My next destination was the club, but I sat in Yaru's car on the way as he presented me with a box.

"Put this on," he said. "And hurry. You've not got long."

I opened it up to discover a new outfit, a dress that hugged the figure and covered up a significant portion of my painted body. At first I wondered if it would look wrong with the design I was wearing, the blossom not my usual attire for the club, but the dress was almost pure white, almost accentuating the paint that could still be seen. I didn't doubt that the lights of the club would show it up all the more on me. It was designed for me to stand out. I also wondered if the colour was symbolic in another way. After all, I was inviting people to my unveiling. I was meant to be considered pure.

Mhairi helped me into it, something not easy while the car moved and whizzed along with all the other traffic. I had barely recovered and sat back down when we arrived. It was time to find Keaton.

I strode out ever so slightly ahead of my entourage, still not sure how I felt about what I was doing. Keaton was the companion who both thrilled me the most, his touch electric, purposeful, but also the one who scared me most. He could be capricious, almost wicked, and I didn't know how much I could trust him yet.

The club already heaved with dancers, although only a handful were female. The smell as I walked past some men made it clear not everyone had gone home yet, their bodies so wired and high they had carried on long past bedtime and well into the next day.

I frowned as I carried on looking for Keaton. I doubted he'd be on the dance floor, but to get to all the booths and possible places he'd be hiding I'd need to walk through them. Most of the men parted before me, giving me room to breathe and focus. Near the far end of the floor, a man with an almost empty beer in one hand stopped and stared. His movements could only be described as an overzealous attempt at something between an exotic bird's mating dance and the writhe of a person covered in biting insects.

"Hello, gorgeous. Where have you been all night?" he said, reaching out to take my hand with his free one. I tried to smile politely and pull back, but he just stumbled closer.

"Let's find somewhere quieter. I've got enough credits left I'll double whatever you're here for." His hand fastened on my wrist, but I resisted his attempts to take me towards a booth.

"I'm not currently available," I replied as he almost spilt his drink on me, still tugging on my arm.

"Nonsense. Everyone has a price for which they'll ditch their current job. You want triple? As long as I get access to every inch of you alone, I'll stretch to that."

"I'm not..." I stopped bothering to protest verbally, the words falling on deaf ears. The more I tried to stop him dragging me away, the more he yanked on my arm. Something inside of me seemed to snap. Before I knew what I was doing I'd grabbed the hand latched onto me and yanked several fingers back. At the same time I rushed forward into his personal space, spinning at the last minute and taking his arm with me.

Less than a second later, the momentum had spun him one-eighty and his arm, still firmly in my grasp, had toppled him over backwards. His head hit the dance floor with a crack, his beer glass somehow still in his other hand, although the contents had splashed out in an arc that thankfully missed me.

I winced as I let go and stepped back. Edward appeared at my side, ready to defend me.

"What the fuck!" he yelled as he scrambled back to his feet. "How dare you assault a paying companion?"

"She didn't give you any reason to think she was interested," Edward said back, trying to come between us, but the guy wouldn't have it. He focused on me as if Edward wasn't even there, everyone around now staring at us instead of dancing.

"What's wrong with you, bitch? Don't know a good offer when you hear it? Think you can reject a man like me? Like you've got anywhere better to be."

"I'm not interested in your offer," I replied, Edward glancing at me and then behind as if to see what Yaru wanted to do, but I wanted to handle this. "Not only am I veiled but I've got a prior engagement and I'm not a courtesan who would treat any companion with such disrespect as to cancel on him last minute merely for more credits."

"Whatever." He spat on the floor at my feet. "You're all the same. Stuck up, making excuses because you think there's so few of you we're all desperate."

"I assure you, it's no excuse. Perhaps you should get a coffee, or go home and rest. Take care of yourself."

"Screw you. I don't need no jumped-up courtesan telling me when I've had enough."

"You should listen to her," Keaton said, his voice coming from over my right shoulder. A moment later he appeared beside me, several gasps coming from our onlookers. "This courtesan is here to see me, not you. And if she did anything to harm you, I'm sure it was in self-defence."

The drunk's eyes went wide as he realised who was standing before him, before he gulped and deflated, walking over to the bar with his empty glass in hand.

A part of me felt relieved. Someone with more clout than I had was now here to make it right, but a part of me felt annoyed. I'd wanted to solve the problem myself. I wouldn't always have someone rich to come to my aid, or Edward to stand like a shield while I merely tried to reason.

"I must say, Courtesan, that was impressive. I don't normally have a sub who knows how to take care of herself." A grin spread across his face, making it clear that he was more amused than bothered. I shrugged it off.

"I did warn you that I hadn't originally intended to be anyone's sub."

He let out a low chuckle and stepped forward, acting oblivious to the audience we had as he slipped an arm around me and brought his mouth close to my ear.

"I think you like it, really, Courtesan," he whispered, his voice husky. "But it can be our little secret. I'll keep all the ways I intend to dominate you for the many private meetings we'll have once you're unveiled."

A shudder trailed up my spine at the threat, my body close enough to him that no doubt he'd felt it too. Although I desperately needed his money, my body reacted, curious and owning up to his confession with a heat that pooled above my legs. I did like the idea of it, at least a little.

As he stepped back again, coldness touched my skin everywhere he suddenly wasn't, and for a brief moment I wanted to be back in his arms and pressed up against him. He wore a smug smile as our eyes met again. He could tell exactly what effect he was having on me. And he was definitely enjoying it.

"I see you brought me what I asked for," he said. There were more gasps, and I noticed Mhairi's mouth had fallen open. Evidently his words went against the usual protocol for this particular tradition, but it only made me smirk. Motioning for Mhairi to hand him his invite, I took a step back.

