Captives (25 page)

“Oh, Shaylinn! You’re not here to talk about a surgery. Fortune, no!” Tyra chuckled and reached across her desk for a roll of white plastic. “These are just some simple InstaWraps. You seem to have a slow metabolism, and these will burn away the extra fat, tone your muscles, and remove toxins so your body will be healthier too. I’m also going to get you on a special diet so we can keep the weight off. I think you’ll be very pleased with the results.”

Shaylinn didn’t like the sound of the word
burn.
“Will it hurt?”

“Not at all,” Tyra said. “Stand up.”

Shaylinn slowly pushed back the polka-dotted chair and stood. Tyra grabbed the hem of Shaylinn’s shirt and rolled it up, baring her belly.

Shaylinn gasped. “What are you doing?”

“Showing you how to apply the wrap. Now, these are very advanced and quite expensive, but while you’re in the harem, they’re free.” Tyra pulled off the top layer from the roll of plastic, which left her holding a rectangular sheet about the size of a pillowcase. “This is what you’ll be using. Once you get the backing off, all you have to do is press the moist side against your skin.” Tyra peeled off a plastic layer. “Ready? It’s going to be a little cold.”

Shaylinn nodded and lifted her arms. As the wrap was pressed to her belly, she tensed against the coldness, but it was uncomfortable for only a moment.

Tyra began to smooth it over Shaylinn’s skin. “You can do more than one at a time if you have help. The wraps need to stay smooth against your skin. No wrinkles or bubbles, okay?”

“What do they do?” Shaylinn asked.

“The formula on the wrap absorbs into your skin and speeds up the cells in your body—the fat cells shrink down like you’ve been exercising for a month. Now, I want you to do some other things for me daily. A half hour in the sauna to keep your metabolism going—but if you become pregnant, the saunas will have to stop.” Tyra reached onto her desk and grabbed a few thin cylinders. “These are SkinnySticks —you can use them as little touch-ups on places where you need a little more toning, or, Fortune forbid, in places where there was a bubble in the wrap and the fat didn’t burn completely. Also, drink lots and lots of water. Follow the diet I’m going to give you, and eat smaller meals, and more frequently.”

Tyra quickly wrapped Shaylinn’s arms then fetched what she called a compression jacket. “This will hold the wraps in place while you wear them. They only require twenty minutes, but you can wear them longer. Some women sleep in leg or neck wraps because it’s more comfortable. I’m also going to give you a face mask so you can wrap your chin and neck.”

Shaylinn had to remove her shirt to put on the compression jacket so that the jacket would fit tightly. But she was able to put her shirt on over it—which was a small relief.

“You’ll likely see a major difference in just a few days,” Tyra said. “Especially if you start exercising and eating well.”

Tyra sent Shaylinn home with enough wraps for the next two weeks.

She showed them to Mia on the car ride back to the harem, whispering so Ewan couldn’t hear.

But Mia leaned toward Ewan and practically screamed, “Did you hear that? Shay is finally going to be skinny.” She turned back to Shaylinn. “Just think—if we’d never come here, you would have stayed chubby and plain forever. Now you’re going to look so amazing! I wish they could do implants and acne treatments as quickly as body wraps. I’m so jealous. We have to go out tonight and celebrate. Rand said he’d take me and my friends out anytime. What do you say?”

“Who’s Rand?” Shaylinn asked.

“A piano player I met at the entertainment orientation. He promised to introduce me to some professional dancers. Do you remember that man who waltzed with us? Maroz Zerrik?”

“How could I forget?” Shaylinn had relived that dance over and over.

“Well, Rand plays for Maroz’s show.” Mia grabbed Ewan’s arm. “Ewan, didn’t you say you would take me to meet Rand?”

Ewan looked at Shaylinn and fluffed his cloud of hair. “I said I
could.
”

Mia squealed. “I’m going to tap Rand right now.” She removed her Wyndo from her jacket pocket. “I keep forgetting that I can talk to anyone with this. Isn’t it amazing?”

“I forgot mine at the harem,” Shaylinn said, running her hands over her belly. Was she getting thinner right now? She couldn’t tell.

“Someone there?” A man’s picture was moving on Mia’s Wyndo screen.

Mia lifted the Wyndo. “Rand! It’s Mia from the harem.”

“Hay-o, pearly girl. What you doing right now?”

The leer in Rand’s voice made Shaylinn shiver. She listened as Mia made plans to go out to a cab-array, whatever that meant. Shaylinn wasn’t sure how she felt about this Rand guy; but the look on Mia’s face made her wonder if she was worrying over nothing.

By the time Ewan escorted Shaylinn and Mia back to the harem, Jemma, Naomi, and Kendall were eating lunch at the kitchen table in the Blue Diamond Suite.

“Just in time for food!” Naomi said.

Jemma pulled out the chair on her left. “Come sit down, Shay. How was your morning?”

“It was good,” Shaylinn said, thinking she should go remove the wraps to see if she was thinner. “Tyra gave me InstaWraps to help me lose weight.”

“You’re not fat, Shay,” Jemma said. “You’re perfect.”

Sisters were supposed to say things like that. No
man
had ever told Shaylinn she was pretty, much less thin. In fact, several had told her the opposite, including her own father.

Shaylinn unfolded the approved food list Tyra had given her and scanned it. Fruit was the only match she could find on the table. With a deep breath, she took a wedge of melon and nibbled on it.

“My consultation was more than good,” Mia said. “It was ah-mazing. They’re going to get rid of my acne, and perform a breast enhancement.”

Shaylinn’s eyes bulged. Mia had mentioned implants but not the location.

