World of Zekira - Politics of Contraband / Dangerous Prey
an excerpt

“So,” High Master Ringlak said with a faint curl to his blue-tinted lips, “about this payment plan.”
“You’ve got enough money,” Chaeli spat, “why do you think you need mine too?”
“It’s not the money, my dear,” he said, swinging his chair around and looking at the distant hills from the big windows, “it’s the principle of the thing. You lost. To us, to me. I would hardly let you get out of that courtroom without feeling that loss.”
“You are perverse,” Chaeli whispered. She did not have anyone with her, no backup, she knew she could not pay her lawyers – more experienced at courts than she – any longer and had to let them go. So she had to be here alone, denying both Elaeon and Guyeen their requests to come along.
“You have no idea,” Ringlak replied curtly. “My sources inform me that… you are a fertile woman.”
Chaeli’s brows immediately creased, “… yes, I am. I have a grown daughter.”
“With a Worker, yes I know.” He took in a silent breath. “If you bear me a child, hand them over to me as a Slave, I will … waive my portion of the court costs.”
Chaeli’s heart paused, something inside her fell away. When she felt her temples pounding again, she swayed. “I – what?” She said, unable to quite catch up. “What?!”
“I do believe you heard me, I am merely waiting your reply. I have a Breeder on retainer, I can make certain everything works out properly. You know, with contracts and such.”
She was dizzy. This man was … ‘offering’ her what? Selling a child to him?
“Perhaps you need a day or so to decide. However, I shall not wait longer than a week. I expect either payment in full, or a contract with this Breeder for me,” he tossed a hard business card across the heavily laquered table toward her, “by the end of this tenth-day. It has been a month already, your payments to the others remain unsettled as well.”
She wanted to scream, Chaeli wanted to strike him, to spit at him, to kick and make a scene. But instead her hand moved limply toward the business card, and she staggered out of the office.
Chaeli could hardly ride, her head was spinning. Was it just the shock of it all, finally catching up? Was it what everyone said, she was under stress and should go to a healer – hah, she could hardly afford feed for her Steeds at this rate, what good would going deeper in debt to a healer do her now? Or … was it something else? She’d felt like the lights went out, it was a tangible sensation of ache now in her chest.
But there was nothing she could do about it, so she decided, except head home and cry.