Her duty was clear. The first day of the events within the Conclave mostly involved mingling, as the actual ceremonies didn’t take place until the end of the week. One of the last joining ceremonies was the ones for the slaves. After the ceremonies concluded, most of the dragons returned to their villages.

Nia’s body was clearly showing signs of exhaustion. She had been reading the cards and bones and performing all manner of prophesying for Damien lately. It had been ten years since she had had a break and a chance to just be herself. From the time she awoke until she drifted off to sleep, Nia did as Damien wished. He would make them stop and allow her the chance to eat and rest. Trying to show the others that he cared for her deeply. Nia didn’t like the friendly version of Damien. She much rather would have the darker side, at least that side she knew what she was getting.

Her exhaustion was due more to the influx of requests lately.

Seeing the future or flashes of it could be tiring. If the dark circles underneath her ocean-blue eyes were any indication, it was quite clear that she hadn’t had a decent amount of sleep in ages. It was forbidden to make any changes. She only pulled the sides of her hair up and away so that they wouldn’t get in her face.

Her clothing options for the week weren’t of her choosing. They never were. Nia preferred to be more modest than she was forced to be at present. It wasn’t that Nia didn’t like the silks and satin; she did. She just didn’t constantly want to be in dresses or skirts. The clothing was always far too opulent for her tastes. She wanted simple, yet he draped her in things fit for a queen.

Laid out on her bed was tonight’s choice of clothing. Sighing, the busty woman slipped into the barely-there lingerie and then a soft burgundy satin dress. It had a bit of a cinched top that always seemed to accentuate what some thought was her best asset. The skirt was full, long, and flowed nicely when she walked.

The makeup placed upon Nia made her look like a glow stick. For one long moment, Nia only closed her eyes and wished she could be someone else. That she could just be her. That would never happen. Not unless something changed, and nothing ever did.

Ever.

The knock on her door had her frowning before she fixed a fake smile on her face. She could do this. Nia had to do this.

She had to survive and hope that she could make it through a year without being a slave to someone.

Upon hearing the knock, Nia opened the door. Closing the door behind her as she stepped over the threshold. Guards escorted her until she arrived at the Conclave.

There had been a time that she had run, and, well, they didn’t want that to happen. All doors to the There were rooms aplenty for everyone that showed up, and frequently some extra ones. The food was always around, and people didn’t think anything of it.

She found herself locked in a giant mansion with all the dragons of the Chromatic Kinfolks. As a dragonless, Nia feared for her only safety. She was vulnerable. Not that she had the desire to. Instead, she simply had to touch them to know their futures.

Even now, she could feel a headache encroaching, and it was only going to get worse.

The shove that forced her to enter the Conclave caused her to trip. Nia gripped the nearest thing she could to steady herself. What she had thought was supposed to be a railing felt far too soft and unyielding to be the handrail or the wall.

Turning her eyes to the scene, she realized that she had stumbled into someone literally. Nia had grown to learn the names of everyone in the Clan, children included, and this was someone she didn’t know.

Her gift flared the moment she touched him, and she was trapped, drawn like a moth to a flame. Her mind’s eye was spinning and whirling with everything that was going on. Flashes of color dotted her vision. Blood, death, and pain. It was almost too much for her mind to handle and set her body on edge. She hated these visions. The ones where people had to die, and she was forced to watch helplessly.

Nia tried to regain her focus by pulling away from him and scrambling as far as she could get. Around her, the world started to fade in and out as she felt the images assault her mind once more. She didn’t recognize the man, but that meant nothing. There were a lot of dragons that would show up to be newly received into the clan. It was his bloody thoughts that shook her.

“Nia!”

That voice was going to be the one she would have to hear all week. Moving towards the sound of the voice being yelled, the young woman realized that she had completely zoned out.

Shaking out of her stupor, Nia didn’t even bother to see if the man was still there.

The voice that had called to her was one that she couldn’t hide. Nia had to go when he called or risk the consequences of his ire.

“Yes, m’lord?”

There. She had remembered to keep her voice quiet and meek.