“What on earth do you need implants for, Mia?” Naomi said. “You’re bigger than me, and I’m pregnant!”

Mia simply rolled her eyes. “Look around you. If you want to get noticed, you need more than nice eyes and a decent figure.” She ate a grape. “And I intend to get noticed. I even have a date for tonight.”

“Like in the Old movies where a boy comes by and gives you flowers?” Naomi asked.

“Sort of. But since boys can’t come to the harem, I’m going out.”

“With who?” Kendall asked.

“His name is Rand, and he plays piano for Maroz Zerrik.”

“Maroz has a bad reputation, but so does everyone here,” Kendall said.

“I don’t like you spending time with a Safe Lander,” Jemma said. “How well do you know this piano player?”

“That’s what dates are for, Jemma.” Mia nudged Shaylinn and whispered, “And your sister’s the one who watches all those movies.” She looked back to the group. “He’s taking me to a musical show—I forgot the name—and he said I’d love it.”

“What about Mason?” Jemma asked.

Mia ate another grape. “I could care less about Mason.”

Jemma gasped, but Mia just rolled her eyes.

“How can you go anywhere?” Naomi said. “We’re only allowed to
leave the harem for doctor appointments. And then only with Ewan or some other enforcer glued to our sides.”

“Ewan and Rand are friends,” Mia said. “Ewan’s going to take me to meet him.”

“Then we all should leave!” Jemma said, suddenly excited. “If Ewan isn’t guarding the door, we could get Kendall past the wall and into the outer lands before she goes into labor and—”

“Like that would even work, Jemma,” Mia said. “All this is going to be is a date—Rand and
my
date. If you went, you’d get Ewan in trouble, and then Rand would be mad at me.”

“Mad at
you
?” Jemma said. “They’re going to take Kendall’s baby, Mia. We’ve got to help her.”

“
I
don’t have to do anything.” Mia stood up, grabbed her plate, and walked to her bedroom.

Silence descended over the table.

Jemma jumped up from the table and ran from the suite, headed toward Mia’s mom’s room.

Shaylinn watched the front door swing closed, torn. Jemma was right. They should do all they could to escape. But Shaylinn wanted to give her InstaWraps and SkinnySticks time to work, and she was really looking forward to the cab-array.

Mia’s mom forbade Mia to go out with Rand, so Mia dragged Shaylinn into her room where on Mia’s insistence they tried on their new clothes, parading one outfit after another out into the living room for Jemma, Naomi, and Kendall to see. Shaylinn kept the InstaWraps on and was able to hide them under every outfit. Mia did Shaylinn’s makeup and curled Shaylinn’s hair into bobbing ringlets. When Shay looked in the mirror, she felt … attractive.

She desperately missed Penelope and Nell and hoped they were doing okay in the boarding school. But Shaylinn was actually having fun—with Mia. Maybe they’d become friends.

“That’s the one,” Mia said when Shaylinn had put on a short black strapless dress that flipped out in a full skirt. “Put this over your arm.” She hung a thick purse across Shaylinn’s body, then Mia made her put on a thick, floor-length bathrobe over the dress. “Say nothing.”

Mia likewise put a bathrobe over her hot pink halter dress. She pulled Shaylinn into the living room. “We’re going to get a snack from the kitchen. Anyone want anything?”

“We have snacks in our kitchen,” Naomi said.

“I don’t want those. Since my date was ruined”—she glared hard at Jemma —”I want something special.”

“I was just looking out for you, Mia,” Jemma said. “You seem to forget we’re prisoners here. I don’t want you to get hurt.”

Mia set her hand on her hip. “Do you want something or not? It’s a simple question.”

“No, thank you,” Naomi said.

“Fine.” Mia pulled Shaylinn toward the door. “We’ll be back.”

They walked down the stairs in their bare feet, crossed the harem sitting room, and entered the dark kitchen. One light above the stove and a green emergency exit sign barely lit the room. The chef was gone for the night.

Mia threw off her bathrobe and straightened her skirt. “Give me the purse,” she said.

Shaylinn took off her robe and handed the bag to Mia, who dumped the contents. Two pair of shoes clattered onto the floor.

Mia stepped into the gold heels. “Put on the black ones, and hurry!”

“We’re still going?” Shaylinn asked.

“What do you think? Come on.”

Mia dragged Shaylinn through the emergency exit and into a cold stairwell. A man stood in the darkness, and Shaylinn screamed.

Mia clapped her hand over Shaylinn’s mouth. “It’s just Ewan. Walls, girl!”

When had Mia started saying walls?

“There are no cameras this way,” Ewan said.

He led them down the stairs. Shaylinn couldn’t move very fast in the high heels and trotted after Mia and Ewan, down, down, down.

“Come on!” Mia whispered.

“I’m trying!”

The stairs let out into a large warehouse. Ewan led them through it and out a door where a car was waiting. Mia climbed into the back, Shaylinn got in beside her and sat in the middle, then Ewan jumped in and slammed the door shut.

“The Venetian Room,” Ewan told the driver, then leaned back and put his arm over the back of the seat, behind Shaylinn’s head. He leaned close to Shaylinn, and his hair tickled her face. “Hey, shimmer. You look pretty,” he whispered.

Her eyes flew wide. “I do?”

He let his arm fall around Shaylinn and pulled her against his side. She stiffened and shot Mia a worried glance.

Mia raised her eyebrows as if to say, “Go along with it.”

Shaylinn didn’t really want to go along with it, though. She didn’t know Ewan enough to be so close, and she didn’t like the way his poufy red hair kept itching the side of her face.

“Expect greatness tonight, femmes,” Ewan said. “This show does something for the soul.”

Well, that sounded nice, at least.