15. Fire.
Katarina.
I slowly walk down the stairs, more nervous than I've felt in a long time. It's a different kind of nervous. Nerves that make me feel vulnerable and also exposed, something completely new to me.
Demyan and Killian are waiting for me at the bottom of the stairs, Killian with his inscrutable expression and Demyan with a glow of satisfaction at the sight of my outfit. The dress I wear is short, of a shimmering silver that molds to every curve of my body. I wanted to take a coat, but the girl who helped me with my makeup made it clear that Demyan would not allow me to. I am an object waiting to be bought and, in order to be bought, I must be on display.
"Remember," Demyan tells me when I get to him, "when Boris asks you to go to Scarlatta, don't agree right away. From
