Chapter 2 #2
Gazes turn to us as he leads us deeper into the room, and I make sure to meet as many as I can. I give them my strength and show them I am not dead or broken. I have not abandoned them and never will. I am in this with them and will not stop until we are free.
He stalks to my mother’s throne and sits, forcing me to my knees at his side. My eyes find the spot where she died. Her body is gone, as is Teresa’s, and there is nothing there to indicate what happened, as if she didn’t even exist, and that hurts more for some reason.
He speaks, and I realise they seem to be celebrating something, but my eyes are for my people. I watch them as I plan, but that all stops when a woman cries out as she’s smacked. The man who did it stomps on her hand, breaking it, and her scream chills me to the bone.
When he goes to lift his boot again, my chain rattles as I leap to my feet and rush to the end of it, my hand outstretched. “Stop! You will not hurt her.” My powers slam out and he stills.
The whole room falls silent, and I know I fucked up.
I turn slowly as Gregory stands from the throne. “You dare order us? You dare defy me?”
I swallow. “I was simply—” I stumble over the words when he yanks the chain. I hit the floor hard, my hands coming up as I’m dragged back as he winds it around his fist. I slide across the tile, only to stop before him as he crouches above me.
“You are not in charge here!” he roars. The kinder man who wanted to worship and own me is gone, and in his place is the monster he hides—the one who wants power and pain.
His fist hits my face so hard, I feel my teeth crack and I taste blood. Groaning, I curl in on myself, and his boot hits my side repeatedly. When he steps back, every inch of me hurts, but I’m alive, and the men’s attention is on me instead of the succubi.
“She needs more punishment!” one man calls. “You should break her!”
I see him debating it, and when he looks back at me, he appears resigned. “You brought this on yourself, Elara, remember that. You should have behaved. I could have kept you safe.” Dropping my chain, he steps back, leaving me to their mercy, of which they have none.
I look at the women and know it’s either me or them.
“You think you can break me?” I spit my blood out. “Nobody can.”
The man I yelled at strides my way and spits on my body as he runs his eyes over me. “I say we break the bitch. Let them see their so-called queen give in so they know how to behave unless they want to end up like her.”
“No!” The women reach for me, but I shake my head, holding out my hand and ordering them to stand down. I meet their eyes and feel tears fill mine as they cry with me, feeling every inch of my pain.
I am flipped onto my back and stretched out as more men head my way. Everyone else is forgotten but me. My body is in agony as I am moved, but I keep my eyes on the succubi as the first man drops to his knees and squeezes my breasts as he leers at me.
In the spot my mother died, I am held down as the first man steps up to my naked body.
When he pushes into me, it hurts.
I want to cry, but I don’t.
I take their wrath and vile lust so the succubi do not have to.
When the first man is done, he stumbles away, and another takes his place. I am turned to my front and my ass dragged up and back.
“Shit, I’ve been wanting to do this for years.
The fucking tease would never let me.” Spit hits my ass, and he works a finger into me before his cock replaces it, pushing inside me.
My body revolts, trying to push him out, but he forces himself into me.
The agony is so horrendous, I whimper before biting it back.
I keep my eyes on Gregory on the throne.
He’s watching with anger in his gaze, blaming me as his hands curl into fists.
I avert my eyes and focus on the glass door that leads out to the balcony as my current assailant grunts behind me, hammering into my ass.
I go far away, back to that night, when I stood under the blanket with my mother, laughter filling the air. I centre myself in it as they slake their lust inside my body, ripping it apart with their hands and cocks.
My eyes lock on the trees through the glass doors. I don’t look away, losing myself in those shadowy branches. My hand slowly reaches out, desperate to feel their safety.
They blow in the wind as if reaching for me too, something within calling to me. I don’t know how I know, but if I could get to the forest, I would be safe.
Even that slice of safety is stolen from me, however, when someone steps into my path, and I look up to find him before me, his cock in hand. Gregory forces my mouth open and slams himself down my throat, making me look at him as I am raped over and over for hours.
Agony builds inside me, and my body tries to heal, but they keep hurting it again. I find something in that moment, however, as they steal something that isn’t theirs to take.