Once more, I waited as she repeated her little speech and handed over my fourth pristine white package.

Keaton bowed in my direction before reaching into the inside pocket of his suit jacket. He pulled out a smaller, bright-red envelope and held it out to Mhairi.

"My acceptance," he said to murmurings from our onlookers. Her eyes wide, she took it. I tried not to mirror her look, aware this was unconventional at best.

A slight smirk played across Keaton's face. I should have expected it. This was just like him, flouting the rules just enough to make a stir, but not too much that people would be angry at him for it.

I found myself smiling as Mhairi handed me the envelope.

"I look forward to seeing you there," I replied, meeting his gaze. His grin widened.

"Don't be a stranger in the meantime. I don't think this city will cope if you hide away between now and then. They're loving talking about you and you've already given us quite a few things to discuss in such a short space of time."

I let out a laugh, not completely sure I was amused. He was referring to my brush with scandal. His actions would have gone a long way to helping me undo the damage, but equally, I didn't entirely see what was amusing about the danger. My entire life was on the line.

As he flicked me a wink, he strode off, heading for a booth where the two women I'd first seen him with were sitting. Had he known that was how I felt? Did he just say something so flippant for our little audience? Maybe it was his way of trying to help. I didn't know, and I wondered if I ever would. For now, at least, I would be grateful to him. With the money he'd bring to my ceremony I had a chance of earning enough for a good start.

With just one more invitation for me to give out that afternoon, Yaru reached out an arm to hurry me back to the car. It was time to find James. And to hope the rest weren't put off when they heard another resurrected was coming to my unveiling.

I briefly thought about Benton as I removed the white dress again, not needing to appear in any particular outfit to go back to the restaurant I'd met James in. I hoped to find him eating lunch and surprise him with an invitation. His earlier messages had said it was where he always ate. But was he now avoiding me? Or worse, had something happened to him? I knew there was only one way to find out.

Cheating just a little, I asked Mhairi to tell me how the fantasy book ended. She grinned and obliged me, seeming to know what I was asking.

As soon as she was done I pulled out my crystal and found Benton in my database.

I hope you don't mind me bothering you to talk about books but I just finished reading a fantasy story, and I enjoyed it so much I'd like more to read. You're the only person I know who might have recommendations though! Do you know any good books I could read?

I also tried to look for you at lunch today, thought I could ask you in person, but I couldn't find you. I hope you're well and nothing is troubling you.

Yours faithfully, Auralia

I hit send and considered praying for it to be received favourably. Did this new world have a god or gods? I had no idea. No one had made any mention of it. And you'd have thought a god wouldn't have allowed society to become this much of a mess.

I quickly prayed to one anyway. Couldn't hurt my chances.

The car pulled up outside the restaurant, ending my brief break and putting me on edge again. I had so many questions. James was one of the few companions I'd met who understood me completely, but who was still willing to play this crazy game I had to go through. And I had no idea how much wealth he actually possessed. I could scare away other companions and gain very little for my efforts by inviting him.

But I'd given him my word, and at this point I had few precious choices. I needed to gamble on the biggest possible outcome or I was going to fail before I'd truly begun.

It took me a moment to spot James, but as soon as I did, our eyes locked onto each other. He grinned and raised his whiskey glass.

For a moment I considered taking the invite from Mhairi and going over to James with it myself, knowing he was different and he didn't play this game, but I stopped myself at the last minute. He'd never been invited to an unveiling before. It was only fair I did it properly if I was going to do it.

With my mini entourage, I walked straight up to him. By the time I got there, two more glasses of the fiery amber liquid sat on the table. He held one out to me.

"I've seen this setup before. And I know I'll be last on your list, Resurrected, so I figure you could do with this."

It took all my restraint not to tear the glass out of his hand and down it. Instead I sipped it, lifted it to him in a sort of salute and motioned for Mhairi to come forward. For the final time that day, she delivered her message and slid back to stand with Yaru.

For a moment James merely stared at the envelope, holding it in one hand while he ran his other fingers lightly over the front and his name.

"Never thought I'd ever get one of these. Bit of a strange feeling."

Suddenly he looked up, his eyes intense, like they could pierce my very soul.

"You sure this is what you want?" he asked, his voice almost choked by emotion. I couldn't reply at first, feeling a lump form in my throat, but I swallowed it away and nodded.

"It'll help to have an ally there. Someone who gets it."

"I sorta hoped you'd want me there for the fun reasons too," he said, a sly grin curling one side of his mouth up. I found myself chuckling.

"Don't worry. You've got plenty of sex appeal. I won't be faking it or anything."

"Oh, that's not how this deal should work, Resurrected," he said, so emphatic I was taken by surprise. "You needing to fake it or not is all on my shoulders, not yours. You just worry about looking pretty and having plenty of stamina."

I grinned and raised my glass to him again.

"If all my companions think like you, it's going to be one hell of a party," I replied, as honest as I dared to be.

"Well, I'll drink to that, Resurrected."

A part of me wanted to sit down, but Yaru ushered me away. My invitations had been given out. It was now customary to return to the court and await my replies. Only once the companions had all responded was I meant to leave again.

I sighed, trying to hide my annoyance behind tiredness. But if Yaru or the others noticed, none of them said anything. I'd invited five of my seven possible companions to my unveiling. I could only hope Daniel had been successful in inviting Aiden. As much as I wasn't sure I wanted the man there, his money was necessary. Kioshi wouldn't come, and I still hadn't found Benton.

Would five companions be enough? Would I somehow get seven? It wouldn't be long before I found out.