I stepped closer and peered through. Inside, an elf sat slumped against the wall, her skin scarred and broken. The wounds were raw reminders of the abuse she'd endured here.
"We're sorry the product is slightly damaged," he said with an awkward laugh. "As I told you already, sir, this one's quite feisty, and it was difficult to tame her. That's why we had to resort to some… unsavory methods. Unfortunately, it left her skin marked. But don't worry—it doesn't affect her value."
The way he said it made me want to smash his teeth in. Damaged product? That's what he called her? Just another thing to be bought and sold.
Artemis stood quietly at my side, but I didn't need to look at her to know what she was feeling. She was the princess of the Elven Kingdom, the future queen of her people. Hearing this filth talk about one of her kind—about her people—like that, as if they were just meat to be broken and sold, must have been tearing her apart inside.