I learn I can feed on pain, on anguish, and I do.
I gather that power inside me, and I use it to keep myself alive when my body wants to die.
I will not end here tonight.
I will survive.
I will free our people.
Those words follow me into oblivion as I finally pass out.
When I wake up, the room is empty. I am alone, splayed on the floor where they used me. I know they continued on even as I passed out. I can feel it—broken bones, ripped flesh, and ruined insides.
No doubt they thought I was dead.
No one is around, and my chain is lying loosely at my side. Someone was smart enough to tether it to a new ring in the floor, though, just in case. They left me here as a reminder and a warning.
The fools.
I unleash that ball inside me, the one I held onto tightly. I let it flow through me, fixing bones and repairing flesh. I heal as quickly as I can, faster than ever before, knowing I do not have long.
While I’m rebuilding, I consider how to break the chain when hushed steps reach me. I debate pretending to be asleep, but I sit up slowly and meet two pairs of nervous eyes. It’s two of my people with shackles on their throats. One kneels before me as the other stands guard.
“They ordered us to tend to you,” she whispers as she looks around. “He wants you alive. Are you okay, rethia?”
For some reason, the use of my title brings tears to my eyes, and I nod, choking it back.
“I’m fine,” I rasp, then I try again, clearer.
“I’m fine.” My voice is an octave lower, and I realise they have done irrevocable damage.
I cannot afford to cry for that now as I force a smile onto my lips. “Are you okay? The others?”
“We are fine. They left us alone tonight, satisfied . . .” She prostrates herself on the floor. “Forgive us, rethia.”
“There is nothing to forgive. I would gladly take your punishments if I could. It’s me who should beg for your forgiveness. I have failed to free us so far, but I promise I will.” She sits up, her lips pursed, before she reaches inside her bra and pulls out a key—a familiar one.
It fits my chain.
“I stole it off him when I spilled a drink. I was whipped for being clumsy, but it’s worth it. This is your chance, rethia.” She unlocks my chain, and it falls on the floor. The collar is still on my neck, but I’m free.
“Go, my queen,” she begs. “Go now before it’s too late.”
“I will not abandon you,” I hiss.
“You are saving us. Go and come back with an army. Save us, my queen. We are counting on it. We can hold on until then. You have sacrificed so much for us, and now it is our turn. Go now.”
“Come with me,” I order.
I glance at the other woman, who shakes her head. “We can’t. We are needed here. We will not let another carry our punishment for our choice. This was our plan all along. Go. You cannot save us alone. We can endure until you return. Just don’t be too long, okay?”
I’m torn in two, but staring into their hopeful eyes, I know they are right. I cannot defeat them alone. There are too many of them. If I stay, I will never be able to get help. This is my chance to save us, but knowing these women will suffer for helping me, maybe even die, kills me.
“It is not easy being a leader,” the one standing says. “You must make hard decisions and sacrifices. Do not fear, rethia, for we are ready to give our lives for our people just like you are. Do not take that choice from us.”
I glance between them before taking their hands. “I will be back, I promise. Stay alive. That is an order.”
“Yes, rethia,” they reply.
With one last look at them, I stand and hurry to the balcony, ripping open the doors. The cold night air makes me shiver, bringing me back to life. I glance back to find the women holding hands, watching me confidently. “Go,” they whisper.
Being a queen is hard, and I always knew that, but nothing has ever felt as difficult as turning away from them.
It’s the only way, but it destroys a little part of me, and I will carry whatever hardships they suffer with me forever.
Shutting the doors after me, I rush to the edge of the balcony and climb up onto the stone. I leap off the edge, and for the first time in my life, I leave the home my mother created, one meant for safety.
I race across the grass, heading for the trees, knowing if I can get there, then all will be well.
My arms pump as my aching body is pushed to its limits, but I do not look back, not until I reach the forest. When I do, I see all the lights on inside the manor, and bodies are tumbling over the balcony after me.
Screams fill the air, along with gunshots.
They are coming for me.
I throw myself into the trees and run, all of our lives depending on it.