woman smiled at Alice and pulled two chairs from a table. As she sat in one of them, she gestured towards the other.

— Let’s sit down a bit. You shouldn’t be standing for too long.

Alice nodded and sat on the chair, facing the madam.

— So? What’s your opinion on the book?

— Oh, right — Alice said. — Well, it was not what I had expected when I asked for one. It was not very long, so, since free time was not lacking for me, I’ve read it enough times to digest it.

— I didn’t know what you expected, so I didn’t want to burden you with a heavier read — Maria said. — The beauty about my pick, I think, is that, although short, the prose has a lot to unpack. I imagine you think so too, considering you’ve ended up reading it many times.

— I do — Alice answered. — The words are clear, as they should be in a child’s tale, but there’s just something in it… Something ethereal, that makes you feel like you’re dreaming when you truly get immersed into it. When I think about what the book really offers, I’m not thinking about hidden meanings, parallels with something else or whatever. No matter how you look at it, you should be seeing it for what it is: the story of a girl seeking for her dead mother among the stars. What’s there to be understood is all hidden within the characters. In their choice of words, their reactions and how their feelings are expressed to the world. It’s beautiful, really, but also… sad.

Lady Maria looked at her, intrigued. After seconds of silence, she smiled.

— You’re a smart girl, Anne — the madam said. — And you make no effort to hide it. Perhaps you should.

Something felt wrong in Alice’s gut.

— Do you remember what I told you? About the power we can exert? There’s some very important details to it — Maria said. — You should be invisible and you should never bite more than you can chew.

The madam’s voice became lower and more incisive. She moved her neck forward, approaching Alice. The girl had no reaction.

— What do you think would happen if, someday, the Minister of War came into my room and, without ceremony, I showed how much smarter than him I was and made no reservations about manipulating him?

— He’d kill you — Alice answered.

— He’d kill me — Maria nodded. — When you play this game, it’s not about being the smartest one in the room. It’s about being the last one standing. Come in thinking you’re the better one, trying to play other people like you do chess pieces, and you’ll end up with a knife on your back the moment you turn around. To play men like the fiddle they are, you must first lower their guard and win their confidence. You, Anne, are in dire need of this lesson.

— Me and the girls… I see them as family — Maria continued. — And I’m certain they see me as theirs too. You may find it funny, considering our line of business, and think that at any opportunity they would take my place, but there’s confidence between us. A confidence forged throughout years. Do you think that anyone can come here and test it?

Alice held her breath. She couldn’t show any sign of weakness. With her lips tightened, she kept facing Maria with a cold gaze.

— I know about your story — Maria said. — I imagine that once you heard that I had forbidden the girls from bothering you with it, the idea of testing them appeared instantly to you. You probably had been thinking about that already, considering the confidence in which you offered me your services. There must be a whole plan cooking in your head.

Despite the inflammatory words, Lady Maria maintained a smile, one of almost mockery. Alice tried matching her, but couldn’t fully hide the true feelings behind it. The madam seemed to catch every failure of hers, her eyes becoming narrower as she scanned the girl’s face.

— But, well, due to that little play of yours, I’ve got my story a little earlier than what I had envisioned. Although, I’m not sure if I like it in its current state.

— What do you mean? — Alice asked.

— You see, when I told you about the night we found you abandoned to die, I, perhaps accidentally, ended up omitting a little fact — Maria said. — It was true that, when we went back to the alley, there was nothing to see there other than pools of blood, but, when we got back, the doctor was the one who had made a discovery.

— You held something in a very tight grip. So tight that Fletcher was the one to release it from you. Do you remember what it was?

— No — Alice said without skipping a beat.

— It was a piece of white cloth. Torn.

— I must have ripped it off from my assailant’s clothing, then — Alice said. — If the story was passed on correctly, you must know that there was a struggle. I probably ripped off a piece of his clothing and just didn’t notice it while running for my life.

Maria chuckled.

— Please. If I were you, I’d refrain from stitching up the original tale — the madam said. — If I had heard your story before taking my conclusions, maybe I’d have more doubts, but, once I had a good look at it, I had a clear view of its origins. The material, the quality… The details spoke for themselves. I had a guess and, soon, other people confirmed it for me. We concluded that the cloth clearly was from the cloak of a member of the Church’s Fist, our good friends defenders of Temperance.

Alice’s face twitched.

— And, since you were knocked out, all I was left with was my imagination. You have a hole in your chest and held a ripped-off piece of a soldier’s uniform; surely, a man of the Church’s Fist had done this to you. If I had interrogated you as soon as you came to, I’d probably get the same story you told the girls, maybe something less elaborate. You’d be afraid. They hurt you once, why wouldn’t they come back to finish the job, especially if you went around denouncing them for an assault? I insisted on not asking you about it, and not letting the girls do it too, to let you rest and feel safer, safe enough to tell the truth about who attacked you.

— Despite that, I received a lie anyway — Maria joined her fingers and supported her chin on them. Her mouth softened and her eyes assumed a worried look. — I can’t come here and judge you for it or presume your reasons. You have tried to manipulate us and you certainly have ulterior motives, offering to work for me as quickly as you could, but, still, maybe you’re just afraid. We’d do anything to survive, wouldn’t we?

Alice felt her forehead covered in cold sweat. Below the table, she shaked her right leg, anxious. She poised herself with her elbows on the wood, leaning forward. Slowly, the words came out.

— Since you have it all figured out, why don’t you just throw me out? — Alice asked.

The madam crossed her legs and moved back onto the chair, supporting her back. She made a thinking gesture with one arm, while the other held its elbow.

— I don’t feel like I’ve got everything figured out — Maria answered. — I’ve got you cornered, sure, but right now, you’d just say anything to keep alive. My only interest is in the truth. If I have to keep you around a bit longer to get to it, I will do so gladly.

— Why do you care so much? — Alice asked.

— Oh, don’t worry — Maria said, smirking. — I have my reasons. If you behave, maybe you’ll find out eventually.

The women stood still, facing each other. The hold that Lady Maria had on the situation was tangible. Alice felt like a puppet. She had no idea about the woman’s reasoning or what she intended to do; even after the cold confrontation, Alice couldn’t tell if she was malicious or not. There was no excuse to justify a violent way out.

And then there’s this fucking wound.

— I think we are done here — Lady Maria said. — For now.

— What should I do? — Alice bit her lower lip while speaking in a meager voice. She looked towards the ground, avoiding the madam’s dark blue eyes.

— Go back to your room — Maria said while getting up from the chair. — We’ll continue later.

She stepped towards the exit, suddenly stopping on the moment she crossed the door frame.

— Are you still willing to offer me your services? — Lady Maria said. — If you want to keep your nice room, then you’ll have to work for it. Do be aware that this is no shithole. My girls are the best and I intend to keep it that way. I’ll give you a chance, but you have to prove you’re worth it.

Alice turned and faced the woman.

— Do you want to see me eating from your hand? — She asked.

— Absolutely — Maria said. — Until I get what I want from you, you’ll be mine.