Read Online The Jewel by Amy Ewing - Free Book Online

She’s still my Raven. “You look incredible,” I say. “Those earrings must be worth a fortune.”
    â€œIt’s not like I get to keep them. At least you still look like you. How did you convince your prep artist to do that?”
    â€œI didn’t. He chose to make me like this.”
    Raven’s black-lined eyes nearly bug out of her head. “ He? You had a man ?”
    I’ve forgotten that this news would be shocking. Lucien no longer feels like a man to me. He’s just . . . Lucien. “He’s a lady-in-waiting,” I explain.
    Raven looks incredulous. The expressions on her new face are unsettling. “What was he like?”
    â€œHe was . . .” I try to think of the right word. “Kind. He was nice to me. What about you?”
    â€œUgh, I had this ancient woman who probably singlehandedly keeps the makeup factories in business. She was awful.” Raven shudders. “Anyway. It’s over now.”
    â€œHow long have you been here?”
    â€œI don’t know. Maybe five minutes? There weren’t as many girls here then.”
    â€œSo this is the last of us,” I say, glancing around the room.
    â€œYeah. Lots 190 to 200. The jewels of the Auction.” Raven shakes her head. “We look sort of freakish, to be honest. Well, except you.”
    Suddenly, a door on the opposite side of the room opens. An older Regimental with salt-and-pepper hair steps through it.
    â€œLot 190,” he calls. “Lot 190.”
    A waifish girl, in a silver dress that glitters with scales, weaves her way to the door. Her head seems oddly large compared with the thinness of her arms and shoulders. The Regimental gives her a small bow, then turns. She follows him out the door, the scales of her dress tinkling.
    I reach for Raven’s hand as she reaches for mine.
    â€œThis is it,” she says.
    â€œWe’ll see each other again,” I say. “We have to.”
    The door opens again. A different Regimental this time.
    â€œLot 191. Lot 191.”
    A large girl in a black velvet dress and wearing an ornate headdress follows him out. I clutch Raven’s hand so hard it hurts.
    The door opens.
    â€œI’ll never forget you,” Raven says. “I will never forget you, Violet.”
    â€œLot 192. Lot 192.”
    Raven holds her head high and walks proudly through the dwindling crowd of girls and out the door.
    And then she’s gone.
    I feel my insides collapsing and the room seems to swirl around me. I have to remind myself to breathe.
    Raven’s gone.
    My whole body shakes. I never even said good-bye to her. Why didn’t I say good-bye?
    â€œWas she your friend?”
    I start and look down at the girl I saw earlier, the one who was alone in the corner. She can’t be older than thirteen. Her hair is a brilliant red, her body thin and wiry, and she wears, to my intense surprise, a ragged pinafore. She has almost no makeup on, just a hint of blush on her cheeks and gloss on her lips. She looks incredibly tiny. And plain. But her big brown eyes are full of compassion.
    â€œYes,” I say. “She was.”
    The girl nods. “My best friend came here with me, too. But she was Lot 131. I haven’t seen her since the train.”
    â€œWhich holding facility are you from?”
    â€œNorthgate. They came with me,” she says, indicating the iced cake and the lioness. “But they aren’t my friends.”
    â€œI’m Violet,” I say.
    Her eyes widen. “Are we allowed to tell each other our names?”
    â€œOh. Probably not.” I sigh.
    The girl bites her lip. “I’m Dahlia,” she says. Then she smiles shyly. “I think you’re the prettiest of all of us. Especially your eyes. You must’ve had a really good prep artist.”
    â€œI did. What about you?” It doesn’t look like she got prepped at all.
    â€œShe wanted me to look pathetic.