Empire of Blood

III

The loud screams of a man woke Milan up from her deep slumber. She stirred on the hard mattress before quickly sitting upright after remembering the happenings of the previous night. She groaned at the bruised pain in her body but felt relieved after noticing that her outfit had not been removed from her body. However, her relief was short-lived as she quickly noticed she was locked in some sort of cell. Despite her body’s cries, she jumped out of the bed and limped towards the door.

It was dark and smelly and she noticed that she was the only person present in the cell rooms. Or so she thought.

“You’re finally awake,” a familiar voice came from beside the cell door, making Milan shriek as she jumped away from the door in fear. The owner of the voice stepped out from the dark corner and walked towards a petrified Milan. Milan recognized her as the woman who had urged her to go back home the previous night.

“Sorry about the cell, we didn’t have any rooms available,” she said in her deep foreign accent. Milan quickly shook her head, not knowing how to respond.

She suddenly remembered the man from the previous night and her body shook from fear.

“Don’t worry,” the woman began, understanding what was going through Milan’s mind without her having to voice her thoughts, “he won’t be able to hurt you anymore.”

Milan felt relief wash throughout her body. “Thank you,” she said, not entirely sure what she was thanking the stranger before her for.

The stranger nodded before she held open the door of the cell and motioned for Milan to follow.

“W-Who are you?” Milan asked the woman once they had finally walked out of the long and dark prison that contained the small cells.

“My name is Alia Omarov.”

“Omarov,” Milan repeated. “Are you from Russia?”

The woman rolled her eyes at the younger girl’s question but politely responded none-the-less, “No, I am from Kazakhstan.”

“Oh,” was all Milan could say in response, feeling guilty as if she had offended Alia.

Alia suddenly chuckled, causing Milan to look up at her.

“Don’t look so down, Sweetie,” she said with another small laugh, “people confuse my ethnicity all the time. I am used to it now.”

Milan simply nodded, feeling glad she hadn’t offended the woman but also awkward. Her whole life, the only people she had ever had contact with were her family members, which consisted of only her father and her aunt, the helpers in her house and Leon’s family. Her father didn’t have many friends and those that he did didn’t have children Milan’s age. As for school, Milan had been home schooled and personally taught everything she needed to know by her Aunt Camilla. She never met anyone her age before. Even Leon, who was her only friend, was a few years older than her.

“What is your name?” Alia suddenly asked. Milan looked confused for a second before she realized she had never given her name to the stranger.

“I’m so sorry,” she apologized, not entirely sure why she did, “my name is Milan Mancini.”

Milan could have sworn she saw Alia’s eyes widen but before she could make anything of it, Alia smiled at her before she opened up a door that lead them to a large kitchen. She quickly put together a sandwich before she gave it to Milan.

“I hope you like cheese,” she said as she placed the plate down.

The moment the sandwich was placed before her, Milan’s stomach growled. She hadn’t realized how hungry she actually was until that moment.

“Thank you,” she said before she took a large bite of the bread.

“So tell me,” Alia said after a few moments of silence, “what were you doing out on the streets that late at night?”

Milan gulped loudly before she looked down at her empty plate, trying desperately to hide the tears that hard formed.

When she didn’t receive an answer from the young girl, Alia spoke once again.

“Would you like to use my phone to contact your parents?”

This time Milan couldn’t help it, the tears began to drop down.

Alia didn’t say anything despite seeing the younger girl cry. She simply handed her a few tissues and then silently watched her.

Once Milan finished crying, Alia continued on with her questioning. However, realizing that Milan’s family situation was a sensitive topic, she steered clear and instead asked: “Do you have anywhere to stay?”

Milan wiped her face before she shook her head. “No.”

Alia sighed before she left Milan alone in the kitchen. Confused, Milan just sat in the spot she was left in until Alia returned.

And moments later, Alia did return. However, she was not alone.

“This is the girl, Elenora,” she said to the older woman beside her.

The woman, Elenora, walked towards Milan with hawk-like eyes. She was a big woman, tall and round. Had a young child seen her, the child would be reduced to tears from fear. Although her overall appearance wasn’t one that would make others turn the other way, her impression wasn’t the friendliest. Milan felt like a naked ant underneath her discerning gaze.

“How old are you?” Elenora asked, as she looked Milan up and down.

“I’ll be fourteen in a few weeks.”

Alia’s eyes widened at the response. Although Milan had a baby-face, her body was mature for her age. She was still growing but she was at a modelesque height and her body shape made her seem like a young woman who had just entered adulthood. That was far from the truth however and Milan was still a new teenager.

“You’re a bit young but we have many clients who are interested in the younger girls. You’re a virg—”

“No!” Before Elenora could even finish what she was saying, Alia rushed in front of Milan and blocked her from Elenora’s view. Milan didn’t really understand what Elenora had been talking about, but she had been feeling very uncomfortable under her hawk-like gaze so she was thankful that Alia was covering her. “She is too young!”

“Then why bring her here?” Elenora glared at Alia. “You know about our business here.”

“I didn’t know she was so young,” Alia said through clenched teeth. “I will not let her join the business.”

“Then take her away, she has no business here.”

Alia and Elenora stared at one another for a short period of time, neither of them uttering a word.

“How about this,” Alia suddenly sighed, “let her stay with me, without having her work, and I will give you sixty percent of my earnings.”

Elenora seemed shocked for a moment before a sly grin grew on her face.

“You sure you want to do that? Once we sign up on it, you cannot undo it.”

Alia turned to look at Milan before another sigh escaped her lips upon seeing the frightened and confused look on the young girl’s face.

“I am sure,” Alia confirmed. “She will stay under my wing. No one is allowed to touch or even talk to her until she is of age.”

Elenora looked from Alia to the young girl before she enthusiastically nodded.

“Deal.”

And with that one word, the lives of both Alia and Milan had changed.